Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (33 13) by Christopher R. Weingarten

Author:Christopher R. Weingarten [Weingarten, Christopher R.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Continuum US
Published: 2010-04-08T00:00:00+00:00

Rufus Thomas may have had more soul in his voice than anyone at Wattstax because, at 55 years old, he was the history of popular music. At the start of the 1970s, he was entering his fifth decade in show business and had dabbled in every form of music available. He was an irresistible force and consummate showman who made comeback after comeback. Thomas’ career dates back to the pre-soul era; he cut his teeth in 1936 as a tap dancer in Mississippi’s all-black revue, the Rabbit’s Foot Minstrels. He was briefly a blues crooner in the ’40s with the release of a 78 called “I’ll Be a Good Boy.” His 3 p.m. slot as a DJ at Memphis’ highly influential radio station WDIA, the first all-black-programmed station in the country, was full of unfiltered energy and his unique language. He opened every show with his trademark rap: “I’m loose as a goose and full of juice / I’ve got the goose, so what’s the use.” Probably listening was Elvis Presley, an avowed fan of the station. Definitely listening was Memphis’ young Isaac Hayes. Thomas gave rock ’n’ roll label Sun Records its first hit in 1953 with “Bear Cat.” With daughter Carla, he gave Memphis’ Satellite Records its first hit in 1960 with “’Cause I Love You,” a song that gave founder James Stewart his first taste of success — inspiring him to turn the fledgling imprint into an R&B label, which was renamed Stax.

Rufus Thomas performed at Wattstax with second billing under Isaac Hayes. He was in the middle of one of his many comebacks, thanks to his funk-era smash “Do the Funky Chicken.” Much like what Clyde Stubblefield said about his drums in “Funky Drummer,” Thomas said the lyrics to the cluckin’ dance sensation simply generated inside of him without thought. “The words just started to come,” he said. “I don’t know how; they just came out of the blue.”74 The night before he performed “Chicken” at Wattstax, the L.A. Rams were busy blowing out the Oakland Raiders in a 34–9 pre-season game at the Coliseum. The staff had to assemble the stage in the wee hours, starting at 2:30 a.m. and toiling until the morning. There was a hefty insurance policy against Stax if something should happen to the grass. The fans would be relegated to the stands, and the grass was off-limits.

Once Thomas came out — stomping around the stage in shin-high white boots, pink hot pants and a cape while the sun set in the distance — people started scaling the fence and storming the football field. Once “Funky Chicken” played at a breakneck tempo, it was pandemonium. The Raiders’ playground turned into the Land of 1,000 Dances. Embodying Chuck D’s idea of “individuality and collectiveness,” everyone was freaking in their own style, from the Funky Chicken to ebullient bursts of whatever. With the insurance policy looming and the grass being stomped upon by thousands of feet, Bell started to panic. Thomas had to come to the rescue.

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