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.
Talkin' About My Baby
Curtis Mayfield Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With her pretty smile, yeah yeah
She's 'bout to drive me crazy, yeah yeah
Makes my heart beat wild
So everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
I want to talk about my baby, yeah yeah
She does the walk real nice, yeah yeah
There's no questions about maybe
For her I'd make any sacrifice
So everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah
And when she walks that walk
I can't help but feel that she's for real
And when she talks that talk
I can't quite explain just how I feel
Talking about my baby
I want to talk about my baby, yeah yeah
To me she's everything, yeah yeah
She might fuss and called you lazy
But to her I'm still the king
So everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Yeah yeah, yeah yeah
Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions's song Talking About My Baby is a love song about a man's infatuation with his girlfriend or wife. The lyrics discuss the woman's physical appearance and the way she makes him feel. The singer cannot help but talk about her and how she drives him crazy with her pretty smile, walk, and talk. He feels that she is the real deal and describes her as everything to him. The woman may occasionally fuss, but to the singer, she is still his queen.
The repetition of "yeah yeah" and "everybody say" in the chorus creates a catchy and upbeat melody. The lyrics evoke a feeling of happiness and excitement, which reflects the singer's love for his partner. The singer describes his deep affection for his partner, which is further emphasized through the song's melody and repetition. The song is a celebration of love, which is conveyed through catchy rhythms and relatable lyrics.
Overall, Talking About My Baby is a lighthearted and upbeat love song that celebrates the beauty of a relationship. The catchy melody and relatable lyrics make it easy for listeners to sing along and enjoy.
Line by Line Meaning
I want to talk about my baby, yeah yeah
I want to express my love and admiration for my girlfriend
With her pretty smile, yeah yeah
She has a beautiful smile that I adore
She's 'bout to drive me crazy, yeah yeah
Her amazing qualities make me feel overwhelmed with strong emotions
Makes my heart beat wild
Her presence and actions impact me deeply and stir my heart with passion
So everybody say, yeah, yeah yeah
Let's all acknowledge and celebrate this joy I feel about my significant other
She does the walk real nice, yeah yeah
She has a confident and charming way of walking that catches my attention
There's no questions about maybe
I have no doubts about my feelings for her, it's clear
For her I'd make any sacrifice
I'm willing to do anything for her because of how much she means to me
And when she walks that walk
Her walk is so captivating that it affects me deeply
I can't help but feel that she's for real
She feels genuine and authentic to me
And when she talks that talk
Her words have a strong impact on me and I feel their meaning deeply
I can't quite explain just how I feel
Her effect on me is so profound that it's hard to put into words
To me she's everything, yeah yeah
My girlfriend is incredibly important to me and I cherish her deeply
She might fuss and called you lazy
Although she might criticize me, I still feel loved and valued by her
But to her I'm still the king
She still respects me deeply and treats me like royalty despite our occasional disagreements
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CURTIS MAYFIELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@justinquaylepate1358
I cried when Curtis Mayfield died! The first time I heard this song was when I was 3 in 1981
@williamg2552
The IMPRESSIONS- 1991 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees!!
@raymondmalcuit8361
This Song Went To Number 12 On The Billboard Hot 100 Chart In 1964.
@mahevavivien292
I'm 14 years old but I listen to this since I'm like 2 years old and I have only one thing to say. THIS SONG IS A MASTERPIECE ❤
@plasteredbastard
Curtis had a way of reaching the heart in ways so few artists were able to. Listening to his work makes you appreciate his gift all the more.
@sopranoaliciairigoyenpons4661
My boyfriend Frank is showing me all this great songs. Such a nice music, never dies.
@batman-telephoneman5479
Frank? Frank Rizzo? You know that prick kicked my dog upside down one day and then fired clam chowder down all over the sidewalk outside my apartment? I think that guy has a drinking problem.
@deborahmccoy3837
That electric guitar at the beginning of this cut is too.......cold, matter of fact all through the song.
@michaelhackett8800
Curtis Mayfield was a class act wrote for loads of soloists and groups and of course the impressions. Rip Soul brother.
@nathanielrossi9659
Man that guitar in the very beginning is so groovy man.