In this episode, we pay homage to the legendary Curtis Mayfield, a pivotal figure often overlooked in discussions about the great artists of the ’60s and ’70s. Join us as we explore his poignant track “Hard Times” from the album There’s No Place Like America Today. We delve into the rich history of his career, from his early days with The Impressions to his groundbreaking solo work that tackled social and political issues head-on.
We uncover the intricate layers of this slow-burning groove, highlighting the subtle interplay of instruments and the emotional depth of Mayfield’s lyrics. As we navigate through the song’s haunting themes of love, fear, and societal struggles, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation for Mayfield’s artistry and the timeless relevance of his message. Tune in for an insightful journey into the life and music of a true musical genius.
“Hard Times” – Curtis Mayfield Copyright 1975 Comad Music Co. BMI
TRANSCRIPT:
People, get ready– The “I’m In Love With That Song” Podcast is coming! My name is Brad Page, thanks for joining me here on the Pantheon Podcast Network. Each episode of this show, I pick one of my favorite songs and we take the time to listen– really listen– to uncover little elements, those special moments that turn a good song into a great one. Musical expertise is not a prerequisite here; you don’t have to know anything about music theory or understand a lot of technical jargon. We’re just going to put our ears to work and discover what’s been right there all along.
On this edition of the podcast, we’re going to be exploring a track by one of the most important figures in music history. When people list the important black artists of the 60’s and 70’s, you often hear musical geniuses like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Sly Stone, Michael Jackson and Prince… but there’s one name that often gets overlooked: Curtis Mayfield.
Well, on this episode, we’re going to pay tribute to this musical genius by listening to Curtis Mayfield and a song called “Hard Times”.
Curtis Mayfield was born in Chicago in June 1942. When he was around 8 years old, he stumbled across a guitar shoved in the back of a closet and that was it. He’d already been singing in church and noodling around on piano, but man, when he found that guitar, he really fell in love. It set the direction for the rest of his life, really.
When he played piano, he liked to use the black keys, which meant that he was mostly playing in the key of F#. So when he taught himself to play guitar– and he was entirely self-taught– he transferred that to the guitar, and created his own F# tuning on guitar, which gave him a sound unlike anyone else.
He dropped out of school when he was 16 and joined a local group called The Roosters. Eventually they changed their name to The Impressions. Their first hit was “For Your Precious Love” in 1958, featuring the vocals of Jerry Butler, the band leader.
That taste of success was enough to inspire Butler to go solo, so he left and Curtis took over The Impressions. In 1961, with Curtis at the helm, The Impressions had a hit with “Gypsy Woman”. Their next big hit was in 1963 with “It’s All Right”.
Under Mayfield’s direction, they developed their unique harmonies centered around Mayfield’s falsetto vocals, as exemplified with their 1964 hit “I’m So Proud”.
But Curtis had more on his mind beyond love and romance. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but Curtis Mayfield was a black man living in America in the 1960’s, and he wasn’t just a witness to what was going on– he was part of it. He was living it. And he had things to say.
For all that was great about Motown, they stayed decidedly away from politics; and Stax Records, even though they were integrated and in that sense, more progressive than most, they largely avoided the subject at the time. The fact that they were located in Memphis probably meant it was safer if they didn’t.
But Curtis had no such reservations. They released “Keep On Pushing” in 1964, one of the first pop songs to directly address civil rights.
That was followed by “People Get Ready” in 1965. By any measure, one of the most significant singles ever released. It reached number three on the R&B charts, number 14 on the Top 100 chart. Martin Luther King considered it the unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement. It’s been covered dozens of times, by everyone from The Staple Singers to Bob Dylan, from Bob Marley to Rod Stewart and Jeff Beck. It’s a song that still inspires today.
“People Get Ready” was also the first time that Mayfield’s guitar was prominently featured on a track.
Curtis continued to write songs addressing the social and political environment, particularly from the black perspective. His lyrics could be pointed, but the music was always subtle, gentle and encouraging. He might have been angry– God knows there’s plenty to be angry about– but the music was rarely delivered in anger.
In 1968, he launched his own record label with manager Eddie Thomas called Curom Records. Finally, he was able to control his own recording and publishing, something very few artists, black or white, were able to do. In 1968, he released his first solo album, simply titled “Curtis”, in 1970. It is a great record, including at least two classics: “Move On Up” and “Don’t Worry If There’s A Hell Below, We’re All Going To Go”. Listen to the fuzz bass on this track.
Two more albums followed in 1971, and then in 1972, he got the job to create the soundtrack to “Superfly”.
Mayfield’s soundtrack is simply iconic. Along with Isaac Hayes’ “Shaft”, it defined the sound of this era of filmmaking. The thing is, Curtis wasn’t really a fan of the movie, at least not the message. Where the film “Superfly” in some ways glorifies drug dealers, Curtis wanted none of that; he was not interested in promoting that. So, with the “Superfly” soundtrack, you have these songs that are, in essence, commenting on the actions and the characters in the film, with Curtis giving his point of view, which often is in opposition to the images on the screen. It all makes for, I think, one of the most interesting and unique soundtracks ever recorded. Along with the title cut, the album also features a few other classics like “Pusher Man” and “Freddy’s Dead”.
The success of the “Superfly” album, and the album literally outsold the movie, that success ushered in a second career for Mayfield, writing and recording for films, and he would release a handful of other soundtracks, working with Gladys Knight, the Staples Singers and Aretha Franklin.
And he would continue recording solo albums. “Back To Whe World” came out in 1973, “Sweet Exorcist” and “Got To Find A Way” in 1974, and 1975’s “There’s No Place Like America Today”. That’s the album we’re visiting on this episode.
“There’s No Place Like America Today” was Mayfield’s seventh studio album. Curtis was wrestling with his own depression, not to mention the troubling situations in America at the time… I guess some things never change. This is Mayfield’s State of the Union album, and it’s sobering. Death, poverty, sadness all make their way into these songs, but so does love and romance, faith and hope. Its ‘one of my favorite Curtis Mayfield albums… in fact, maybe it is my favorite.
The song we’re digging into in this episode is “Hard Times”. It’s the second-to-last song on the album.
The album was produced by Curtis, and features Gary Thompson and Phil Upchurch on guitars, Rich Tufo on keyboards, Harold Dessent on woodwinds, Joseph “Lucky” Scott on bass, Quinton Joseph on drums, Henry Gibson on percussion, and Curtis Mayfield on vocals, guitar and keyboards.
“Hard Times”, like all of the songs on the album, was written by Curtis Mayfield. And like most of the tracks on this album, it’s a slow burn. Doesn’t come on strong, but the groove is insistent. The song kicks off with a single hit on the hi-hat and then the band launches into the groove.
Let’s explore this groove a little bit. Let’s start with the bass, drums and percussion. You can hear that the drums are recorded quite dry, not much for reverb or room sound on them. And that makes for a very intimate and maybe even a little claustrophobic sound.
Now let’s hear the guitars. I’m just making a guess here, but I think we’re hearing Curtis and Gary Thompson on rhythm guitars and it’s Phil Upchurch playing some lead lines in the left channel, using a wah-wah pedal to get that classic sound.
Alright, lets go back to the top.
At this point, there’s a subtle shift in the groove, and the guitar solo comes a little more forward. Focus on those tasty licks.
That leads us to the first verse. You’ll hear multiple vocals; all the voices are Curtis overdubbed.
I really like that little instrumental break there. Here comes the second verse, and Curtis is really laying it out here. You can feel his depression and paranoia in these lyrics. “I’m afraid to come outside; although I’m filled with love I’m afraid they’ll hurt my pride, so I play the part I feel they want of me, and I’ll pull the shades so I won’t see them seeing me.”
Nice guitar lick there. There’s more tasty guitar playing coming up. It’s in the left channel, but let’s see if we can bring it to the center and up the volume a bit.
That brings us to the third and final verse. Just a classic Curtis Mayfield vocal on this track. You can really feel the emotion in his voice.
For this chorus, let’s hear what the band is doing underneath the vocals. The interplay between the bass and the drums, it’s great.
Let’s pick it up from there through the chorus.
And the track will slowly fade out. Riding out on the groove.
Curtis Mayfield – “Hard Times”
As I said at the beginning, when people mention the important black artists of the late 60’s and 70’s, it’s usually names like James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Prince; Curtis Mayfield is often left off the list, but he stands toe-to-toe with any of the important artists of that period.
Curtis would continue to release albums through the 70’s and the 80’s, as well as doing concert tours… and it was at a concert in Brooklyn, New York, on August 13, 1990– an outdoor show at Wingate Field,– when a storm was brewing. And just as Curtis’s name was announced and he headed for the stage, a massive gust of wind hit the lighting trusses. Lights came crashing down, injuring half a dozen people. And Curtis, Curtis was struck in the back of his neck, breaking his third, fourth and fifth vertebrae. Curtis was permanently paralyzed from the neck down. He’d never play guitar again. He was 48 years old.
Being paralyzed made breathing difficult, which made it almost impossible for him to sing. But Curtis didn’t give up. In 1996, six years after the accident, he released one final album titled “New World Order”. Recording it was painstaking and arduous. He discovered that if he laid on his back, gravity would help him to exhale, just enough to be able to sing one line at a time.
And so slowly, a line at a time, he was able to record his vocals for this last album.
Curtis’ health declined, and in December 1999, the day after Christmas, Curtis passed away. He was 57.
Rolling Stone magazine referred to him as “the gentle genius”. That’s as good as any way to describe the great Curtis Mayfield.
I hope you enjoyed this edition of the podcast. As always, we’ll be back in about two weeks with another new episode. All of our previous shows are available on our website, and we’re creeping up on 200 episodes, so there’s plenty of them to be discovered. You can listen on the website, lovethatsongpodcast.com, or find the shows on your favorite podcast app.
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On behalf of Pantheon Podcasts, where fans belong, I thank everyone for listening. Now it’s time for you to rediscover some of the great Curtis Mayfield records. So go listen, and I’ll meet you back here next time.