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INTRODUCTION
INTRO Rest in Playlist
Welcome dearly beloved to the Rest in Playlist for Friday, March 24, 2023. This week, we say goodbye with three songs from our Headliner, Parliament-Funkadelic’s singer Fuzzy Haskins. This show is also salute to all the artists who passed in the week prior, from March 11th through March 17th. Our main stage features an all-time great song with a murderous writer; our Festival Stage brings you musicians who passed in Mexico, Brazil, and England; and in the Mosh Pit tonight we thrash to South African rap, Brazilian rock, and British Metal. But first, we start the Rest in Playlist with our Opening Act.
Opening Act: Bobby Caldwell
RIP Show Must Go On (Opening Act)
[14 Mar 2023] Bobby Caldwell, 71, American singer (“What You Won’t Do for Love“) and songwriter (“The Next Time I Fall“).
Our opening act grew up the son of Bob Marley’s real estate agent. He got his first big break playing rhythm guitar for Little Richard in the early Seventies. After going solo, he kept recording until his record company told him they just didn’t hear any hits. Two days later, he went into the studio and wrote this next song that went to #6 on the R&B charts and #9 on the Hot 100. And it wasn’t until he toured with Natalie Cole to support his album that audiences found out that he was white. Born in 1951 and passed March 14, 2023, our Opening Act, Bobby Caldwell.
Bobby Caldwell – What You Won’t Do for Love
Headliner: Fuzzy Haskins
RIP Rock of Ages (Headliner)
[17 Mar 2023] Fuzzy Haskins, 81, American Hall of Fame singer (Parliament-Funkadelic).
Our headliner this week is Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Clarence Eugene “Fuzzy” Haskins. Born in 1941, Fuzzy was a founding member and lead singer of the seminal funk band, Parliament-Funkadelic with George Clinton. But long before P-Funk brought the Mothership Connection to the late 70s, Haskins and Clinton were members of late 50s doo-wop group called the Parliaments. We’ll get to the funky side of Fuzzy later in the program, but now let’s partake of the Parliaments only hit, a #3 R&B single called “(I Wanna) Testify.”
The Parliaments – (I Wanna) Testify
Main Stage: Night Shift
RIP Night Shift (Main Stage)
[13 Mar 2023] Jim Gordon, 77, American musician (Derek and the Dominos), songwriter (“Layla“) and convicted murderer.
On the Main Stage this week, we all know the blues rock supergroup Derek & The Dominos as a short-lived band that featured Eric Clapton on guitar. Their most famous track is the iconic tune, “Layla,” a classic rock staple. But few know about the drummer. Jim Gordon. He is credited with writing the piano coda at the end of the song; however, keyboardist Bobby Whitlock says he cribbed that melody from his ex-girlfriend, singer Rita Coolidge, and Graham Nash, who later dated Coolidge, backs up Whitlock’s story. Sadly, Gordon suffered from undiagnosed schizophrenia, leading to an assault on Coolidge that ended their relationship. In 1983, Gordon’s had a psychotic break and murdered his mother with a hammer and knife. Sentenced to 16 years in prison, Gordon was eligible for parole in 1991, but never attended hearings. He died in prison on March 13, 2023.
Derek & The Dominos – Layla
[12 Mar 2023] Dix Denney, 65, American guitarist (The Weirdos, Thelonious Monster).
Also on the Main Stage this week, we have guitarist Dix Denney, who, along with his brother, singer John Denney, founded the band The Weirdos in 1975. The headlined the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles and were a foundational band in the late 1970s L.A. punk scene. Here’s Life of Crime from The Weirdos.
The Weirdos – Life of Crime
[14 Mar 2023] Bobby Caldwell, 71, American singer (“What You Won’t Do for Love“) and songwriter (“The Next Time I Fall“).
We’ve got another tribute for our Opening Act on the Main Stage, this time as a songwriter. We heard Bobby Caldwell’s hit at the top of the show, but in the early 80’s, his friend musician Boz Scaggs suggested he have other artists try recording his tunes. So Caldwell sent out songs that were recorded by Scaggs, Al Jarreau, Neil Diamond, and this track that went to #1 on the Hot 100 for Amy Grant & Peter Cetera… who I assure you are still very much alive.
Amy Grant & Peter Cetera – The Next Time I Fall
In Other News: Dick Fosbury
Every now and then somebody passes during the week who wasn’t a recording artist, but still had an enduring legacy in the world of entertainment. Few athletes completely change their sport, like Kareem and dunking the basketball, Ed Walsh and the spitball in baseball, or golf courses being “Tiger-proofed” for Tiger Woods. But none of them changed the entire technique of a sport like this man:
Dick Fosbury – Fosbury Flop 1968 Olympics
1968 Olympic high-jump champion at 7’4-1/4”, Dick Fosbury, born in 1947, passed on March 12, 2023, Rest in Playlist.
Headliner: Fuzzy Haskins
Our Headliner, Fuzzy Haskins, returns to the stage. At the dawn of the 70’s, Haskins and Clinton’s doo-wop group, the Parliaments, were touring with a backing band called Funkadelic. George Clinton basically had one group with two names: Parliament for the soul audience and Funkadelic for the rock audience. The fusion of soul and rock became funk, and this first track from the 1975 album Mothership Connection got to #33 on the R&B charts and has since been sampled in countless hip-hop hits. Here’s Fuzzy Haskins singing with Parliament-Funkadelic on “P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up).
Parliament-Funkadelic – P-Funk (Wants to Get Funked Up)
Festival Stage: Music ‘Round the World
RIP Ball of Confusion (Around the World)
You’re listening to Rest in Playlist for Friday, March 24, 2023, on KSHD-LP 94.3 FM in Shady Cove, Oregon. I’m your host, “Radical” Russ Belville.
[16 Mar 2023] Tony Coe, 88, English jazz musician.
We move on now to our Festival Stage for music from around the world. The oldest musician to pass on last week was 88-year-old English jazz musician Tony Coe, whose music we’ve been playing in the background week. Coe was born in 1934 and played clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute as well as soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones. Coe played with Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, and contributed clarinet to Paul McCartney’s recording of “I’ll Give You a Ring” and music for the Superman II soundtrack. These have all been pieces of his song, Zeitgeist (Pt. 2). Tony Coe, age 88, Rest in Playlist.
Tony Coe – Zeitgeist (Pt. 2)
[13 Mar 2023] Simon Emmerson, 67, English record producer, musician (Afro Celt Sound System) and DJ.
Also saying goodbye from England this week on March 13, 2023, was Simon Emmerson. He was a record producer and the founder of the band Afro Celt Sound System. Well known in world music festivals, Emmerson’s group mixed African melodies and traditional Gaelic music that netted them a Grammy nomination in the World Music category in 2000. Afro Celt Sound System collaborated with many artists, including Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, and with Sinead O’Connor on this track that went to #3 on the US Dance charts in 2000 called “Release.”
Afro Celt Sound System – Release
[15 Mar 2023] Théo de Barros, 80, Brazilian composer and musician (Quarteto Novo).
Taking the Festival Stage from Latin America, we bid farewell to Brazil’s Theo de Barros, age 80. His career was launched in 1966 with the formation of his Latin Jazz group Quarteto Novo. Its 1967 eponymous album is one of the most influential in jazz music. De Barros went on to compose and collaborate with a myriad of musicians. Here’s Canto Geral from that album.
Quarteto Novo – Canto Geral
[17 Mar 2023] Fito Olivares, 75, Mexican cumbia musician.
Our closer on the Festival Stage come to us from Northern Mexico. Fito Olivares was born in 1947 and learned saxophone from his father on their ranch. He began playing professionally at age 16 in 1963 and paid his dues for three decades until his biggest hit was nominated for Lo Nuestro Awards, honoring the best in Latin music. Fito completed his battle with cancer on March 17, 2023. This is his hit, La Juana Cubana.
Fito Olivares y Su Grupo – Juana La Cubana
Mosh Pit: These Go to Eleven
RIP Bring Tha Noise (These Go to Eleven)
For the harder side of the Grim Reaper’s playlist this week, we jump into the global Mosh Pit with three tracks that go to 11.
[17 Mar 2023] Mick Slattery, 77, British guitarist (Hawkwind).
First we return to Britain, where a founding guitarist of one of the earliest psychedelic space rock bands has passed away. On March 17, 2023, Mick Slattery of the band Hawkwind died. They were influential in the early 70s and featured members such as Motorhead’s Lemmy Kilmister on bass and Cream’s Ginger Baker on drums. This is their #3 UK hit single, “Silver Machine.”
Hawkwind – Silver Machine
[11 Mar 2023] Costa Titch, 27, South African rapper.
Next up, we have the youngest artist to join the Rest in Playlist at the doomed age of 27, like Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix. Born of a Greek father and a South African mother, at age 19 Costa Titch made his way to Johannesburg in 2014 to become a rapper. In 2020, he released his debut album titled Made In Africa, which earned him 3 nominations to South African Hip Hop Awards 2020. On 11 March 2023, Costa Titch collapsed and died while performing at the Ultra South Africa music festival in Johannesburg. The cause of death is not yet known. Here’s his YouTube hit, “Big Flexa.”
Costa Titch et al – Big Flexa
[13 Mar 2023] Canisso [pt], 57, Brazilian bassist (Raimundos).
Finally, we go back to Brazil for some punk music. Not much is known online about the bass player for the group Raimundos, named simply Canisso, who passed away on March 13, 2023, at age 57. The group’s name is a play on The Ramones, and they kind of sound like the Ramones singing in Portuguese. This is their hit “Mulher de Fases,” which is Portuguese for “Woman of Phases,” from 1999.
Raimundos – Mulher de Fases
Headliner: Fuzzy Haskins
We’ve reached the end of the Rest in Playlist, and it’s time for an encore from this week’s headliner, Fuzzy Haskins, lead singer of Parliament-Funkadelic, with Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof off the Sucker).
Parliament-Funkadelic – Give Up the Funk (Tear the Roof Off the Sucker)
Closing
And that’s the Rest in Playlist for Friday, March 24, 2023, featuring artists who passed the week before. Join us here next week for a tribute to the artists who have passed this week. For Rest in Playlist, I’m “Radical” Russ Belville on KSHD-LP 94.3 FM in Shady Cove, Oregon, reminding you to seize the day, it may be your last.
