Donny Hathaway

The story of Donny Hathaway is a tragic loss to the world of soul music since 1979 when he died at the age of 35 years old, however his legacy is still influential.

Life

Donny Hathaway was born in Chicago in the post 2nd world war era and grew up in a housing project with his grandmother. Hathaway began singing gospel music in a church choir along with his grandmother (a professional gospel singer) at the age of 3.

Hathaway while growing up also played the ukulele and being fascinated by Liberace studied the piano as a child. While at high school Hathaway was known as a piano prodigy, which eventually earned him a fine-arts scholarship to Howard University in 1964. He attended Howard University for three years and performed with The Ric Powel Trio, a jazz trio. Hathaway left Howard University without a degree due to the huge amount of job offers in music in 1967.

Career

Hathaway career started as a songwriter, session musician and producer for a local label in his hometown Chicago called Twinight Records, he later did arrangements for many groups including The Unifics and participated in projects by The Staple Singers (a well known gospel group) Jerry Butler and Aretha Franklin, as well with Curtis Mayfield. After working with Curtis, Donny became a “house producer” for Mayfield’s label, Curtom Records, he started recording there as a member of The Mayfield Singers. He recorded his first single under his own name in 1969, a duet with singer June Conquest called “I Thank You Baby”.

From this success Hathaway signed a deal with Atco records and released the famous ‘The Ghetto Part 1’ this song was a highlight of the critically acclaimed 1970 album Everything is Everything, his second album the self titled Donny Hathaway album was also well received.

Hathaway’s main success song wise is the Christmas standard, “This Christmas.” The song, released in 1970, has become a holiday staple and is often used in movies, television and advertising. Numerous artists have covered “This Christmas” across diverse musical genres.

In 1972 Hathaway would have two commercial and critically acclaimed successful albums. The ‘Live’ album and then the famous duets album with another former Howard University musical prodigy ‘Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’ which contained the huge hit Where Is The Love written by Ralph McDonald (who would later write Just The Two OF Us for Bill Withers). The album was mainly a covers album with Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ and showcased some of Hathaway’s own writing.

The effects of Hathaway’s melancholia also drove a wedge into Flack and Hathaway’s friendship; they did not reconcile for several years, and did not release additional music until the 1978 release of “The Closer I Get To You”. The single became a popular and R&B hit, and Flack and Hathaway resumed studio recording to compose a second album of duets thereafter, which he never finished, though these songs were released on a Roberta Flack album in 1979.

Up until his death Donny would work on numerous projects but suffered from severe bouts of depression. It was found that he was suffering from E and was known to have taken up to 14 pills two to three times per day to control this disease. This condition wreaked havoc on his life (his marriage separated) and required several hospitalisations.

Legacy

Hathaway legacy has been influential to a many artists, the LIVE album especially for new R&B Singer/Songwriters such as Brian Mc Knight, Alicia Keys, India Arie and Frank McComb, within his own family Hathaway’s daughter Lalah Hathaway has enjoyed a successful solo career. While his other daughter Kenya is one of the three backing vocalists on the hit TV program American Idol.

American Idol has also helped Hathaway back catalog be recognized again by the talent of Ruben Studdard and in the 2006 the runner-up Elliott Yamin cited him as an influence and wanted the spotlight back on Hathaway due to this sales of A Donny Hathaway Collection shot all the way up to twenty-third on the Amazon.com CD sales chart, with some commentators citing the performance as their reason for buying Hathaway’s CD

Below is a Five Part Documentary.

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

With Michael Jackson’s passing in June

Their has been a lot of speculation on what he was like in reality and how he worked in the music industry.

Well this 6 part radio interview with two staff members at Sony music gives you an insight in what Michael was like as a human being and a recording artist.

The people being interviewed is Cory Rooney and Chris Apostle

Cory Rooney has worked and been instrumental in the music careers Jennifer Lopez, Destiny’s Child, Shakira to name a few.

While Michael was working on Invincible Cory was his confident and inside man at Sony. He discusses this within the interviews and what Michael was like to work in the studio with.

Chris Apostle is a music executive at Sony Music and dealt with a lot of business issues at Sony related to Michael.

The interviews are in 10 min chunks

Enjoy

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Okay

If you were or still are a Michael Jackson fan

Here is some video treats for you

Captain EO

Part 1

Part 2

Captain EO

Captain EO is a 3-D film starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola that was shown at Disney theme parks in the 1980s and 1990s.

This is a story description below

The movie tells the story of Captain EO and the ragtag crew of his spaceship on a mission to deliver a gift to a wicked alien leader, the Witch Queen, on her home world of rotting, twisted metal and steaming vents. Captain EO’s alien crew consists of his small flying sidekick Fuzzball, the double-headed navigator and pilot Idee and Odee, robotic security officer Major Domo, a small robot Minor Domo (who fits like a module into Major Domo), and the clumsy elephant-like shipmate Hooter (Tony Cox) who always manages to blunder the crew’s missions.

Upon arriving on the planet, the crew is captured and sentenced to torture. Before being sent away, EO tells the Witch Queen that he sees the beauty hidden within her, and that he brings her the key to unlock it: his song, “We Are Here To Change The World”.

The two robot members of the crew transform into music instruments and the crew members begin to play the various instruments. As Hooter runs toward his instrument, he trips over EO’s cape and breaks his instrument, stopping the music. The spell broken, the Witch Queen orders her guards to capture Captain EO and his crew.

Hooter manages to repair his instrument and sends out a blast of music, providing EO with the power to throw off the guards. He uses his power to transform the dark hulking guards into agile dancers who fall into step behind him for a dance number. As EO presses forward toward the Supreme Leader she unleashes her Nich Warriors, two cybernetic defenders each with a whip and shield that can deflect EO’s power.

The others all run away leaving Captain EO to fight the Nich Warriors alone. EO is trapped by a closing gate and is preparing for a last stand as both the whip warriors draw their whips back for a final blow. Fuzzball drops his instrument and speedily flies over to tie the two whips together, causing the Nich Warriors to be thrown off balance giving EO an opportunity to transform them as well. With no further obstacles, EO uses his power to transform the Witch Queen into a beautiful woman, her lair into a peaceful Greek temple and the planet into a verdant paradise.

A celebration breaks out to “Another Part of Me”, as EO and his crew triumphantly exit and fly off into space.

Special FX used when watching this at Disney World

Captain EO made full use of its 3-D effects. The action on the screen extended into the audience, including lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. These effects resulted in the seventeen-minute film costing an estimated $30 million to produce.[1] At the time it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis, averaging out at $1.76 million per minute.

Music

Two new songs appeared in the film. The first, is an early version of “Another Part of Me.” The song was re-mixed and later appeared on Jackson’s hugely successful Bad album. It was released as a single in 1988.

The song also makes a brief appearance in the movie “Rush Hour” in which Chris Tucker mimics Captain EO after blowing up a car.

“We Are Here to Change the World” was not officially released until 2004 as part of Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection. This version however, is not the same version heard in the film. Soul/R&B singer Deniece Williams covered the song on her As Good As It Gets album (1988).

THE MAKING OF MOONWALKER

This was originally a BBC special and it contains 2 parts.

Part 1

Part 2

Making on In The Closet

Famous video with Naomi Campbell and the great late Herb Ritts

My favourite presenter on youtube

(By the way that doesn’t rant or claim he is the almighty know it all-and if you saw him in the street you would go and offer him a drink! LOL!)

Apart from Talkbox Mayhem (that will be a delight for you soon for you to learn how to sound like Zapp-Roger Troutman RIP-very Nerdy but cool!)

Talks about his favourite samples on Hip-Hop tracks

Go to his page on youtube funktuall and site below, I will be adding them all on here.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Samples-and-Breakbeats-A-Funky-Soul-DJ-Demonstration

Part III

Some more info from funktuall for you…

Summer Madness by Kool & The Gang
WAS ALSO USED BY…

1. Gang Starr for “DJ Premier Is In Deep Concentration”
2. Pete Rock & CL Smooth for “What’s Next on the Menu?”
3. Ice Cube for “You Know How we Do It”
4. Digable Planets for “Jimmi Diggin Cats”
5. Erykah Badu’s “Certainly”
6. Miles Davis’ “Doo Bop Song”
7. Montell Jordan’s “Somethin’ 4 Da Honeyz”

Woman to Woman by Joe Cocker
WAS ALSO USED BY..

1. Ultramagnetic MC’s for “Funky” and later for “Blast From Our Past”
2. Nice & Smooth’s “How To Flow”
3. EPMD’s “Knick Knack Patty Whack”

West Coast Poplock by Ronnie Hudson and the Street People
WAS ALSO USED BY…

1. N.W.A. for “Straight Outta Compton
2. Poison Clan’s “Something about the Bitch’s”
3. Toddy Tee’s “Do You Wanna Go To the Liquor Store?”

Let a Woman Be a Woman, Let a Man be a Man by Dyke & The Blazers
WAS ALSO USED BY…

1. Leaders of the New School’s classic “Case of the P.T.A.”
2. Above The Law for the classic “Menace To Society”
3. 2Pac’s “If My Homie Calls”
4. Kid N Play’s “Damn That DJ”
5. Digital Underground’s “No Nose Job”
6. Run DMC’s “Faces”
7. King T’s “Diss You”
8. X-Clan’s “Rhythm of God”
9. Beck even used it for “Jack-ass”

Think (About It) by Lyn Collins (The Female Preacher)
was used by so many it’s rediculous……….look>>>

1. 2 Live Crew’s “Get Loose Now”
2. 3 Times Dope’s “From Da Giddy Up”
3. Afrika Bambaataa’s “Planet Rock”
4. Biz Markie’s “Road Block”
5. Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly”
6. Chubb Rock’s “Ya Bad Chubbs”
7. Cookie Crew’s “Bad Girls (Rock the Spot)”
8. Cool C’s “The Glamorous Life”
9. Das EFX’s “Mic Checka”
10. De La Soul’s “Jenifa (Taught Me)”
11. DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince’s “I Wanna Rock”
12. The D.O.C.’s “Lend Me an Ear”
13. EPMD’s “Da Joint”
14. EPMD’s “Gold Digger”
15. Eric B and Rakim’s “What’s on Your Mind?”
16. Geto Boys’s “Seek and Destroy”
17. Janet Jackson’s “Alright”
18. K-9 Posse’s “Ain’t Nothin’ to It”
19. Kid ‘N Play’s “Gittin’ Funky”
20. King T’s “Diss You”
21. Kool G Rap ft DJ Polo’s “Trilogy of Terror”
22. Kool Moe Dee’s “I Go to Work”
23. Nice & Smooth’s “Gold”
24. NWA’s “Appetite for Destruction”
25. Organized Konfusion’s “Organized Konfusion”
26. Public Enemy’s “911 is a Joke”
27. Salt-N-Pepa’s “Negro Wit an Ego”
28. Schoolly D’s “Mama Feel Good”
29. Skinny Boys’s “Get Pepped”
30. Slick Rick’s “Children’s Story”
31. Snoop Dogg’s “Ain’t No Fun”
32. Special Ed’s “I’m the Magnificent”
33. Steady B’s “Nasty Girls”
34. Stezo’s “Talking Sense”
35. Z-Trip’s “Rockstar 2″

and that ain’t all either….those are just the ones I know about.

Part IV

Samples used

1) Ashley’s Roachclip by The Soul Searchers = Paid In Full (Coldcut Remix – Seven Minutes of Madness) – Eric B. & Rakim
2) Hung Up On My Baby by Isaac Hayes = Mind’s Playing Tricks On Me – Geto Boys
3) Trip To Your Heart by Sly & The Family Stone = Mama Said Knock You Out – LL Cool J
4) Into My Own Thing by Sly & The Family Stone = Weapon of Choice – Fatboy Slim
5) Prove My Love To You by Main Ingredient = You Don’t Know My Name – Alicia Keys
6) Cramp Your Style by All The People featuring Ronald Moore = I’m Still #1 – Boogie Down Productions
7) A Deeper Shade of Soul by Ray Barretto = Deeper Shade of Soul – Urban Dance Squad
Funky by Chamber Brothers = I Left My Wallet in El Segundo – A Tribe Called Quest
9) Don’t Let It Go To Your Head by Jean Carne = Don’t Let It Go To Your Head – Brand Nubian
10) Method of Modern Love by Hall & Oates = M.E.T.H.O.D. Man – Wu-Tang Clan

Ok, when you do youtube searching, you find great tunes, videos and utter shit.

However today and forever more I have found some GEMS

Back in 1985, Motown artists and artists influenced by that sound went back to the Apollo to celebrate 50 years of performances

So here is some video clips ENJOY, research the rest if you wish

The Finale

Manhattans, The Cadillac s, The Drifters, The Temptations Vs The Four Tops,

Luther Vandross and Boy George-What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted

New Edition-Cool It Now

George Michael and Smokey Robinson-Careless Whisper

Stevie Wonder-Fingertips-with a voice pitch shifter

Stevie Wonder and George Michael-Love’s In Need Of Love Today

The series from Youtube of where Hip-Hop samples are from?

Another two clips for your pleasure..

Part 1

Part 2

As we now have under 6 months of the year to go with new music releases coming out..

I have compiled a list of albums which are worth listening to and in my opinion obtaining and what is not!

Golden Silvers-True Romance

This album has a mixture of 80’s but nevertheless is original in content. The musicianship on this album is high class and i expect alot of excellent albums from this group in the future. For people who love The Smiths mixed with great musicianship, I would highly recommend this album

True Romance

The Invisible-The Invisible

Another trio produced by the genius of Matthew Herbert, the lead singer has a rich voice reminiscent of old soul singers but set in a indie context. This album has grown on me and the musicians are great live..

Florence and the Machine-Lungs

Not since Bjork or Fiona Apple have I thought someone can try to compete with Kate Bush in musicality and style, but Florence is very good. Her music should be very successful in a underground/inide context if her music was in another era she would be hugely successful. This album has songs which pop music should be.

Passion Pit-Passion Pit

Another group that has been getting a little undercurrent of following, a group from Boston, USA which has musicality like TV on the Radio and more bite then the flat Hot Chip.

Noisettes-Wild Hearts Run Free

I loved their first punky, all balls first album, here the group have used Shingai’s voice to great effect and it is a shame they seem to have only got recognised now..

Paulo Nutini-Sunny Side Up

I love this album and I didn’t like the first atall (I thought he was a poor James Morrison who was a poor soul-type James Blunt) but Paolo Nutini has really improved alot and this is my 2nd favourite album of the year and surprised me so much. Great songs, great musicianship and shows this man has talent. Try and get to listen you will find something to like..

Lady Ga Ga-The Fame

My album of the year so far, an album full of great songs and Redone is a sick producer (the stuff here is so much better then Akon’s) yes I am not a big pop fan but this is great music and I can’t see many albums beating this. Plus it has no Steven Hawking voice machine in it gladly. We may have the new Madonna on our hands and she has struggled and worked hard to get where she is..

Some albums that have disappointed me…

Maxwell-Black

I love Maxwells voice, and I was ready to promote his new album with open arms and embrace it but another issue again with a Soul singer’s album where are the F*CKING melodies? Bad Habits and Cold are good but the album is another disappointment for me, cold dead and uninspiring from Maxwell who has become so safe musically since the amazing Embrya album..

La Roux-La Roux

Two hit songs but a boring album, and I think a very contrived artist who doesn’t interest me at all because the material is so one dimensional, In For The Kill remix by Skream is great, acquire that and forget about this artist otherwise. If i wanted to hear this type of music i would listen to Eurythmics, Yazoo and later on Everything But The Girl..

Daniel Merriweather-Love and War

Rated very highly Mark Ronson’s protegee, but talk about a boring album, if you weren’t depressed before you will be after listening to this album. Change is a good pop song but apart from that No memorable music and to be honest if you want to hear something like this I feel sorry for you. Over hyped as an artist but however Daniel can sing and I would hope to hear a better album next time, a couple of up beat numbers at least.

Mos Def-The Ecstatic

Black on Both Sides is one of the best Hip-Hop albums of the last 10 years, but Mos Def doesn’t seem to want to replicate at least one track as good ever again. This is a mixtape and really should be free because all this is, Mos Def lazy rhyming over Madlib beat konducta beats, it isn’t bad but I expected more especially all the fuss over not wanting to be on a major record label. After this hearing this I would be glad not having to promote Mos Def-shockingly DULL.

Ciara-Fantasy Ride

LoveSexMagic is a good radio tune but her album is a waste of money and promotion. No good songs and no development since she started-AVOID for your sanity. The only fantasy you get is that Ciara would be good in bed as for her music it is about as useful as a limp dick!

Keri Hilson-In A Perfect World

This lady maybe able to write songs with Timbaland for Nelly Furtardo and Britney but her album shows she needs other artists. Knock You Down is cameo filled with Kanye ‘The Ego’ West and Neyo and the rest of the album just doesn’t ever get going. In a Perfect world this album should be good but it ends up being so dry that it makes you want to listen to Rihanna, and that really is depressing.

Eminem-Relapse

One sentence GIVE UP RAPPING YOU ARE BORING TIRED AND SHIT AND YOUR TRACKS ARE GARBAGE!

Most of the clips from Pinky and The Brain

Are you pondering what I’m pondering? Listen to some of these?

It always interests me that cartoons are a medium that can get away with alot besides their for kids only RIGHT?.

They don’t express personnal beliefs RIGHT?

Well we all got confused when Bugs Bunny wore a dress, and Donald Duck you walks around with no trouser but leave the shower with a towel around his bottom half. RIGHT?

Well these clips are a few examples of banned cartoons for numerous reasons.

The first one is Tiny Toons which shows the effect of Alcohol-Shame this was banned, would be a good deterent..

The others are banned due to drug use or racist stereotypes, and to think that back then these cartoons were considered ok

So if you do take offense to any of these just a reminder they are not allowed on television AT ALL NOW

Most of the cartoon makers were German and had links with Nazi parties.

However in the future check out Disney films and the secrets behind them, check it out on the web, it is quite shocking…

I got a wonderful email this morning…..I couldn’t stop laughing that some people could be so sucked in.

I have heard of some CONS in my time but this tops anyone i have ever seen…

So read below and laugh in amazement-BY THE WAY -don’t be fooled by any of these emails-they get your details and then your defrauded….

From Sgt Herman Hansley
Camp MXP-512 Third Infantry Division
UnitT.I.D.U,
Abul Uruj, Baghdad, Iraq.

I am Herman R Hansley, a native of Iraq. I am a Military Contractor with the America troop currently serving in the third infantry division Unit in Iraq.

I am currently on duty break. My partner Darren D. Braswell,36, of Riverdale, Ga., died Jan. 7th near TalAfar, Iraq, when the UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter in which he was a
Passenger crashed. Braswell worked For the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, before his death We secretly moved some abandoned cash in a mansion belonging to the former president, Saddam Hussein and the total cash is US$20,200,000.00 Twenty Million two hundred thousand Dollars.

As I write this letter to you, these boxes are in Security Company as I secretly moved it out of Baghdad to safe place.

Sir I seek your consent to help me move this money to your country location.

You do not have to be afraid of anything as no one else knows about this and everything is safe. I would be pleased and grateful to you if you could assist me and my late partner Darren D. Braswel in receiving this boxes for us on your behalf as I will be heading back soon to camp in Iraq to join my colleagues. Of course, I shall compensate you with an attractive percent of the total funds for your role/efforts. We have limited time now as you know that our evacuation agreement is been negotiated by the USA and IRAQI government, kindly get back to me immediately.

Moving the funds out of the security company is not going to be much of a problem as arrangements are being made towards that. All I want from you is your trust,

Please get back to me with your full name
Contact phone number

Preferable without delay and let’s negotiate terms.

Your response will determine our subsequent correspondence.

You can read more on this website for more information and explanations: