How many people here, heard or know of Gil-Scott Heron?

[BackDoorMan]

Polictical and sincere...an ex member of the "Last Poets"
And as in your face to the fascist machine as there ever was...as well as a heart for social issues and the ones that are hurting and have no voice, especially when there's (as there almost always is) a republican admisistration... eight years of Ike, Nixon-Ford, Reagan, four years of Bush # 1 and at least four (and maybe eight years) of the current republican pig...or as Mike Malloy said "Too stupid to be a dog catcher."

[chimpymustgo]

1. "In the Bottle" "Your Daddy Loves You" - I might have to take off the

Christmas carols.

[latebloomer]

2. "The Revolution will Not Be Televised!"

Brilliant poet and performer. I saw him perform once, in the mid-80s-- he seemed to be pretty inebriated-- I wonder how he's doing now.

[chimpymustgo]

6. I saw him too. Late 80's. Came out on stage. Sat down at the piano.

Started a song. Got up. Never came back.

High as a kite.
Damn shame.

[zulchzulu]

3. It's a Re-Ron, the Revolution Will Not Be Televised....

He's great in concert when he tours. I've seen him a couple of times.

[BackDoorMan]

4. He had a hot, not political song, I love..."Seventeenth Street"

[MrBenchley]

5. What's the word?

Johannesburg!

[letthewindblow]

7. Revolution Will Not Be Televised

is a classic. There's also a decent house version, I think from 2002.
I like "Home is where the hatred is" too.

Funny, I was listening to Revolution Will Not Be Televised" the other day. It would be a great slogan for Kucinich.

[Whitacre D_WI]

8. His second album, "Pieces of a Man"

Is on my Official Top 20 Records of all Time (TM) list.

[maxanne]

9. Gil Scott Heron

is amazing. Remember his description of Gerry Ford: "Oatmeal Man?"

Winter in America - thank you brother Gil.

[Kat45]

10. I remember when "Johannesburg" was out, I think it was when

I was in college, or shortly thereafter, because I remember one guy who loved that song and played it all the time.

[seventhson]

11. I don't think he was in the last poets ever.

But if you have alink I' review it.

He dayed a girl from my high school.

He did have a major cocaine problem in the 80's and 90's and I think even did some time (although I am not sure abnout that - but I believe he got busted).

I used both his "Winter in America" (which I highly recommend) and "Delta Man (where I'm comin' from)" as well as "We almost lost detroit" about the nuke plant there almost melting down -- as a staple and theme in a radio program I did for years.

Watergate Blues is one ofhe best political blues pieces ever written EVER.

"Whitey on the Moon" is a classic too ut why we can send a man to the moon but can't feed our people on the earth)

I saw him once at Toad's Place in New Haven and he seemed pretty high, but he performed fine enough and his band was always stellar.

Anyone who is unfamiliar with him needs to get their hands on everything he ever did, but espcially Winter in America and Watergate Blues and Delata Man and "we almost Lost Detroit"

He also performed at the NYC No Nukes concert @1980 and is on that album made from the soundtrack.

I saw the Last Poets perform in 1970 and as far as I know he was never a part of them - he was on his own at that time too -- but I could stand to be corrected.

[Red_Storm]

12. Big Fan !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...........

btw, there's an excellent article on him in the latest issue of MOJO magazine......he's almost finished writing his autobiography and he's working on a new album as well.........he's had alot of ups and downs in his life but the man is a true inspiration...........

[seventhson]

14. THAT is GREAT news

I hope he gets it sone in time for the next election cycle

[Red_Storm]

15. no doubt..........

no word yet on a release date but just knowing that he's writing again is very exciting........

[seventhson]

13. The Last Poets -- another exceptional band you must know about

here is a link to their history. I could find no association between them and Scott-Heron -- (except some erroneous posts on record sites that say he was associated with them and no sources, though. I would not be surprised if they perfomred on the same bill and even together but there is no disk that has them recording together that I have been able to find)

The Last Poets were unfuckingbelievable. As a "white boy" with a "black girl" date and an almost all "Black" audience when I saw them in 1970 I can tell you it was one hell of an experience.

http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/bio/0,,456768,00.html?artist=The+Last+Poets

In this bio they earned a high place on Nixon's cointelpro "watch list" as I'm sure Scott-Heron did. Often such folks attract provocateurs who feed them drugs and this might explain Gil's problem.

But maybe not.

[OneBlueSky]

16. "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"

by Gil Scott-Heron

You will not be able to stay home, brother.
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be brought to you by the
Schaefer Award Theatre and will not star Natalie
Woods and Steve McQueen or Bullwinkle and Julia.
The revolution will not give your mouth sex appeal.
The revolution will not get rid of the nubs.
The revolution will not make you look five pounds
thinner, because the revolution will not be televised, Brother.

There will be no pictures of you and Willie May
pushing that shopping cart down the block on the dead run,
or trying to slide that color television into a stolen ambulance.
NBC will not be able predict the winner at 8:32
or report from 29 districts.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down
brothers in the instant replay.
There will be no pictures of Whitney Young being
run out of Harlem on a rail with a brand new process.
There will be no slow motion or still life of Roy
Wilkens strolling through Watts in a Red, Black and
Green liberation jumpsuit that he had been saving
For just the proper occasion.

Green Acres, The Beverly Hillbillies, and Hooterville
Junction will no longer be so damned relevant, and
women will not care if Dick finally gets down with
Jane on Search for Tomorrow because Black people
will be in the street looking for a brighter day.
The revolution will not be televised.

There will be no highlights on the eleven o'clock
news and no pictures of hairy armed women
liberationists and Jackie Onassis blowing her nose.
The theme song will not be written by Jim Webb,
Francis Scott Key, nor sung by Glen Campbell, Tom
Jones, Johnny Cash, Englebert Humperdink, or the Rare Earth.
The revolution will not be televised.

The revolution will not be right back after a message
bbout a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver's seat.

The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.

[mr blur]

17. Alas,

Just been arrested on his way to a gig with Brian Jackson. "Possession of Controlled Substance" Currently in an off-Rikers Island prison barge. Brilliant man whose life has been distorted by drugs. I don't think he was ever in The Last Poets, though.

[Karenina]

19. Ever wonder why

he's at Riker's and Rush is at the studio?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. listen to his H2Ogate blues