I just figured out the best way to describe Richmond, Virginia is that it is not hell, but it is adjacent to it. It’s hot and that smoky smell that is in the air is not someone having a cook out in the distance, but smog from a huge field fire that had updrafted from North Carolina. But the thing that keeps Richmond becoming hell itself is the fact I can watch The Best of Soul Train on the tv!

Enjoy!

This episode was recorded in a magical time during the early 1980’s where the detritus of 1970’s fashion was being slowly burned away to reveal what would considered to be 1980’s style. But in this episode that refining process was not yet complete and the Soul Train Dancers were wearing the best clothes of both eras while dancing to “SOS” by the SOS Band, “Let Me Talk” by Earth Wind And Fire, “Celebration” by Kool and The Gang and some Michael McDonald song  that was sung by Aretha Franklin. (I didn’t catch the title of the song, but I think it was originally recorded by the Doobie Brothers)

Soul Train Scramble Board: John Jefferson! I suppose he was some sports guy back in the day, but the Soul Train Dancers grooved it on down to “In The Dance” by Donna Summer.

This Weeks Musical Guests:

Yellow Magic Orchestra!  This band has languished in obscurity for the past 20 years until recently when all the hipster music press magazines and local hipster record shop employees have deemed this Japanese group to be the innovators of early electronic music, and now, they are referenced all the time in record reviews whenever the reviewer wants to show off that he has a bigger, hipper record collection than you. But… they were on Soul Train first!

 They really brought the house down with their fusion of punk/new wave/ soul/ R&B/ disco and electronic music. If you never heard Yellow Magic Orchestra, then you’d know that it’s difficult to classify their sound. Their first song was called “Tighten Up” and their second song was an instrumental that sounded like the music you hear at every Chinese restaurant crossed with a disco back beat and the theme to the video game, Mortal Kombat. (Even though Mortal Kombat did not come out till 12 years after this episode was aired.) Also I noticed that everybody in the group had a microphone, but none of them sang into them.

Lenny Williams! The ex Tower Of Power vocalist displayed his chops on a version of “Ohh, Child” ( things will get easier) and an original song called “Messing With My Mind.” After listening to him perform, it stuns me that his career never really took off. What a shame, because he sure could belt them out like a champ.

The Soul Train Line: The song sounded like a Michael Jackson song, but the chorus went “You Are My Lover Boy.”  But that can’t be right. But it would be funny if it were…

The Don Cornelius Interview gaff of the week: Don did well despite the language barrier this episode, but Lenny Williams was able to somehow pull the interview off because he’s “a singer’s singer.”

Before I sign off, I did paid attention this week and noticed that the “R” in the neon Soul Train logo over the set was crooked. So I wasn’t going insane last week when I first noticed it. ( Yes, I’m not insane, I hate to disappoint all my critics like that.) As always, in parting, Don Cornelius, the Soul Train Dancers and I would like to wish you with love, peace and SOUL!

jareddriskill