The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

Posted: 11 Sep 2011 04:47 AM PDT

Donny Hathaway was too troubled for this world, but he left behind a last music legacy.

IN the early 1970s, the world of soul music took a sharp turn away from the feelgood ditties of Motown. A string of brilliant socially-conscious albums from Marvin Gaye (What's Going On), Curtis Mayfield (Curtis), Stevie Wonder (Innervisions) and Sly and the Family Stone (There's A Riot Goin' On) helped capture the chaotic feel of the times.

Amidst the backdrop of the Vietnam War and rising inner city social strife, music began to be a real reflection of what was going on, instead of a simple escape.

In the midst of this, one of the tragic figures of soul, Donny Hathaway, released a masterpiece of his own. Everything Is Everything may not have the name recognition of some of the other records I've just mentioned, but it is an honest, heartfelt collection of tunes that is arguably the peak of a stunning, but sadly truncated career.

Born into a musical family, Hathway actually had a number of false starts, performing as a child gospel singer (under the name Donny Pitts), studying fine arts at Howard University and in what would prove a prophetic move, recording a fine, but unsuccessful duet with a singer called June Conquest (I Thank You Baby). In the late 1960s, he settled down to work with Mayfield's label but it wasn't long before his talents came to the fore.

Allowed to cut his own album, Hathaway kicked off with a powerful statement. Dripping with funk grooves, gospel choir, tasty brass and Hathaway's own electric piano stylings, the album made an immediate impact.

The opening Voices Inside (Everything Is Everything) set the tone, while the bouncy, bluesy Tryin' Times hid a painful sceptical lyric beneath an exuberant melody. The mainly instrumental The Ghetto and a closing cover of Nina Simone's To Be Young, Gifted And Black left no doubt that Hathaway was acutely in touch with the dilemmas facing his generation. There was still room too for the unabashedly introspective Thank You Master (For My Soul) and the playful Je Vous Aime.

Having laid down his marker, Hathaway continued his most productive and brilliant phase with his second, self-titled album. If anyone's started an album with a more dramatic blues-soul intro than Hathaway's Giving Up, I have yet to hear it. And if you can resist the spiritual call of Magnificent Sanctuary Band, you're a stronger man than me.

It was on this album that Hathaway cemented his reputation as an extraordinary cover artiste with A Song For You and He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother that were compelling despite the originals just having been chart-topping singles.

Artistically, the Hathaway train just kept rollin' as he then proceeded to record one of the most acclaimed live soul albums ever. Donny Hathaway Live trotted out some of the established tunes as well as a trio of great new covers, including John Lennon's Jealous Guy and Carole King's You've Got A Friend.

The airtight performances by Hathaway and a superb band that included session legends like Phil Upchurch and Willie Weeks showed that Hathaway was an incredible talent who needed no favours from the studio setting.

He continued with another fine studio album, Extension Of A Man, which had some more wonderful emotional vocal performances (apparently Hathaway himself was overcome by tears at his own performance of Someday We'll Be Free) as well as more declarations of his genius on the electric piano (check out Valdez In The Country!)

Commercial success, however, was to prove quite elusive, until the idea was mooted that Hathaway should team up with the incomparable Roberta Flack for a duet or two. Flack was riding high on the back of her massive hit First Time Ever I Saw Your Face, and when the duo released Where Is The Love, it proved another million-selling smash, even picking up a Grammy in 1973. In fact their duet album remains arguably Hathway's best known work.

Unfortunately while Flack went on from strength to strength, Hathaway's own demons began to take over from this point. Still only in his late 20s, his battle with what was initially believed to be "just" depression took on greater import when he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Dramatic weight gain, a broken marriage and spells in mental institutions took him out of the scene. From 1973 to 1978, Hathaway frittered away his talent, barely producing anything of note. A guest appearance on a Flack album with The Closer I Get To You, proved to be an R&B chart-topper though, and plans were made for a comeback recording.

Sadly, on Jan 13, 1979, Hathaway was so volatile during his recording session that it had to be aborted. He returned to his hotel and a few hours later was found dead having fallen from a 15th floor window. A distraught Flack went on to feature some fine recordings from him, most notably Back Together Again, on her next album.

Donny Hathaway was too troubled for this world, but his music possessed a rare beauty, guaranteed to melt the most hardened of hearts.

■ Martin Vengadesan, a music lover and history buff, combines his two passions in his fortnightly column. If you have any interesting stories you want him to research, do drop him a line.

Faye Wong’s concert to cost RM3mil

Posted: 10 Sep 2011 03:58 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR: Faye Wong is not called a pop diva for nothing. The Kuala Lumpur leg of her world tour will cost RM3mil.

The concert will be held at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil here on Nov 6.

Confirming the production budget – which includes the singer's seven-digit performance fee – a spokesman for Running Into The Sun, a Singapore-based concert promoter, said most of the tickets had been snapped up except for those priced at RM1,080 and RM580.

"We were initially quite worried that her fans might find the tickets pricey.

"But we were surprised by the demand."

Still, her tickets here are relatively cheaper than in other Asian cities. The most expensive ticket on her Singapore date is as high as RM1,429.

She last performed here seven years ago.

Kredit: www.thestar.com.my

Ahad, 11 September 2011

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

The Star Online: Entertainment: Music

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