Things floating through my head

[essentialsaltes]

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! My Wikipedia factoid for the day takes us to one of the few places outside Ireland where Saint Patrick's day is an official government holiday. That's right, kids! The Caribbean island of Montserrat! Originally inhabited by Caribs and Arawak, Irish settlers came from nearby Nevis in 1632, fleeing anti-Catholic violence. In 1768, an African slave revolt was organized, with the nearly foolproof plan of attacking the Irish masters on Saint Patrick's Day, when they would all be too drunk to fight back. Sadly, loose lips sink slave revolts, and it was quashed. In 1832, slavery was abolished, and the island is now 95% black, though many have adopted Irish surnames, and the Saint Patrick's Day celebrations help to demonstrate that "There are no hard feelings between the cultures." You can't really visit the capital city of Plymouth, because it has been eaten by an angry volcano.

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The Wolverine origins movie was adequate.

In begging mode, PBS has been showing footage from the TAMI Show, shot at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in 1964. It's just now been released on DVD, and apart from being shown on Canadian TV 25 years ago, it hasn't really been available except as bootlegs. My man James Brown steals the show. I watched the whole show Sunday. Last night, I just made sure to watch James Brown. It's also awesome to spot Teri Garr as a dancer behind Diana Ross.

Anyway, this, my friends, is the hardest working man in show business.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

"Turn on my VCR/Same one I've had for years/James Brown on the TAMI show/Same tape I've had for years"

I noticed the other night that this was on but didn't watch more than about 10 minutes of it. I might DVR it just to see James Brown -- and Teri Garr...

Donovan

[richardabecker.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've meant to buy the bootleg for two years now, but the DVD release might just loosen my wallet. Saw it several years ago in a little backroom screening in Hollywood with a friend who's not on LJ, and I was mortified when he gave James Brown's performance the "thumbs down..."

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

Thumbs down?!? Admittedly, JB may not be your thing, but it's clear to me there wasn't a dry panty in the house.

[essentialsaltes.livejournal.com]

LAist does a 'liveblog' of the full DVD. You can all but hear the jaw hit the floor:

The Beach Boys sound godly great ... They look rosy cheeked and adorable, play their own instruments better than given credit for, and sing like angels. This is some of the best footage I’ve ever seen of them, and I’ve seen a bit.
...
The Supremes are as poised and flawless as you could imagine a group being.
...
James Brown, oh my God. He hits the spotlight at stage left, shimmies his way to the mic on one leg, leads the band into the break with a sly hand gesture, and begins to sing, his upper body remaining motionless while his legs are moving furiously. I’ve never seen anything remotely like it.
...
James Brown has just laid down the most ridiculous fifteen minute set in the history of music.