David Mancuso was maestro of The Loft and one of the major influences on the development of the 70s disco scene in New York City. By extension, godfather of the past 40+ years of worldwide DJ culture. Reading a great post about him by UK DJ Greg Wilson, "David Mancuso And The Art Of Deejaying Without Deejaying," I was turned onto this early Loft classic. The track is Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys, by The Equals. They were an integrated UK ska/reggae/rock band founded by Eddy Grant who saw eight of their records on the UK charts between 1968 and '71, including the #1 hit Baby, Come Back from '68. Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys was their last chart success, hitting #9 in the early weeks of 1971.
The track was a powerful anti-war anthem, very relevant to start off a week when we'll observe the 12th anniversary of 9/11 and the spectacle of President Obama in prime time trying to make the case for keeping the war machine fed by launching missile strikes on Syria.
Now I really want to read Love Saves The Day: A History of American Dance Music Culture, 1970-79, by Tim Lawrence, which was published in 2004. It explores Mancuso's history with Timothy Leary's League for Spiritual Discovery, and reveals the psychedelic roots of the early Loft parties. FYI, the next London Loft event (Journey Through The Light) thrown by Lucky Cloud Sound System will take place on September 22, 2013. Check out their website for more details.
- Dyn-O-Mite
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