FINDING RARE SOUL MUSIC VIDEO

 Except for "oldies shows", it is very hard to find concert footage of many artists in their prime, either upcoming, or at the height of their career.

Many simply aren,t available at the local music or video store.

I started inquiring about obtaining music video a few years before the internet boom hit. I wrote letters to my favorite artists, management agencies, hoping to get information.

I would regularly browse video stores such as BLOCKBUSTER and smaller mom and pop stores as well in search of my proving to be elusive quarry.

Jr Walker & The All Stars Live in Paris 1973

It became daunting at times as I was told, "its not commercially available", or "you won,t find it anywhere".

I  became more and more determined to find what I was looking for, no matter what it took. A turning point came when one day I ran across two magazines that really changed thing around for me.

"GUITAR " AND "DISCOVERIES" magazines, I found out as I browsed through, had ads devoted to rare music concert video.

My EUREKA moment had arrived! It didn,t matter much to me that some of the footage was not A-1 quality, just the fact that I finally began to accomplish my goal of building my video collection was enough for me.

Fast-forward 20+ years later; I have quite an extensive collection of rare music concerts and clips that I am very proud of, and enjoy showing off. 

Things have changed from so long ago with the DVD market and home theater.

 Each year there are many new music video releases that hit the market consisting of early footage and classic shows, with digitally remastered picture and sound.

So if you want to look for video footage of your favorite artist or group and stymied as how to go about it, here,s some tips you can use to help find rare music videos:

Step 1: There are many websites that are devoted to rare music video that are not commercially available such as;

www.Midnight To Six.rarevideo.com

www.Dvds To Trade.com.uk

www.greatest-JamesBrown-video tradinglist.com

www.blackdvds4u.com

www.shoutfactory.com

These are just a few of many websites that have not only rare concert footage but tv appearances, and early music compilations.

 Many CD and vinyl websites also offer rare music video and film footage.

Step 2. Check out online auction sites such as Amazon.com, Craigslist, Epier.com and Ebay. Check your local paper for upcoming soul music "oldies" and entertainment shows Many have music video memorabilia for sale.

Step 3. Yards sales are sometimes a source for finding that rare video you are looking for as well as independent record stores.

 Even storage auctions, although a long shot, can yield a treasure trove for the video collector.

 One way to bypass spending your hard earned money on a storage auction (unless you know its contains what you are looking for) is to get to know some of the winning auction bidders.

 Some make a living out of reselling the storage contents and can notify you if they find any video tape or dvd.

Step 4. A lot of music video footage is available for viewing on Youtube and there are also music message boards frequented by private collectors and fans that are willing to trade tapes and DVDS. 

Contact your favorite artist or their booking agency. Chances are they can let you know where certain rare video can be obtained.

 Case in point; R&B star Millie Jackson,s website www.weirdwreckurds.com has a store where you can purchase "Millie Jackson Live At The Junction" as well as her filmed stage play, "Older Woman Younger Man".

So try the methods above if you are serious, or just looking for that one rare show.

Monday April 15th 2008

I GOT THE FEELING/JAMES BROWN LIVE IN THE 60s 3 DVD SET

The following is a press release from the SHOUT FACTORY WEBSITE (www.shoutfactory.com)

Available commercially for the 1st time, rare James Brown concerts on video!

LOS ANGELES, CA Multi-Grammy Award winning artist James Brown, best known for his smoldering singing and revolutionary rhythmic style, is recognized worldwide as one of the most prolific figures in 20th century popular music. 

He remains a strong cultural influence as a newsmaker, musician, activist and peacemaker that transcends even the awesome celebrity he achieved as the “Godfather of Soul.”

 A whole new generation is discovering James Brown today through his music and his pivotal presence in American political affairs in the 1960s. 

DVD & music collectors and fans of the late James Brown will be treated to a whole new electrifying experience when I GOT THE FEELIN’: JAMES BROWN LIVE IN THE ’60s 3-DVD box set arrives on August 5, 2008, exclusively from Shout! Factory.

I GOT THE FEELIN’: JAMES BROWN LIVE IN THE ’60s features the director’s cut of The Night James Brown Saved Boston and the full-length concert performances James Brown Live at The Boston Garden from April 1968 and Man to Man - James Brown Live at The Apollo Theater 1968.

 This definitive 3-DVD collector’s box set is brimming with a special deluxe booklet and extensive bonus content such as James Brown’s legendary performance of Out of Sight from The T.A.M.I. Show.

Also included are interviews with James Brown’s band members, friends and colleagues, additional audio from the radio simulcast of his Boston Garden Live performance 1968, rare performance footage culled from the archives and much more!

A fitting tribute to the man and the times, this DVD collection pays homage not only to James Brown’s enormous contribution to American music, but also reveals his often overlooked impact on American race relations.

I GOT THE FEELIN’: JAMES BROWN LIVE IN THE ’60s DVD box set is priced at $ 39.98 SRP.

- more-

DISC ONE:

The Night James Brown Saved Boston (Director’s Cut)

A film by award-wining filmmaker David Leaf and executive produced by Shout! Factory CEO Richard Foos, David Leaf Production and Showtime, The Night James Brown Saved Boston focuses on one of the most historic moments in Boston and America’s musical social and political history.

The night Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, rioting began to tear at the fabric of America’s cities. Everybody wondered if there was anyone who could stop the violence, who could bring peace to the streets?

The truth is, there was only one man James Brown.

On April 5, 1968, the night after Dr. King was shot and killed, James Brown took the stage for a previously scheduled show at the Boston Garden for a concert that was televised live on Boston’s public station WGBH, televised for just one reason---to keep the citizens of Boston off the streets, to try and stop a riot from starting.

James Brown, a great artist at his peak, was thus thrust on to the center stage, facing the crucible moment of his career.

He was becoming  known at that time as an activist, and that night, he rose to the occasion. 

JB kept Boston spell-bound with a musical tour-de-force, a performance that is considered so legendary that forty years later, Bostonians still regard it as the greatest concert the city every hosted.

Through the actual performance footage and the personal reminiscence of James Brown’s band members, the recollections of James’ friends like activist Al Sharpton and personal manager Charles Bobbitt, Boston citizens, those who attended the concert, politicians (like former Boston Mayor Kevin White) and Newsweek’s David Gates, The Night James Brown Saved Boston tells the compelling story of an artist at the absolute peak of his powers using his artistry for the greater good.

This film, which premiered at SXSW 2008 and broadcasting on VH1 on April 5, is an amazing look back at one heroic moment in James Brown’s life as a performer, a public figure and a man.

The Night James Brown Saved Boston Bonus Content:

Additional interview footage with

Rev. Al Sharpton

Dr. Cornel West

Anecdotes with Charles Bobbitt who worked with James for 40 years

DISC TWO:

James Brown Live At The Boston Garden

With cities around America reeling from sorrow, shock and anger, this is the actual April 5, 1968 concert James Brown gave at the Boston Garden as it was filmed and broadcast that fateful night. Boston PBS station WGBH agreed to televise the performance in an effort to keep the streets of Boston from erupting into violence.

Bonus Content:

Additional audio from radio simulcast

Additional interview footage with WGBH’s Director and Producer of the concert.

DISC THREE:

James Brown Live In The ‘60s The T.A.M. I. Show, 1964 & Man To Man

The T.A.M.I. Show: James Brown’s 1964 performance of Out Of Sight

James Brown Live at the Apollo Theater 1968 This was one of a series of concerts James Brown performed at the Apollo in Harlem in March 1968. This performance was taped in color and broadcast on television as Man To Man.

Box Set Performances Include

I GOT THE FEELIN’

TRY ME

COLD SEAT

IT’S A MAN’S MAN’S MAN’S WORLD

I FEEL GOOD

OUT OF SIGHT

BEWILDERED

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE

And many more

# # #

I have had both LIVE IN BOSTON GARDENS 1968 AND MAN TO MAN LIVE AT THE APOLLO for quite a few years now.

I,m hoping and praying that the dvds will include cut footage such as James Brown,s introduction with the song "I RULED THE WORLD", Bobby Byrd and JB,s duet on the song, 'YOU GOT TO CHANGE YOUR MIND" as well as Bobby,s full set.

It is rumoured that backstage footage was also shot but whether it will be shown also remains to be seen. Finally the release of JB in his prime concerts will show today,s generation how it is done! So start saving your money! Come August, we gonna have a FUNKY GOOD TIME!

THREE SOUL MUSIC VIDEO CONCERTS EVERY BLACK HOUSEHOLD SHOULD HAVE

It,s March already folks and in another month or two we will soon be experiencing warm weather. Being a video collector of soul music, these are my top 3 picks of the Greatest Soul Music Concerts on film of all time.

1. JAMES BROWN: LIVE AT THE BOSTON GARDENS (1968)

Before he became known as the Godfather of Soul, James Brown was known as "Soul Brother #1" and this dynamic show shows him at the height of his career in his prime. The night after Dr. King was assassinated, JB and Mayor Kevin White agreed to televise the scheduled concert, hoping that it would keep peace in the city of Boston. The streets were eerily quiet as people stayed home glued to their tv sets watching the first full televised James Brown concert ever shown on live tv.

Bobby Byrd, Emcee Maceo Parker, and the lovely Miss Marva Whitney, along with the "Hardest Working Man In Show Business" put on a rousing performance lasting well over 2 hours. A show so hot that it was rerun on tape after the live show ended. The stunning highlight was near the finale of the show was when scores of Black youths stormed the stage to touch their hero and the Boston police began to force them back, it looked that everything was about to be destroyed in one fell swoop.

But... JAMES BROWN took control, exhibiting his amazing influence on the throng and it ACTUALLY WORKED. Soul Brother #1 stopped the band and finally got them to leave the stage so he could finish the show. His third appearance on stage that night, singing, sweating and dancing up a storm and there is NOT EVEN A HINT OF TIREDNESS OR OUT OF BREATH! A true testament to his stamina, fitness (being a former boxer before embarking on a singing career) and will power.

The Secret Service figured that anyone who could stop a riot singlehandedly, had too much power, especially a BLACK entertainer and set up heavy surveillance on Mister Dynamite,s activities. No wonder James Brown was put on the cover of LOOK magazine after this show with the title, "IS THIS THE MOST IMPORTANT MAN IN BLACK AMERICA?" Not officially available but heavily bootlegged show may see an official release sometime this year. This is definitely my #1 pick of the 5 most important Black concert videos of all time.

2. WATTSTAX (1972)

Called the "BLACK WOODSTOCK", this concert documentary delivers on ALL fronts. From the setting of the massive stage at the Oakland Coliseum, to the arrival of the performers by plane, bus, and limo. From the backstreets, alleyways and stoops, to the barbershops and hair salons. From the people of all walks of life, to the dress and language of the times. From the vibrant spiritual energy of the Black church, to a packed nightclub, from raw first hand accounts of life witnessed by Watts residents, to the 100,000 strong filled football coliseum.

Some of the greatest filmed performances include The Emotions belting out a gospel tune in a small packed spirit-fille church, blues artist Little Milton sitting by a campfire with guitar in hand, Luther Ingram poised on stage, backed by a soulful band with female background singers, and Johnny Taylor sweating and gyrating in a crowded nightclub as the pimps and players arrive on the scene.

Reverend Jesse Jackson, sporting a full afro, leads the vast throng at the football field in his "Sieze The Time" speech. Richard Pryor banters his blue humor before a off camera crew. Rufus Thomas, known as the "Clown Prince of Soul", shows everyone how to do the "Funky Chicken" & "The Breakdown" as he urges to crowd to get out on the field and dance. Black Soul-rock group the Barkays turn up the heat with their flashy funky outfits while performing their big monster hit, "Son Of Shaft". "Black Moses" Issac Hayes, sporting his trademark gold chains and dark sunglasses, turns out the show,s finale with the "Theme From Shaft".

Other notables include: blues master Albert King, rare stage performance by gospel great Jimmy Jones, the Staple Singers, and Kim Weston. Ted Lange (pre "Love Boat" days) and the actor who played "Woody" (Aunt Ester,s husband on "Sanford & Son") are among the cast of characters who reflect on the daily living and struggles (abet humorously) in the black community. Blacks from all walks of life are shown speaking their minds on past, present and future events.

So if you are looking for a great addition for your collection, Wattstax has celebrated its 20th anniversary release and is available in 2 disc remastered form

including Albert King,s and Issac Hayes extended versions of their performances.

3. SAVE THE CHILDREN (1973}

Fascinating filmed account of the Push 1973 Expo in Chicago. Many exceptional acts lending their talents for a very worthy cause. Jesse Jackson is a host on the show as well as Don Cornelius (host of Soul Train) with artists such as: Jerry Butler & Brenda Lee Eggar, The Ojays, Marvin Gaye, Nancy Wilson, Rev. James Cleveland, Curtis Mayfield, the Chi-lites.

Highlights of the show include the Jackson Five singing a medley of their hits, Nancy Wilson going on stage despite a bout with the flu and showing a real trooper spirit. Sammy Davis Jr., (who invoked their ire of many blacks because of the well-publicized photo of him hugging President Nixon) telling the throng that he won,t sing if they don,t want him there, and receiving shouts of encouragement. After belting out the song, "I Gotta Be Me", his eyes well up with tears as the audience rises to their feet with thunderous applause.

We need more releases of Black Historic film concerts; Pink Floyd, the Who, even U2 have made the rounds in the theaters, the latter in IMAX I believe. Wattstax and Save the Children both appeared in the neighborhood theaters about a year apart between 1972 & 1973. I will bet my last dollar that the re-release of these films, digitally remastered and put on the big screen again, would invoke moviegoers by the droves and really show "today,s generation" what real music talent was all about. Until then it,s video tapes and dvds. But we can dream, can,t we?

MILLIE JACKSON: RARE LIVE 1990 APOLLO CONCERT VIDEO

"

MILLIE JACKSON LIVE AT APOLLO 1990





Bold! Sassy! Outspoken! Brash! She,s all that and more! She,s the outrageous MILLIE JACKSON! Never has any singer, male or female, reveled in such a strong stage performance, singing songs for the mature adult-only crowd. 

She has spawned a row of successors, including Little Kim, Da Brat and Foxy Brown, among others over the years. I have had the privilege of seeing a rare and hard-to-find MILLIE JACKSON concert on VHS entitled:

MILLIE JACKSON LIVE AT THE APOLLO 1990

This rare only for mature audiences concert showcases "The Queen of Raunch" at what she does best! 

Millie J. performs her hits ranging from the classic "IF YOU,RE NOT BACK IN LOVE BY MONDAY" (she also does it country-style ala Merle Haggard!), to the outrageous and bawdy "LET ME FEEL IT"(maybe not the exact title but it comes close).

Millie steps off the stage as she sings/raps to the men in the audience if they don,t mind if she feels "it" and proceeds to do just THAT! 

When I saw her going out into the audience from "willing" man to man doing (just use your imagination!), I fell to the floor with uncontrollable laughter! 

At one point, a woman (shades of the L WORD) comes running down the steps at her but stops short when Millie looks up and screams "NO, NO, NO,DON,T WANT TO FEEL IT, CAN,T MAKE ME FEEL IT!"

Even the cameramen wasn,t safe from Millie,s foray, as he seemed to quite enjoy it!

 During one song she kicks off her shoes and walks around the stage barefoot, while exchanging profanity-laced banter with the audience who kept hollering for more! 

Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor would have felt right at home here. This is NOT FOR CHURCH FOLK as she proclaims on one of her more recent albums.

So if you,re a Millie Jackson fan and either heard one of her live recordings such as "LIVE AND UNCENSORED" or checked out her official live dvd, "MILLIE JACKSON LIVE AT THE JUNCTION" (available at Amazon.com, see below) chances are you will love this too. 

Just dust off your pc, adjust your chair, flex your fingers and enter the wide, wide, world of the internet. Trust me, you will find it sooner or later if you don,t give up!

SOUL MUSIC CONCERTS FROM THE PAST

As a bona-fide old head, I have heard and witnessed a lot of changes in music, especially soul music over the last 40 plus years.

I have loved soul music ever since I first heard JAMES BROWN,S  "Don,t Be A Drop Out". 




My earliest recollection started one rainy night in the late 50s, when my father had his radio with its makeshift wire antenna turned on.

There came from the small tinny speaker, its sound drifting in and out, music from a station right out of Nashville, Tennessee.

I can,t recall the name, but I remember that it advertised selling records through a commercial called "ERNIE,S RECORD MART".


My education of soul music began that night before I finally drifted off into slumberland.

A few years later with the debut of shows like "HULLABALLO", "WHERE THE ACTION IS", "THE LLOYD THAXTON SHOW", and "THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW", R&B music artists began to showcase their talents on national television.


The emergence of shows such as "SOUL TRAIN", "MIDNIGHT SPECIAL", "ABC,S IN CONCERT" DON KRISHNERS ROCK CONCERT" brought on live performances by some of the greatest groups in the history of rock, heavy metal, folk and soul music.

SLY & THE FAMILY STONE, THE COMMODORES, JAMES BROWN, STEVIE WONDER,  IKE & TINA TURNER, SAMMY DAVIS JR., and others became semi-regulars, delving in light-hearted banter or controversial thought-provoking conversations with the host and/or other guests on the shows.

The long running prime-time "ED SULLIVAN SHOW" showcased a multitude of talent such as THE TEMPTATIONS, THE SUPREMES THE JACKSON FIVE, SAM & DAVE etc., and late night talk show king   JOHNNY CARSON had many  guests R&B performers on board  throughout his long reign.

Appearances on these top-rated shows helped guarantee standing room only crowds in sold-out venues.

Fast forward to 1968, when a next door neighbor took me to the local auditorium to my first live R& B show.

I finally saw the music stars that I heard on radio radio and occasionally saw on tv.

The experience was nothing short of breathtaking for a fellow around the age of 10.

Plunking down $5 at the door, I was able to see the likes of soul balladeer extraordinaire PERCY SLEDGE( When A Man Loves A Woman), THE DELFONICS (LA, LA , LA, LA, I LOVE YOU), PIGMEAT MARKHAM and the headliner, JOE TEX.

Comedian PIGMEAT MARKHAM of "Here Comes The Judge" fame came on stage much to the delight of fans (he later did a recurring skit on ROWAN & MARTIN,S  LAUGH IN tv show).


Dressed in a light straw hat and plaid outfit, PIGMEAT MARHAM  had the crowd roaring with side-splitting laughter as he bantered back and forth with his side-man while doing his famous comedy routines.



With his well-coiffured head of hair and tailor-made three piece outfit,  PERCY SLEDGE sang a medley of his hits that had the females in the crowd swooning to his smooth, silky brand of soul music. 


He was a crowd favorite as he envoked many screams from the female concertgoers as well as the guys who knew they had their ladies in the right mood for the night.

 

The headliner of the show was the great JOE TEX, who had everyone literally standing on their seats!


Joe was one of the heavy-weight singers throughout the 60s and early 70s.  He is rumoured to have originated the famous microphone tricks ( which he taught James Brown early in the careers).


Fronting an ultra-tight band, he went through quite a few of his hits one after another.

He didn,t sing much, mostly talking and ad-libbing, (he was considered one of the first "rappers" of the 60s)especially his latest song, "Skinny Legs and All". 



One of the show,s highlights was during the song, which featured a sponsored dance contest for the woman with the skinniest legs.

Several women got on stage hoping to win the prize of $100 (hey, it was a lot of money back then).

A big-wigged skinny-legged gal got up on stage, shaking her money maker and took the prize home! 
No doubt about it, she won hands down with those toothpick legs and all!


Over the years I have been fortunate enough to see quite an array of R&B performers in their prime.


BETTY WRIGHT,  JERRY BUTLER, CLARENCE CARTER, KING FLOYD, THE BAR-KAYS,  NATALIE COLE, THE ISLEY BROTHERS, among others. 


The greatest of them all was none other than Mister Dynamite himself,  JAMES BROWN!


He truly earned every title bestowed on him, self-imposed or not!

You could put all the
aforementioned entertainers on one side of a stage and JB on the other, and all eyes would be on James Brown! 


His show was mostly self-contained, with members of his backing troupe (BOBBY BYRD, MARVA WHITNEY, VICKI ANDERSON, etc.) taking solo spots before joining the band for the explosive second half of the show.

Every bit the ultimate entertainer, JAMES BROWN rocked the house so hard you almost got tired of just watching him!!

I have witnessed JB live thru the years from 1969 up to 2004, from the James Brown Orchestra, to the JBs New Breed Band, the Soul Generals and other incarnations. 


He was always backed by some of the greatest sidemen in soul music history. Saxophonist extraordinaire MACEO PARKER Parker( who Brown made a household name by calling him for imprompt solos).


Others such as  guitarist JIMMY NOLEN( who invented the scratch stroking of the strings), drummers CLYDE STUBBLEFIELD and JABO STARKS, bassist BOOTSY COLLINS (possibly the most dynamic bassist ever in the JB lineup), FRED WESLEY (trombonist who was an intregal part of JB,s music throughout the early to mid-70s) helped make up the JB groove.


They were among the many band members that kept the funk strong behind the Hardest Working Man In Show Business.


There were two to four drum sets lined up across the stage. One drummer would do certain songs while another would accent JB,s movements (like his knee drops). He would sometimeswould also check out local drummers before the show and let them perform briefly onstage.


Band members were told to always keep their eyes on JB.


"The Man" himself might signal a switch anywhere from on stage; doing a split, jumping up into the air, coming out of a spin, even between two drummers in midsong at any given time!





After over an hour of shouting/ singing/ pleading/ begging in the second half of the show, he makes his way around the stage to shake hands with those lucky enough( that would be me included) to be in front.


Shaking hands with a sweat-drenched, in his prime JAMES BROWN as he came around the stage that night in 1970 is something I will never forget!


I reached my hand out to meet his, and he firmly gripped and shook my hand.


When he looked straight at me and flashed that wide crocodile grin, I could have sworn time froze for a second!


Other veteran soul singers, such as MILLIE JACKSON, TYRONE DAVIS, BETTY WRIGHT worked in smoke-filled nightclubs and small arenas.


These "chitlin circuit" clubs were sometimes spilling over with folks; other times one-third full.


But no matter how big or sparse the crowds were, the R&B veterans always came out and gave their all for the audiences like it was their last performance.


Sometimes after a show, the artists were willing to talk or sign autographs or take pictures for just a little while.


It was their way of thanking people for buying their records and coming out and supporting them.


To me, it showed the mark of true entertainers who never took their fans or their performances for granted.


The road or the "chitlin circuit" of the 50s and 60s (as it was called) was a lesson in survival in more ways than one.


The old artists came under fire in ways that today,s "young school" can only imagine to a degree.


The road could be a a thrilling but dangerous experience.  Traveling on old buses, in over-crowded station wagons, or rickety planes that barely got off and on the ground were a part of life on the road. 

Unfortunately, several artist lost their lives traveling either on the road or by plane.

OTIS REDDING, (his plane went down in an icy lake one cold night in 1967), BUDDY HOLLY, PATSY CLINE(country music) among others lost their lives in plane crashes.


Dealing with racism (especially traveling in the South, meeting people married or had significant others, unplanned pregnancies, all were a part of life for many entertainers.

Quite a few artists found out that they had fathered children while  engaging in "one nite stands".


James Brown had at least three  children outside of the five that he had with two of his wives.


Screaming Jay Hawkins( "I Put A Spell On You" fame) was rumoured to have fathered at least 53 children.


Many artists were cheated out of their money by not only unscrupulous promoters, but by their own record companies.




SAM COOKE, along with JAMES BROWN became one of the first black artists to take control of his entire production.  RAY CHARLES gained control of his own master tapes.


MARVIN GAYE, STEVIE WONDER, CURTIS MAYFIELD also took total charge of their own musical destinies. 

They realized that "show
business" meant becoming involved in the business end of things also.






A few TV shows of the 70s that showcased live performances were; "ABC,S  IN CONCERT ", "DON KRISHNER,S ROCK CONCERT" and of course, "THE MIDNIGHT SPECIAL".


"SOUL TRAIN" featured mostly lip-synch performances but a few artists did live sets complete with touring bands, offering rare glimpses on live TV what occurred in concert.


There are plenty of websites devoted to rare concert tapes and dvds that can be found if one looks hard enough.


Many rare clips can be seen on Youtube such as WAYNE COCHRAN ,sometimes known as the white James Brown ( if you ever get to see his version of "Please, Please Please" live on video it is a definitely a classic!), THE SUPREMES ROGER TROUTMAN AND ZAPP,etc.







Technological advances in the world of video today allow viewers to enjoy the concert experience in the confines of their own home.


More and more videos of past artists are released on dvd with more coming after clearing release copyrights.


A rare find " THE HARLEM MUSIC FESTIVAL" filmed in 1969, featuring MOMS MABLEY, PIGMEAT MARKHAM, B.B. KING, GLADYS KNIGHT & THE PIPS, MAHALIA JACKSON, & SLY & THE FAMILY STONE, among others, was found and is being restored for future release by Historic Films Inc.


The 1972 concert film "WATTSTAX" (often called the Black Woodstock ), featured such diverse talent as JOHNNY TAYLOR, RUFUS THOMAS, LITTLE MILTON, JESSE JACKSON. 


A dvd was finally remastered and released on dvd as a 2-disc set.


  Another great concert documentary ,"SOUL TO SOUL", featured IKE AND TINA TURNER, SANTANA, THE VOICES OF EAST HARLEM, THE STAPLE SINGERS, WILSON PICKETT and others on a trip to Ghana, West Africa in 1971.




"IKE AND TINA TURNER LIVE IN HOLLAND", "BLUES VIEWS" (a collection of rare live performances by JOHNNY TAYLOR, BOBBY "BLUE" BLAND, SHIRLEY BROWN, DENISE LASALLE, LATIMORE, LITTLE MILTON, etc.


"RICK JAMES LIVE IN GERMANY 1982, JAMES BROWN LIVE AT STUDIO 54, KC AND THE SUNSHINE BAND LIVE 1974, BOBBY WOMACK; SOUL SENSATION LIVE AND LIVE ON THE JAZZ CHANNEL ( the 1st one is my personal favorite) and many others are now available on dvd for home enjoyment.


Others hopefully headed for the dvd treatment include; "It,s Your Thing", a live (abeit very rare) 1970 concert at Yankee Stadium with headliners THE ISLEY BROTHERS and also starring MOMS MABLEY, THE EDWIN HAWKINS SINGERS, and THE FIVE STAIRSTEPS.


Also the following  shows rumoured to be prepped for release on dvd; JAMES BROWN: LIVE AT THE OLYMPIA, PARIS FRANCE, 1966, 1967, and 1971.

I have often wondered why MICHAEL JACKSON, PRINCE, and others have never officially released some of their early concerts on video.


There are tons of websites devoted to either trading or selling rare bootleg concerts by the dozens.


No doubt many fans would love to have the "JACKSON,S VICTORY TOUR" concert, "PRINCE LIVE AT 1ST AVENUE", as well as the "JACKSON FIVE LIVE IN JAPAN" (a live album/cd exists and if there is truth to the rumour, a filmed video as well).


UPDATE:  There is footage of THE JACKSON FIVE doing a tour of Africa in the mid seventies but only available to tv producers and the like(not available to the public just yet)!


See for yourself at www. jacksonfiveinafrica.com ( I got it but the video quality is sub-par. Only for die-hard fans!)



Most likely rights of ownership and other factors come into play, as well as remastering and distributing the materials.


With long forgotten films and recordings being discovered more often , don,t be too surprised if the above mentioned items as well as others might see the light of day sometime in the future.

So if you happen to be an old head like me, a young old head, a young head, a teenager, a tweener, grade schooler, a toddler, or a just a baby sitting in his stroller bopping its head in time to the music, if you,re just hearing snippets of old tracks in rap records, just happen to catch one of the oldies soul shows on PBS or BET concert series, or just plain curious about old school music, then guess what?


Your education of soul music has begun, so check out Youtube (many rare clips of R&B artists available), Amazon.com, Ebay, search the web, join discussion forums, read music trade magazines, browse flea markets.


Chances are sooner or later you will find what you are looking for.


Then make yourself a snack, put in a dvd of your favorite soul artist, sit back in your favorite chair and get your groove on.