Team Gray!

I wrote a post a few days ago about my good friends. This put a little tune in my mind, and I thought, how cute it would be to put a link to that song on the post.

This started a frustrating research train.

The song is an apparently obscure George Clinton song from 1989. Upon searching, I found that the song, Why should I dog U out? was on a CD called The Cinderella Theory. The Cinderella Theory was the first George Clinton album recorded on the Paisley Park label.

A little background for those not completely immersed in the world of funk, ( I never understood what the p stood for in p funk), Paisley Park was Prince’s vanity label under Warner Brothers in the late 80s early 90s.

I remember seeing a video for Why Should I Dog U Out? in the late 80s, and it was just a splash of white and flourescent colors. There were quite a few famous people in the video, including MC Hammer. I liked the song for the same reason I like most George Clinton songs; the harmonies are unique, and the rhythms are bouncy.

So, anyway, I came to the conclusion that Prince or Warner Brothers, or whoever, is not releasing any singles from the George Clinton Paisley Park projects on itunes, or whatever. I can find plenty of Parliament, Funkadelic type stuff, and even some tunes from the 80s, like Atomic Dog, but not what I’m looking for.

I also found out that if George Clinton had his way, anybody could get their hands on any of his music to sample it and make something new—easily.

This is of interest to me, because, I have been fascinated with little snatches of tunes and sounds for as long as I can remember. Growing up in the 80s, I thought all the little electronic music sounds (synthesizers, electric bass, etc.) were amazing.

Becoming a classical musician is not exactly the direct route to getting to play around with electronic instruments, and in my super roundabout way, I found myself in an electronic music studio during my Masters Degree program at WMU. The first thing I tried to do was copy some of the cool sounds I had heard in high school and college. I tried to sing the little hook from Genius of Love in one key, and then tried to play harmony with my own voice on the keyboard. It didn’t work, because if you sample something at one pitch, any other pitch you play will be at a different tempo. (this means, if you play a lower pitch, it will be slower, and if you play it high, it will be faster). I kept the sample of my voice and used it in some music I put together later.

Next, I sampled music off an actual record. (I never sold this music, so I don’t think I’ll run into any legal problems). I sampled aquaboogie, and one nation under a groove. The piece of music I made with all these samples is not something you’d dance to. It is some weird art piece, called conscious stream. I layered my voice singing ‘I’m in heaven’ on top of one nation at one point.

I had to smuggle Curtis into the lab to get clean samples. I ended up running out of tape–which was a blessing, as it cut my way too long weird dream short. I had all kinds of ideas about music videos, etc., but alas, I never managed to materialize anything.

I stayed away from sampling on my next two electronic pieces that I did for school, but I got my own sampling keyboard at home, and tried again.

I think I know why music producers spend so much time in the studio. It’s hard work! I have yet to produce something funky that anyone outside my head would find of value. I have found myself riffing off myself time and time again, and Curtis just shakes his head, and Yanni tsks and walks away. Xay and the little kids are like, ‘yeah, Mommy, we’re your biggest fans!’

I have more than once thought I just wasn’t cut out for this stuff.

But, then, there was that collaboration with our old music minister. That was a good song. Funny thing about that; I had just blogged about that, and I saw Charles Laster, our former music minister at the Black Arts Festival. He asked me if I was still writing. He said that was a great song. Maybe it’s more than just me. Maybe I should just keep plugging away.

I think I heard that George Clinton got started in the 50s, and didn’t make any hits until the 70s. His biggest all-time hit never went higher than the 100s on the pop chart. Yet, he’s the most sampled man in America.

I guess that’s some perspective.

Joyous and Esteban were ejected from my office for singing this cryptic song:

Soy a see you dan DA DA DA DA, etc.

They stopped, but resumed it in the car on the way home from Grampy’s house.

SOY A SEE YOU DA DA DA DA DA; SOY A SEE YOU DA DA DA DA, etc.

I’m like, ‘What song is that?’ Mani told me, “It’s number 6 from that CD!”

Being a mindreader mommy, I knew she was talking about the dance party CD.

“What’s number 6 on that party CD, Yanni?” “Oh, it’s I Wanna see you dance DANCE DANCE DANCE DANCE!” Yanni suddenly remembers. “The bad diction is courtesy of Esteban.”

I must say, I am overwhelmed.

Yesterday, Annette and Lisa threw me a surprise baby shower.  I was completely surprised, and completely taken aback.  And so honored.

After these many children, you think people wouldn’t care anymore to celebrate with you.

I was wrong.  Curtis wanted to go shopping with his lady.  He took me out, this week as he had a couple weeks ago, to buy grass seed, and lawn chemicals.  To go shopping with Curtis is to hit several stores, so we were really gone for about two hours.

I was starving when we got home, since we left at lunch time.  We saw Christie’s car in the driveway when we rode up.  I walked in the house, looking for Christie.  I saw carrots on the dining room table.  Good.  I was hungry.  Then, I heard, ‘surprise!’ And I saw all these women jumping out to surprise me!

I was surprised to see Tammi Martin.  She and her family are going to Wisconsin for two weeks today.  And Redice was here.  And Abigail.  And Barbie.  Miriam was here. Annette and Lisa were snapping pictures.  I felt so blissfully out of control.  I didn’t have to run around, taking pictures, trying to make everything just right.  I just got to sit down.  Christie was here, too.

We played fun shower games–guess the baby food.  Tammi won that.  Then anagrams of names you can make with Curtis and my full names.  I won that–by 1.  Miriam was close. . . Sherese had arrived in time for that one.  Then we played a cool game where you feel a stapled brown paper bag to guess the baby item inside. Miriam won that one.

I opened presents.  I was embarassed by all the blessing.  I think I better pour my heart out in the thank you notes before baby, or I may never get to it. Christie had to leave for work after anagrams.  I was grateful she’d come.

Earlene and Joy came during the gifts.  Tracie came after that–she had a class.

I remember a time when I didn’t have any friends.

I seem to have a knack–a gift, for making friends with people who move away.  P. and I were good friends in college.  She graduated the semester before I did, and moved away.  We haven’t lived in the same city since 1988.  She was my maid of honor, and we had kept in touch until about 5 years ago.  I called her when Mommy died, and we were back on.  She lives in St. Croix, but came to visit the other day.  Her parents still live in Ann Arbor.

Carol was my first friend I’d made as an adult. We made a concerted effort to get together regularly for a couple of years.  We always invited our children to each others’ birthday parties.  She moved soon after Imani was born.  We keep in touch, and she came to visit from North Carolina a few years ago.

I had put off getting to know Patricia better until she was ready to move. I regret the lost time.  She was a wonderful rock for me when Mommy died.  She even made a special visit and gave me her latest book of poetry, Becoming Ebony.

I talked to Keisha yesterday.  She’s another friend that moved away. I think she would have come to the shower if she’d known about it.  When you do a surprise shower, you depend on your family and friends to know all about each other; sometimes that doesn’t pan out.  I’ll bet P. would have come, too. . .

Candace is another friend that is about to move.  We’ve known each other since high school, and her family in Kalamazoo is huge.  She’s ecstatic about teaching in the DC area, and I’m excited for her.  She promises to summer in K-zoo, so we’ll see where that leads.

I am very grateful to add actual friends in town that I can see often to the list of friends I miss.

Again, God answered prayers of my heart–for something I didn’t even know I wanted.