blaxploitation

[17] The Temptations, ‘Papa Was A Rollin’ Stone’

The Temptations

Ninety seconds in, Junior’s getting restless: “When does he start singing?” “Well, are you sure there’s even going to be singing?” I’d already told her the title – which amused her, of course – and if a song’s got a title, particularly an intriguing one like that, there’s going to be singing, isn’t there? Makes no sense otherwise. That’s what her eyes told me. Then in came Dennis Edwards, “It was the 3rd of September…”

So Junior was happy, but even if she had little patience for the extended, cinematic Blaxploitation-style intro, that’s what makes the record stand out. The story’s a good one – “Bad talk going around town…” – but the bassline’s the driver, swaggering in in fancy shoes and making off with all the loot. And that ain’t right.

[20] The Chi-Lites, ‘Have You Seen Her?’

The-Chi-Lites

I wasn’t around for much of 1972, so personal reminiscences will be thin on the ground, but having spent much of the late 70s and early 80s heavily exposed to Radio 2, I could be forgiven for thinking ‘Have You Seen Her?’ is emblematic of the time – a time of smooth, honeyed soul, devoid of fear and soaked in sentimentality. But we’ll be also be hearing the popularisers of the Blaxploitation sound, some whiskey-smoked raggedy rock, a touch of glam(our) and the white side of easy listening.

The Chi-Lites are a great way to kick off, with one of pop’s finer intros and an extended spoken preamble that has Junior pressing her ear to the speaker to pick up the drift. The rest of the time, she and middle sister are dancing with two Iggle Piggles (one acquired as part of a replacement set after Upsy Daisy got run over) and Sulley (from Monsters Inc, a temporary guest won by Junior on her second day of term, for being “the goodest”). It’s a song for waltzing dreamily around the room, with soft toys or not. Its own reminiscences are growing hazy too.