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| Pam Grier ("Coffy") |
Originally conceived as a musical, Car Wash deals with the exploits of a close-knit, multiracial group of employees at a Los Angeles car wash. In an episodic fashion, the film covers a full day, during which all manner of strange visitors make cameo appearances, including Lorraine Gary as a hysterical wealthy woman from Beverly Hills dealing with a carsick son. Richard Pryor also appears in a cameo as a money-hungry evangelist named 'Daddy Rich' who preaches a pseudo-gospel of prosperity theology. The main character is Abdullah, formerly Duane (Bill Duke), a Black Muslim revolutionary. Among his other misadventures in the film, he must deal with a man ("Professor" Irwin Corey) who fits the profile of the notorious "pop bottle bomber" being sought that day by the police. It causes employees, customers, and the owner of the car wash, Mr. B (Sully Boyar), to fear for their lives, but the strange man's "bomb" is simply a urine sample he is taking to the hospital.
I chose to play a song by The Gospelaires of Dayton from the new compilation ‘Divine Disco’. The album focuses on a breed of Gospel performers that were forward-thinking enough to explore a funkier style; a powerful message with which a younger audience could identify. Music that could stir their mind, body and soul…..while stimulating their senses with a basic need to dance! Labels like Savoy played a key part in identifying artists that fit nicely into the disco movement.
Enjoy this 'black cream' episode of
Best Of 70s Soul!
Next week I will play fresh vibes in a new part of
Smooth Sailing.
Tracklist:
Billy Ocean – Love Really Hurts Without You (1975)
Rose Royce – Car Wash (1976)
Roy Ayers – Aragon (1973)
Johnny Bristol – You And I (1974)
The Independents – I Just Want To Be There (1972)
Al Wilson – Show And Tell (1973)
O.C. Smith – Friend, Woman, Lover, Wife (1974)
Billy Paul – Let’s Make A Baby (1975)
Climax – Precious And Few (1971)
Gladys Knight – Sail Away / Freedom For The Stallions (1978)
Johnny Mathis & Deniece Williams – Too Much Too Little Too Late (1978)
Heatwave – Mind Blowing Decisions (1978)
The Harold Wheeler Consort – Black Cream (1975)
Bobbi Humphrey – You Make Me Feel So Good (1975)
Chanson – Why (1978)
Carole Bayer Sager – I Don't Wanna Dance No More (1978)
CJ & Co – Sure Can’t Go The Moon (1977)
Linda Carr & The Love Squad – Highwire (1975)
The Gospelaires of Dayton, Ohio – Nowhere To Run (1979)
Gerson King Combo – Good Bye (1978)
The Drifters – Kissin' In The Back Row Of The Movies (1974)
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