super fly

Curtis Mayfield dug deep and found his most enduring music on the classic soul soundtrack of this iconic blaxploitation film.  Director Gordon Parks, Jr. made his directorial debut with 'Super Fly', a film about Youngblood Priest, a drug dealer that is trying to get out of the business.  Parks' father Gordon Parks, Sr. had directed the hugely successful 'Shaft' the year before and helped produce the film.  While 'Super Fly' might seem to glorify drugs and prostitution, the gritty depictions of real inner city life also provide a cautionary tale.  In any case, it became a cultural phenomenon.  

Mayfield's soundtrack was less ambiguous, providing a funky undercurrent to the action with straightforward stories and character studies that were actually critical of the drug culture.  Curtis Mayfield wrote and produced the album, sang, and played guitar with Joseph Lucky Scott on bass, Craig McMullen on guitar, Master Henry Gibson on percussion, and Morris Jennings on drums. Roger Anfinsen was the engineer and Johnny Pate did arrangements and orchestration.  The 'Super Fly' album was an even bigger success than the film with two million selling singles.  It went to number two on the jazz chart, and spent four weeks on the top of the album chart and six weeks on top of the black album chart.  






http://www.curtismayfield.com/









'Pusherman' was the only song with Tyrone McCullen on drums.






'Superfly' hit number eight on the pop chart and number five on the R&B chart. 




'Freddie's Dead' went to number four on the pop chart and number two on the R&B chart.







'Super Fly' 
full album:




All songs written and composed by Curtis Mayfield.

Side one
1. "Little Child Runnin' Wild" 5:23
2. "Pusherman" 5:04
3. "Freddie's Dead" 5:27
4. "Junkie Chase (Instrumental)" 1:36
Side two
5. "Give Me Your Love (Love Song)" 4:20
6. "Eddie You Should Know Better" 2:16
7. "No Thing on Me (Cocaine Song)" 4:53
8. "Think (Instrumental)" 3:43
9. "Superfly" 3:55