Curtis

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Curtis was released in September 1970 and was Curtis Mayfield's first solo album. He produced it himself and released it on his own label, Curtom Records. He was still a member of The Impressions and would not officially leave that group until 1971. The album sounds harder than his work with that group, with influences of funk and psychedelia, and deals with the political and social concerns of the time.

The singles Move On Up and (Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below, We're All Going to Go showed the new funk style, the rest was softer soul. The album spent five weeks, not consecutively, at the top of the Billboard Black albums chart. AllMusic called it almost the Sgt. Pepper of 1970s soul.

Listening

Track list

1. 1(Don't Worry) If There's a Hell Below We're All Going To Go7:51Apple Music ↗
2. 2The Other Side of Town4:02Apple Music ↗
3. 3The Makings of You3:44Apple Music ↗
4. 4We the People Who Are Darker Than Blue6:06Apple Music ↗
5. 5Move On Up (Extended Version)8:55Apple Music ↗
6. 6Miss Black America2:59Apple Music ↗
7. 7Wild and Free3:16Apple Music ↗
8. 8Give It Up3:49Apple Music ↗
9. 9Power To the People (Demo Version)2:47Apple Music ↗
10. 10Underground (Demo Version)3:12Apple Music ↗
11. 11Ghetto Child (Demo Version)5:10Apple Music ↗
12. 12Readings In Astrology (Demo Version)3:31Apple Music ↗
13. 13Suffer (Demo Version)2:32Apple Music ↗
14. 14Miss Black America (Demo Version)2:23Apple Music ↗
15. 15The Makings of You (Backing Track Take 32)4:35Apple Music ↗
16. 16(Don't Worry) If There Is a Hell Below, We're All Going To Go [Backing Track Take 1 & 2]4:18Apple Music ↗
17. 17(Don't Worry) If There Is a Hell Below, We're All Going To Go [Single Version]3:27Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗