Master 1480 - Tape 1 Panning TLS beachgoers, sun worshippers, sunbathers camped out on magnificent beach on the French Riviera; some shy from sun by sitting beneath beach umbrellas. Panning TLS sailboat on water, buildings & shoreline in BG. MS sail.
Master 1480 - Tape 1 High angle panning LS kickoff of college football game; low bouncing kick & minor five yard receiving run. H/a TLS large crowd of well-behaved spectators (including several U.S. Navy sailors) celebrating calmly on field after game. MS unidentified football coach (white male wearing spectacles, gray fedora and suit) being hoisted into the air against his mild-mannered will by several young men after game in open-air stadium; the coach gets patted on the back by at least one bloke. Great rear-view TLS young white male cheerleaders wearing white sweaters leading successfully the audience (comprised of shiny-faced white college students) in a rousing cheer, at the end of which the audience waves small pompons in the air. (15-3) LS audience in spectator stands, a large contingent of which hold signs over their head that en masse form a picture of the state of Texas. Go Longhorns? Panning h/a LS collegiate football game play-- receiver runs for first down, tackled near boundary line. Rear view h/a LS game play: shotgun hike into quarterback run for small gain. Panning h/a LS quarterback passing deep, being intercepted. Now here's an extremely confusing situation: a game played by two teams of same colors! Panning h/a LS QB passing for a near-interception (I think) only to have the safety tip the ball into the hands of the intended receiver! Excellent ground level panning MS running play. Panning h/a LS pass reception (two teams w/ same colors again). Panning h/a LS 30 yard field goal. Nice 3/4 view MS spectators (well-dressed white men and women) watching football game in open-air stadium; two women stand enthralled, bespectacled man in FG with chin buried in his knuckles. H/a LS rowdy crowd gathered on field after game, tearing down goal posts. (15-1) Panning h/a LS quarterback passing to receiver who catches and runs along sideline, skirting tackles, eventually running over. (15-2)
Soul! EP 93 (418) Guests Ronnie Dyson, Quincy Troupe, Cissy Houston, China Clark. Hosted by Gerry Bledsoe.
Sugar Ray Robinson Derrota A Emile Sarens Brussels, Belgium Sugar Ray Robinson and Emile Sarens boxing in the ring, camera pans to the boxing fans, mostly men. MCUS - Robinson is really pounding the stuff out of the other boxer, at the time Robinson is 43 years old. CU - Profile of two men. MS - Sarens has Sugar Ray backed up against the ropes and he's pounding the beans out of him. MCUS - Sugar Ray's face is battered and he comes back fighting his way out from the ropes. MCUS - Boxing fans. MS - In the 8th round, Robinson knocks out Sarens in a smoked filled arena. MCUS - Sugar Ray and his trainers standing in the ring with his left arm and boxing glove adorned hand raised as the victor.
CU African-American woman with hair pulled tight from face toward crown; zoom out to young black man sporting Afro & black leather jacket sitting beside her at Club Soul. MS several young black ladies sitting at table, one woman with bushy, AD-style Afro hairstyle. Opening title superimposed over crane shot of studio audience sitting quietly. Gerry Bledsoe welcomes audience, introduces program.
The Niteliters (Nite-Liters featuring James Baker, Tony Churchill, Austin Lander, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Charles Heardnon, Robert Jackson) perform funky R&B warm-up instrumental. Think "Tighten Up." New Birth, Inc (Allen Frey, Londee Loren, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson), all dressed in garish space-agey polyester pastel outfits, eventually take to stage; band perform medley: "I Just Want to Get Down With You" / "You Don't Have to Be Alone (When the Waiting is Over)."
New Birth Inc (Allen Frey, Londee Loren, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson) backed by the Niteliters (Nite-Liters, NIte Liters) perform "Come Back Into My Life." Uptempo funk R&B. Dig those crazy polyester pastel-colored outfits! Screaming 1970s.
New Birth Inc (Allen Frey, Londee Loren, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson) backed by the Niteliters perform the R&B ballad hit "It's Impossible."
New Birth Inc (Allen Frey, Londee Loren, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson) backed by the Niteliters (James Baker, Tony Churchill, Austin Lander, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Charles Heardnon, Robert Jackson) perform the R&B soul hit "I Can Understand It." Cowbell, maracas & polyester pastels. Burning JB-like breakdown(s). New Birth Inc takes a bow, vacates stage while Niteliters perform outro; Gerry Bledsoe takes to stage, New Birth Inc return for final bow, exit stage left.
Gerry Bledsoe thanks New Birth Inc. TLS/MSs African-Americans sitting, applauding from tables at Club Soul. Mr. Bledsoe congratulates New Birth Inc on a recent ASCAP award, then introduces The Niteliters. The NIteliters (James Baker, Tony Churchill, Austin Lander, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Charles Heardnon, Robert Jackson) backed by members of New Birth Inc perform "Grandma's Hands." Deep snaky funk.
The Niteliters (James Baker, Tony Churchill, Austin Lander, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Charles Heardnon, Robert Jackson) perform a soulful instrumental cover of the G. Campbell classic, "Wichita Lineman." Many nice long superimpositions of fingers on keys of saxophones over faces of players. One of the male members of New Birth Inc closes song with sustained vocal note ("Wichita Lineman") followed by JB-like closing yelp.
The NIteliters (James Baker, Tony Churchill, Austin Lander, Robin Russell, Leroy Taylor, Charles Heardnon, Robert Jackson) perform a cover of "El Watusi." Funky midtempo groove number with heavy, hot-horn Latin influences. Robert Jackson introduces song with the following preface: "This portion of the show is brought to you by groove." At outset, TLSs seated black studio audience applauding. Gerry Bledsoe thanks The Nite-Liters, mentions they were the #1 R&B instrumental group of 1971.
MSs African-American women seated in audience, listening & applauding; one woman sports Afro. Gerry Bledsoe introduces The Moonglows. The Moonglows (Alexander Graves, Bobby Lester, Chuck Lewis, Dock Williams) perform "When I'm With You." Super-smooth R&B Doo-Wop. Fantastic harmony!
The Moonglows (Alexander Graves, Bobby Lester, Chuck Lewis, Dock Williams) perform "Most of All." Super smooth R&B doo-wop.
The Moonglows (Alexander Graves, Bobby Lester, Chuck Lewis, Dock Williams) perform "Sincerely." R&B, doo-wop. They break during the first chorus, getting the Nite-Liters (Niteliters, Nite Liters) to join them for a rousing, updated, smooth & slinky version of "Sincerely." Pops like crazy!
The Moonglows (Alexander Graves, Bobby Lester, Chuck Lewis, Dock Williams) perform "The Ten Commandments of Love." R&B doo-wop. At the outset, Gerry Bledsoe thanks the Moonglows; Moonglows take a bow, exit stage. Gerry Bledsoe thanks conductor Harvey Fuqua (who's off-screen). Mr. Bledsoe asks the viewing audience to write to the producers; address appears on screen. Mr. Bledsoe thanks the audience.
Gerry Bledsoe introduces New Birth Inc. New Birth Inc (Allen Frey, Londee Loren, Leslie Wilson, Melvin Wilson) -- wearing garish pastel polyester outfits and backed by the always fantastic Nite-Liters -- perform "Got to Get a Knutt." Soulful, sexy funk played not quite as fast as the record. Londee Loren makes very sensual noises during the breakdown-- not for the kids. Credits roll at outset.
Slow rack focus from skeletal metal structure against blue BG, pan to Ruby Dee (Ossie Davis sitting by her side) reciting Bob Kaufman poem titled "Benediction" -- opening line is "America, I Forgive You." Biting, sarcastic poem. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee praise Bob Kaufman, quote biting lines of his work, introduce program. "I am apprehensive about my future, my past has turned its back on me." Great interaction between Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Soul! Orchestra conducted by Lucky Thompson provides musical accompaniment. Opening credits.
(DO NOT USE STILLS FOUND WITHIN THIS SEGMENT) B&W stills of Bob Kaufman (Robert Garnell Kaufman). Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis provide biographical information of African-American Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Many B&W stills of Bob Kaufman as an adult. Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee announce that Bob Kaufman is a alcohol and drug addict residing in San Francisco who refuses interviews, and has "abandoned his talent, and turned his back on his gift." Ruby Dee says, "From a great soul like Bob Kaufman, we believe that silence can only mean one thing: a suicide of the spirit."
Nice sideview MS drummer holding sticks in traditional grip playing snare drum, hi-hat keeping time; zoom out & dolly out to Soul Orchestra conducted by Lucky Thompson performing upbeat jazz instrumental. Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee recite unidentified Bob Kaufman poem; Beat poetry heavily influenced by jazz. Dramatic reading. "Life is a saxophone played by death/ Greedy to please we learn to cry / Hungry to live we learn to die." "Even the blues shy from the cry of children dying on deserted corners." "Jazz is an African traitor!/ What 100% red-blooded savage wastes precious time listening to jazz with so much important killing to do!" "Remember the stereophonic screaming."
Tilting MS thin barren branches of tree in park; diss to TLS barren trees in park; diss to TLS walkway bridge spanning over minor stream; diss to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee reciting Bob Kaufman poetry in park, winter. "The holy little holes in my skin / Millions of little secret graves filled w/ dead feelings that won't stay dead." "When I die, I won't stay dead." TLS/MS Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee sitting on park bench, gray afternoon in NYC. Nice DOF TLS lonely city sidewalk by public park, NYC, benches lining left frame, parallel-parked cars on right frame. MS commuter buses & taxi cabs driving past cam. MSs Ruby Dee ascending steps from subway, reciting Bob Kaufman poetry. MS Ossie Davis exiting brownstone walkup, browsing mail, reciting poetry: "ConEdison threatening to cut off my brain / Postman keeps putting sex in my mailbox / My mirror died & can't tell if I still reflect." MSs Ossie Davis & Ruby Dee (separately) walking along sidewalk, reciting poetry. MS Ruby Dee standing on steps of walkup, reciting poetry; walks out of frame, exposing ornate wrought iron door.
TLS African-American children playing at fenced-in playground at park in New York City, some kids riding bicycles through frame; Ossie Davis enters frame wearing blue pullover and brown Mao-like snap-brim cap, reciting poetry of Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Diss to Ruby Dee standing on steps outside library, reciting Bob Kaufman poetry: "I want to prove that Atlantis is a summer resort for cavemen / I want to prove that Los Angeles is a joke played on us by superior beings on a humorous planet / I want to expose heaven as an exclusive sanitarium filled w/ rich sycophants." "I want to prove once & for all that I am not crazy." Diss to Ossie Davis sitting in studio, speaking to camera about "the loving sensivity" & "cutting wit" of Bob Kaufman.
TLS/MSs Ruby Dee sitting cross-legged on floor of shadowy, otherwise empty blue-black lighting studio, reciting Bob Kaufman poetry about or reminiscent of prison life (Kaufman had spent time in jail). Dramatic reading w/ audio accompaniment of jazz guitar being played off-screen. "Am I not more than a mass of entrails and rough tissue?/ Must I drink my bones, drink my wine-dilluted blood?/ Should I dredge old sadness from my chest?/ Not again." "In a universe of cells, who is not in jail? Jailers!"
TLS/MSs Ossie Davis sitting slouch-backed on walkup apartment stoop in unidentified borough of New York City, chilly winter afternoon, reciting Bob Kaufman poetry affected by the Holocaust: "Sometimes I feel that those who escaped the ovens, where Germans shall forever cook their spiritual meals, are leaning against my eyes. And yet when I think of those ovens I turn my head in any other direction." Diss to TLS/MSs Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee sitting on director's chairs in lighting studio, reciting & discussing the work of Beat poet Bob Kaufman. Diss to TLS Ruby Dee sitting on bench in dim lighting studio, exhibiting thousand-yard stare while reciting Kaufman poem: "Somewhere there waits-- waiting, a book is waiting, waiting to be written. Cold cold pages waiting to be written. Man seeks God in a book."