Being Black- The '80s - TopPodcast.com

Latest Episodes:

Stevie Wonder x MLK May 31, 2023

Show notes

Stevie’s legendary song “Happy Birthday” was originally part of the long, hard battle to turn Dr. King’s birthday into a national holiday. When Dr. King was assassinated, his approval rating with white people was very low. At that point, he was not beloved by them. It took a lot of careful, steady, thoughtful, diplomatic work by Coretta Scott King to change his image and win over politicians. Stevie Wonder was committed to that struggle and this song is just one of the things he did for Dr. King. In this episode, we talk to King's daughter Bernice as well as the engineers who worked with Stevie on the song. We talk about how they got us to having a King holiday and what that fight meant to Stevie. And why he usually records in the middle of the night.

Guests:

Dr. Chrissy Greer, Professor, Fordham University

Jelani Cobb, Professor, Columbia University

Lon Neumann, Recording Engineer, Happy Birthday

Gary Adante, Lead Engineer, Happy Birthday

Dr. Bernice King, CEO The King Center

Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Journalist

Credits:

Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday

Writer: Stevie Wonder
Label: Motown Records
Publisher: Black Bull Music Inc, Jobete Music Co Inc

Public Enemy - By the Time I Get to Arizona

Writer: Chuck D, Neftali Santiago, Mandrill, Stuart Robertz, G-Wiz & C-Dawg
Label: Def Jam and Colombia Records
Publisher: Sony Music Entertainment

Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" Martin Luther King, CSPAN

Stevie Wonder on creating Martin Luther King Day 1983, CNN

Public Enemy, Arsenio Hall (1993)

Martin Luther King, Jr. on Income Inequality and Redistribution of Wealth, Insaaf Blog

Harold Washington, CBS Chicago

Republican President Reagan’s Jaw-Dropping Press Conference the Day Martin Luther King Holiday Was Passed, Mediaite

Public Enemy Chuck D Interview, ABC News (1992)

Diana Ross x Gay Liberation May 31, 2023

Show notes

“I’m Coming Out” was meant to be a gay liberation song but the song’s writer and producer Nile Rodgers didn’t tell Diana Ross that. Which led to a whole thing. It’s a crazy story. The origin of the song is fascinating but more interesting is how disco in general was part of the gay rights movement. We chart the rise of disco and look at the way it dovetailed with the struggle for LGBTQ rights and how being gay is so different for Sylvester than for Tyler the Creator.

Guests:

Wesley Morris, Critic, New York Times

Craig Seymour, Music Critic and Activist

Nile Rodgers, Record Producer and Chic Founder

Bill Coleman, Artist Manager

DJ Jellybean Benitez, Deejay

Nelson George, Filmmaker and Author

Credits:

Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out

Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers

Label: Motown Records
Publisher: Chic Music, Inc

Chic - Le Freak

Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers
Label: Atlantic Records
Publisher: Chic Music & Cotillion Records

Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)

Writer: Sylvester & James Wirrick
Label: Fantasy
Publisher: Bee Keeper Music, Tipsyl Music

Barry White - You’re The First, My Last, My Everything

Writer: Peter Sterling Radcliffe, Tony Sepe & Barry White
Label: 20th Century Fox Records
Publisher: SaVette Music Co.

Diana Ross - Love Hangover

Writer: Pam Sawyer & Marilyn McLeod
Label: Motown Records
Publisher: Jobete Music Co. INC

A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie

Writer: Perry Kibble & Janice Marie Johnson
Label: Capitol Records
Publisher: On Time Music, INC

Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby

Writer: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte
Label: Casablanca, Oasis
Publisher: Saturday Music and Cafe Americana

Grace Jones - Pull up to the Bumper

Writer: Sly Dunbar, Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell, Sly & Robbie & Grace Jones
Label: Island
Publisher: EMI Music Publishing Ltd

Candi Stanton - Young Hearts Run Free

Writer: Dave Crawford
Label: Warner Bros.
Publisher: Ghati Music Inc

Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive

Writer: Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren
Label: Polydor Records
Publisher: Perren-Vibes Music Co.

Tyler the Creator - I Ain’t Got Time

Writer: Tyler, The Creator
Label: Columbia Records
Publisher: Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment

Tyler, The Creator Used To Be Accused of Homophobia, Now Raps About “Kissing White Boys”, Genius

Tyler The Creator And Funk Flex Have an Honest Conversation Plus, Hot 97

Donna Summer x Women’s Liberation May 31, 2023

Show notes

“She Works Hard for the Money,” is Donna Summer’s classic that was born when she saw a waitress sleeping during her shift and thought, damn she works hard for the money. In this episode we talk about the birth of the song with Summer’s husband and we talk about Black women’s economic issues and how Black women can accrue more wealth and what society needs to do for Black women and how sisters can get more venture capital funds so they can start and grow their own businesses.

Guests:

Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer’s Husband

Omi Bell, CEO, Black Girl Ventures Foundation

Lauren Maillian, CEO, Digital Undivided

Nina Banks, Professor Bucknell University

Credits:

Donna Summer - MacArthur Park

Writer: Jimmy Webb
Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.
Publisher: Canopy Music

Donna Summer - Hot Stuff

Writer: Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer & Pete Bellotte
Label: Casablanca Records
Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music

Donna Summer - Bad Girls

Writer: Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano & Donna Summer
Label: Casablanca Records
Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music

Donna Summer - She Works Hard For the Money

Writer: Michael Omartian & Donna Summer
Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc.
Publisher: Phonogram International B.V.

Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent

Writer: Gwen Guthrie
Label: Polydor
Publisher: Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc

Bob Marley x Black Determination May 31, 2023

Show notes

“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers is one of the ultimate songs about the Black spirit and the immense determination that has gotten us through life in America. I’m talking about a specifically Black determination that has powered our resistance and carried us through life in America. A sense of Black determination that we hear in Redemption Song as well as Sam Cookie’s “A Change Gonna Come,” Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” and Kendrick’s “Alright.” No matter how hard things have been we have always been certain that one day we would overcome.

Guests:

Roger Steffens, Author, So Much Things to Say

Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Princeton University

Credits:

Bob Marley and The Wailer's - Redemption Song

Writer: Bob Marley
Label: Tuff Gong & Island Records
Publisher: Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, Primary Wave/Blue Mountain

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come

Writer: Sam Cooke
Label: RCA Victor
Publisher: Kegs Music Corp.

Kendrick Lamar - Alright

Writer: Kawan Prather, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams & Sounwave
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment & Interscope Records
Publisher: EMI April Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Publishing Group, PECF, BMG Firefly, BMG, Warner/Chappell, Top Dawg Entertainment, Sony/ATV Allegro, In Thee Face Music Publishing, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, BMG Gold Songs, Beat Bully Productions, More Water From Nazareth & EMI Pop Music Publishing

Still I Rise, Maya Angelou

Yvonne Orji, The Toure Show

#TrumpRally protesters chant "We gonna be alright", Chicago Reader

Being Black: The '80s with Toure` starts June 1st May 08, 2023

Show notes