Xagain said:

Bad Brains...there's many mixed ones.

I'm not sure if you're a rock person, but Black Rock bands were like the red headed step child in the rock industry and they did get looked down upon amongst their peers. So no, in the rock circles, the majority of white fans weren't too ecstatic about Black rock bands. There are a number of people who can probably attest to this. Why a band like Kings X never had one hit is beyond me?

Xagain said:

Next time I go into a record store I'm gonna go and look for Earth Wind and Fire in the pop section and then look for Britney Spears in the R&B section, since they're "interchangeable".

Or maybe I'll turn on an urban radio station so I can hear Avril Levigne and then turn on a pop station to hear Jaheim.

Wrong. Which is exactly why I said you need to do MUCH more research before you comment on the issue of music genres.

Xagain said:

Well, one would hope if an artist is making good music, or music that transcends the sonic landscape, it would be recognized and accepted by the group of people that artists comes from, especially if that sound is a result of what's come before.

More Blacks should have loved Jimi, I'll never steer away from that pov.

Afronomical said:

Oh please. Yeah, Avril Levigne sounds different than Jaheim. True. But these days there's so little difference between people on the radio that most music stores simply sort cds according the color of the singer when they bother to distinguish them at all. Anyone on this thread has said there's a big lack of quality musicians these days, and most of them aren't on the radio at all. You're just grasping at straws.

Again, can we drop this notion that LC wasn't popular. I don't know any musician who wouldn't love to have had their level of notoriety.

Xagain said:

You're not making any sense whatsoever. Seriously, do some real research on this. It's not rocket science: R&B and Pop = 2 different music genres. You're the one depserately grasping at straws here.

lilgish said:

But when an artist makes good music that transcends the sonic landscape, then it should be recognized and appreciated by people of all groups, regardless of their race or frame of reference. That's why music is what it is, the language of the soul.
That's not to say that musicians shouldn't try to play to a specific audience. But when they do that, and reach that audience, then people outside that group will get something from it. If not, there wouldn't be so many white folks digging Bob Marley. His audience was very specific, yet people far removed from that audience are enlightened by it.
[Edited 6/4/07 19:13pm]

Afronomical said:

Ok fine. For the sake of the discussion I'll give it to you. I know the difference between Pop and R&B. It's all just radio friendly bullocks to me anyhow.

I don't feel sorry for them because of how they fucked up the remake to "17 Days".

Good night. Much love to LC and all y'all. Thanks for the chain yankin'.

Xagain said:

So what do you say about the Blacks who missed out on Jimi because his sound was "White". If the you're a Black artist that can't connect with your own people, what do you do? This question was an issue for Jimi and probably LC. Jimi did his Band of Gypsys thing, who knows how that would have turned out, LC went more black power with Time's Up. It's almost like when an artist finds popularity outside their home country, they always want to be recognized at home.

Mozorro said:

Never liked that song...no matter who did it.

coolcat said:

I am not talking about today. The original post was about Living Colour, a band that made its debut in the 1980s. The conversation that I am engaged in is regarding the historical treatment of black rock bands. Xagain is so desperate to support his weak argument that he is the one mixing in today's audience. Today's audiences haven't been conditioned to like good music of any genre. Anything outside of the crappy R&B/Pop/Rap hodgepodge that passes for music today doesn't have a chance, no matter what color the artists are. So there is no sense in comparing today's music/audiences to the past.

Finally, regardless of the number of past white soul acts compared to black rock acts, the fact remains that the black rock acts did not (past tense) receive the same acceptance from white audiences that white soul acts received (past tense) from black audiences. There are white soul acts who have made their livings almost exclusively off black audiences. That is what I am talking about. If Xagain would stop getting off topic to distract from his weak points, then there would be less confusion here.

bellanoche said:

Agreed.



Which ones?

Jimi Hendrix is an example of a black rock artist with an exclusively white audience... I don't see why he shouldn't count.

Like lilgish, I'm having trouble with the premise of the thread. Living Colour and Fishbone are hugely successful bands. Are their audiences mostly white or black?

This whole thread has pretty much focussed on those two black bands, two bands that are successful imo... I could name 50 white bands that have been rejected by white audiences over the 80s and that couldn't bring the white audience that LC or Fishbone could bring... Let's talk about all the black bands that were rejected by white audiences... not just these 2.

lilgish said:

The black in black rock is quite a misnomer. The bands, as well as the fans, range from Black to Latino to Asian to White to Native American to Middle Easterners to Mediterrean European to Brits and Anglos to Jamaican Rastafarian to Blonde Rastafarian etc etc Almost any kind of racial mix is on the scene.

The scene is quite active in Los Angeles, New York SF area and ATL among others. I could roll off a list of bands, but if you ain't into 'em you'll say "I've never heard of 'em". Yeah sucka that's cuz it's underground.

In any case I'm putting together a cross-reference that will have myspace and website urls so folks around here can get a funkin' clue.

coolcat said:

Are you serious? Do you really think that Jimi's audience was "exclusively" white? Majority white, yes, but exclusively - no. Contrary to what some might think, there are many blacks who dig R&R.

And in terms of white soul acts who have made their livings "almost" exclusively off blacks, two people who immediately come to mind are Teena Marie and Jon B.

bellanoche said:

So you don't think Jimi had an "almost" exclusively white audience?
[Edited 6/5/07 9:53am]

PFunkjazz said:

Well, my statement was more about the past, I freely admit to being ignorant about any current underground scenes, and the hard time Black rockers experienced in the past is based on what I've heard many of them say. Interested in seeing the list though.

bellanoche said:

I'm not going to argue with how many, I'll just say that it's an experience.

Me personally, I usually have problems trying to feel sorry for people who made millions during the peak of their professional careers.

bellanoche said:

You are right. I made this post about LIVING COLOUR, FUNKADELIC and the like...black bands that get ignored. I read a lot of guitar magazines and I'm sure you have seen where they do their "top 10 guitarists" of all times. Its like they ignore all the blacks that has ever played rock. Not that I care about a silly magazine's poll but I just find it interesting that I can RARELY recall hearing any black artists on any of the rock stations that I have ever listened to. I think I will call and request CULT OF PERSONALITY one day and see what they would say..LOL!

edit.
[Edited 6/6/07 11:37am]

novabrkr said:

They did okay but they didn't make anywhere near millions.

I love this band.

Race, industry horseshit and everything else aside, I bought their solo stuff and it was good too. I can't wait until people judge others based on talent and their actions rather than bullshit standards or the color of their skin.

LoveAlive said:

Well... clearly the Classic Rock radio stations do, because I could name several artists and bands that don't get any play there...

...and the best example of all is Prince. Have U ever heard any Prince songs on a classic rock station? I haven't.

Xagain said:

Living Color WAS accepted by "white" audiences, but when U talk about the owners and program directors of classic rock stations, it IS about color, clearly.

rebelsoldier said:

WORD. Hell, Flea got so damn popular, that there were times (in D.C.!!!) that I'd be playing an up-tempo funk bassline - all thumb and pop, and inevitably some fool would mention Flea. I was like... "ever hear of Larry Graham, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Stanley Clarke, or Louis Johnson?"

Giovanni777 said:

Thats OBVIOUS!

LoveAlive said:

So the fact that there are so few black rockers has nothing to do with it? I've heard Living Colour on our classic rock stations.