After yesterday’s Baby Huey, whose brilliant only album was produced by Curtis Mayfield, let’s turn to the man himself with a trio classic tracks from 1972 that show the full range of his funk and orchestration prowess. It’s an impossible task to pick even three of his tracks. One of the giants of funk and soul music alongside James Brown, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye, Chicago-born Mayfield formed The Impressions in the late 1950s, was a hero of the civil rights movement, and in 1965 had hits with tracks such as People Get Ready and Keep On Pushing, but it was really in 1970 when he went solo, formed his own label, and like Stevie Wonder, gained full control of his output that he hit a true peak. So these tracks are taken from the film soundtrack to Super Fly of 1972, (also with a famous theme song), his first solo album Curtis (1970) and his second album Roots (1971), with a wonderful performance of Keep On Keeping On from that album from the BBC TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1972.
Mayfield didn’t just make the most of the power of a horn section and orchestral strings, able to express the machismo of the blaxploitation gangster culture of Super Fly, but also, with African-inspired rhythms, cinematic range, that unique, high voice, captured true intimacy and emotion, as well as moral, social, political and philosophical insight in his lyrics. He also died too, young, set back in 1997 with a stage accident in 1997 in New York that put him in permanently wheelchair, then suffering fatal complications with type 2 diabetes in 1999. But his extraordinary style, talent, inventiveness, talent and legacy lives on, keeping on keeping on, for all of us to enjoy.
[Chorus]
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
[Verse 1]
I want you so baby
Can't even get mad at you
What a thing
You really swing
And I feel so good it's true
You're such a gun
Make my lungs sigh
Breathin' in the air
Through lovin' you
I really know, child
Just how much I care
Give me your love
[Chorus]
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love
[Verse 2]
Preparing for tomorrow
You do what you have to do
I'll share the weight
Whatever fate
Plans to bring to you
Don't worry 'bout no attitude
You just be yourself
Could live with you
In solitude
And need no one else
[Chorus]
Give me your love
Give me your love
Give me your love, love
Give me your love
Give me, give me
Hush now, child
And don't you cry
Your folks might understand you
By and by
Just move on up
Toward your destination
Though you may find, from time to time, complication
Bite your lip
And take a trip
Though there may be wet road ahead
And you cannot slip
Just move on up
For peace you'll find
Into the steeple of beautiful people
Where there's only one kind
So hush now, child
And don't you cry
Your folks might understand you
By and by
Move on up
And keep on wishin'
Remember your dream is your only scheme
So keep on pushin'
Take nothing less
Than the supreme best
Do not obey rumours people say
That you can't pass the test
Just move on up
To a greater day
With just a little faith
If you put your mind to it, you can surely do it
Just move on up
Move on up
But move on up
Oh, child, but just a-move on up
But move on up
Move on up
[Intro]
Everybody gather round and listen to my song
I've only got one
[Verse 1]
We who are young should now take a stand
Don't run from the burdens of women and men
Continue to give, continue to live for what you know is right
Most of your life can be out of sight
Withdraw from the darkness and look to the light
Where everyone's free
At least that's the way it's supposed to be
[Refrain]
We just keep on keeping on
We just keep on keeping on
Many think that we have blown it
But they too will soon admit
That there's still a lot of love among us
And there's still a lot of faith, warmth and trust
When we keep on keeping on
[Verse 2]
Before we dismiss, one thing I insist
When you have your young, remember this song
And our world surroundings
Its leaps and bounds, ups and downs, is reality
Teach them to be strong and when they are grown
They can proudly imply that we were an alright guy
For all the wrong now is right
This nation's people are now united as one
[Refrain]
[Break]
Keep on keeping on, ya'll
Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
Keep on, keeping on (Keep on, keeping on)
We got to move on up, ya'll
(We got to move on up)
Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
[Verse 3]
Some years back I remember, still in my mind so well
My mama made this [?] and I found it never fails
Never worry too long (Worry too long)
About what goes on (About what goes on)
Today it's sorrow (Today it's sorrow)
Look like joy tomorrow (Look like joy tomorrow)
Keep on keeping on (Keep on keeping on)
Keep on, keep on (Keep on, keep on)
[Refrain]
[Break]
Ooh ooh ooh ooh (Ooh ooh ooh ooh)
We're gonna move on up (We’re gonna move on up)
Keep on keeping on (Keep on keeping on)
Move on, move now (Move on, move now)
Keep on keeping on (Keep on keeping on)
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