THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

719-Curtis Mayfield-Move On Up.

1971-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 2.33. It was Henry ‘Master’ Gibson (1942-2002) who played the mesmerising bongos on this track. Evidently he knew how good he was. After performing live with big names such as Curtis Mayfield, and Donny Hathaway, he became less and less content with being a sideman, and began asserting himself as the main attraction, placing his percussion at the forefront of shows. He was known for getting upset with audiences in noisy venues, after demanding their silence and full attention, he would instantly regain his focus, and proceed to put on spellbinding performances on the bongos.

Curtis Lee Mayfield was born on June 3rd, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, United States, he died on December 26th, 1999, from complications brought on by Type 2 Diabetes, at the age of 57. Curtis Mayfield had to have his right leg amputated in 1998, due to diabetes. On August 13th, 1990, Mayfield became paralysed from the neck down, after stage lighting fell on him at an outdoor concert at Wingate Field, New York. Curtis Mayfield spent the majority of his music career highlighting the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ of the late 1950’s, and 1960’s, and the plight of the under privileged. He had been a member of the American ‘R&B’/’Soul’/’Gospel’/’Doo-Wop’ group ‘The Impressions’ from 1958, until going solo in 1970. The Civil Rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968) named the Curtis Mayfield written ‘People Get Ready’ (see also best songs 195) as the unofficial anthem of the ‘Civil Rights Movement’ in America.

The discography of Curtis Mayfield includes 12 studio Albums with the ‘Impressions,’ between 1963-1970, and 27 Albums as a solo artist, issued between 1970-1996, there are also a further nine official compilation Albums available. Mayfield’s most successful solo Album is his third studio Album, ‘Super Fly,’ from July 1972, which was released as the soundtrack for the ‘Blaxploitation’ film of the same name. The Album reached Number 1 on the ‘Billboard 200’ Album chart, as well as the ‘Billboard R&B’ chart. Curtis Mayfield released 34 singles between 1970-1997, of which four reached the Billboard Hot 100 singles top 40, with ‘Freddie’s Dead’ peaking the highest at Number 4 in 1972. ‘Move On Up’ which was released as Mayfield’s second solo single failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Curtis Mayfield was also the writer of ‘The Staple Singers’ 1975 Billboard Hot 100 Number 1 single ‘Let’s Do It Again.’ In the UK, ‘Move On Up’ is Curtis Mayfield’s only top 40 entry.

‘Move On Up’ was the second of two singles released from Curtis Mayfield’s debut Album ‘Curtis,’ from September 1970, the song was written and produced by Mayfield, and was released on the ‘Curtom’ record label, which was co-founded, and co-owned by Mayfield. ‘Move On Up’ which was released on the Album in it’s full length of 8.49. and edited for it’s single release at 2.53, featured many of the best musicians at that time, on the track, including Henry Gibson, (1942-2002) on percussion, Clifford Davis, (saxophone)) and Philip Upchurch (guitarist.)

The message in ‘Move On Up’ is to encourage the listener to strive for better, and to get the most out of life, regardless of the obstacles in the way. Mavis Staples of ‘The Staple Singers’ has said about Curtis Mayfield, and his song ‘Move On Up,’He was like my baby brother. He’d drop by and we’d eat together, and he’d talk politics with Pops (Roebuck ‘Pops’ Staples) (1914-2000.) One day he came to Pops and said ‘I want to write songs like The Staple Singers do, and Pops said ‘Curtis man, you’re a writer, a poet! Write some of those songs!’ The first one Curtis wrote was ‘Move On Up,’ and he came round and played it to us, and Pops said, ‘That’s my boy!”

‘Take nothing less, than the supreme best. Do not obey rumours people say, ’cause you can pass the test. Just move on up, to a greater day, with just a little faith. If you put your mind to it. you can surely do it, just move on up.’