Rufus and Chaka, 1979

The Soul Closet closes for the week with this 1979 jam from Rufus & Chaka, "Do You Love What You Feel?" Why, yeah, I do. Especially when I see Chaka in those thigh-high boots.

Starpoint

Renee Diggs--and the way she pranced and jiggled her way through this video, to be more precise--made me late for class when I was in college back in 1987. What class was it? I don't know. What grade did I get in the class? Couldn't tell you. But I do remember the video...

Watching it now, it's worth noting how much mass-produced R&B has changed since "He Wants My Body" was released. Diggs fronted the band Starpoint, which had a pretty good run in the mid-1980s. But you hardly ever see a female-fronted R&B act like that today. In fact, the self-contained R&B group--once a staple of the genre--has all but disappeared from the airwaves. What I also like: Diggs wasn't a teenybopper. At 33 when this video was made, her performance carried the authority of that of a grown woman.

The "He Wants My Body" video represents Starpoint at its brief apex. Diggs was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a short time later, and by 1990, the group had broken up. Ernesto Phillips, who slides across the floor on his knees during the guitar solo in the video, died in 2004. Diggs died from complications of MS in 2005.

...and Lou Rawls with the Weather

I could tell you how cold it is in Chicago today. But let's let Brother Lou break it down instead. His monologue here at the beginning of the supremely funky "Dead End Street" tells you all you need to know.

Othello. Set to Jazz

Well, this might not be as funky as the Soul Train dancers I posted a few days ago, but bear with me. Reports today of the death of actor Patrick McGoohan got me to thinking about a seldom-seen 1962 movie in which he co-starred. The film, "All Night Long" is the story of Othello set to jazz and takes place in a single night in a modern loft. The movie stars Paul Harris as the Othello-like jazzman Aurelius Rex. McGoohan is Rex's scheming drummer Johnny Cousin. The music is superb and all sort of jazz giants make apperances here, including Charlie Mingus and Dave Brubeck. McGoohan gets off a very good drum solo. It's worth checking out.

Raydio!

Today we present a well-done cover from Raydio's 1979 album Rock On. Ray is still in the game. And you can hear this album's biggest hit "Jack n Jill" here on Last FM.

Who Said Black Folks Can't Swim?

Today, we dig d-e-e-p into the Soul Closet for this almost surreal item: a 1964-ish TV performance by Bobby Freeman, then 24, singing "C'mon On Swim." We dig Bobby, but the go-go dancers "swimming" across the floor at the end...why, that's just priceless.

"Free as a Breeze"

This 1970 ad depicts a day in the life of a beautiful, young redbone sister. She doffed her hat, drove a dune buggy, rode a bike, flew a kite and chilled on the beach in a funky hooded outfit. And then the toxic shock set in.

Soul You Can Drink To

The Soul Closet opens this week with a question: I wonder if the people at Dewar's White Label still do these clever magazine ads? I haven't seen one in a very long while. They'd pick an interesting person and do a quick profile, asking what books they read, their latest accomplishment and their favorite scotch. The favorite scotch was always Dewar's White label. An effective but subtle way to establish a brand. The 1970 ad above features a very fine 25-year-old fashion designer Ola Hudson--dig the earrings, y'all. She's also the mother of Slash, the guitarist from Guns n Roses and Velvet Revolver.

This 1968 ad features the gifted and distinguished Chicago sculptor Richard Hunt:


And this gorgeous Sister here is literary editor Carole Henderson in 1969:

She's Carole Henderson Tyson now. And is still on the scene.

Jermaine Stewart

Here's an old school song that you don't hear anymore: Jermaine Stewart's "The Word is Out," from 1984. Looking at the video and listening to the lyrics now, it seems rather clear to me that despite what images portray, Jermaine ain't really singing about no girl.

Nevertheless, Jermaine was a talented performer who released four albums in his relatively short recording career between 1984 and 1989 and even briefly appeared in an episode of "Miami Vice." He died in 1997 at age 39.

Soul Train

The Soul Closet concludes the week with a dose of Soul Train from 1974. My favorite part: The couple at :48.

Love, Peace and Soul.

Big Apple (Hat) and the San Remo Groove

A 1971 ad from Ebony Magazine. We remember when Rudy from the "Fat Albert" cartoon used to rock the knit Kangol on the left. But for my money, the coolest thing is the coat on the right. Whatever the San Remo Groove was, if it allows me to stand like that with my loosely-tied ascot blowing in the wind, then doggone it I WANT it. And I can get it, too. At all the hip stores, baby. For $95.00

Soul Hottie: Annazette Chase

I was watching Isaac Hayes' 1974 classic, "Truck Turner" recently--probably for the third or fourth time over the last 15 years--when I noticed something that should have been obvious from the first viewing: his movie woman, Annazette Chase not only can act, but is hot as all get out in a laid-back and sexy kind of way.

Yes, yes, she plays a shoplifter. But she plays it so well. As keeper of the Soul Closet, I was intrigued. What other work did she do? Where is she now?

The valuable Internet Movie Database has her appearing in 27 different features between 1966 and 1984. The bulk of her work in the late 1960s to mid-1970s with appearances in TV shows "Sanford & Son," "Harry O," "Dragnet '67," "The Green Hornet"--even a 1974 "The Rockford Files" episode that featured Isaac Hayes. (They made two or three "RF" eps with Isaac Hayes playing the memorable Gandolph Fitch).

Chase was China Doll in the film "The Mack" and played Belinda Ali in the Muhammad Ali biopic "The Greatest." Her tv and film career seems to have slacked off after then. Her last appearance was in a 1984 episode of Benson.

I don't know where she is now, though. But I'll continue the hunt. Meanwhile, click on the video above and enjoy. (If only I could do as well with a six pack of beer.)

Freddie Hubbard