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Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Ellis Haizlip continues interviewing Imamu Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka discusses the low-income Kawaida Towers development project in Newark, New Jersey, and the (racial) controversy surrounding it. "We believe that the would-be revolutionary-- that some of what we do have to do has to be involved in providing alternative institutions, concrete manifestations of revolutionary philosophy. You cannot talk about education being incorrect unless you are either prepared to control those schools & make it correct or provide alternative independent black institutions." Amiri Baraka discusses the national dress suit he's wearing & the symbolism behind it.
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Ellis Haizlip continues interviewing Imamu Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka discusses the development of a Western team to participate in the All-African Games (sports); mentions that he's interested in getting Vince Matthews to participate. Ellis Haizlip asks where he gets the energy to do as much as he does; Amiri Baraka replies that maybe he has a lot of nervous energy; "Until we are a liberated people, there is not enough that you can do." "I know you work 8 hrs for white folks, but how many hours do you work to liberate yourself?"
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Ellis Haizlip continues interviewing Imamu Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka says: "We believe that we have to do what is necessary. I was telling somebody that I think the worst criticism of us is the stuff that remains to be done." "I have very little use for people who claim they are artists & that's their whole thing. Except for the Western aggrandizement of art as a kind of special freakishness, the artist is like any other person in the community. If he has some kind of talent, it has to be utilized to improve that community & improve that community. Otherwise he's like any other person that's jiving." "Big business controls Newark like they control everything else. The well-dressed killers that never see blood, that deal w/ people's lives over cocktails." "Community organizing has to do w/ organizing the community to maximize your economic & political power. That's what nationalism means."
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Ellis Haizlip continues interviewing Imamu Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka says drug use & abuse is a result of "being crushed by somebody else's values. It's absolute despair." "If we really thought about drugs the way they really are in the community, if we wanted to be as hard about drugs as we need to we would be shooting pushers in the street." "An elimination campaign. The cleaner the pusher, the quicker he needs to be offed. The cleaner they are, the further the way they are from being greasy junkies. All the fashionable ones need to be killed off first." Mr. Baraka says he welcomes help from those not living in the community: "Unity without uniformity. Operational unity." "We believe that black people in America have as many tribes as our brothers & sisters on the continent, so we have to learn how to de-tribalize ourselves, even while being tribed, to begin to work with each other to work toward larger goals."
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Ellis Haizlip continues interviewing Imamu Amiri Baraka. Amiri Baraka says "No organziation can survive w/o economic development. But what we are doing is not based on an artificial standard of living." Mr. Baraka says Jihad Press is meeting w/ other black-owned publishers. Mr. Haizlip says many contemporary black writers are merely imitating Mr. Baraka; Mr. Baraka replies it isn't good to imitate, even though all writers do so when starting out, Mr. Baraka admitting to imitating Richard Wright & John Coltrane; pushes the "revolutionary value system" again, saying it will affect the writer's voice & development. Ellis Haizlip thanks Amiri Baraka.
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
TLS/MSs seated studio audience comprised entirely of black men & women applauding. Soul! staffer Loretta Green, sitting in audience, asks the viewing audience to write for tickets. Address appear on screen.
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Imamu Amiri Baraka recites poem "The Spirit of Creation is Blackness."
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Imamu Amiri Baraka recites poem "Somebody's Slow is Another Body's Fast." C/As audience, including some children, listening, digging the word. Biting, ascerbic poetry. Equal parts beat & jive. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic.
Soul! # 306 "Baraka the Artist"
Closing credits over audience applauding Amiri Baraka. Manifests into standing ovation.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Ellis Haizlip introduces "Superfly" actor Ron O'Neal. Ellis Haizlip says "Superfly" & "Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song" (Melvin Van Peebles) are responsible for the recent success of black films. As for the controversy surrounding "Superfly," Ron O'Neal says he's interested in how the audience responds to his work & hasn't caught any heat from them. Mr. O'Neal says the film is about the streets & the people who live on the streets; "The people for whom the film was largely intended did not seem to find a great deal of controversy in it." Ron O'Neal says he was not familiar w/ cocaine until filming "Superfly" & that he did some field research. Mr. O'Neal says his coke-hustling character (Youngblood Priest) could have just as easily been a pimp, numbers runner or preacher, but if they had known the controversy it would cause they would have not chosen otherwise.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Ellis Haizlip continues interview with "Superfly" actor Ron O'Neal. Sideview CU black man taking picture w/ camera, zoom lens. Ron O'Neal says the sudden fame has been enjoyable, tolerable, but it affects relationships w/ friends "which is not so groovy." Mr. O'Neal says he's from Cleveland, Ohio, and was trained at Karamu House community theater; taught at How You Act in Harlem; discusses the play "No Place To Be Somebody" for which he won an Obie Award.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Ellis Haizlip continues interview w/ actor Ron O'Neal. Ron O'Neal says he wrote the role of Youngblood Priest from "Superfly." Mr. O'Neal says his longest bout w/ unemployment came after "No Place To Be Somebody." Mr. O'Neal mentions a film he did w/ Sidney Poitier & Virgil Tibbs called "The Organization" & how "Superfly" came about (script & financing, specifically). The low-low budget tale of "Superfly." Mr. O'Neal gets Ellis Haizlip to admit that no one in their right mind would have invested in "Superfly" based upon the script alone. Too funny.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Ellis Haizlip continues interview w/ actor Ron O'Neal. Ron O'Neal says the sequel to "Superfly" will be more controversial than the original, and, in a prophetic tone, says that the film will spawn many copycat works. Mr. O'Neal says black politicians will never attack something that the majority of the black community enjoys. Mr. O'Neal says there's a good chance that a cinematic version of "No Place To Be Somebody" is in the works, to be filmed in New York City. Ellis Haizlip asks the viewing audience to write to "Soul!" Address appears on screen. Mr. Haizlip & audience thank Ron O'Neal. Mr. Haizlip introduces another clip from "Superfly."
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
(DO NOT USE THIS SEGMENT) Clip from "Superfly" (1972).
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Gerry Bledsoe introduces Black Heat with saxophonist David Newman. Black Heat (Raymond Green, Johnell Gray, Bradley Owens, Chip Jones, Escrow Cromer, Raymond Thompson) with David "Fathead" Newman perform "Chip's Funk" (funk instrumental with harmonica solo).
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Black Heat (Raymond Green, Johnell Gray, Bradley Owens, Chip Jones, Escrow Cromer, Raymond Thompson) perform "Street of Tears." Soulful R 'n' B ballad w/ vocal by Johnell Gray. Wah-drenched guitar.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Black Heat (Raymond Green, Johnell Gray, Bradley Owens, Chip Jones, Escrow Cromer, Raymond Thompson) with David Newman perform "You'll Never Know." Soulful R 'n' B ballad w/ vocal by Bradley Owens.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Percussionist Raymond Green introduces fellow members of Black Heat: organist Johnell Gray, guitarist Bradley Owens, bass player Chip Jones, drummer Escrow Cromer, tenor saxophonist Raymond Thompson, tenor saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Black Heat (Raymond Green, Johnell Gray, Bradley Owens, Chip Jones, Escrow Cromer, Raymond Thompson) with David Newman perform "The Jungle." Funk with vocal by Chip Jones. Raymond Thompson solos on tenor sax.
Soul! # 309 "Journey to the Sun"
Credits roll over images of audience digging Black Heat w/ David Newman continuing to perform "The Jungle."
Soul! "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
Gerry Bledsoe introduces program, Esther Marrow. Esther Marrow performs "Mama." Bluesy, soulful R 'n' B ballad.
Soul! "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
Esther Marrow performs "Things Ain't Right." Funk. Nasty breakdown section w/ drums (Phil Young) & congas (Ralph McDonald), bass (Gordon Edwards) & scratch guitar (Keith Lovey) eventually join.
Soul! "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
Esther Marrow introduces conga player Ralph McDonald, bass player Gordon Edwards, guitarist Keith Lovey, drummer Phil Young, pianist Kenny Barron.
Soul! "If You Don't Know Me By Now"
Esther Marrow performs "Tradewinds." Jazzy soul ballad.