Today, we’re taking a listen to a fantastic tune from the seventies that unfortunately we’d have to classify as a hidden gem. Sure, you can hear “Play That Funky Music” or “I Shot The Sheriff” on the radio now and again, but when’s the last time you caught a Cymande tune? Our loss.
Cymande (pronounced Sah-Mahn-Day and meaning “dove”) are a British band originally from a variety of nations including Jamaica and Guyana. Their 1972 self-titled debut LP contains a wealth of wonderful grooves, but today, let’s open our ears to “The Message.” No, not the 80s blockbuster – this is the original “Message,” damnit.
Cymande’s “The Message” hit #22 on Billboard‘s Soul chart and #48 on the Hot 100 in early ’73. Spin it!
Tasty edibles and Adventure Team toys are on offer in today’s batch of vintage commercials. Tune in for G.I. Joe, Keebler, Nestlé’s Toll House morsels, and Fortified Oat Flakes. FOF!
Mick Ronson – ‘Love Me Tender’ ad via Billboard March 02, 1974
Here’s a striking ad found in music industry magazines from the first week of March 1974. 47-years-ago Ronson, former guitarist for David Bowie’s Spiders from Mars, released the single “Love Me Tender” from his debut solo LP Slaughter on 10th Avenue.
Long recognized as a fantastic lead guitarist, Ronson deserves more credit for the mind-bending arranging and conducting work (horns, classical instrumentation, etc.) found on Bowie’s early 70s output.
Let’s grab a listen to Ronson’s Elvis cover and begin this new month in style.
A number of future sitcom celebrities can be found in today’s batch of ancient commercials. You can spy Charlotte Rae and Sorrell Booke in a Charmin spot and Pam Dawber in one for Prell shampoo. You’ll also enjoy spots for Hormel and Sony. Dig in.
Prell Shampoo Commercial (Pam Dawber, Early 1970s)
Liquid Prell Shampoo commercial starring a young Pam Dawber (‘Mork & Mindy’) aired in the early 1970s. Best guess 1971 or ’72.
Charmin Commercial (Charlotte Rae & Sorrell Booke, 1972)
Charmin Bathroom Tissue commercial featuring actors Charlotte Rae (‘Diff’rent Strokes,’ ‘The Facts of Life’) and Sorrell Booke (‘The Dukes of Hazzard’) aired in 1972.
Hormel Chili Commercial (1973)
Hormel Chili commercial featuring a sing-a-long song and a beach party aired October 1973.
Sony Compact Stereo Commercial (1974)
Sony compact stereo system commercial aired November 1974.
A quartet of music-related seventies stories in the news this week. Read on for details.
FRAMPTON ON FRAMPTON
Vulture interviews guitar god and former teen idol Peter Frampton. The topic of discussion is the 45th anniversary of the Frampton Comes Alive! LP. Lots of great, and occasionally humorous, anecdotes to enjoy here.
Vulture Quote: “I had multiple shows in Detroit and I went to a tiny record store to sign some records. I was behind the counter and they let everyone in. There were so many people that the place became stuffed.
At some point I lost control of the crowd and they started climbing over the counter to get on top of me. I had to be removed from the building. The limousine was out back and I was hustled into it quickly. We tried to drive away, but all of the people jumped on the car and they started rocking it back and forth, like they were trying to turn it over.”
MCCARTNEY WAXES LYRICAL
Paul McCartney’s The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present via PaulMcCartney.com
In lieu of a full autobiography, Paul McCartney will be releasing a 2-volume tome entitled The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present on November 2nd. This collection is the closest thing fans will get to having McCartney describe his journey through life. Beware though, the books will set you back one hundred bucks.
If that doesn’t frighten you off – you can pre-order here.
PaulMcCartney.com Quote: “More often than I can count, I’ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.”
JAMES BURKE PASSES
The Five Stairsteps circa 1970
James Burke of The Five Stairsteps has died at the age of 70. Burke sang on the Chicago-based family band’s biggest hit “O-o-h Child” which made it to #8 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 in 1970. The band also repeatedly placed songs in the Top 20 of the R&B charts and worked with the likes of Curtis Mayfield, Billy Preston, and George Harrison.
Variety Quote: “…Known locally as ‘the First Family of Soul,’ as teenagers…had their first hit in 1966 with the Mayfield-backed ‘You Waited Too Long.’ The group’s name was said to have been coined because of how the sister and brothers had incrementally varying heights when lined up together.”
WELLER’S COSMIC POP
Paul Weller ‘Cosmic Fringes’ video, February 2021
Paul Weller, who seventies fans will fondly remember from his days fronting The Jam, released a new tune today called “Cosmic Fringes.”
Weller also revealed that a new LP, Fat Pop, will be arriving May 14, 2021. You can find the disc and lots of goodies available for pre-order here.
Promo Quote: “The new album from Paul Weller was recorded in Spring 2020 whilst unable to hit the road and tour. Locked-down at Black Barn studios, Paul initially recorded vocals, piano and guitar on his own, before sending to the core band to add their parts remotely. Eventually the full band were able to reconvene as restrictions lifted and finish the record.”
