RARE GROOVES
 

Sweet Sweetbacks Badasssss Song, a Melvin Van Peebles’ production, was the first movie in this genre which turned out such dynamic movies and soundtracks as Shaft. Sweetback was released in 1971 and was the first film to feature a mostly-black cast and a black hero. Despite the resistance from The Motion Picture rating board, whose all-white members rated the film "X", it grossed over $10 million at the box office in the first week of release. Raising questions of race, violence and corruption, the film captured the imagination of many Americans and featured an effective and fitting soundtrack.
Van Peebles’ action-packed story involves a black pimp who finds himself in trouble when he kills two white policemen who brutalise one of his militant friends. Melvin plays the lead character, with his son Mario in a supporting role. The father-son duo have had success with other political movies such as Panther, but this Sweetback remains the touchstone of Blaxploitation’s repertoire.
The soundtrack comes from the young Earth, Wind and Fire, and is a sure early sign of the group’s appeal and eventual success. In this early recording they present an eclectic mixture of fast and furious soul and jazz. You’ll notice the song titles alone are eye catching.
1. Sweetback losing his cherry
2. Sweetback getting it uptight and preaching it so hard the bourgeois reggin angels in heaven turn around
3. Come on feet
4. Sweetback’s theme
5. Hoppin’ John / Voices / Mojo woman / Voices
Sanra Z / Voices
6. Reggin hanging on in there as best they can / Voices won’t bleed me
7. The man tries running his usual game but Sweetback’s Jones is so strong he wastes the hounds (Yeay! Yeah! And besides that will be coming back takin’ names and collecting dues)
Get it at: Ace Records, UK.

The first two EWF albums, Earth Wind & Fire and The Need Of Love, was finally reissued on CD in the US on 11. March 1997. Until then they were only available in Europe and Japan. Some old vinyl pressings of the the album EWF, contains the track "Handwriting on the wall". This track is not the same as "Writing on the wall", which was the b-side (45") of "System of survival". "Writing.." also appeared on the Warner compilation Another Time. This is a double album containing both the albums EWF and The Need Of Love. A recent Canadian CD pressing of Another Time, also includes the track "Mom" from Last Days And Time.

	Best of vol.1 – 1978 Got to get you into my life Love music (US CD version)
	Best of vol.2 – 1988 Turn on (the beat box)
	Eternal Dance – Box set – 1992 Interlude Hey girl (Interlude) Shining star (Alternate version) Kalimba story/Sing a message to you (Live) Mighty mighty (Live) Ponta de areia (Interlude) Dirty (Interlude) Demo Getaway (Extra intro) Little girl (Interlude) Night dreamin’ Got to get you into my life (Alternate outro with wailing guitar and acapella vocals on the fade, rather than the full band) Fall in love with me (Original ending without guitar)
	Very Best Of – 1992 September/Let´s groove/Rock that!/Boogie Wonderland (Megamix)
	Dance Tracks – 1994 Kalimba tree (Long version) Let’s Groove (12" Holiday remix)
	Big Hits & Remixes – 1999 September 99 (Phats & Small remix) Boogie Wonderland (Stretch & Vern remix) Let’s Groove (Merchant of Menace remix) Megamix 2000

Global Electronic Music Marketplace
A complete (?) list of EWF stuff on the web, and where to get it.
 

Gunnar Homdrum 1996 © 2005