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.
The Salt Of The Earth
Rotary Connection Lyrics
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Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's drink of the lowly of birth
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Spare a part for his wife and his children
Who burn the fires and who still till the earth
And when I look into the this faceless crowd
A swirling mass of gray blue
Black and white
They don't look real to me
In fact, we all look so strange
Raise your glass to the hard working people
Let's drink to the uncounted heads
Let's think of the wavering millions
Who need leading but get gamblers instead
Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
And a parade of the gray suited grafters
A choice of cancer or polio
And when I look into this faceless crowd
A swirling mass of grays and
Black and white
They don't look real to you
Or do we look too strange
Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's think of the lowly of birth
Spare a thought for the rag taggy people
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's drink to the three thousand million
Let's think of the humble of birth
The song "The Salt of the Earth" by Rotary Connection, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, is a tribute to the hardworking and often overlooked people of society. The lyrics encourage listeners to appreciate those who contribute to society but are not always recognized for their efforts, especially the lowly and common people who work tirelessly to provide for their families. These individuals, particularly the foot soldiers and farmers who till the earth, are honored in the song through an invocation to raise a glass in their name.
The lyrics also call attention to the faces in the crowd, who may appear strange or anonymous, but who are nonetheless an important part of society. The song speaks to a society that sometimes forgets its roots, and the importance of recognizing and celebrating the everyday people who make it all happen. The song encourages listeners to spare a thought for those who may be forgotten or ignored, including the stay-at-home voter or the ragtaggy people. The song is a powerful reminder of the value of hard work and the importance of recognizing those who make it possible, even if their contributions may go unnoticed by some.
Line by Line Meaning
Let's drink to the hard working people
Let's raise a glass to those who exert themselves day in and day out
Let's drink of the lowly of birth
Let's toast to those born into poverty and disadvantage
Raise your glass to the good and the evil
Let's salute both the virtuous and the immoral in equal measure
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's honor the common people, the backbone of society
Say a prayer for the common foot soldier
Let's offer a prayer for the soldiers who fight for their country despite all hardships
Spare a thought for his back breaking work
Let's think about the tireless work done by these soldiers
Spare a part for his wife and his children
Let's remember the sacrifices made by their families
Who burn the fires and who still till the earth
Whose strenuous labor keeps the country running smoothly
And when I look into the this faceless crowd
When I gaze at the anonymous mass of people before me
A swirling mass of gray blue
A blur of unidentifiable grey and blue colors
Black and white
With no distinguishing features
They don't look real to me
I find it hard to believe that they are living, breathing individuals
In fact, we all look so strange
Actually, we all seem peculiar and unusual
Let's drink to the uncounted heads
Let's commemorate the multitudes of people whose contributions often go unnoticed
Let's think of the wavering millions
Let's consider those who are unsure of which direction to take in life
Who need leading but get gamblers instead
Who require guidance but receive untrustworthy, unreliable leaders
Spare a thought for the stay-at-home voter
Let's keep in mind the average citizen who cannot directly participate in public affairs
His empty eyes gaze at strange beauty shows
Whose hopeless gaze is fixed on superficial entertainment avenues
And a parade of the gray suited grafters
And a procession of corrupt officials with their grey suits
A choice of cancer or polio
Presented with the dilemma of picking between two equally dire options
Let's think of the lowly of birth
Let's remember those who were born into poor circumstances
Spare a thought for the rag taggy people
Take a moment to think about the disheveled and poorly dressed members of society
Let's drink to the hard working people
Raise a glass for those who put in long hours of hard work
Let's drink to the salt of the earth
Let's celebrate the ordinary folks, the lifeblood of humanity
Let's drink to the three thousand million
Let us toast to the enormous population of the planet
Let's think of the humble of birth
Ponder the predicament of those born into lowly households
Contributed by Leah L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.