In 2004, Pat began working on a research project centered around the Black
Panther Party with a focus on the protest recordings that the Black Power
movement inspired during the 1960's and 1970's - this led to establishing
strong working relationships with two key leaders of the Black Panther Party
David Hilliard (Chief of Staff) and Party chairman Elaine Brown (including
releasing her landmark 1969 album "Seize The Time" on CD). As well as meetings
with Bobby Seale, Ericka Huggins, and other Panthers. Over a period of 5
years, Pat uncovered dozens of rare/out of print/forgotten Black Power recordings
in all areas of jazz, soul, poetry, speeches, interviews, and rock/pop music
- eventually amassing what might be considered the largest collection of
its kind. This has led to speaking engagements on the subject of Black Power
music at San Francisco State University, Merritt and Laney Colleges in Oakland,
and the College of Alameda. His research project brought him into the Huey
P. Newton archives at Stanford University and received encouragement from
representatives of Bob Dylan, John Lennon & Yoko Ono, and Graham Nash
of Crosby Stills Nash and Young.
His upcoming book “Listen Whitey” is the result of this experience
and due out this Fall by Fantagraphics Books.
EXCERPT…
Gene McDaniels - Outlaw
When the first words that Gene McDaniels sings on his 1970 Outlaw album
are; “She’s a nigger in jeans” - it’s apparent
that McDaniels (who rechristened himself as “the Left Rev. McD.”
on this record) is not in the same sphere as he was when he sang early 60’s
R&B hits like “A Hundred Pounds of Clay”.
McDaniels’ is something of a renaissance man; singer of lightweight
hits written by others; his 1961 single “Tower of Strength”
written by legendary lounge lizard Burt Bacharach hit #5 on the pop charts.
By the late 1960’s, McDaniels’ had composed the jazz-soul protest
anthem “Compared to What” which pianist/vocalist Les McCann
accompanied by saxophonist Eddie Harris turned into a standard when they
released it on their 1969 album Swiss Movement. And despite writing and
singing entire social-political protest albums like Outlaw, McDaniels’
could turn on a dime and pen the passionate late night ode “(That’s
the time) I Feel Like Making Love” that Roberta Flack made a #1 hit
in 1974.
The man is obviously a fighter and a lover. But it’s only the former
that I care to discuss. 1970’s Outlaw was one of two albums of political
consciousness that McDaniels’ recorded for Atlantic Records; the other
was Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse a year later. It’s been said
that “White House” was so offended by McDaniel’s inflammatory
recordings that either Spiro Agnew or Nixon’s Chief of Staff personally
called Atlantic Records and asked them to stop working with McDaniels. Atlantic
seemed happy to oblige the request to stop recording him (the albums weren’t
selling anyway), although they had no problem allowing him to continue writing
hit songs for other Atlantic artists such as Roberta Flack and as Gene pointed
out to me “they kept the [rights to the] masters” of his controversial
albums.
Looking at the cover photo, it’s Middle America’s worst nightmare
come to life. There’s the badass Reverend Lee himself holding a bible.
Righteous Susan Jane in a jean jacket and black French resistance turtleneck
wielding a machine gun and McDaniels’ then wife Ramona, soul sister
with cross your heart Viva Zapata! ammo belts. In the forefront is a large
human skull – just in case you didn’t get the message already.
The album features a diverse selection of musicians, including Mother Hen
on piano (she’d recorded a solo album with the Byrds’ guitarist
Clarence White and Burrito Brother Sneaky Pete on pedal steel), stalwart
session guitarist Hugh McCracken (Judy Collins, John Lennon, Aretha Franklin,
and Roland Kirk amongst others), and Eric Weissberg; best known for the
Deliverance theme song as well as playing on Dylan’s Blood On The
Tracks. Miles Davis Quintet member Ron Carter plays bass.
Production duties were handled by Atlantic staff producer Joel Dorn. Dorn
is a household name amongst Atlantic jazz buffs for producing dozens of
recordings by Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef, Herbie Mann, and David “Fathead”
Newman. Musical Director was cult legend William S. Fischer, known for his
string and horn arrangements for Eddie Harris, Roy Ayers, and Jimmy Scott.
Fischer recorded his own stoned soul LP; Circles for Herbie Mann’s
Embryo label in 1971.
The title track “Outlaw” kicks things off with a provocative
vamp inspired by Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me.” Turning
lyrics such as “She’s got everything she needs, she’s
an artist, she don’t look back” into “She’s
an outlaw, she don’t wear a bra.” McDaniels vocals channel
Mick Jagger’s sultry snarl and while the lyrics don’t sound
like much on paper, the song is a sex driven rock n roll nugget that holds
its own against similar Stones songs of the era. McDaniels was enamored
with the Rolling Stones front man enough to write and record a song called
“Jagger the Dagger” on his next album.
“Welfare City” recalls the songs that Lou Reed wrote about
New York City. I asked Gene if he was hip to Lou’s New York song-cycles
and he told me; “Yes, I’ve always been a distant fan of Lou
Reed’s. His music was never challenging for me, so I didn’t
get close to him. On the other hand, I did get close to Ornette Coleman,
who did influence Outlaw in whatever subtle and non-subtle ways because
of how he expressed himself in the jazz medium. It somehow seemed universal
to me.”
I first became aware of “Silent Majority” on the 1970 Eddie
Harris Live at Newport album, where McDaniels joins maverick saxophonist
Eddie Harris and his hand for a spontaneous run through of this vibrant
rant. As Gene told me; “Eddie Harris and I were a mutual admiration
society. I thought he was great.” “Silent Majority” remains
extremely potent and should be considered as one of the first great political
“rap” songs. It was this particular song which Gene feels motivated
Tricky Dick’s White House to move in on him. As he mentioned to journalist
Charles Waring of Blues & Soul magazine; “Our political system
has code words and one is silent majority and that meant white people being
quiet about the naughty actions of black people. So I wrote a song called
“Silent Majority” and it says ‘Silent Majority is
calling out loud to you and me from Arlington Cemetery’ and that
pissed somebody off big time and I know that’s the reason they contacted
me.”
Despite being pigeon-holed as a soul-jazz artist, McDaniels was more than
capable of writing and recording folk songs as reflected in “Love
Letter to America.” It’s a timeless ballad that could have been
recorded by Bob Dylan or Joan Baez. In his interview with Charles Waring,
McDaniels’ stated; Dylan was definitely an influence.” I hear
echoes of beat poet Allen Ginsberg. McDaniels’ sings “Hey America,
I can see you now”, while Ginsberg wrote in his America poem; “America…I’m
addressing you.” Both of them capture an America not reflected in
a Norman Rockwell painting.
“Black Boy” is another folk ballad, taken from fiddler John
Blair’s pen with some amended lyrics by McDaniels. It’s a delicate
acoustic song that you could imagine being performed by a white folkie at
the Newport Folk Festival circa 1966. The climate that McDaniels constructs
on this recording resembles an intersection between 1960’s white protest
singer/songwriter Fred Neil’s “Tear Down the Walls” (later
morphed and amended by the Jefferson Airplane to “up against the wall,
motherfucker”) and the Black Power Movement. But Gene told me “I
was not a Black Panther and I was not a Black Panther sympathizer, but I
understood why they existed. So I did a couple of benefit concerts for them
and I was pretty enamored of Angela Davis.”
“Reverend Lee” is the most enigmatic song on the album, although
the lyrics may be a reference to McDaniels himself (witness the name “the
left rev mc d” on the front cover). Although McDaniels doesn’t
like to discuss his lyrics, I was able to gain some insight when he told
me; “I was born the son of a minister, Reverend B.T. McDaniels. Born
in Kansas, raised in Nebraska and experienced spirituality on a very deep
level and the religious involvement of my parents. Reverend Lee kind of
oozed out of my unconscious mind onto the paper about the temptations and
torture of being a spiritual public servant.”
Probably because it was the least controversial song on the record, “Reverend
Lee” went on to be covered by Roberta Flack, Natalie Cole and Herbie
Mann. I asked McDaniels if he was aware of any other cover versions from
Outlaw and he replied; “I don’t know of anyone, other than the
people you mention, who recorded songs from Outlaw or [the follow up album]
Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse. I must have really fucked people up,
‘cause nobody would touch it with a ten-foot pole. I really either
fucked up or I hit a nerve in the country, not really sure which. And I
don’t really care. I am told that I’m among the top ten sampled
artists. At the least the rappers weren’t afraid. Amongst the rest
of the populace, I’m sort of persona non grata as far as these recordings
are concerned. My witness protection name is Bill Clinton.”
Gene continues; “The statement on the back of album; ‘Under
conditions of national emergency like now, there are only two kinds of people
– those who work for freedom, and those who do not…good guys
versus the bad guys.’ That still says it for me, because that’s
where we are thirty years later. They’re still trying to take over
the country and they’re much closer to doing it now than they were
then.”
He closes with; “With the narcissists running the show, we’ve
got a heavy fight ahead of us to retain our freedoms. That’s about
all I’ve got to say.” Thanks Gene, I think you’ve
said it all.
