kool & the gang

0:00 Opening

0:27

Frances Sternhagen, the two-time Tony Award winner also known for roles in hit TV shows including Sex and the City, died Nov. 27. An acclaimed actress of both stage and screen, Sternhagen made her Broadway debut in 1955 as Miss T. Muse in The Skin of Our Teeth and, over the course of the next five decades, would go on to receive seven Tony nominations and two wins for Featured Actress in a Play. She was also nominated for three Emmy awards throughout her television career: twice for her recurring performance as Cliff Calvin’s mother on Cheers and once for playing Charlotte's stuffy mother-in-law Bunny MacDougal on Sex and the City. Sternhagen's additional film and television credits include ER, Julie & Julia, and Independence Day. She was 93.

1:13  

Jean Knight, the Grammy-nominated singer behind the 1971 hit “Mr. Big Stuff,” died on Nov. 22 of natural causes.  The R&B singer launched her career straight out of high school when she released her first song, a demo of Jackie Wilson’s “Stop Doggin’ Me Around.” In 1970, she recorded “Mr. Big Stuff,” which went on to become a hit on the charts, earning her a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female alongside the likes of Diana Ross, Janis Joplin, Freda Payne and the year’s winner, Aretha Franklin. A decade later, Knight garnered more acclaim for her song, “You Got the Papers (But I Got the Man),” and also charted with a cover of Rockin’ Sydney’s “(Don’t Mess With My) My Toot Toot.” She was 80.

2:04

George "Funky" Brown, the longtime drummer and co-founding member of the genre-blending band Kool & the Gang, died Nov. 15 after a battle with cancer.  Brown was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer earlier this year, which led him to retire nearly 60 years after forming Kool & the Gang in New Jersey with brothers Robert "Kool" Bell and Ronald Bell, Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Charles Smith, Woodrow "Woody" Sparrow, and Ricky West. In addition to playing drums, Brown wrote many of the band's biggest hits, including "Celebration," "Ladies Night," "Jungle Boogie," "Get Down on It," and "Too Hot." He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018, and Kool & the Gang were inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2015. He was 74.

2:52

Brandi Mallory, a makeup artist and dancer who was featured on the ABC series Extreme Weight Loss in 2014, died on Nov. 9. She appeared on season 4 of the reality show, which highlighted a different person each week as they underwent rigorous programs to shed weight. Mallory went from 329 pounds to 178 pounds during her time on the show. She went on to run a fitness and makeup Instagram account with hundreds of thousands of followers, documenting her day-to-day life with glamorous photos and motivational captions, and also worked as a dance instructor for Dance Your Pounds Off in Atlanta. She was 40.

3:35

Evan Ellingson, the former child actor best known for his roles on the series CSI: Miami and 2009 film My Sister's Keeper, died on Nov. 5. Ellingson began his career with small roles on General Hospital and Mad TV before landing a recurring role on 2004 sitcom Complete Savages. Other credits included shows Bones and 24, and films Time Changer, Confession, The Bondage, and Walk the Talk. His last screen role was as Kyle Harmon, son of David Caruso's Lt. Horatio Caine, on CSI: Miami in 2010. He was 35.

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Dex Carvey, stand-up comedian and son of former Saturday Night Live star Dana Carvey, died of an accidental drug overdose on Nov. 15, his family confirmed. Following in his father's footsteps, Carvey pursued his own career as a comic and opened for his dad's 2016 Netflix special, Straight White Male. He was 32. 

4:35

Joss Ackland, whose acting career spanned eight decades of theater, film, and television, died on Nov. 19. The British actor was perhaps best known for his villainous role in Lethal Weapon 2, however, had more than 130 film and TV credits, ranging from The Sicilian and The Hunt for Red October to Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey andThe Mighty Ducks. He was nominated for two BAFTA awards, first in 1989 for Best Supporting Actor for White Mischief, and again in 1990 as Best Actor for First and Last. As a player at London's Old Vic Theatre, Ackland shared the stage with Maggie Smith and Judi Dench and he went on to originate the role of Juan Perón in the West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita. Ackland also appeared in the Pet Shop Boys music video for "Always On My Mind," and made his final film appearance in 2014's Decline of an Empire. He was 95.

Dead Celebs Podcast  "The Final Curtain Call" | Tragic Celebrity Deaths 

Celebrate good times, it's Accutron's birthday! For this special episode, our hosts Indrani and David talk to Robert "Kool" Bell, Co-founder of the legendary disco soul band Kool & The Gang. Together they discuss Robert's Le Kool Champagne project, the special collaboration with Accutron and the First Lady Rosé inspired timepiece available now on Accutronwatch.com. Seven-time Grammy Award Winner, American Music Award Winner, Multi-platinum selling, and the most sampled band of all time, Kool & The Gang has sold over 80 million albums worldwide and influenced the music of generations with 25 Top Ten R&B hits, 9 Top Ten Pop hits, and 31 gold and platinum albums. Tune in for a sparkling chat with this music icon.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

9:54 The thing that kept us going during the darker times was the wish and want to be successful. We made it through the 60s, the 70s and the 80s with great hit songs. Then we asked ourselves "What are we going to do now?" We decided then to tour around the world and go into markets that we usually wouldn't travel to. 

15:00 About 10 years ago, while we were touring in France, our promoter mentioned he was working on a champagne inspired by Barry White and and one for the Bee Gees and asked me if I was interested. I first said no, because I wasn't sure if our fans would buy a bottle of champagne at our concerts. What I wanted to do was to be on the shelves, together with Dom Perignon, Cristal, Veuve Cliquot, etc. 

22:30 The inspiration behind the song "Ladies Night" came from watching people walk in New York. The sound of their steps inspired its famous baseline and I came up with the concept and title by going out to clubs in those times.

Pink Floyd would score another big hit and some mainstream crossover success with their eleventh studio album, The Wall.  Originally conceived by bassist Roger Waters, The Wall explores the self-isolation of a cynical rock star named Pink, and portrays events in his life from the loss of his father, to childhood trauma, to the pressures of rock stardom as bricks forming the wall.  Parts of the story are autobiographical from Waters, and parts naturally are based on former front man Syd Barrett.  The album was a commercial success, the most successful double album of all time, the second most popular Pink Floyd album behind their monstrous hit "Dark Side of the Moon," and would produce the groups only number 1 single on the charts with "Another Brick in the Wall, part 2."  Critical reviews were mixed at first, with some considering the rock opera to be pretentious, but the reviews would turn more positive over time.

This would be the last album to feature the classic band lineup.  Richard Wright would be fired by Roger Waters during production, though he would stay on as a studio musician for the album.  One further studio album would be produced before acrimony would lead to Waters departure from the band.

What the Riff co-founder Brian Dickhute brings us this album for today's podcast.  Brian is also using this as a swan song of sorts as he takes a break from regular podcasting duties to spend more time with the family.  Thanks so much for all your work over these hundreds of podcasts, Brian!

Hey You
This well-known track leads off side three of the album and reflects the desperation as Pink realizes how the wall of isolation he has built has trapped him in a cell of his own creation.  The inspiration for this song was the breakup of Waters' marriage.

Is There Anybody Out There?
In the film this song is used to transition from Pink the rock star to Pink the dictator.  Session musician Joe DiBlasi was brought in to play the fingerstyle guitar on this piece.

Nobody's Home
The last song written for the album was the result of a fight between Roger Waters and David Gilmour.  It was inspired by the isolation Waters felt during their 1977 tour and musings on Syd Barrett.  Some of the lyrics are also built around Richard Wright, keyboardist, who was allegedly dealing with drug addiction at the time.

Vera
This song is a flashback to days of World War II.  The title was inspired by Vera Lynn, a British singer popular during the war who sang the song "We'll Meet Again."  Waters lost his grandfather in WWI and his father in WWII.

Bring the Boys Back Home
Roger Waters considers this brief song the central theme of the album.  The idea is that not just war, but all activity including business and rock music should not be allowed to isolate a person from friends and family. 

Comfortably Numb
One of the more popular songs from the album, the music was written by David Gilmour and the lyrics by Roger Waters.  A significant argument occurred between Gilmour and Waters on the arrangement of this piece, with Gilmour preferring a stripped-down format and Watters wanting a more symphonic approach.  The contrasting sections of orchestration and more simplistic riffs is the result of the compromise made for the piece.

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Frosty the Snowman by Jimmy Durante 
No, it isn't Christmas again.  Popular entertainer Jimmy Durante passed away in January of 1980, and his is one of his best known songs. 

STAFF PICKS:

The Spirit of Radio by Rush 
Bruce sneaks another Rush song in for Brian's final episode as a regular podcaster.  The lead-off track to Rush's album "Permanent Waves" was inspired by the slogan of CFNY-FM in Toronto.  FM radio was moving from a more free-form format to a more commercial format, and CFNY was bucking the trend.  

Damned If I Do by the Alan Parsons Project
Rob brings us a piece from Alan Parsons' fourth studio album called "Eve."  The album is focused on the strength and characteristics of women and the difficulties they face in a world of men.  "Damned if I do, damned if I don't, but I love you."

Boom Boom (Out Go the Lights) by Pat Travers 
Wayne's staff pick is a boogie woogie cover of a blues song originally released by Little Walter in 1957.  It is a well known party song which would not be politically correct today.  There's some great guitar playing, and an excellent call-and-response in the live version.  

Ladies Night by Kool & The Gang
Brian's staff pick was a popular song in the dying days of disco.  This song would see a revitalization of Kool & the Gang's popularity going into the early 80's.  

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

Pipeline '76 by Roger Powell
It is unusual to find surfing instrumentals during the early 80's, but this one was around at the time.  

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” 

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock worthy memes we can share.

Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!

**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Band on the Run would be the turning point for Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career.  After completing two solo albums, McCarney formed Paul McCartney and Wings, with the Wings name being inspired by a time of prayer at the hospital while his wife Linda was having serious complications delivering their second child.

Wings had already produced two albums which had met with mixed reviews.  McCartney had picked an exotic locale of Lagos, Nigeria as the recording spot for "Band on the Run," and just before heading out, guitarist Henry McCullough and drummer Denny Selwell left the band.  That left Paul, his wife Linda, and former Moody Blues alum Denny Laine to complete the album.

Nigeria might have been exotic, but it was a horrible choice as a recording location.  The country was run by a corrupt military dictatorship, was in the midst of a cholera epidemic, and the studio was in very poor shape.  Despite all these problems,the band would turn in a spectacular critical and commercial success.

The album has a theme of escape and freedom.  It was being put together at the same time as George Harrison, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr all were in litigation against Allen Klein, a hardnosed business manager appointed to run Apple Records in 1969.  McCartney had strongly opposed Klein's appointment at the time, and some of the confidence that comes through in the album may come from a sense of being proven right about Klein.

McCartney insisted on recording with Linda despite her lack of previous experience as a musician because he didn't want them to be apart while he was on tour.  Linda McCartney would be a part of the band from the beginning of Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career.

Band on the Run
The opening track and title song is a medley of three songs that all reflect freedom and escape.  The lyric, "if we ever get out of here" was inspired by George Harrison in one of the Beatles' business meetings.  The original demo recording for "Band on the Run" was stolen at knife-point in Lagos, and the band had to basically re-record it from memory.

Mamunia
This deep cut, gets its name from the Mamounia Hotel where the McCartneys stayed in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1973.  Mamounia means "safe haven" in Arabic, and McCartney considered it a metaphor for rebirth, continuing the "freedom" theme that would permeate the album.  It was the first song recorded for the album.

Helen Wheels
This song was not intended to be a part of the album, and does not appear on the British release.  Capitol Records convinced Paul McCartney to include it on the American release of the album.  The track is a road trip song, and takes its name from the nickname of the McCartney's Land Rover, "hell on wheels."  

Jet
The first single from the album was actually preceded by Helen Wheels as a non-album single released separately.  It went to number 7 on both the British and American charts at the end of March.  The name is supposedly inspired by the name of the McCartney's Labrador Retriever, though Paul McCartney has also indicated that it was also the name of a pony he owned.  

ENTERTAINMENT TRACK:

Daybreak by Harry Nilsson (from the motion picture Son of Dracula)
A cult classic movie starring Ringo Starr and Harry Nilsson with Peter Frampton, John Bonham,  Keith Moon, and other rock stars.

STAFF PICKS:

Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo by Rick Derringer
Wayne features a rock anthem based off a seductive dance from the 1880's.  Derringer originally wrote the song for Johnny Winter, but re-recorded it when he went solo.  In addition to working with Johnny Winter, he also played in Edgar Winter's group on both "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride."  Derringer also plays guitar on Weird Al Yankovic's parody, "Eat It."

Jungle Boogie by Kool & the Gang
Rob cranks up the funk with an early Kool & the Gang hit off their fourth album.  The band got their start 10 years prior to this in 1964 after high school.  The scat sound is from a roadie for the band.

The Loco-Motion by Grand Funk Railroad
Brian's pick this week is a cover originally performed by Little Eva in 1962.  The song was surprisingly successful despite the unusual choice of a 60's dance song being remade by a hard rock band.

Already Gone by The Eagles
Bruce brings us the first single from the third Eagle's album "On the Border."  This song penned by Jack Tempchin and Rob Strandlund is the relational equivalent of a "you can't fire me, I quit" song.

INSTRUMENTAL TRACK:

TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia) by MFSB
Almost entirely an instrumental, this disco track will take us out of this week's podcast.  MFSB stands for "Mother, Father, Sister, Brother."

Thanks for listening to “What the Riff?!?” 

NOTE: To adjust the loudness of the music or voices, you may adjust the balance on your device. VOICES are stronger in the LEFT channel, and MUSIC is stronger on the RIGHT channel.

Please follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/whattheriffpodcast/, and message or email us with what you'd like to hear, what you think of the show, and any rock worthy memes we can share.

Of course we'd love for you to rate the show in your podcast platform!

**NOTE: What the Riff?!? does not own the rights to any of these songs and we neither sell, nor profit from them. We share them so you can learn about them and purchase them for your own collections.

Check out Hamza Isa's art work here and here

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Listen to this weeks mixtape on Apple Music here…

https://music.apple.com/gb/playlist/mixtapes-with-mike-hamza-isa/pl.u-qxyl9LMFvvJGW

Listen to this weeks mixtape on Spotify here...
 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ujOr6Qozamhz0e3zaGtjK?si=n2f0HUFlSGWNiBrWQtKa8g&dl_branch=1

Smack My Bitch Up  5:43 The Prodigy

Space Cowboy  6:27 Jamiroquai

D.E.E.P.  5:31 Outkast

Somewhere I Belong  3:34 LINKIN PARK

Diamonds and Pearls  4:21 Prince & The New Power Generation

 In the Air Tonight  5:36 Phil Collins

Get Down On It  4:54 Kool & The Gang

Never Had a Dream Come True  3:14 Stevie Wonder 

The Caterpillar  3:42 The Cure

Runaway [feat. Pusha T]  9:08 Kanye West

As always the music discussed is played below the conversation as I believe that all musicians should be paid for what they do. This is why a purposely point the listener towards the mixtape on streaming platforms and implore you to support your local record shop by seeking out the physical releases of anything you discover through this podcast, I recommend Black Circle Records

https://blackcirclerecords.co.uk

“Stay true to yourself, and stay true to the game. If you give music your all, and be honest with yourself, you will be rewarded.”

In this episode of MFM Speaks Out, Dawoud Kringle interviews  Royal Bayyan. Royal is a Musician, Songwriter, Producer, Music Supervisor, Personal Manager, Executive Brand Consultant. He played with and was a founding member of Kool & the Gang. He established several Production Companies such as Bayyan Internationale’, “The Forecast”, America’s Best Entertainment, Spook Productions Inc.& Urban Media Sound. He is the CEO of Raven Entertainment Group Distribution, partnered with Nile Rogers’ & Andy Uteroni, worked as a consultant for National R&B Music Society, Good Tree Media, Mos Def Mgmt, RUFF RYDERS Entertainment, and others. 

Royal, individually or collectively with his family, has discovered, managed, developed, or produced artists such as: Freddy Jackson, Gloria Gayner, Latoya Jackson, Ray, Goodman & Brown, The Main Ingredient, Mos-Def, Teddy Riley, Pink, The TUPAC Poetry Project, Color Me Badd, and many others. He was the New York Entertainment Coordinator at Harlem World Promotions, and the A&R Director of Black Music @ The Sound of New York Records with Gene Griffin. Between 1988 & 1989 Royal & Kool Bell sponsored and promoted the “Def Jam in the Motherland Tours” in Africa with  EPMD, Eric B and Rakim, and  LL Cool J. On top of that, he's an accomplished jazz guitarist, instrumentalist, and songwriter. 

The topics of the interview include Royal's beginnings as an early member of Kool and the Gang, the problems and pitfalls of the music business, the art of record production, Bringing live hip hop concerts to Africa, the evolution of music production, surviving in the music business, an alternative perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the music business, and the spiritual aspects of life as a professional musician and as a Muslim.

Visit Royal Bayyan at www.royalbayyan.com

The following music is featured in this episode:

Opening track: "Love & Understanding" by Kool & the Gang

Middle track: "All I Wanna Do” by Royal Bayyan

Ending track: "Corona Blues” by Royal Bayyan

(All tracks composed by Royal Bayyan)

Credits
Producer and host: Dawoud Kringle
Publisher: Musicians For Musicians (MFM), Inc. and Sohrab Saadat Ladjvardi
Technical support: Adam Reifsteck
Links
Be sure to follow and tag MFM on Facebook ([https://www.facebook.com/M4M.org/] and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/mfm\_association/).

On this week's show, we...

• attempt a 13-track cover chain
• spin some dope new tracks from some folks we dig
• wish some Canadian dude named Neil Young a happy 75th birthday

All this & much, much less!

Debts No Honest Man Can Pay is over 2 rock-solid hours of musical eclectica & other noodle stories. The show started in 2003 at WHFR-FM (Dearborn, MI), moved to WGWG-FM (Boiling Springs, NC) in 2006 & Plaza Midwood Community Radio (Charlotte, NC) in 2012, with a brief pit-stop at WLFM-FM (Appleton, WI) in 2004.