The following is a version of a concept I stumbled upon the other night while browsing Community Live Journal's "Blackfolks" blog. For the purposes of the "Old School Mix," I added a couple of my own unique spins to the idea.
The Task: Select three musical artists (acts or groups) who you'd like to see perform in your very own "dream concert" and chose a venue for the performance.
The Limitations: The concert can only last 2 hours and you are only allowed to choose performers who are no longer with us . . . yeah, that's right, they have be to dead.
The PLACE would be in Memphis, Tennessee at either the Orpheum Theatre or the Mud Island Amphitheatre.
The SET-UP: I'd have Phyllis open up the concert with a thirty minute jazz- flavored set. Luther would follow her with thirty minutes of his R &B hits. Of course, Marvin would come on stage and turn it out with thirty minutes of his hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s.
But the highlight of the show would be the last thirty minutes when I'd have all three grace the stage simultaneously. Talk about a blend of voices. The duets alone would be out of this world! Think about it . . . Phyllis & Luther . . . Phyllis & Marvin . . . Luther & Marvin. And all three together? Something tells me I'd feel like I'd died and gone to heaven (smile).
So given the task and the limitations, WHO would perform at YOUR "DREAM CONCERT"? WHERE would it take place? Who would go on FIRST? SECOND? THIRD?
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7 comments:
I love this one, Lori! It is hard to put a dream concert together when your choices are limited. However…
I’m also choosing (one of) your locations: Mud Island in Memphis. Opening act is Minnie Riperton. I know she did other stuff besides “Lovin’ You” and I’d love to hear it. (Did you know that Maya Rudolph on Saturday Night Live is her daughter?)
Next up is Otis Redding. He would end with “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” and Minnie would join him to do the whistling part in her high register. I think that would be close to heaven…listing to Otis Redding sing “Dock of The Bay” on the banks of the Mississippi.
The last act would be Sam Cooke with Minnie and Otis joining him on his last number which would be a medley of “Twistin’ the Night Away”/”Another Saturday Night”. This would, of course, take place on a hot, summer night.
MR,
Oh yeah, after my dream concert, I'm coming to yours (smile)! And yes, I've known for quite some time Maya was Ms. Riperton's daughter. Talent of all kinds obviously runs in that family.
I really like the hot, summer night part on your dream concert. But for my own I think I'd prefer a nice breeze coming off the river, at least every now and again.
Love your choice of artists. And you're right . . . hearing Otis sing "Sitting On The Dock of the Bay" on the banks of the Mississippi would be pretty durn near close to heaven! Thanks for stopping by the "Mix." It's been a while. I've missed ya (smile)!
Excellent topic Lori! The concert would take place at the Fox Theatre in Detroit.
Bobby Darin would open the show. His opening number would be "Queen of the Hop". The song that he would close with is "Mack the Knife".
David Ruffin would follow Bobby. He would open with "My Whole World Ended" and close with "Aint Too Proud To Beg".
James Brown would close the show, because no one can follow him. Opening number: The Payback
Closing number: Night Train
Malcolm,
Wow! Another great line-up. I would have never thought to pair Bobby Darin up with Ruffin and Brown. But hey, it's a dream concert, anything goes.
Love your opening and closing numbers, especially Ruffin's. But why didn't you include the other deceased Temps? That might have made for a nice reunion.
You're right about James. He'd have to close the show 'cause after his set, folks would be too exhausted to enjoy anyone else (smile).
Nicely done. As always, I appreciate the contribution.
My dream concert is going to take place in downtown Atlanta at the Fabulous Fox Theater.
I'm opening the show with the incomprable Donny Hathaway. After completing a set of his solo efforts, he'll be joined on-stage by none other than the sexy and sultry Phyllis Hyman. She will join him on a medley of duets that Donny sang with Roberta Flack.
Of course, Phyllis will have a set where she'll tear down the house with her own songs.
Lastly (and this was a hard decision), I'm going to have to bring out Luther Vandross to close out the show. Donny and Phyllis will join Luther on-stage for a soulful and stirring rendition of "Dance With My Father" for the encore.
NOTE: I was going to bring on James Brown instead of Luther Vandross, but there was no way that the Godfather of Soul could share a two-hour concert with two other performers!
Plez,
Sweet line-up. I'm betting Phyllis and Donny would have sounded wonderful together.
Good decision about Brother Brown. He really wouldn't have fit in with those other voices. And like you said, that's one peformer who needs his own space, if only to sweat, spin, do the splits, the camel walk and holla "Watch me!" (smile).
Hi Lori: Since Otis Williams is still alive, I didn't want to do a 4/5 reunion of the Tempts. I know it's hair splitting, but you have to have 5 members in The Temptations.
After thinking about it, I remembered that Ruffin and Kendricks toured and recorded as a duo in the 1980s. Therefore, I would like to change the middle act from David Ruffin to Ruffin and Kendricks. I would change the opening song to I Couldn't Believe It (a tune they recorded in 1987 I believe). They would could close with You're My Everything.
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