Mayfield is probably best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions and for the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Superfly.
Perhaps because he didn't cross over to the pop audience as heavily as Motown's stars, it may be that the scope of Curtis Mayfield's talents and contributions have yet to be fully recognized. Judged merely by his records alone, the man's legacy is enormous. As the leader of the Impressions, he recorded some of the finest soul vocal group music of the 1960s. As a solo artist in the 1970s, he helped pioneer funk and helped introduce hard-hitting urban commentary into soul music. "Gypsy Woman," "It's All Right," "People Get Ready," "Freddie's Dead," and "Superfly" are merely the most famous of his many hit records.
But Curtis Mayfield wasn't just a singer. Born in in Chicago, IL, he wrote most of his material at a time when that was not the norm for soul performers. He was among the first -- if not the very first -- to speak openly about African-American pride and community struggle in his compositions. As a songwriter and a producer, he was a key architect of Chicago Soul, penning material and working on sessions by notable Windy City soulsters like Gene Chandler, Jerry Butler, Major Lance, and Billy Butler. In this sense, he can be compared to Smokey Robinson, who also managed to find time to write and produce many classics for other soul stars. Mayfield was also an excellent guitarist, and his rolling, Latin-influenced lines were highlights of the Impressions' recordings in the '60s. During the next decade, he would toughen up his guitar work and production, incorporating some of the best features of psychedelic rock and funk.
Mayfield began his career as an associate of Jerry Butler, with whom he formed the Impressions in the late '50s. After the Impressions had a big hit in 1958 with "For Your Precious Love," Butler, who had sung lead on the record, split to start a solo career. Mayfield, while keeping the Impressions together, continued to write for and tour with Butler before the Impressions got their first Top 20 hit in 1961, "Gypsy Woman."
Mayfield was heavily steeped in gospel music before he entered the pop arena, and gospel, as well as doo wop, influences would figure prominently in most of his '60s work. Mayfield wasn't a staunch traditionalist, however. He and the Impressions may have often worked the call-and-response gospel style, but his songs (romantic and otherwise) were often veiled or unveiled messages of black pride, reflecting the increased confidence and self-determination of the African-American community. Musically he was an innovator as well, using arrangements that employed the punchy, blaring horns and Latin-influenced rhythms that came to be trademark flourishes of Chicago soul. As the staff producer for the OKeh label, Mayfield was also instrumental in lending his talents to the work of other Chi-town soul singers who went on to national success. With Mayfield singing lead and playing guitar, the Impressions had 14 Top 40 hits in the 1960s (five made the Top 20 in 1964 alone), and released some above-average albums during that period as well.
Given Mayfield's prodigious talents, it was perhaps inevitable that he would eventually leave the Impressions to begin a solo career, as he did in 1970. His first few singles boasted a harder, more funk-driven sound; singles like "(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Gonna Go" found him confronting ghetto life with a realism that had rarely been heard on record. He really didn't hit his artistic or commercial stride as a solo artist, though, until Superfly, his soundtrack to a 1972 blaxploitation film. Drug deals, ghetto shootings, the death of young black men before their time: all were described in penetrating detail. Yet Mayfield's irrepressible falsetto vocals, uplifting melodies, and fabulous funk pop arrangements gave the oft-moralizing material a graceful strength that few others could have achieved. For all the glory of his past work, Superfly stands as his crowning achievement, not to mention a much-needed counterpoint to the sensationalistic portrayals of the film itself.
At this point Mayfield, along with Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye, was the foremost exponent of a new level of compelling auteurism in soul. His failure to maintain the standards of Superfly qualifies as one of the great disappointments in the history of black popular music. Perhaps he'd simply reached his peak after a long climb, but the rest of his '70s work didn't match the musical brilliance and lyrical subtleties of Superfly, although he had a few large R&B hits in a much more conventional vein, such as "Kung Fu," "So in Love," and "Only You Babe."
Mayfield had a couple of hits in the early '80s, but the decade generally found his commercial fortunes in a steady downward spiral, despite some intermittent albums.
On August 14, 1990, he became paralyzed from the neck down when a lighting rig fell on top of him at a concert in Brooklyn, NY. In 1993, three years after the accident which caused Mayfield's paralysis, Shanachie records released the album People Get Ready: A Tribute to Curtis Mayfield featuring a.o. Jerry Butler, Don Covay and Steve Cropper.
Mayfield received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1995.
Curtis Mayfield died December 26, 1999 at the North Fulton Regional Hospital in Roswell, Georgia.
Super People
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the people are crying
The super people come along
[Chorus: x2]
Super people did what they did
We need to help them become better
When you go to sleep you cry
And cry the super people will be there
[Chorus: x2]
Super people help the world
Super people help us please
Oh, oh, oh super people yeah
In the song "Super People" by Curtis Mayfield, the lyrics paint a picture of a world in distress, where lights are closing and people are crying. In the midst of this chaos, a sense of hope emerges as the "super people" make their entrance. These super people are depicted as saviors or heroes who have the ability to bring light into the darkness, comfort to the crying, and offer a sense of security to those in need. The repetition of the phrase "super people come along" emphasizes their timely intervention and perhaps their almost supernatural presence in times of trouble.
The chorus of the song highlights the actions of these super people, suggesting that they have already done great deeds that warrant recognition and support. The plea to help them become better implies that even these remarkable individuals may require assistance or encouragement to continue their mission of helping others. This could be seen as a call to action for the listener to not only appreciate the efforts of these super people but also to contribute to their cause in whatever way possible.
The lyrics describe the super people as "nice and brave," emphasizing not only their kindness but also their courage in the face of adversity. The suggestion that one may cry when going to sleep, but that the super people will be there to provide comfort, reinforces the idea that they are there to offer solace and support during difficult times. This imagery creates a sense of reassurance and protection, as if the super people are guardians watching over and caring for those in need of help.
Overall, the song "Super People" conveys a message of gratitude and admiration for those individuals who selflessly dedicate themselves to making the world a better place. By portraying these super people as symbols of hope, kindness, and bravery, the lyrics inspire listeners to appreciate the acts of compassion around them and to strive to emulate such qualities in their own lives. The repeated calls for help and the assertion that the super people are there to assist and serve further underscore the importance of unity and support in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
When the lights are closing
As darkness falls and life becomes uncertain
And the people are crying
During times of distress and sadness
The super people come along
Those exceptional individuals step forward
Super people did what they did
Extraordinary individuals acted as they were meant to
We need to help them become better
It is our duty to support and improve upon their efforts
The super people are nice and brave
Kind-hearted and courageous, these exceptional individuals stand out
When you go to sleep you cry
During moments of vulnerability and solitude, tears may flow
And cry the super people will be there
In the midst of sorrow, these remarkable individuals will offer their support
Super people help the world
Exceptional individuals contribute positively to society at large
Super people help us please
These extraordinary individuals offer assistance and support when needed
Oh, oh, oh super people yeah
Expressing admiration and gratitude towards these exceptional individuals
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GERALD DICKERSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cathy McIvor
Most of Curtis' music had a message to the people.I loved this about him.
RAMLIA1
I love it!! So good ♥
Ian
dancers in cages, war, discredited presidents..what more does a girl need !!
LOL
R k
thanks for that piece , I reallly love it, so actual.
Ian
...in a landmark musical year, Curtis released the classic album 'There's No Place Like America Today' & produced the equally powerful Notations classic 1975 peace anthem "Super People" - continuing his falsetto style of musical & christian message. A somewhat disturbing archive window of the US accompanies.
Politically stateside, by the time Richard Nixon appeared at the watergate grand jury on June 23 and 24th, he had, by virtue of his pardon by Gerald R. Ford, immunity from any crimes he had committed,
RAMLIA1
Great!!
kotsiktok
super good ! :)
Павчел ПохвальНО
Good sound
oxana malaya
666, nice... :/
Ian
god made everyone a part of this land..