#Ella Jamerson

[thislovintime]

With The Apollas (Leola Jiles, Ella Jamerson, and Billie Barnum) during the December 1966/January 1967 tour. The trio opened for The Monkees.

"[In 1965] I accompanied this black trio called the [Apollas], on the stand-up string bass.” - Peter Tork, Goldmine, May 1982 “I managed to pull together a job playing double bass for a while for a black female vocal trio called the Apollas. I got to repay the favor later on.” - Peter Tork, Monkeemania (1986) "So I played blues guitar for a girl named Lynne Hughes, and I played stand-up bass for a Supremes-type, three-girl singing group [The Apollas], who wound up opening for the Monkees." - Peter Tork, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story "We had done a club in Huntington Beach. Peter Tork was the dishwasher there and he played guitar for us when we were there. [...] [When The Monkees were set to tour] Peter and Mike said, 'Well, let's get the Apollas, they're great.'" - Leola Jiles, The Monkees: The Day-By-Day Story “At the Losers North, the Apollas were backed by Mike Nesmith on guitar and Peter Tork on bass […]. The Apollas toured with the Monkees, and the two groups worked together extremely well as a team.” - My Soul Concerto: The Story of the Apollas by Opal Louis Nations, 2005 Another opening act, for The Monkees' 1967 summer tour, was also suggested by Peter: Lynne Randell. Some TV footage of The Apollas.

[lexreadsdiversely]

Sapphic Book Recs by/about People of Color, Part 1

These are some of the books I've read/are on my tbr. A mix of YA and Adult, across various genres.

Image 1:

Dulhaniyaa - Talia Bhatt

Monstrous - Jessica Lewis

This is how you lose the time war - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

Light from Uncommon Stars - Ryka Aoki

Souls Aligned - Najee Jamerson

The Stars and the Blackness Between Them - Junauda Petrus

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy - Alyssa Cole

The Final Strife - Saara El-Arifi

Image 2:

The Fall that Saved Us - Tamara Jerée

Rosewater - Liv Little

A Báhn Mì for Two - Trinity Nguyen

The Taking - Celeste Castro

Outdrawn- Deanna Grey

The Sun and the Void - Gabriela Romero Lacruz

The Map That Led to You - Ella McLeod

The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez

Escaping Mr. Rochester - L.L. McKinney

Image 3:

A Guide to the Dark - Meriam Metoui

And Don't Look Back - Rebecca Barrow

The Weight of the Stars - K. Ancrum

The Name-Bearer - Natalia Hernandez

Thirsty - Jas Hammonds

So Let Them Burn - Kamilah Cole

Where Sleeping Girls Lie - Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

The Space Between Worlds - Micaiah Johnson

The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School - Sonora Reyes

[julio-viernes]

Abdul "Duke" Fakir RIP, el último "four top".

Cuando fue lanzada en 1966 "Reach Out I´ll Be There" de Holland, Dozier and Holland al principio hubo gente que la consideró incomprensible, un verdadero barullo en su estructura. Era un tema que se salía de los patrones rítmicos de la factoría Motown. Incluso los mismos Four Tops la vieron difícil y rara como ella sola.

Lamont Dozier dijo que quería escribir, agárrense porque esto es buenísimo: "un viaje de emociones con tensión sostenida, como un bolero. Para transmitir esto, alterné las tonalidades, desde un toque ruso menor en las estrofas hasta un toque gospel mayor en el estribillo". Es lo que tiene ser un genio del pop, el "Bach negro", que te suelta una de estas y a ver que haces, donde te metes...

En cuanto a la letra que escribió con Eddie Holland, ambos tuvieron el objetivo de que los Four Tops sonaran "como si estuvieran siendo derribados vocalmente". Ambos estaban por entonces muy influenciados por Bob Dylan y querían que "Levi Stubbs gritara y cantara la letra… como un saludo a Dylan". Puedo verlo, lo veo todo.

Para la grabación, los escritores y productores pusieron intencionadamente al cantante principal, el gran Levi, al límite de sus posibilidades, en el tope de los tops, en la cima de su rango vocal. Según Abdul Fakir: "para asegurarse de que tuviera ese llanto, hambre y gemido en la voz", cosa que logró maravillosamente.

Una vez completada la grabación -mención especial para el bajo de James Jamerson- y al escuchar la versión final, el grupo le rogó a Berry Gordy que no la publicara.

Según Fakir, "para nosotros la canción era una canción un poco extraña". Sin embargo, Gordy se dio cuenta de que aquello era una p... obra maestra y una de las cosas más desquiciadamente creativas que había hecho Motown hasta la fecha, e insistió en sacarla como sencillo. El resultado fue UK nº 1; USA nº 1; España, jiji, nº 1. Así fue...

Arriba en riguroso directo en París 1967. Buen detalle las 2 baterías + percusión.

[lgbtmyq]

Name Ideas ; List One (A-J + Double First Names)

FIRST, A Note: I’ve realized that these names can also help with writing; example, you’re making character (or in my case, using character from a fandom but need to name their kid), but don’t have a name? Here’s some help!

In short, the name ideas are going to be reposted on either my main or fic-rec blogs...or both. Not that it has anything to do with posting name help...

NEXT, A Guide: So these are male, female, gender neutral, basically just names. I’ve included “multi-first names”, example; in one of my fics, I named a child “William Claud / Will Claud”. Boom, double first namer.

Okay, uh, To the names I guess?!

Two first names, not alphabetized ;

Jonathan James (JJ)

Jamie Daniel (JD)

Devon Jack (DJ)

Spencer Lane

old name choice of mine, I’m excited but tbh it has nothing to do with your choice... continue 😅

Tyla Jane (TJ)

Tyler/Taylor Jayden (TJ)

Kaleb Dexter (KD)

Jacob Thomas (JT)

Kieran Drew (KD)

Parker Gray

Oliver Jay (O-Jay/OJ...lol)

Alex Emerson

Jack William (Jack Will)

Spencer Thomas

Tommi/Tommy Joel

Avery Jones (AJ)

Bree Anne/Ann 

Or / Really any two names you think sound good together. AND while I added things like “AJ” and “JT” at the end for abbreviations or whatever, the nickname / shortened name doesn’t have to be two letters. Example, Spencer Lane and Jack Will!

Single First-Names

A:

Avery / Avary / Avry

Alexander/Alexandria

Ashton

Asher

Axel / Axl

Atticus

Allie / Alli / Ally

Amy

Ava

Athalia / Athelia / Aethalia / Athaliah

Aaron / Aron (or, previously -in my other list- Arin)

Adamaris

AJ

Adam

Ann / Anne

Alvin

Avon

B:

Beck

Becah / Beckah / Bekah

Becky

Beverly

Bree / Brea

Bianca

Bryan

Brayden

Bryn

Birdie / Birdy

Ben

Benjamin

Bryce

Bryson

Bowe

Bowie

C:

Calix

Cay

Cayson

Cam

Cami

Cameron

Cora / Coran

Cassidy

Cassandra

Cleo

Calli

Coraline / Caroline

Catie / Cady ...

Caidence / Caydence

D:

Danny / Danni

Daniel 

Danielle

Darin / Daren

Dally

Dolly

Dexter

Deacon

Dee

Diane

Dori / Dory

Dorian

Daya

Delanie

Deb

Debby / Debbie

Debora / Debra / Deborah

Dia

Dwayne

Dwight

Dune

Dorthy / Dorthey

E:

Emmy

Emma

Everette

Evan

Eddie / Eddy

Ed

Edward

Ellie

Everly

Eve

Eva

Elle / El

Ella

F:

Farkus / Farkes / Farkas

either take me seriously, or don’t

I meant it as a joke, but who knows*

Faith

Florence

Fredrick

Fred

Freddy / Freddie

Fern gully

Freya / Fraya (?)

Faya

Farkle*

Fi

Fiona

Fibi / Febe

Forest

G:

Grayson / Greyson

Gibi

Gia

Gen

Gibson

Gibby

Greg

George

Georgie

Gem

Glimmer

Gemma

Genna

Grace

Gracie

Gwen

H:

Helen

Helena

Harry

Henry

Henrietta

Hally

Holly

Hazel

Harriet

Hope

I:

Ian

Ilia

Iliana / Iliana

Italia

Ira

Ila

Ita

Iwan

J:

Jamie

Jones

Jonesie

Jack

Jackson

John

Johnathan / Jonathan

Jill

Jessabelle / Jezabelle

Joseph

Jordan

Jaiden / Jayden

Julia

Jules

Jade

Jimmy

Jim

Jamerson

Jane

Jayson / Jason

Joy

Joyce

Jennie / Jenny

Jen

Jennifer

Julian

Jemma

[onestowatch]

The Invisible Hands That Changed Pop Music Forever

A painting is a collaboration of three things: the canvas, the creators, and the acrylics. If the music industry is a painting, then Black musicians are all three. In honor of Black History Month, we are exploring the legacy of black ingenuity through the decades, highlighting four music pioneers: Mahalia Jackson, The Funk Brothers, Gamble and Huff, and Frankie Knuckles.

Everyone knows or has at least heard of The Beatles. By sewing in elements of rock and roll into their own brand of pop, the Liverpool quartet helped bridge the gap between ‘50s clean cut, highly manufactured pop and what we know as pop music, today. The band pioneered the British Invasion and its widespread dissemination, forever changing pop music. But there was another group with an equally massive impact on the music we listen to today, except, chances are, you've probably never heard of them.

Alongside the British Invasion was another mass musical movement that would forever impact the future of pop and the music industry: Motown. The movement was sparked by Berry Gordy Jr. who, with the encouragement of Smokey Robinson, created Motown Records—the label that crafted adored artists like Marvin Gaye and The Temptations. While these musicians were extremely talented, the music they performed would not have existed without a group of adept virtuosos known as The Funk Brothers. 

These 13 session musicians are collectively responsible for pioneering the sonic revolution of Motown. They played on more number one hits than The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys, combined. They blended gospel, soul, and jazz with swing and pop to create catchy hooks and musical pockets that would forever change pop and eventually influence hip-hop and contemporary R&B.

1959 in Detroit is where it all began. By that point, the city had long been a musical epicenter, especially for jazz and blues, drawing in multiple talents throughout the 1930s and 40s, from Duke Ellington to Ella Fitzgerald. Upon creating Motown, Gordy recruited many of The Funk Brothers from different music clubs throughout Detroit. 

Because they long remained in the shadows, it is important to acknowledge each of the Funk Brothers. These 13 pioneers are made up of Benny Benjamin (drums), Eddie “Bongo” Brown (bongos), Joe Hunter, (keys and first band director), James Jamerson (bass), Uriel Jones (Drums), Joe Messina (guitar), Earl Van Dyke (keys), Robert White (guitar), Eddie Willis (guitar), Richard “Pistol” Allen (drums), Jack Ashford, (percussion), Bob Babbitt (bass after Jamerson), and Johnny Griffith (keys). 

These brothers were bound not by blood but by soul. And that is evident in the records they crafted together, fusing latin and afro-rhythmic beats with jazz and R&B to invent new, rich grooves with a punching yet melodic bass line, a four-beat drum pattern and clever drum fills that, alone, brilliantly set the scene. By 1972, Motown had released over 100 No. 1 R&B singles and 50 No. 1 Pop songs in the U.S, each of which involved some combination of The 13 Funk Brothers. As guitarist Joe Messina puts it, “I think the magic was, we listened to each other and we liked each other.”

Though there were R&B pioneers throughout 1940s and 50s, like Jackie Wilson, who paved the way for the Motown wave, the brothers certainly blazed the trails. Their contributions to American R&B spread to the British Invasion, as The Beatles, Rolling Stones, and Led Zeppelin covered Motown songs and no doubt let its influence bleed into their own music. The Beatles, for example, covered The Miracles’ “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” and the Rolling Stones covered The Temptations’ “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg,” among others. 

As the Motown Museum puts it, Motown married “the call-and-response patterns of black gospel music with the syncopation and improvisation of the bebop movement in jazz. Down in the so-called snake pit in Studio A, The Funk Brothers backed Motown’s finest artists at all hours of the day—and night.” Jack Ashford, who was in charge of vibes and tambourine for The Funk Brothers says in reference to Studio A, “I’d get this feeling, I could just touch it. It never left that room.”

The Funk Brothers were trailblazers both in and out of the studio. The weight of their musical impact afforded them the power to influence more than just music. Motown was more than a record label. It was a movement that, along with other labels like Stax Records, ultimately helped dismantle racial barriers and desegregate the music industry.

If this article is the first you are hearing of the Funk Brothers, you’re not alone. Not many people really knew about The Funk Brothers until 2002, when the award-winning documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown” detailed their experiences and industry-shaping impact.

Without The Funk Brothers, Motown arranger, writer, and producer Paul Rise says, “there really wouldn’t be a Motown.” As Otis Williams from The Temptations explains, “They were the groundwork, they were the thing that everything else was built on.” Producer and drummer Steve Jordan claims that anyone could have sang on those Motown songs and “it would’ve been a hit because the track was just so incredible, [the Funk Brothers] were musical entities on to themselves.” 

In 1988, Berry Gordy sold Motown Records. Nonetheless, the Motown flame remained bright, particularly in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, during which the sampling of Motown songs laid the foundation for countless talents like Run DMC, Notorious B.I.G., and Mary J Blige, who looked to the spirit of The Funk Brothers to shape the heart of hip-hop and R&B. 

[vicentagarciabernal]

Fuerte mensaje de Pink sobre “su nuevo cuerpo” después de ser madre

Pink siempre se ha caracterizado por ser única, original y fuera de cualquier estereotipo. Y hace tiempo, la cantante dio un poderoso mensaje sobre los kilos extras que conserva, tras convertirse en mamá.

A través de su cuenta de Instagram, la cantante compartió una imagen de ella haciendo ejercicio y después del nacimiento de su pequeño Jamerson, luce fantástica. Pero lo increíble de esto es el mensaje que manda junto a la foto donde dice:

 “¿Pueden creer que peso 72 kilogramos y mido 1.63 metros? Para los “estándares regulares” eso me hace obesa. Sé que no estoy en mi meta o cerca de ella, después de haber tenido un bebé hace dos meses, pero, maldita sea, no me siento obesa. Lo único que siento es a mí misma”

Lee el articulo completo en: Padres e Hijos México via http://www.padresehijos.com.mx

[classicladiesofcolor]

The Apollas — “You’re Absolutely Right”, 1965.