WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - I’ve Got Aux: "This World (Is Going Up in Flames)" by Charles Bradley

Episode Date: November 17, 2023

Ally is on Aux this week and chose "This World (Is Going Up in Flames)" by Charles Bradley. We chat about neo-soul and why soul is needed now more than ever. Ally also fangirls about Daptone Records for half the episode and Gavin learns that some artists he thinks made music in the '60s are from the mid-2000s.

Right, well now this is a first, never done this before, but how exciting is this on the internet? Okay, there you go. If you think soul is dead, then you just don't know about Daptone records. One of the labels Golden Children is Charles Bradley, an American funk and soul singer who rose to fame in his early 50s. After running away from home in hopes of building a better life for himself as a kid, Bradley spent years working odd jobs and eventually began making a living as a James Brown impersonator, and clubs under the next. named Black Velvet. It was this persona that co-founder of Daptone Records, Gabriel Roth, discovered Bradley and brought him under the label's now very famous wing. Alongside another Daptone signie, Manahan Street Band, Bradley's 2011 debut, No Time for Dreaming, was released, off of which

today's track comes. The world is going up in flames as the first song of Bradley's formative debut and is his most famous song to date. And although you might hear it on bad TV shows like suits, the track is exemplary of Bradley's skill and soul as a musician. He's got a classic voice that resurrects a sense of soul. It's easy to think that it's long gone these days. You're listening to I've Got Oaks on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. I'm Allie Hall and this is The World is Going Up in Flames by Charles Bradley. You just heard The World is Going Up in Flames by Charles Bradley. I think Bella and Gavin were sort of pseudo-blind listeners and this might be their first time hearing that song within the past 12 hours.

I've never heard that song before ever. I thought I was supposed to never heard that song before. This is Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM. You're listening to I've got ox. I've got ox. That's the show. We've got all the boxes checked. All the boxes.

So guys, how was your, in quotations, first experience hearing the song? I liked it. I mean, what's not the like? I know. It sounds like they're just nailing a, a genre of music that already works. Yeah. And so they're just making it better or doing it again, you know,

which I have no problems with. I think it's awesome. Yeah. I thought it was really interesting to hear that you said he like got famous when he was like 50 or something. That's crazy. And that's so cool. This is just some like middle age guy who's like, you know what?

And just belted that out. Yeah. Which is crazy. I really liked it. The more like, the more I listen to this genre of music, the more it becomes my favorite. it. Like, it's like, the feeling of soul is just, it's so good. I realize we have more of a theme going on this semester with that, uh, with the soul. Yeah. Yeah. What was that song you played, Bella?

Oh, um, yeah, too late to turn back now. Yeah, same vibe. Yeah. But it's, I think there's more weight when a, when a 50 year old guy says the world is going up in flames. Yeah. Than loin like a 20-something does. And that there's a couple things to talk about there because in the few interviews that he's done, mostly with like, because he only put out a couple of albums before he passed away. This song was released in 2011, which is insane. Isn't that insane to think about? Are you serious? And I think there's also like,

we love music and so we might consume soul music from the 50s and 60s and like it a lot. But I think it's something very different to have that kind of music produced and put out contemporary. Yeah, that's what you're saying. This is our world going up in flames.

Yeah, they're not talking about race riots and the 60s. They're talking about now. Which has its time its place and we can enjoy that and appreciate that, but fundamentally we will not connect to that the way that we will connect to music. Yeah, that's crazy. That speaks to our experience. So that's, that's where I think that Charles Bradley and I think Daptone Records as a whole in the artist that they bring in do a really good job of like harnessing that sort of neo-soul vibe and not, not in a kitsy trying to just copy and paste a formula that's worked, but in like we have these things that we

no work and how can we use those tools in these new artists and this kind of budding genre to kind of reflect our world now, you know? Yeah. When I was listening to it, I was like this, and you mentioned the record label that apparently is a big, big thing. Yeah. It's like, who else, the way that was produced reminded me of something. And like, this reminds me of that one song by Sharon Jones.

And I was like, wait, and the daftone. Yeah. And this song, which like, you just know by the intro. Like, this is on my good music from 60s and 70s, because I thought it was from the 60s and 70s. This song by her, like, it's so good. It's so, yes, yes. Like, yes.

You could tell me that was from 1967 and I would believe you. I think Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley are like two of the, like, the golden children of Daptone. And that, like, I don't know if, you know, uh, These Sacred Souls. Oh my gosh. I was just listening to a song by them. Like, Daptone has a very signature sound to it. I think sometimes, you know, people, people don't like labels.

People have all their opinions about labels that are completely valid. I work for one, so I feel like I can be like, they suck, but they're also like the best. And I think Daptone historically with people like Charles Bradley has just created such like a wonderful and sustainable brand and a culture that kind of cultivates really earnest, good music. And Bradley is like a perfect example of that. And I think also like what I was hitting, what Gavin sort of began to mention is like even though the song, the world is going up in flames seems not negative, but seems maybe a little dreary. All of his interviews and the majority of his work has a hopeful undertone. Like even in this song, he's begging for someone to take responsibility. So even if it's like the world is going up in flames, no one wants to take the

blame. There's still this acknowledgement of like, it's kind of on all of us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And there is a, there's a sense of community within, I think, a lot of his work. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's good. And I realized, too, the mix is in mono for all those. I mean, I'm sure audio, the way it's produced is very important to this record label because it's all about capturing that sound. But that's something that's, the most people would overlook, they're like, why would you ever want to go back to mono recordings,

you know, and not have left and right ears, you know. But I could totally see if you're trying to emulate a style of music. You kind of limit yourself to the parameters that they had. And it's great. And it works. And it delivers every single time. And he's,

so he's also, he's famous for a couple songs. This, I think, is like, the one that showed up in a lot of TV shows and people probably shows up an algorithm mix. But he also did a cover of, is it, Black Sabbath song, Changes?

Oh. Yes. There's a very famous, there's a couple of videos of him doing it. I think there's one very famous one where he's like sweating and sort of giving it. Oh my gosh. I might have seen that on like Instagram. Yeah.

Yeah. It's very James Brown. Yes. It's extremely, it's very, very passionate. And I think he kind of breathes soul, not to overuse that word too much in this episode,

but he breathes that into a song that maybe other people wouldn't listen to or people who listen to Charles Bradley wouldn't want to. And that's impressive. Like that's impressive stuff to make Black Sabbath. Yeah. Some sort of soul song. And I think the year that this album came out, or at least in the years that he kind of became famous, there was like this little document, I don't want to call it a little documentary. There was a documentary about his life because it's so profound, like the hardship that he overcame. And he kind of just stumbled upon success. I mean, being in a club, and hoping a record guy is going to be there is like this,

this story we've heard a million times. Especially nowadays. Yeah, exactly. There's no way. Nowadays, even 10 years ago, it's like, well, that's not really how that works. But would you expect Charles Bradley to have like an Instagram or a band camp? No, he's doing James Brown impersonations at a club. So I think he kind of stumbled into success.

And there was never this assumption or this pride that a lot of artists had. he was always just kind of himself making music. Yeah. And I think that's because he came to fame so late. He didn't have the opportunity to kind of be swept up and all the stuff that doesn't matter. That reminds you kind of Charlie Crockett too. Yeah. Just kind of like aimlessly wandering through life and then music just kind of happened for him.

It happens. That's great. Yeah. And the whole album is, there's some just this album start to finish, especially as the debut is crazy. But the whole album is very, grounded and authentic and all of the things that I think modern times we say don't exist or like we are in some way we are some way lacking in and maybe in the mainstream we're lacking in those things but it's there if you want to find it these albums and these

artists exist it's just a matter of like what gets super platformed yeah for sure because this guy was still successful at this label is still one of the most famous labels it's like it's just not maybe what you're seeing on Instagram. Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting too, like the relationship that he has with the label. Yes.

I feel like that's a very uncommon tale. The fact that like the label is sharing his mission in a way to create the same kind of thing where I feel like nowadays it's always the artist dragging. Yeah, the artist is dragging his feet and like, okay, I guess I'll write. You know, Ed Shearhan's like, I guess I'll write shape of you, you know, like, because you guys want another hit or something like that. when, I don't know, I feel there's a lot more personal connection between the label and the artist in a cohesive journey. And I feel like, not to bring up the 1975, but with their label, Dirty Hit, I see that a lot in the way that the artist on that label interact with each other and they help each other with their music.

And there's a vibe of a dirty hit song that I'm sure is very similar to adaptone song. Yeah. You know, they all share a similar goal. in the music that they're making. So it's kind of cool. And the extension of that goal is that what I admire a lot about Daptone is a lot of their records and the things that they sell are still very affordable. Like they don't try to jack up LP prices to 40, 50 bucks. It's like they still keep it at like 23.

Appreciate that. Because their goal is to share the music, not necessarily always maximize profit, which is completely understandable in a business setting. Like, of course that's what it's going to do, you know? But I think that it takes sort of these labels that have a culture behind them that give them the opportunity to give people like Bradley a platform. That's awesome. And give that music to people who are looking for it. Like, because I think kind of like what you guys were saying, just increasingly, like it's harder for, I mean, I'm not a musician.

I don't know. But obviously, like, I can imagine the hardships of wanting to make a sound like this right now and finding some of. finding someone to like help you do that. Or be on board. Who actually cares. Yeah, be on board. And like,

and I think also, I mean, I think this success of the label like should say something like, I mean, it's working. It's making money still. And I just like, I hope that I hope that more people are doing that.

Yeah. I mean, that's really general. But, you know, and I also think sometimes about like, there's other people out there who like especially this idea came into my mind when we were listening to charlie crockett list last year like there's probably like thousands of secret hidden people out

there who want to make music like this and just will never get the chance because it's not popular enough anymore like you know what i mean like there's nothing there there's no resources there's barely any label who will help them do that or whatever and it's just like imagining all these people who could make this awesome music and like bring back this sound, which is just so crazy that he captured the vibe of that. And I think it's really interesting also like when you listen to a song like that and you generally like think it was from like back then or whatever. Because sometimes people try to do the sound and it sounds good, but you can tell. Like you know what I mean? Like you know what I mean? Like you know what I mean? Like you know what I mean? Like you know what? Like you're cool. Yeah, someone

did something. And I've been listening to Charles Bradley for a long, like longer than I had expected, but just like you guys, I kind of thought it was like an older album. And then I worked with the James Hunter 6, who's another Daptone signing, and he like used to do background vocals for Van Morrison,

like had this incredible backstory. And his stuff too, like you listen to it and it sounds like it's from the 60s. And I read in an interview before I spoke with him. the interviewer asked him sort of like, how do you and other artists kind of feel about being asked about this quote retro sound? And he had a very great reply, which is just sort of like, we don't even think it's retro, which is just kind of how my voice sounds. It's just what works.

It's the music we enjoy listening to and it's the music we enjoy making, which I thought was a very interesting, like, reframing of how we are viewing these sort of like renaissance in certain genres, in Americana, in soul. like how are we, is it always just going to be this repackaging or does it take more than just replicating Otis Redding? You know, do you actually have to have something to say? And I think the answer is yes and this is a perfect example of that. I can see that the years of copying James Brown to a T, obviously, that was his job was to mimic this great musician. when it came down to make his own music, part of that was in his identity at that point. So when he went to make his own art, the things that he had taken from James Brown

were less of an act at that point and more of just something that he did. You know, because every time he sang, he did that with his voice, you know? And so it's not like, oh, I can tell he's trying to sound like so-and-so in this song. Yeah, it's like... It's genuine.

Because that's just how he sings now. And I can imagine that's probably helped him a lot, just a study you know you look at what's his name that guy who did the Elvis movie

Austin Butler and everyone's like your voice is stuck in Elvis mode you know oh yeah that's true and at this point he could

you know he's I don't know who I believe on that topic I saw him one time really defending himself being like you work on the movie for five years

and blah I was like but there's no way and sometimes I'm like maybe but yeah but after a while it becomes natural

and he can do the role of Elvis without having to think of that you know remember his lines and remember how to hold his mouth and speak yeah you know and I think emulating that that retro sound becomes easier yeah

just and adding your own to the mix and there's some he performed it I think Southways Southwest I always forget which whatever is whatever yeah I think that's it and it's it's the recording shows

all of the songs in his set and it's just like I can sit there and watch that for hours. There's just he's so engaged and he's so convincing with his performance. It's like he's not even trying to convince you of something. He's just trying to convince you to be present. And even through a recording, you know, that's extremely evident. Yeah. That's awesome. I love that. Good for this guy. Well, you've been listening to I've Got OX on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM and today we've been discussing Charles Bradley and the song The World is Going Up in Flames and a little bit about Daptone and Neil

soul. Your soul, yeah. All righty guys. We'll catch you guys next. See you next week. See you. Bye. Bye.