Summer of Soul (…or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised)

WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG TO WATCH THIS HOLY HELL WHAT IS THIS I'M SPEECHLESS

i mean, it feels like everything was the best part. everyone's fashion was so on point — even people in the audience looked like some cool mofos.

on that front, i have to agree with alfred: gladys knight . . . (swoon)

more than that though, mavis staples just comes through once again and proves that "soulfulness" (whatever it is) is real and effective. that performance with mahalia? my god. what a beautiful and powerful presence she is.

the whole part with hugh masekela and ray baretto and those folks was just unreal!

and i mean . . . stevie was just . . . i don't even know man. i do believe in spiritual possession manifesting through music and when stevie is pounding away at that clavinet, i had tears of joy. just unbelievable. like if life was a video game, stevie had just touched the starman from super mario for that shit. holy hell!

when does part two come out?

Dunno! But---

SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK TO BE RELEASED VIA

LEGACY RECORDINGS ON JANUARY 28, 2022

DIRECTORIAL DEBUT FROM AHMIR “QUESTLOVE” THOMPSON SUMMER OF SOUL (…OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) STREAMING ON HULU NOW

...For the album, Questlove carefully selected 17 live renditions of jazz, blues, R&B, Latin, and soul classics performed over the course of The Harlem Cultural Festival in 1969 as chronicled by the film. Heralding the soundtrack, Sly & The Family Stone’s performance of “Sing A Simple Song” debuts today. Listen to it HEREhttps://legacyrecordings.link/SASSPR

Additionally, the Soundtrack boasts everything from B.B. King’s poignant and powerful guitar-driven gem “Why I Sing The Blues” to the rapturous “Precious Lord Take My Hand” by The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples. Not to mention, Gladys Knight & The Pips show out on a simmering “I Heard It Through The Grapevine,” while Nina Simone’s voice smolders on “Backlash Blues” and “Are You Ready.”

Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is available for pre-order now in digital and CD formats HEREhttps://legacyrecordings.link/SOSPR

A vinyl LP configuration will be released later next year.

CD TRACKLISTING:

1. The Chambers Brothers - “Uptown”

2. B.B. King - “Why I Sing The Blues”

3. The 5th Dimension - “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ To Ya”

4. The 5th Dimension - “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”

5. David Ruffin - “My Girl”

6. The Edwin Hawkins Singers - “Oh Happy Day”

7. The Staple Singers - “It’s Been A Change”

8. The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir Featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples - “Precious Lord Take My Hand”

9. Gladys Knight & The Pips - “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

10. Mongo Santamaria - “Watermelon Man”
11. Ray Barretto - “Together”

12. Herbie Mann- “Hold On, I’m Comin’”

13. Sly & The Family Stone - “Sing A Simple Song”

14. Sly & The Family Stone - “Everyday People”

15. Nina Simone - “Backlash Blues”

16. Nina Simone - “Are You Ready”

Summer of Soul (...Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

DIGITAL TRACKLISTING:

1. The Chambers Brothers - “Uptown”

2. B.B. King - “Why I Sing The Blues”

3. The 5th Dimension - “Don’t Cha Hear Me Callin’ To Ya”
4. The 5th Dimension - “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures)”

5. David Ruffin - “My Girl”

6. The Edwin Hawkins Singers - “Oh Happy Day”

7. The Staple Singers - “It’s Been A Change”

8. The Operation Breadbasket Orchestra & Choir Featuring Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples - “Precious Lord Take My Hand”

9. Gladys Knight & The Pips - “I Heard It Through The Grapevine”

10. Mongo Santamaria - “Watermelon Man”

11. Ray Barretto - “Together”

12. Herbie Mann- “Hold On, I’m Comin’”

13. Sly & The Family Stone - “Sing A Simple Song”

14. Sly & The Family Stone - “Everyday People”

15. Abbey Lincoln and Max Roach - “Africa”

16. Nina Simone - “Backlash Blues”

17. Nina Simone - “Are You Ready”
For more information, please contact:

carleen at theoriel dot com

Legacy Recordings, Media Relations: Maria dot Malta at sonymusic dot com

sweet

I’ll pick this up no matter what, but bummed they couldn’t stretch it to two discs to fit “Africa” on the physical edition and to include the Stevie Wonder song.

Still, very cool news!

That's great news but I'm more interested in the Blu-Ray, which I hope contains at least one extra disc of uninterrupted performances as mentioned upthread.

i'm genuinely more excited by the soundtrack than the movie but i'm aware i am a weirdo

https://deadline.com/2022/02/summer-of-soul-abc-broadcast-premiere-oscar-nominated-documentary-ahmir-questlove-thompson-news-1234931050

Nice, Network tv airing on ABC February 20.

questlove gonna get him an egot

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/oct/12/the-20-greatest-concert-films-ranked

Might be splitting hairs, but I see this more as a music documentary (I've not timed it, but I'm sure there's more talking heads than music) than concert movie, so I'm not sure if I'd say its better than Sign O The Times, Jazz On a Summers Day, or stop Making Sense, or whatever, but best concert movie EVER? Anyway, now that concert movies are getting talked about again, I'm hoping they release a sequel made up of the actual sets from Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone etc, or at least issue it on a DVD/Blu Ray release at some point.

I thought there was a little too much editorializing/splaining from contemporary talking heads---gratuitously, since the socio-political connections with what's happenin' now were obvious enough, and what's happenin' then spelled out at times by performers and audience---fuck a moon landing, we got people starving without that money in space, etc.---but overall, the talk/music ratio was quite reasonable, helped considerably by quality of music (also quality of the talk re commentary by performers and members of the audience looking back)

Love the Sly set so much

Yes, that drummer still rattling my double-take skull---and he's just a part of it of course.
Have always hoped that all the footage might be accessible at say National Museum of African American History and Culture etc. if not as more movie releases per se.