March 25, 1992...The Portland Observer-Page 5
Portland Observer
ENTERTAINMENT
Rhino Breezes Into March With New
Anthologies Featuring Chicago’s Chi-
Lites and Tyrone Davis
Incredible Collections Spotlight Legends o f 1970s Windy City Soul
T here’s soul in the air as Rhino
Records breezes into March with a pair
o f brand-new , hits-packcd, budget-
priced Incredible Collections featur
ing Windy City legends The Chi-Lites
and Tyrone Davis.
They were, respectively, among
the most popular and influential vocal
groups and male solo singers on the
Chicago scene during the late 1960s/
early 1970s-P.S. (Pre-Synthesizers)
and P.D. (Pre-Disco).
W afting into cassette/CD bins ev
erywhere March 24, T he C hi-L ites:
G re a te st H its is the very first com pre
hensive collection o f the group’s best
selling hits, recorded between 1969-
74 for Brunswick Records.
All tracks w ercR & B chart hits for
The Chi-Lites, and the generous 18-
track CD sports 11 Top 10 Smashes.
Four songs were huge on the pop charts
too: “Oh G irl” (#1 in spring 1972);
“ Have You Seen H er” (#3 in autumn
1971); (“For G od’s Sake) Give More
Pow er To The People” and “ Stoned
Out O f My Mind (Top 30 in spring
1971 and sum m er 1973, respectively).
Many o f the cuts featured on The Chi-
L ites: G re a te st H its make their CD
debut.
And amazingly, the T yrone Da vis:
G re a te st H its anthology is the very
first CD collection of the greatest clas
sics Davis recorded for the Dakar label
between 1968-76.
Among the many highlights are
his tw o RI AA-certificd gold 45s: “Can
I Change My Mind (#1 R& B/Top 5
pop in late 1968-early 1969) and “Turn
Back The Hands o f Tim e” (#1 R&B/#3
pop in spring 1970).
All 17 tracks included on the CD
were major chart hits for Davis, with
lO eam ingT op lO status-am ongthcm
“Turning Point” (#1 in early 1975),
and “I H adlt A llT hcT im e” and “W ith
out You In My Life” (Top 5 in spring
1972 and 1973, respectively). The
tracks featured on both T he C hi-lites:
G re a te st H its and T y ro n e D avis:
G re a te st H its were digitally rem as
tered from the original m aster tapes, to
insure the best-possible sound.
Each compilation features detailed
track inform ation, as well as inform a
tive liner notes penned by Robert Pruter,
G oldm ine’s R&B editor and author o f
the book C hicago Soul, a history of the
scene published in 1991 by theU niver-
sity o f Illinois Press.
For further info, com plete track
listings and/or review copies, please
contact Rhino Records publicity.
The
34 Ih Annual
EBONY
Eashion
Fair
Presents
Sponsored by
Portland Chapter
The Links, Inc.
Benefit of
LINKS EDUCATIONAL
SCHOLARSHIP FUND
M a s o n ic T e m p le
111 9
S .W .
P ark
Ave.
Portland, Oregon
Friday, April 24, 1992
8:00 p.m.
Fashion with Passion/
Ebony Fashion Fair
Comes to Portland!
“ Fashion W ith Passion” sizzles
in celebration o f the 34th annual Ebony
Fashion Fair, the w orld’s largest travel
o g fashion show, appearing in Portland
on Friday, April 24th at 8:00 p.m. at the
Masonic Temple.
The ‘‘Fashion W ith P assion” m il
lion-dollar collection features sensu
ous, body-conscious styles by fashion
greats such as Yves Saint Laurent,
Valentino, Bob Mackie, Fabrice, Issey
Miyake, and Sonia Rykcl. Thirteen mag
n ific e n t m o d c ls--c lc v c n gorg eo u s
women and the handsome Fuller twins-
-showcase the head-turning designs.
Not only is Ebony Fashion Fair an
exciting and entertaining experience,
but since its inception in 1958 it has
donated more than $38 million to chari
table organizations. Eunice W. John
son is producer and director.
All o f the energy of a Broadway
show plus explosive fashions by the
w orld’s most talented designers makes
Ebony Fashion F air’s 34th Annual
“ Fashion W ith P assion” a must-sec
event for Portland.
I
> m I •••'
. i ( r‘ it l’..i
A pril 16, 6:00-9:00 p .m
King Center Cafeteria on 7th Ave
Sponsored by NEC. Portland Chapter of NAAOP and
National UlacKwowen's Political Cong r «55
C A M EO
“Funk is an art form and Cameo is
about bringing that art form front and
center. As a group, w c’vc gone through
a lot of changes, but w c’vc always
remained true to the funk. Il’s the thread
that runs through everything wc do, the
elem ent that will always remain the
same no matter what fads and fashions
may come and go.”
So says Larry Blackmon on the
occasion o f the release of E m otional
Violence, the first new Cameo album in
almost two years and their stunning,
streetwise W arner Bros. Records de
but. Produced by Larry Blackmon and
featuring C am eo’s electrifying new
single, “Emotional Violence,” the al
bum highlights ten fresh Cameo clas
sics, from the sultry sentim entsof “That
Kind o f G uy” to the hard-edged reali
ties of “ D on’t Crash." “Wc reserve the
right to express ourselves,” says Larry,
and on E m otional Violence, that right
has resulted in some of the most im m e
diate, involving, on-target music in
C am eo’s extraordinary career.
With long time creative collabora
tors Tomi Jenkins, Charlie Singleton,
Kevin Kendricks and Aaron Mills, Larry
Blackmon has taken Cameo into a daz
zling new direction, remaining, as al
ways, true to the group’s funk founda
tions.
But that should come as o surprise
to the millions of fans who have made
Cameo one of today’s most enduring
and inventive groups.
C am eo’s success story is charted
by a string of smash albums and singles
that began when Larry turned his popu
lar mid-Seventies group, The New York
S il
H X
Natalie Cole finished off her sweep
of music award programs, picking up
two more awards at the Sixth Annual
Soul Train Music Awards, hosted by
Luther Vandross, Patti LaBelle, Will
“Fresh Prince of Bel Air” Smith and
Vanessa W illiams at the Los Angeles
Shrine Auditorium. Color Me Badd
also took home two awards from the
evening’s ceremonies.
C ole’s U nforgettable album won
in both the R&B/Soul Album o f the
Year, Female and Best Jazz Album
categories for its updated collection of
her fathcr’sclassic hits. Color Me Badd
grabbed Best R&B/Soul Single,G roup,
Band or Duo and R&B/Soul Song of the
Year for “I W anna Sex You Up” from
the New Jack City soundtrack. Despite
the fact that M otown’s newest sensa
tions, Boyz II Men, and Uptown/M CA’s
Jodeci both had four nom inations, each
picked up only one award: Boyz II Men
taking the Best New R&B/Soul Artist
crown and Jodeci reeling in R&B/Soul
a
I
Album o f the Year, Group, Band or
Duo.
Prince made a rare appearance to
accept the prestigious Heritage Award,
bestowed annually for career achieve
ment. The presentation was highlighted
by a live musical tribute featuring
Stepanie Mills, NPG vocalist Rosie
Gaines and Patu LaBelle. Janet Jackson
was also on hand to receive the Sammy
Davis, Jr. Award for entertainer of the
year. Backstage she announced that she
will soon begin work on a new album,
her first under her new Virgin Records
pact, under the production of Jimmy
Jam and Terry Lewis once again.
Tribune Entertainment Company,
syndicator of the long-running weekly
“Soul Train” series, once again distrib
uted the special. Don Cornelius served
as executive producer and eo-producer
with Anthony Sabatino, Ron dc Moracs
of “ Entertainment Tonight” directed,
and George Duke served as musical
director for the sixth year.
Mrs. C's Wigs, 707 N.E. Fremont
House ot Sound.
3606 N. Williams Ave.
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N e w s F ro m O P B
The Oregon Commission on Pub
lic Broadcasting at a special meeting in
Portland on Thursday, March 19, en
dorsed Governor Barbara Roberts’ rec-
om mendation that Oregon Public Broad
casting become a non-profit organiza
tion. Currently, OPB is a state agency.
“ W e d o n ’t anticipate that this
change will be noticed by our listeners
and viewers,” Bill Findlay, Chairman
o f the Com m ission, stated. “O ur educa
tion and public information services
and our non-com m ercial status will not
be affected.”
The Com m ission’s endorsement
noted the importance o f the proposed
continued state contribution to the OPB
budgeL “The maintenance o f state par
ticipation in O P B ’s revenue mix made
this decision much easier for us,” Findlay
noted. “Wc know that our educational
services and statewide delivery system
for both radio and television can never
be fully self supporting.’’The G overnor
has recom mended that OPB ’ s state funds
be reduced by 20 percent in the next
biennium. This would reduce the state’s
contribution to O PB ’s operating ex
penses to approximately 18 percent of
the total budget.
“ It probably is the right time to
contem plate a change in organizational
status,” May nard Orme, OPB President
said. “Today only 21 percent o f the
nation’s public broadcasters operate as
state agencies. The remainder operate
successfully as community, local gov-
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ally unbroken string of T opT en singles,
including “Shake Your Pants,” “ Keep
It Hot,” “Freaky Dancin ’,” “Flirt” and,
o f course, their first No. 1 hit, “She’s
Strange.” At the same time, they earned
a top spot on the concert circuit with a
daring, dynamic and decidedly differ
ent stage show, packing houses around
the world. Various personnel changes
brought the ban d ’s eleven-m em ber
com plem ent down to a creative core
that centered on Larry and a handful o f
funk-minded fellow travelers.
Cole Wraps up Awards Sweep at Sixth
Annual Soul Train Music Awards
Ticket Price:
P&J's Beauty & Barber Supplies.
_ _ _ ^ _ 294P' N.E. M.L.K.Jr. Blvd.
Players, into a vehicle for his own unique
brand of funk, fun and sheer musical
excitem ent. Dubbed Cam eo, the free-
floating aggregate of like-minded mu
sicians released their debut album C a r
diac A rre st in 1977. Two more albums.
W e All K now W ho W e A re and Ugly
(both released in 1978), helped estab
lish the Cameo profile, but it was their
fourth long player, the gold-selling Se
c re t O m en that took Cam eo over the
top, thanks to a pair of propulsive singles,
“ I Just W ant To Be” and “ Sparkle.”
Cameo went on to record and re
lease an impressive total o f six more
albums (C am eosis, Feel Me, K nights
O f th e S o u n d T a b le , A llig a to r
W om an, She’s S trange and Single
Life) through 1985, resulting in a virtu
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Membership Applications Available
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282-6776
I
em m ent, or university licensees.”
G overnor R oberts’ recom m enda
tion followed the advice o f her Task
Force on State Government. In Janu
ary, the Task Force recommended the
change. In a speech on February 25,
1992, she endorsed that recom m enda
tion. The Governor will subm it her
OPB plan and funding changes to the
1993 L e g isla tu re . No o p e ra tio n a l
changes would occur at OPB before
July 1, 1993.
“Oregon PUblic Broadcasting is
one o f our state’s most im portant edu
cation and public in fo rm atio n re
sources,” Findlay said. “Wc arc proud
that over 93,000 Oregonians voluntar
ily support us each year. And, wc are
prouder still that over half a million
Oregon and W ashington students, from
grade school through adulthood, use
our educational programs and courses.
A non-profit status w on’t change our
role in educating our citizens.”
Orme cautioned that while OPB
has strong m embership contributions,
the anticipated reduction in state sup
port, regardless o f any organization
change, would require continued belt
tightening. “Last year we laid off 10
percent of our staff. Wc anticipate that
before th is current bienn iuni is over, we
will be asked to make additional cuts. In
this M easure Five w orld, it’s not busi
ness as usual. O P B ’s reliance on public
support will be more im portant than
ever," he concluded.
4