Thread by @naima

Alright ya’ll... #MusicSermon time ⛪️.
Please prepare your hearts, minds and ears.

So some of ya’ll been in my mentions since I started these asking for a Black Movie Soundtrack thread like...

And I agreed it was worthy, but needed to figure out how to approach it. Cause you know we don’t just throw songs out, there’s a MESSAGE!

Also it’s a HUGE span of music to pare down. HUUUUGE.

Ya’ll also know the primary point of #MusicSermons is to remind (or inform) @ some of the CORE tenants of our music.

So with that in mind, we’re approaching this a different way. Not just talking about Soundtracks (although we will)...

Today church, please get ready to stay on your feet in praise, because we’re talking about Black Movie Music Moments

So here’s the rules for tonight. As usual, we are only B2K (before 2000), because I have to draw a line somewhere in terms of content.

Like I said before, this is a BROAD category, so I made choices based on 1. Overall cultural & musical influence
2. Popularity or accolades

3. The ability to find a quality reference..

and 4. My own personal bias. (Sorry, not sorry)

So if you feel like something’s missing, it’s just missing. (See above gif)

I know there were really excellent soundtracks in the early 2000’s, but we’ll be here all night.

I can’t dive straight into the Golden Era of Black Soundtracks w/o acknowledging great music in movies of decades past. So let’s take a min.

Starting with Isaac Hayes and that Bad Motha(shut your mouth). That’s right I’m talking ‘bout Shaft (71)

Written/Composed by Hayes & recorded by the Stax band, it was the first R&B double album (of original music), #1 on the Billboard Top 200...

...and it earned Hayes the first non-acting Academy Award for an African American when The From Shaft won Best Original Song (also, his tux)

While we’re on Great Blaxploitation Scores street, we gotta talk about Curtis Mayfield & Superfly

The Superfly soundtrack outgrossed the damn movie. Considered one of the first “soul concept” albums, addressing drugs, poverty & violence.

Next, a cpl of classic films that inspired 90’s song covers which also became classics, starting with Cooley High & GC Cameron’s original...

And one of my faves, young Irene Cara as Sparkle (76). Phillip Michael Thomas turned this little church girl out! En Vogue did this justice.

Let’s talk about The Wiz (78) for just a quick minute, because Motown, and because Berry Gordy, and because Michael...

... and because I need you Luther haters to know he wrote “Brand New Day”
(No, we’re not gonna talk @ “Home”)

And because this week was the film’s 35th anniversary, gotta talk about Uncle Rush’s kinda sorta Def Jam biopic, Krush Groove.

And I just had to post 17 year old LL Cool J auditioning for Dre Harrell (Jeckyll & Hyde), Blair Underwood as Russ, Rick Rubin, & Run DMC.

We need to now turn to the Book of Spike Lee for a minute, bc Spike takes the scoring & soundtrack of his films seriously.

Ya’ll bear with me. Some of my posts are dissappearing into the ether. Not even going to drafts. Sorry!

“School Daze” (88) gave us mad gems. And Tisha Campbell gotta be one of the most consistently working Black actresses of all time.

God bless Spike, EU, &the School Daze soundtrack for the clarion call to get your ass on the floor. We all know what that drum intro means.

Do the Right Thing (89) might have one of the best opening credits of all time. Nobody dances as hard as Rosie Perez. In the world.

Not gonna get too deep w/ Spike bc just getting started & bc his soundtracks aren’t always original music, but have to shout out Mo Betta.

Let’s talk Musical Movies for a second. Now, we ain’t right, bc when Robert Townsend released The 5 Heartbeats in theaters, it flopped.

But the movie is now such a Black classic, folks think it’s a biopic! The Dells & After 7 on vocals. Leon on all things Leon.

I LOVE THIS DAMN MOVIE.
Also, if you’ve never acted out this scene (or used it to reference Bobby Brown), we ain’t the same.

Also, Leon Robinson had a RUN for a minute in the 90’s. That could be a thread in itself... Hmmm...
Moving on...

And a musical movie that IS a biopic. That know line for line, note for note, and step for step. C’mon Anna Mae...

Angela and Lawrence BECAME Ike and Tina. To the point I’d see the real Ike and be like “That ain’t no Ike Turner”.

I just have to throw in an actual Ike & Tina peformance, bc not all of you have seen one. No wonder Angela & Larry were both Oscar nominated

Confession: I don’t think I’ve ever seen The Preacher’s Wife in full. But I had the music. There will of course be more Whitney to come.

And while we at church...
I’ve also never watched this movie in full (I wa in college, I just didn’t care) but I know #yall love this part.

This is kinda a stand out, but necessary. RIFF really went to Joe Clarke’s HS & one of them really got in trouble over the school song.

Now we need to talk about music in what I consider the two movies that maybe most influenced Black lexicon ever. Make way...

Side note - Ya'll gotta let me get through these things before you start asking me where SUPER OBVIOUS stuff is. You know they take hours.

If you haven't seen a benediction, the thread ain't over.

“Coming to America” is amazing because all the music-related moments are straight foolishness, and yet...

When I say CTA influenced Black lexicon, how often do you quote this film? How often have you stomped your foot & yelled “Sexual Choc’late!

Ya’ll know you were woppin’ it out listening to Peaches...

And Soul Glo was the greatest fake jingle ever because it was sooooo much like actual curl activator commercials 😂

The other movie I believe most influenced current Black lexicon? The Color Purple. Let’s talk about the music. “Sistaaaaaa...”

And there ain’t a one of us in the number (I’d be surprised) who aren’t familiar with this spiritual thanks to Suge. *Waves church fan*

Ok, ok... Let’s get to the Soundtracks.

Before we run down the Golden Era joints, there are four soundtracks that stand alone. We must give them reverence.

Starting with his Purpleness, the first artist to have the #1 movie, album and single at the same time.

We’ve all seen/listened to Purple Rain a thousand times right? (Don’t at me and say you haven’t seen this movie)....

I know I said we’re solidly in soundtracks now, but I lied, bc I wanna talk about the unsung parts of Purple Rain, like “Father’s Song”

Part of the “Computer Blue” melody, Prince’s RL dad composed it. It was recently released for the first time on the soundtrack re-issue.

And I also don’t think Morris Day & Jerome get enough credit for keeping this movie light. (The Kid is a downer, sorry.)

Ladies & Gentlemen, The Time

My favorite “Purple Rain” song varies depending on what day you ask me (it’s never ever the title track, though). Tonight, it’s this...

Next up in the stand alone category, Rachel Marron & her Bodyguard.

The Bodyguard is, @ least until recently, the best selling soundtrack of all time. And this cover of Dolly Parton’s song spent 14 wk’s at #1

An interesting factoid: David Foster (producer) thought the idea of Whit singing the first few bars acapella was insane... until he heard it

And because this is about Movie Music MOMENTS, I also have to include this clip. I love this moment. Crazy considering the plot, though.

*Taps mic* Paging Kenny Edmunds. Your joints are up next.