Black Merda – Black Merda – LP — Chess – 1970

From a volatile socio political climate to the drug induced kaleidoscopic hippie phenomenon, American music evolved in the 60s – and 70s into a wilder, more psychedelic state. The 60s not only birthed psych rock music, but also paved the way for African Americans to pair fuzzy, lurid electric guitars with rhythm and blues. The result was an enlivened sound of funk music that could pass for rock ‘n roll or soul music. Bands like the Isley Brothers, The Parliaments, Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix and others seamlessly fused blues, soul, rock ‘n roll, funk & psych so perfectly that they could be cross-filed in multiple genres from album to album or even song to song. Cross-genre appeal has preserved their music for decades and enabled them to embody a global audience of reverent fans and critics. But naturally most bands never last long enough to give us an extensive catalog – though they possess the talent to give us an album or two of utter genius- they simply fade into oblivion. The band Black Merda is a prime example of hard hitting, authentic psychedelic soul music forged out of the 60s, yet never truly attained the success that would have made them a house hold name.

Black Merda consists of four brothers from Mississippi, guitarists and song-writers Anthony & Charles Hawkins, Veesee Veasey on bass, and Tyron Hite on drums.  Released in 1970, their debut self-titled album is drenched in funky electric guitar work, genuine lyrics, soulful harmonies, tasteful chants, moments of reflection, and the rock n roll feel of 60s soul music. Black Merda kicks off with “The Prophet” an invigorating introduction with a bouncy riff and undeniably black vocals shouting “SET ME FREE” on the chorus. Another lively, funky track is “Cynthy-Ruth” which was released as a 45 rpm single (b/w “Reality) on Chess records the same year as the LP. “Cynthy-Ruth” has the signature mantra style chorus they do so well and is another great sampling of psychedelic soul. The flip is stacked with amazing sides including “Reality”, “I Don’t Want to Die”, the psych lament instrumental “Windsong” & my personal favorite “Good Luck”. Co-penned by the Hawkins brothers & Hite, “Windsong” is the type of song you could listen to ten times in a row and still want to hear it again. Led by Anthony Hawkins’ bluesy lead guitar, it evokes the feeling of wandering aimlessly trying to find a place to rest with whirling gusts of winds circling all around. “Good Luck” is Black Merda unhinged with wah-wah pedals, vocal phasing and delays, and an angry but catchy chorus. The final full song is the slower “I Don’t Want To Die” on which the group harmonizes “We don’t want to die. Noooo, we don’t want to die” to end the song. A stripped down acoustic harmonious refrain of “Set Me Free” softly punctuates the LP at well under forty minutes.

Although Black Merda only produced two albums they remain one of the most important soul bands of the 70s. Black Merda was the bands only release on Chess records and one could only speculate as to why it lacked commercial success. Record collectors like myself can only dream of travelling back in time to see four brothers on stage with afros black and proud and rocking out with wah pedals & mellifluous chants. Luckily, courtesy of Leonard Chess they gave us an unforgettably enticing LP that any 60s soul collector should own in any format!

AJ – 2017

#blackmerda #psychfunk #chessrecords #raresoul #rarefunk

Editor’s Note: I wrote this 8 years ago with so much hope and vigor about the state of change that was to come. It was such an honor and fun exercise to incorporate political history into what’s essentially a review of an old record I loved. It’s a strange and sad sensation to read this again now given the current state of affairs. Is it 2020 yet?

Let’s Clean Up The Ghetto
(Philadelphia International Records) 1977

The planets were aligned for change in 1977. The Vietnam debacle had ended and President Carter begun issuing pardons for nearly ten thousand draft evaders. In the postwar glow, America’s War on Poverty surfaced with renewed boldness. Politicians were reinvigorated and, more importantly, listening.

A wail came from Philly by way of Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto, a Philadelphia International Records comp featuring elites of “The Sound of Philadelphia,” a style that had long dominated R&B charts. Kenneth Gamble (owner of Philadelphia International Records) combined his biggest acts — The Three Degrees, Billy Paul, the O’Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Lou Rawls, and others — to raise concern about Philly’s growing ghettos. Gamble is quoted on the back as saying: “Anything physical has to first start as a thought…there’s a message in the music.”

Bobby Martin’s arrangement of “Ooh Child”, performed by Dee Dee Sharp Gamble, is pessimistic, dark, and nowhere as sunny as previous recorded versions. The Intruders’ resounding “Save the Children,” paired perfectly with Archie Bell and the Drells’ “Old People,” showed the generational effects of diminished opportunity. And Billy Paul’s buoyant “New Day, New World Comin’” wove some hope into the record’s ten-songs.

Yet the title track is the project’s real centerpiece. Written by Gamble & Huff and Carey Gilbert, “Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto” is a posse cut of epic proportions. The Philadelphia International All-Stars consisted of Lou Rawls, Billy Paul, Archie Bell, the O’Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, and Dee Dee Sharp Gamble. Rawls pleads for “cleanliness” and “safety” on the opening dialogue sequence, followed by each artist echoing the sentiment, each in their own distinct fashion.

Aesthetically, hefty bass and washes of harmony usher the song along for eight-minutes. And while it’s hard to measure the effect of a single recording, it certainly voiced concerns of a voiceless minority, as all the profits from the record went towards local community development as promised.

Kenneth Gamble went on to redevelop South Philadelphia for decades, and Let’s Clean Up the Ghetto marked the start of his community-minded efforts. The project is a timely battle cry given that education, affordable housing, and job creation remain dominant hurdles in many communities of today. With Obama now at the helm, let’s hope populist issues will no longer be approached with elitist policies. – David Ma

(Originally ran in Waxpoetics issue #33, The Philly Issue)

#letscleanuptheghetto #philadelphiainternationalrecords #waxpoetics