Marshall was the director behind a start-up label, Cadet Concept Records, and wanted to focus on music outside of the blues and rock genres, which had made the Chess label popular. This led Marshall to turn his attention to the burgeoning psychedelic movement. He recruited Charles Stepney, a vibraphonist and classically-trained arranger and producer for sonic wizardry. Marshall then recruited members of a little-known white rock band, The Proper Strangers (Bobby Simms, Mitch Aliotta & Ken Venegas). Sidney Barnes, a songwriter within the Chess organization, also joined, as did Judy Hauff and a Chess receptionist named Minnie Riperton, who would later be successful in her own solo career. Marshall also called up prominent session musicians associated with the Chess label, including guitarist Phil Upchurch and drummer Morris Jennings.
The band released their self-titled debut album in late 1967. It plays like a melange of styles, borrowing heavily from pop, rock, and soul, but in a way that isn't entirely radio-friendly. The album also boasts an Eastern influence through its use of the sitar on Turn Me On and Memory Band. Stepney's arrangements, brought to life by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, imbue the album with a certain dreamlike quality; this would become a trademark of both the arranger and the mouthpiece. The album proved to be a modest success within the Midwest, but failed to make an impact nationally -- this was to be the Rotary's ultimate fate.
The band returned in 1968 with a pair of albums, Aladdin and Peace. The former was the group's proper sophomore effort, and it found Riperton assuming a more prominent vocal role than the "background instrument" status she had on the debut. The latter was a Christmas release, with strong pervasive messages of love and understanding for a nation in the grips of Vietnam. The album's cover art of a hippie Santa Claus more than makes its intentions known. Peace is notable for being involved in controversy: an anti-war cartoon in a December 1968 edition of Billboard magazine featured a graphic image of a bruised and bloodied Santa on a Vietnam battlefield. Mistaking this cartoon for the album's cover art, Montgomery Ward cancelled all shipments of the album.
Rotary Connection would release three more albums: Songs, in 1969, a collection of drastic reworkings of other artist's songs, including Otis Redding's Respect and The Band's The Weight and Cream's Sunshine Of Your Love. Dinner Music followed in 1970, in which they added elements of folk and country into the mix along with some electronic experimentation, and; Hey Love in 1971, where the band, oddly credited as the New Rotary Connection, ended its career with a jazz-oriented affair. From this particular album came the uplifting I am the Black Gold of the Sun, which was famously covered in 1997 by underground dance outfit Nuyorican Soul.
After the break-up of the band, Stepney served as a producer and arranger for other artists, most notably the soul outfit Earth, Wind, & Fire. He died in 1976 of a heart attack. Minnie Riperton enjoyed the fruits of a successful solo career until breast cancer ended her life in 1979. Sidney Barnes continues to work a singer and songwriter, and in recent years has gained a following in the U.K.. The other remaining members of the band either attempted other, lower-profile, musical endeavours or divorced themselves entirely of the business. Thanks to reissues of their catalog in the late 1990s and the appropriation of material through sampling within the hip-hop community, Rotary Connection has been formally introduced to a new generation.
Black Gold Of The Sun
Rotary Connection Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Follow the beat across the light
Father of the one
I am the black gold of the sun
I am the black gold of the sun
I am the the dark side of the sun
Shadows that light up the day
Darkness shadow all the way
I am the black gold of the sun
I am the black gold of the sun
I am the tall oak tree
I am the jungle stream
I am the morning sun ha ha ha
Smiling over everyone
I am the shining sea
I am the mountain high
I am a man so free (I am the black gold of the sun)
I am the tall oak tree
I am the jungle stream
I am the morning sun ha ha ha
Smiling over everyone
I am the shining sea
I am the mountain high
I am a man so free (I am the black gold of the sun)
The lyrics to Rotary Connection feat. Minnie Riperton's song I Am The Black Gold Of The Sun are rich with imagery and symbolism. The song speaks to the duality of existence, the contrast between light and dark, and the interconnectedness of all things. The opening lines, "I am the white side of the sun, follow the beat across the light, father of the one" suggest a sense of unity and oneness, almost as if the singer is a guiding force. However, the following lines reveal a different perspective, "I am the black gold of the sun, I am the dark side of the sun, shadows that light up the day, darkness shadow all the way". Here, the singer identifies with the darkness and shadows, yet recognizes that they too serve an important purpose.
Throughout the rest of the song, the singer takes on various forms - a tall oak tree, a jungle stream, the morning sun, the shining sea, and a mountain high. These images evoke a sense of strength, vitality, and freedom. The repeated line, "I am the black gold of the sun" ties these images together and reinforces the idea that the singer is an essential part of the natural world, embodying both light and dark.
The overall message of the song seems to be one of self-acceptance and empowerment. By acknowledging and embracing the full spectrum of their being - the light and the dark - the singer is able to tap into a deeper sense of connection and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the white side of the sun
I embody the brilliance and purity of light
Follow the beat across the light
Let the rhythm guide you and illuminate your path
Father of the one
Creator of all things and beings
I am the black gold of the sun
I am the precious, valuable essence that exists within darkness
I am the dark side of the sun
I hold the mysteries and hidden aspects of light
Shadows that light up the day
I am the contrast that brings clarity and definition to brightness
Darkness shadow all the way
My influence is felt everywhere, even in places of obscurity
I am the tall oak tree
I am the majestic, strong presence of nature
I am the jungle stream
I am the continuous flow of life and vitality
I am the morning sun ha ha ha
I bring joy and laughter to the beginning of each day
Smiling over everyone
I radiate love and warmth to all
I am the shining sea
I am the vast, unexplored depths of the subconscious
I am the mountain high
I represent the pinnacle of achievement and attainment
I am a man so free (I am the black gold of the sun)
I am self-realized and empowered, possessing the richness of darkness and the radiance of light
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Charles Stepney, Jocelyn Brown, Richard J Rudolph
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind