Page 4, The Carolina Journal, 1969
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Wonder Boy Strikes Again
(Continued
fan, especially if he happens
to be a Stevie devotee. But
there’s more to Stevie than
meets the eye here ....
Stevie Wonder is also (if
you’re clever enough to
transpose the letters to
reverse order) eivets rednow,
and, if this fact seems trivial,
it is not. There is a fresh, new
album out on the Gordy label
that is entitled simply eivets
rednow. Since we already
know what (who) this means,
on to the important'
business This LP is
probably Stevie’s best. Not to
undermine the lad’s
reputation as a vocalist, but
he is a much better
instrumentalist than he is
singer. That harmonica of his
can produce sounds that most
artists would strive for for
years, yet, this prodigy does
from Page I)
it consistently and,
seemingly, without effort.
This clever young man seems
to be at his best when he is
rendering one of Hal David
and Burt Bacharach’s
well-known tunes (“Alfie”
and“A House Is Not a
Home”, especially the latter.
It is probably the best cut on
the disc.). Stevie, however, is
no stranger to other artist’s
work either. He also does a
fine job on the Association’s
“Never My Love.” “Grazing
in the Grass” is another fine
track on the record, and
“Ruby” is six minutes and
forty-five seconds of truly
harmonious sounds. If there
is a magician with a
harmonica on the face of the
earth, it has got to be Stevie
Wonder (or is it eivets
rednow?)
Bobby Laurel Excels
—Singing or Composing
If we gave out “record-of-the-month” honors, Bobby
Laurel’s BEAUTIFUL DAYS OF MY YOUTH would be a top
candidate for this month’s honors, no matter what happens
during the rest of the month. This LP (on the MGM label) is
arranged and conducted by Don Sebesky, who gave us the
JAZZ—ROCK SYNDROME earlier. Any jazz fan would need a
few glances at the linar notes in order to believe his eyes -
Dick Hyman on Piano, Urbie Green on trombone, and Marvin
Stramm on trumpet. If you’ve been keeping up with this
column, you’ll remember the favorable review given to
Stramm’s MACHINATIONS in early December. But the most
outstanding feature of the album is Bobby Laurel. Do you
remember Toni Scotti’s singing part in VALLEY OF THE
DOLLS? Well, Laurel’s voice is similiar to that of Scotti. His
style is his own, although one can recognize hints of Steve
Lawrence and an occasional trace of Tony Bennett every now
and then.
Diversity. That is a synoptic description of the album
Laurel gives his version of Gus Travis’ fabulous “Sixteen Tons’
- an updated treatment that is outstanding as an achievement
in arrangment. He just fits naturally into Bacharach and
David’s “Walk on By” with a flair that not even Dionne
Warwick could match. Stramm really strings it out
trumpet-wise on this cut. It is, mildly stated, unbelievably
fantastic. And then there is the old Sigman and Russell tune
“Ballerina.” Laurel adds his touch; the song never sounded so
good. 1 had never heard “We’re Gonna Work It Out” before I
heard Bobby Laurel sing it. Now I don’t want to hear anyone
else sing it. And who ever heard of a male performer chanting
“Ode to Billie Joe” in a convincing manner? Laurel
Does it. “Once Upon a Tima” falls short of spectacular, but
who cares. The rest of the record makes up for it.
Now we get to the real meat of the album - the cuts
composed by Laurel. His “You’ll Come Running Back” is a
fast-paced and remarkable tune that is sure to mark the
beginning of a renaissance of singer-composer identification.
“It’s Over Now” is full of remorseful strains of a broken
relationship — the kind that hurts the most when it ends.
Laurel casts himself in the roll of the wounded partner, and he
is more than convincing musically. Another composition by
Mr. Laurel is “He’ll Never Be Me.” This one I’d heard before,
but I never realized the greatness of the song before 1 heard
Bobby sing it. Another serious tune about a boy who has given
and given a love that defies description, and has had the object
of this love removed. Laurel is, again, convincing. His best
composition on the disc is “I Don’t Want to Hurt You
Anymore.” It could be a million-seller, if he had any type of
promotion at all. It probably won’t; there just isn’t room for
another pop singer at the top. Eventually, Bobby Laurel will
replace someone.
There isn’t room to discuss the merits of Laurel’s “Once
Upon a Time” or “Days of My Youth.” but they are great.
Bobby Laurel’s name is one to begin to get familiar with,
for this young man will go places. And, remember, Bobby
Laurel’s name is “Bobby Laurel.”
\\ho is W. I. T. ? There has been a
great deal of speculation lately. Some of
the faadty members don’t even think,
a' so they say. that he’s a member of
the staff! Do you know who he is?
SOON TO BE REVEALED!!!
Are All Jews Zionists?
(Continued from page 1)
loose, because “by holding the
Surz Canal closed, we hurt the
Arab Republic. They (the Arabs)
will have to accept our terms.” He
also added “I am an American just
as I am a Jew, but in time of
crises, one will find unity. Any
Jew anywhere in the world, at any
expense, will immidiately rush to
back their people financially and
physically.”
An Arab student, Ayad K
Al-Hamdani from Iraq, respects
the Jewish religion, but he
considers the Zionists as a
movement, not a religion. He also
feels that the real problem in
Palestine is the problem of the
refugees. He said that “Israel was
created without thinking of the
people who already lived there
(the refugees). Now there are
refugees in camps or spread out all
over the country.” He said that he
would like to see the problem
settled without war or prejudice
to either side.
Jews should be represented in the
government in proportion to their
population. He also said that the
refugees were the problem. The
refugees are living on the U.N.
relief funds which is about seven
cents per person a day.
A Charlotte rabbi. Rabbi
Gerber, feels that “There will be
no end in the immidiate future.”
as long as the Arabs call for the
submission of Israel and as long as
Russia continues to aid the Arabs,
because “Russia does not want to
make peace.” In Rabbi Gerger’s
opinion “peace will mean an
overall settlement.” He would like
to see the killing stopped and “a
brotherly relationship established
between the peoples of a common
origin (Arabs and Jews).”
On the same line, Mr.
Abdel-KJialik, an Egyptian and an
instructor in Economics and
Business Administration on
campus, gave this comment, “The
big powers should get out of the
Middle East. The U.S. should stop
supplying armament and take
away the ‘Symbol of Power’ the
Sixth Fleet. The same with
Russia- They should not keep
ships in the Medditerranean or
supply armaments. I hope our
people would not grant rights to
Russia or anyone else to use ports
or give bases to them. If this
happens, then the Arabs as well as
the Israelites will find themselves
powerless to settle the differences
among themselves.”
Perhaps Dr. Witherspoon
summed up the problem of
settlement by saying “The peoples
of the Middle East need to look to
the future rather than the past.”
Another Arab on campus said
that he would not give his opinion
but rather some facts of his
people. He said that the average
Arab doesn’t consider every Jew
as a Zionist. That Zionists are a
political movement rather than a
religious movement. He also gave
three main points of the
PALESTINE STATEMENT OF
POLICY of May 1939, published
in London. The three points were:
1) Arabs should not be displaced
by Jews. 2) Jewish imigration into
Palestine should be eased until it
reaches 1/3 of the population. 3)
the WORLD
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