Pharcyde: L.A. hip-hop’s far side

(LA Times) In 1992, the group released the rollickingly irreverent 'Bizarre Ride.' The quintessential album's being celebrated with a box set, a reunion show and more.

This post has been corrected. Please see bottom for details.

In the haze of memory, it's easy to assume that the Pharcyde's debut, "Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde," came out at some time other than the fall of 1992. So much of L.A. hip-hop that year was dominated by the riots in Los Angeles. For example, Ice Cube took a victory lap on "The Predator," reminding listeners why "We Had to Tear This ... Up." Meanwhile, Dr. Dre and his lanky new protege, Snoop Dogg, readied "Nuthin' but a ‘G' Thang" as their inaugural vision of a post-Bloods/Crips truce, post-riots gangster's paradise.

In contrast, the Pharcyde's introduction came in July 1992 via a whimsical song full of dirty snaps, "Ya Mama," followed by an album that boasts one of the most famous uses of vagina dentata imagery on an LP cover. "Bizarre Ride" is now considered a quintessentially L.A. album, but 20 years ago, it seemed to have arrived from a world all its own.

The 20th anniversary of the album is being marked in several ways. Delicious Vinyl recently released a box set of seven 7-inch records, based on singles from the album, plus a full-size poster and a jigsaw puzzle of the cover art. On Wednesday, several core group members will reunite at the Roxy to perform "Bizarre Ride" in its entirety: rappers Tre "Slimkid3" Hardson and Derrick "Fatlip" Stewart, and producers John "J-Swift" Martinez and John "L.A. Jay" Barnes. The group's internal dynamics have always been unsettled; missing from the show will be co-founders Imani Wilcox and Romye "Booty Brown" Robinson (who still tour together under the Pharcyde name).

The enduring fascination with the album traces partially back to its incongruity in that era, especially the group's rollicking irreverence. On "Officer," Pharcyde's members turned a staple of L.A. hip-hop -- the anti-cop anthem -- into a tongue-in-cheek tale about driving without a proper smog check, while "Oh ..." features vignettes about embarrassing intimate encounters, including one involving a friend's oversexed mother and a cup of ripple wine.

This was the key difference with the Pharcyde -- its members weren't above making themselves the object of ridicule or humiliation, displaying a sardonic but still visceral vulnerability. We take that quality for granted today (what's jokingly called "emo-rap"), but the early 1990s were dominated by superhuman MCs, be it the stern, prophetic gaze of Ice Cube, the sneering, chilling affect of Eazy E or B-Real, or the lyrical virtuosity of the Freestyle Fellowship.

In contrast, Hardson, Robinson, Stewart and Wilcox, with their whiny tones and hyperactive flows, were like overactive teenagers, bubbling over with equal amounts of excitement and insecurity.

To wit: Their biggest hit, "Passin' Me By" builds on pained stories of unrequited love. Compared with the endless variations on "I'm a pimp/mack/player," "Passin' Me By" spoke to listeners who could identify with their own futile attempts to charm a grade school crush.

What would seem like a relatively simple admission -- life can be awkward -- was practically revolutionary at the time. Besides New York's Leaders of the New School (perhaps the Pharcyde's closest counterparts), few other rappers seemed comfortable displaying anything other than a bulletproof countenance.

"Bizarre Ride" also manifested its difference sonically. Martinez not only sampled liberally from jazz records but he and the group also sequenced an album whose rhythm dipped and swerved with an improvisational spirit. It opens with a short, live instrumental, there are interstitial skits that sound straight out of a poetry slam, and there's a notable absence of classic funk loops that up until then had all but defined a West Coast sound.

"Bizarre Ride" created a musical lane that others would follow, especially the short-lived group Mad Kap, as well as the early pre-pop incarnation of the Black Eyed Peas.

Maybe it's because the Pharcyde's core members began not as rappers but as dancers in an earlier era of L.A. hip-hop. Maybe it's because they didn't hail from a single neighborhood, but from places across the region, including Torrance and Pasadena. Maybe it's because they were just quirky. Whatever the reasons, their chemistry -- volatile as it was -- held together long enough to produce this unique artifact of an album.

Their next LP, 1995's "Labcabincalifornia," was arguably a more sophisticated effort, but by then, the very landscape that Pharcyde's members had helped shift had made them sound less incomparable. "Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde" was, then and now, a heady journey whose paths, once carved, couldn't easily be remade, not even by the group itself.

(For the record, 5:50 p.m. May 22: An earlier version of this post had improperly spelled the names of Tre "Slimkid3" Hardson and Derrick "Fatlip" Stewart. The original photo, which showed Imani, has also been changed.)

Disco queen Donna Summer dies at 63

(CNN) -- Donna Summer, the "Queen of Disco" whose hits included "Hot Stuff," "Bad Girls," "Love to Love You Baby" and "She Works Hard for the Money," has died, a representative said Thursday. She was 63.

Her publicist, Brian Edwards, said Summer was suffering from cancer. She died surrounded by her family in Florida, he said.

"Early this morning, we lost Donna Summer Sudano, a woman of many gifts, the greatest being her faith," a family statement said. "While we grieve her passing, we are at peace celebrating her extraordinary life and her continued legacy. Words truly can't express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time."

Summer first rose to fame the mid-'70s, thanks to "Love to Love You Baby." The song, with Summer's whispered vocals and orgasmic groans helped define the mid-'70s disco trend and hit No. 2 in 1976. Summer followed the song with such hits as "I Feel Love," "Last Dance" and a disco-fied version of the Richard Harris hit "MacArthur Park," which outdid Harris' version by hitting No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. It was Summer's first of four chart-toppers.

But with her 1979 album "Bad Girls," Summer broke out of the disco mold as the genre, which had become renewed by the success of the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack, was feeling a backlash. "Bad Girls" demonstrated Summer's vocal and stylistic range and produced two No. 1 hits, "Hot Stuff" and "Bad Girls," as well as a Top 10 ballad, "Dim All the Lights."

However, Summer had some trouble adjusting to the changing times. Her next album, "The Wanderer," went for more of a rock feel. It produced a Top 10 hit in the title track but fared relatively poorly on the charts -- especially after the success of "Bad Girls," a double album that spent five weeks at No. 1.

It wasn't until 1983's "She Works Hard for the Money," which became a ubiquitous video as well as a big radio hit, that Summer's fame approached its late '70s zenith.

The Recording Academy, which presented five Grammys to Summer, said she "had a dynamic voice and unique musical style that helped define the dance music genre in the '70s.'"

"She also was an artist who crossed many musical genres, as evidenced by her Grammy wins in the R&B, rock, inspirational and dance categories," Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said. "Her talent was a true gift to the music industry, and our thoughts and sympathies are with her family, friends and fans throughout the world during this difficult time."

"I don't like to be categorized because I think that I am an instrument, and if you play me, I'll make whatever particular sound is supposed to come out for that color," Summer told CNN in a 2008 interview. "And so, in the overall spectrum of things, I'm just trying to be true to my -- what I feel my mission is."

Hollywood publicist Michael Levine said he was hired in 2002 to help Summer "rebrand and reinvent her image."

"She was a victim of her own success," Levine said. "The disco diva imprint was so great that she wanted to break beyond that."

"She would always bring a gift when she came to our office, which is not common," he said.

Celebrity reaction to news of Summer's death was immediate.

"I can't believe we've lost another wonderful singer," Dolly Parton said. "Donna, like Whitney (Houston), had one of the greatest voices ever. I loved her records. She was the disco queen, and will remain so. I knew her and found her to be one of the most likable and fun people ever. She will be missed and remembered."

Chaka Khan said she was Summer's friend for three decades.

"She is one of the few black women I could speak German with and she is one of the few friends I had in this business," Khan said. Summer moved to Germany in the early '70s to perform in several musicals.

"I was shocked to hear about Donna," singer Barbra Streisand said in a statement released by her publicist. "She was so vital the last time I saw her a few months ago. I loved doing the duet with her. She had an amazing voice and was so talented."

"She will be terribly missed. She was truly the #Disco Queen!" Singer La Toya Jackson said in a Twitter posting.

"We will miss Donna Summer! She changed the world of music with her beautiful voice and incredible talent," Janet Jackson told Twitter followers.

"Whitney. Tina Marie. Vesta. Now Donna Summer. The choir in heaven has a new member. They will be singing up a beautiful storm:)" actress Niecy Nash tweeted.

"Rest in Peace dear Donna Summer. Your voice was the heartbeat and soundtrack of a decade," music producer Quincy Jones tweeted.,

"I thought she was a very gracious and a very nice person. Always beautifully gowned and well spoken. I liked her," said legendary soul singer Aretha Franklin. "A very good singer. We won't forget all those many hits she put out there. You know, 'Bad Girls' and 'Last Dance' and all the hits. We won't forget those. My heart goes out to her family and to her friends and fans. It's really a sad day."

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Summer's honor to the Salvation Army.

Bassist Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn dead at 70

Donald “Duck” Dunn, whose powerful bass notes built the foundation for hits like Otis Redding’s “Respect,” Sam and Dave’s “Soul Man” and Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour,” died Sunday morning in Tokyo. He was 70.

Best known for his work with Booker T and the MGs, the famous Memphis session band, Dunn had been in semi-retirement for years. There had been no indications of serious health problems.

Steve Cropper, Dunn’s lifelong friend and musical comrade in Booker T and the MGs, said he died in his sleep.

He had played two shows in Tokyo Saturday night.

Cropper wrote on his Facebook page, “Today I lost my best friend. The world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live.”

Dunn grew up in Memphis and was largely self-taught on the bass. He said he originally tried guitar, but gave it up after he heard Cropper play.

“I decided there were plenty of guitar players,” he said. “What was needed was a bass.”

His first hit came in 1961 with the Memphis group the Mak-Keys, who recorded a hypnotic instrumental called “Last Night.”

He joined Cropper, Booker T. Jones and drummer Al Jackson in 1964 to form the most famous incarnation of Booker T. and the MGs.

Known for their infectious, rock-solid rhythms, the MGs backed every major Memphis artist in the late 1960s. They were crucial in creating the sound for stars like Wilson Pickett, Redding, Sam and Dave, Eddie Floyd and Arthur Conley.

Their fans included the Beatles, and over the years Dunn played behind artists like Muddy Waters, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, the Blues Brothers, Neil Young, Jerry Lee Lewis and Albert King.

The MGs were also one of the most harmoniously integrated groups in rock ‘n’ roll and soul music, since Cropper and Dunn were white and Jones and Jackson were black.

Dunn said it was simply never an issue.

Besides recordings, Dunn played himself in two “Blues Brothers” movies.

He was inducted with the rest of the MGs into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. They received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

Dunn is the second of the MGs to die. Jackson was murdered in his home in 1975.

Dunn’s death also closely follows the death of trumpeter Wayne Jackson — no relation to Al — who was a longtime friend and the founder the Memphis Horns, a group that played on many of the same sessions as the MGs.

Composer Mort Lindsey dies at the age of 89

Mort Lindsey, the orchestra leader and composer celebrated in the US for his work with Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand, has died at the age of 89.

The noted arranger died at his home in Malibu, California on Friday following a long period of ill-health.

Lindsey was musical director for Garland's performances at New York's Carnegie Hall that led to the Grammy-winning album Judy At Carnegie Hall.

An Emmy followed for Streisand's TV concert A Happening In Central Park.

Judy At Carnegie Hall, a live recording of the Wizard of Oz star's concert on 23 April 1961, spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard chart and went on to win four Grammy awards.

Lindsey went on to work with Liza Minnelli, Garland's daughter, on her televised Liza With A Z concert.

The New Jersey native spent 25 years as musical director for The Merv Griffin Show, earning two Emmy nominations in the process.

As a composer, his credits include Garland's 1963 film I Could Go on Singing and Albert Brooks' 1979 comedy Real Life.

Henry Mancini Heirs Seek to Terminate EMI's Rights to 'Pink Panther' Music

The legendary film composer's publishing company accuses EMI of malfeasance in profit sharing.

EMI Music Publishing could lose its grip on one of the most famous pieces of film music ever created -- "The Pink Panther Theme," written by the late Henry Mancini for the 1963 film.

Late last month, Mancini's publishing company, Northridge Music Inc., controlled by the composer's heirs, filed a claim at the American Arbitration Association that seeks more than $1.35 million in unpaid "net profits" on music for the original Pink Panther film. The heirs also are seeking punitive damages and want EMI's administration rights terminated due to alleged malfeasance and breach of fiduciary duty.

The Pink Panther was released by United Artists in 1963. The score was nominated for an Oscar the following year, and the jazzy theme music also made the singles charts that year and won three Grammy Awards. It also was prominently featured in the Pink Panther cartoon shorts. For nearly 60 years, the music has endured as one of the more popular tunes learned by young musicians and has been used by such acts as The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Guns N' Roses and in Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle and by Kim Kardashian on Dancing With the Stars.

Northridge is being represented by Todd Bonder at Rosenfeld, Meyer & Susman, who confirmed the arbitration filing.

A spokesperson for EMI Music Publishing, which acquired the music from United Artists many years ago, said the parties couldn't agree on the merits of some of the claims, and, "As this is a private and confidential matter, the only comment EMI will make is that we believe that the arbitrator will reaffirm that our accountings and payments to Northridge are correct.”

Here's a look at Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme"...

Beastie Boys - Adam Yauch Dead at 47

(ROLLING STONE) Influential rapper was diagonosed with cancer in 2009

Adam Yauch, one-third of the pioneering hip-hop group the Beastie Boys, has died at the age of 47, Rolling Stone has learned. Yauch, also known as MCA, had been in treatment for cancer since 2009. The rapper was diagnosed in 2009 after discovering a tumor in his salivary gland.

Yauch sat out the Beastie Boys' induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April, and his treatments delayed the release of the group's most recent album, Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2. The Beastie Boys had not performed live since the summer of 2009, and Yauch's illness prevented the group from appearing in music videos for Hot Sauce Committee, Pt. 2.

Yauch co-founded the Beastie Boys with Mike "Mike D" Diamond and Adam "Ad-Rock" Horowitz in 1979. The band started off as a hardcore punk group, but soon began experimenting with hip-hop. The band broke big with their first proper album, Licensed to Ill, in 1986, and further albums Paul's Boutique, Check Your Head and Ill Communication cemented the band as a true superstar act.

In addition to his career with the Beastie Boys, Yauch was heavily involved in the movement to free Tibet and co-organized the Tibetan Freedom Concerts of the late Nineties. Yauch was also directed many of the Beastie Boys' music videos under the pseudonym Nathaniel Horblower. In 2002, he launched the film production company Oscilloscope Laboratories.