Curtis Mayfield - There's No Place Like America Today (1975)

"There's No Place Like America Today" is the seventh studio album by Curtis Mayfield, released in 1975 on Curtom Records. 

It peaked at number 120 on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as number 13 on the Soul LPs chart.

The title is intended in an ironic way, as illustrated not only by the cover -- a grim parody of late-'40s/early-'50s advertising imagery depicting white versus black social reality -- but the grim yet utterly catchy and haunting opening number, "Billy Jack." 

A song about gun violence that was years ahead of its time, it's scored to an incisive horn arrangement by Richard Tufo. 

"When Seasons Change" is a beautifully wrought account of the miseries of urban life that contains elements of both gospel and contemporary soul. The album's one big song, "So in Love," which made number 67 on the pop charts but was a Top Ten soul hit, is only the prettiest of a string of exquisite tracks on the album, including "Blue Monday People" and "Jesus" and the soaring finale, "Love to the People," broken up by the harder-edged "Hard Times." 

The album doesn't really have as clearly delineated a body of songs as Mayfield's earlier topical releases, but it's in the same league with his other work of the period and represents him near his prime as a composer.

The album cover was based on a 1937 monochrome photograph by Margaret Bourke-White, titled At the Time of the Louisville Flood, on which the advertising slogan was "There's No Way Like the American Way". 

The original photograph was published in the February 15, 1937 edition of Life magazine.

The album was featured in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2013, NME placed it at number 373 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list

Tracklist

1.  Billy Jack - 6:10

2.  When Seasons Change - 5:28

3.  So in Love - 5:15

4.  Jesus - 6:13

5.  Blue Monday People - 4:50

6.  Hard Times - 3:45

7.  Love to the People - 4:07

All tracks are written by Curtis Mayfield.

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.

• Curtis Mayfield – vocals, guitar, keyboards, production
• Rich Tufo – keyboards, arrangement
• Gary Thompson – guitar
• Phil Upchurch – guitar
• Joseph "Lucky" Scott – bass guitar
• Quinton Joseph – drums
• Henry Gibson – percussion
• Harold Dessent - woodwinds

Companies, etc.

• Copyright © – Curtom Records, Inc.
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Manufactured By – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Distributed By – Warner Bros. Records Inc.
• Published By – Mayfield Music
• Recorded At – Curtom Studios
• Pressed By – Columbia Records Pressing Plant, Santa Maria

Credits

• Arranged By – Rich Tufo
• Art Direction – Ed Thrasher
• Design – Lockart
• Engineer – Roger Anfinsen
• Illustration – Peter Palombi
• Lacquer Cut By – BH
• Management – Marv Stuart
• Producer, Written-By, Guitar, Keyboards – Curtis Mayfield

Notes

Released:  May 1975 

Recorded:  Studio Curtom Studios, Chicago, Illinois 

Genre:  Soul · funk

Length:  35:23 

Producer:  Curtis Mayfield 

Label - Curtom 

Curtis Mayfield - Curtis (1970, 2000) (Expanded Edition)

 

Tracklist

1.   (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go - 7:50

2.   The Other Side Of Town - 4:01

3.   The Makings Of You - 3:43

4.   We The People Who Are Darker Than Blue - 6:05

5.   Move On Up (Extended Version) - 8:53

6.   Miss Black America - 2:58

7.   Wild And Free - 3:16

8.  Give It Up - 3:49

Bonus Tracks:

9.   Power To The People (Demo Version) - 2:47

10.   Underground (Demo Version) - 3:11

11.   Ghetto Child (Demo Version) - 5:09

12.   Readings In Astrology (Demo Version) - 3:30

13.   Suffer (Demo Version) - 2:30

14.   Miss Black America (Demo Version) - 2:22

15.   The Makings Of You (Backing Track, Take 32) - 4:33

16.   (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Backing Track, Take 1 & 2) - 4:17

17.  (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Single Version) - 3:26

Companies, etc.

• Recorded At – RCA Studios, Chicago
• Overdubbed At – Record Plant, N.Y.C.
• Remastered At – DigiPrep
• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Curtom Records
• Copyright © – Curtom Records
• Made By – Warner Music Manufacturing Europe
• Record Company – Rhino Entertainment Company
• Published By – Camad Music
• Pressed By – WMME Alsdorf

Credits

• A&R [Editorial Coordination] – Shawn Amos
• Arranged By – Gary Slabo (tracks: 1 to 8), Riley Hampton (tracks: 1 to 8)
• Art Direction – Hugh Brown
• Design – Nancy L. Hopkins
• Editor [Editorial Supervision] – Steven Chean
• Engineer – Roger Anfinson
• Engineer [Vocal Overdubbing Assistant] – Danny Turbeville
• Engineer [Vocal Overdubbing] – Tom Flye
• Liner Notes – David Nathan
• Liner Notes [Forward] – Michael Wesley Johnson
• Musician – Robert Lewis, Clifford Davis, Donald Simmons, Elliot Golub, Gary Slabo, Harold Klatz*, Harold Dessent, Harold Lepp, Henry Gibson, John Howell, John Ross, Leonard Druss*, Loren Binford, Patrick Ferreri, Philip Upchurch, Richard Single, Robert Sims*, Ronald Kolber, Rudolph Stauber, Sam Heiman, Sol Bobrob
• Photography By – Bob Cato
• Producer – Curtis Mayfield
• Producer [Reissue Produced For Release] – Michael Wesley Johnson
• Producer [Sound] – Bill Inglot
• Remastered By – Dan Hersch
• Research [Editorial Research] – Daniel Goldmark
• Written-By – Curtis Mayfield, Donny Hathaway (tracks: 13)

Notes

Released:  1970

Album, Reissue: 2000

Recorded at:  RCA Studios, Chicago. Vocal overdubbing at Record Plant, New York City.

Remastered at.  DigiPrep.

Genre:  Jazz, Funk / Soul

Length:  1:12:38

Label - Rhino Records

Curtis Mayfield - Never Say You Can't Survive (1977)

Curtis Lee Mayfield (June 3, 1942 – December 26, 1999) was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer, who was one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious African-American music.

He first achieved success and recognition with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the late 1950s and 1960s, and later worked as a solo artist.
Never Say You Can't Survive was the last Curtis Mayfield album done in a pure soul vein for the next three years -- its style and sound place it in a direct continuity with the rest of his output right back to 1958. The singing on love songs such as "Show Me Love," "Just Want to Be With You," and "When We're Alone" is among the most achingly lyrical and passionate of his career. The title track boasts ravishing backup singing by Kitty & the Haywoods (who also perform outstandingly on "I'm Gonna Win Your Love") and a beautiful arrangement by James Mack.  The album's final track, "Sparkle" (written for Sam O'Steen's movie of the same name, starring Philip Michael Thomas, Irene Cara, and Lonette McKee), gets one of three distinct treatments that the song ever received (the others from the soundtrack and Aretha Franklin's version).

Track listing

01. "Show Me Love"  - 5:16
02. "Just Want to Be with You"  - 3:14
03. "When We're Alone"  - 5:27
04. "Never Say You Can't Survive"  - 3:22
05. "I'm Gonna Win Your Love"  - 4:43
06. "All Night Long"  - 4:15
07. "When You Used to Be Mine"  - 3:41
08. "Sparkle"  - 4:02

All songs written and composed by Curtis Mayfield.

Credits
Lead Guitar – Curtis Mayfield
Backing Vocals – Kitty And The Haywoods
Bass – Joseph Scott
Bongos, Congas – Henry Gibson
Rhythm Guitar – Gary Thompson
Tenor Saxophone – Cliff Davis, Sonny Seals
Drums – Donnell Hagan
Keyboards – Floyd Morris, Rich Tufo
Contractor [Horns Contractor] – Lenard Druss
Contractor [Strings Contractor] – Sol Bobrov
Design – Brian Hagiwara
Engineer – Fred Breitberg, Roger Anfinsen
Arranged By – James Mack, Rich Tufo
Art Direction – AGI, Jim Ladwig, Jim Ladwig
Photography By – Hauser And D'Orio
Producer - Curtis Mayfield

Notes
Released: 1977
Recorded at: Curtom Studio, Chicago, Ill
Genre: Funk, soul
Length: 33:45
© 1977

Label - Curtom Records