The Week in Birthdays: June 23 -29

Debbie Taylor, Erkin Koray, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Frierson, Labi Siffre, Gilberto Gil, Brenda Holloway, Patty Smyth, Garland Jeffreys, The Equals, Yarbrough & Peoples

I went to a porchfest in a nearby town on Saturday. It was a glorious day. It was so good to see so many old friends (Find your people, now!) and to hear some lovely music. At the same time, I have to say it feels so fucking weird to be out there doing normal, enjoyable things when the world is spinning off its axis. And this was before a reckless madman enabled by a kangaroo cabinet and a coward-controlled Congress jammed us into what appears to be another one of those forever wars we are drawn (in)to. We are in a torturous limbo created by people with penises who crave adulation and power.

A lot of people (including me) have spent a lot of constructive (LOL) handwringing time in the past few years wondering how we missed the long game of the unholy trio of autocrats, technates, and Christian nationalists (Let’s call them the “Axis of Evil.”) as they mandered Gerry unrecognizable, mined data, and took over school and library boards, while they waited for a vessel. We, always the smartest people in any room, (It’s true. Just ask us.) dismissed them as hapless, racist, country bumpkins who were too dumb to be a threat. Then we enabled them via the scourge that is neoliberalism. And worse, we didn’t see the technates for what they were. In short, we are not that smart.

Now, I wonder about another kind of long game.

In HeWho I, there were people in the rooms who are not my kind of people, but at least they provided a backstop against a rapid descent into lawlessness. The problem with them was that they tried to do their jobs, and didn’t spend enough time debasing themselves by vowing fealty, while others in the town weaved elaborate tales of flattery, and still others just went along. To call the people around him now advisors really misses the point. One professor of philosophy wrote a good report on the situation.

Those tempering people are gone now, replaced by people who manipulate with flattery, and more people who just go along. Add to that some despotic world leaders who also do the former, and you begin to see the plot drivers emerge. (The Russian is an interesting case, in that he doesn’t seem to be able to commit fully to the ruse. I am guessing his ego won’t allow it. Or perhaps he’s practicing some form of “love bombing.”)

If we get out of this, we are going to need a long game of subterfuge, creating what is essentially a cohort of people who understand how to manipulate a narcissist, if another such vessel emerges. Just to be on call. Add it to higher ed required courses. There’s room now that we are not teaching humanities.

Once again, I’ve lost the thread. We have people to celebrate. Here are Ten For Today: The Week in Birthdays, June 23 – 29. Yes, they are all what the current regime would call affirmative action hires. But we know better.

Debbie Taylor was born June 23, 1947 in Norfolk, Virginia. Commercial success eluded her, because talent is a tiny piece of the puzzle. People born before the bottle bill may never have even heard this phrase.

Anatolian rock pioneer Erkin Koray was born June 24, 1941, in Turkey, and has been working since 1966. He is the inventor of the electro baglama, which is an electrified version of a traditional Turkish instrument that’s kind of like a lute. He died in 2023.

Eddie Floyd was born June 26, 1937 in Alabama. When he was 13, he got sent to a juvenile detention facility, where he discovered his musical talent. He moved to Detroit as a teen. His big hit was “Knock on Wood” in 1966. This is another one he co-wrote which I love. It was released in 1971, and I first heard a cover version by Tav Falco and Panther Burns. I thank them for that roadmap.

Johnnie Frierson was born in Memphis on June 25, 1945. He had a very short career with Stax, and then he got drafted into the Army and went to Vietnam, where he got PTSD. This one is another miracle (!) brought to you by a heroic cratedigger who found a cassette tape of his recordings in a thrift shop. From what I can gather the provenance of this is a little murky, but some people guess it was self-recorded on cassette in the 80’s. He died in 2010.

Born that very same day was the amazing Labi Siffre, in London. He should have been a massive star, but maybe in the 70’s when his star was rising, the world was not ready for a Black, gay, atheist living with two husbands. Not sure. Actually, yes I am.

Brazilian legend Gilberto Gil was born June 26, 1942. He spent time in prison in the late 60’s for critcizing the government, and became the country’s minister of culture from 2003 - 2008. This 1971 clip will blow your socks off!

Brenda Holloway was born June 26, 1946 in California, and she’s another one who left the music biz after she didn’t have too much success, only to be revived by the northern soul enthusiasts. She co-wrote this and released it in 1967. You may know the later hit version by Blood, Sweat and Tears.

Patty Smyth was born June 26, 1957. Here she is, with tennis great and husband John McEnroe on guitar. Sadly, he doesn’t throw his instrument or anything. That would have touched my eyes physically.

Garland Jeffreys was born June 29, 1943 in Brooklyn. He wrote and recorded this in 1973, before the Circle Jerks’ version was used much later to sell Vans sneakers.

Twins Derv and Lincoln Gordon were born June 29, 1948 in Jamaica. With Eddy Grant and others in London, they formed The Equals, one of the first interracial bands. This one was co-written by Grant and Lincoln Gordon.

Finally, Alisa Peoples was born June 29, 1957 in Dallas, and with husband-to-be Cavin Yarbrough formed the duo Yarbrough & Peoples. They had a big hit in 1981 with this.

That’s it for now. In kind of a departure with regard to these birthday posts, most of these folks are still alive. And so, one assumes, are we. Despite the fear and tumult, I do hope you are getting out there and doing normal things you like to do. Be kind. Resist. Hydrate.

Joyce

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I have two Substacks. This one always has a playlist, and the other does not. This one is free, unless you want to pay for it. Paying for it gives you access to the archive, which has over 666 posts now. I promise I spend the money wisely, mostly on Go Fund Me campaigns undertaken as part of our dystopian social safety net. You might also enjoy my other Substack. Or you might not. I don’t know you well enough to say. That one is always free. I should pay YOU to read it. Either way, thanks for being here!