This playlist and gallery by Sundhya Anthony aka Open Tab is a confident, contemplative, complicated, revolutionary, and groovy journey. It is a crate that holds music videos, live performances, and album art posted by record labels and everyday people. It features footage from television screens, recorded audio from literal records. Music holds moments and feelings of its time; the whole experience of its packaging, visuals, liner notes, gatefolds, fashion and architectural choices is history.
The playlist goes up and down, in mood. It is non linear. The songs are having a conversation with each other. Mississippi Goddam turns into Future Shock, turns into Cosmic Slop, and it keeps going, and giving.
The playlist is 3 hours and 22 minutes. A length possible to finish in one sitting, or two if you need a break.
This gallery serves as a visual archive of the ephemera supporting the music in the playlist. The images are primarily from discogs.com and crowd-archived.
We hope this curation brings back memories, and creates new ones. Not just during Black History Month, but year round.
Wild Style, 1983
Funkadelic – Uncle Jam Wants You, 1979
The O’Jays – Survival, 1975
Kim Weston – This Is America, 1968
James Brown – Say It Loud I’m Black And I’m Proud, 1969
Nina Simone – I Loves You Porgy / Mississippi Goddam / Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood / I Put A Spell On You, 1965
Curtis Mayfield – Back To The World, 1973
Funkadelic – Cosmic Slop, 1973
A Taste Of Honey – A Taste Of Honey, 1978
Chic – Chic, 1977
Cherrelle – High Priority, 1985
Donna Summer – I Remember Yesterday, 1977
The Egyptian Lover – On The Nile, 1984
Earth, Wind & Fire – Raise!, 1981
Rick James – Street Songs, 1981
The Egyptian Lover – 1984 (Released 2015)
Sister Sledge – We Are Family, 1979
Carl Carlton – Everlasting Love, 1974
Bloodstone – Natural High, 1973
Curtis Mayfield – Superfly (Soundtrack), 1972
Willie Hutch – The Mack, 1973
The Supremes – Stop! In the Name of Love, 1965
Cameo – Word Up!, 1986
Mary Jane Girls – Only Four You, 1985
Fatback – Hot Box, 1980
Ohio Players – Honey, 1975
Ike & Tina Turner – Workin’ Together, 1970
Ike & Tina Turner – The Hunter, 1969
Aretha Franklin – Chain Of Fools, 1967
Diana Ross – Diana Ross, 1976
The Isley Brothers – The Heat Is On, 1975
Zapp & Roger – All The Greatest Hits, 1993
Funkadelic – One Nation Under A Groove, 1978
Amnesty – Free Your Mind (The 700 West Sessions), 2007 (Recorded 1973)
Prince – Prince, 1979
Evelyn King – I’m In Love, 1981
Chaka Khan – Chaka, 1978
Change – The Glow Of Love, 1980
The Sylvers – The Sylvers II, 1973
The Jones Girls – Get As Much Love As You Can, 1981
Evelyn “Champagne” King – Smooth Talk, 1977
Minnie Riperton – Minnie, 1979
Chic – C’est Chic, 1978