Tune of the Week: Curtis Mayfield

When Curtis Mayfield left The impressions he made a big splash with his first album, “Curtis”. Not only did he appear larger than life on the cover, but nearly half of the album was taken up with mini-epics. While “Get On Up” takes most of the fame these days, this tune sets the tone for the album in dramatic fashion. He really seems to be going straight to Motown’s head with the grandiose arrangement and heady political commentary. The fact is that these recordings pre-date “What’s Going On” by a whole year and 56 years later, it all still rings frighteningly true.

Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions were a big influence on Jamaican music, as evident in this cover by Lloyd Charmers in 1975: