Page B8-The Chronicle, Thursday, November 1
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On Their Own
Ernie Isley, Chris Jasper and K
with the Isley Brothers, have st
and released their first single,
The single has befn rated on
? and Billboard's charts. "For *
Ask Yolonda
Motherfume
By YOLONDA GAYLES
Syndicated Columnist
Dear Yolonda: My daughter, age 13, has always
been an active child and has some problems settling
down and doing her homework. But she is not
a stupid child and she certainly is not retarded.
But this year, when it came time for school to
resume, she had been transferred from the class
with her friends to a class for slow learners. She's
classified as educable mentally handicapped. I
don't like it.
When 1 learned of the change, 1 visited her class
anH I'm hpro fn cow ~c ?'? i.:j- ' - 1
* .11 iiviv IV jay uiai 31/lllC U1 II1C K.1US in ner
room are in real poor shape. They don't have the
same difficulty as my child. My daughter is simply
not motivated by school. She wasn't studying and
isn't applying herself, but she is not mentally handicapped
as her classmates seem to be.
I asked her teacher how the change happened
and they told me that she had been tested and had
been found to have problems, but I don't believe
it. I tried to explain to the teacher that anyone can
fail a test; That doesn't mean that they are mentalSpotlight
? Russtwinsdebi
I
Jeanette and Claudette Russ, identical twins,
J comprise the recording duo Twin Image. Their
; current LP, entitled "Mirror," marks the debut of
this harmoniously tight-knit twosome, whose
voices melt with a grace and ease beyond compare.
Jeanette and Claudette grew up in a suburban
' area of San Diego, Calif. Like many of the
* popular artists of today, they were first discovered
- as part of their church choir where, incidentally,
they can still be found on any given Sunday morn7
ine.
- Evolving from a musically inclined family who
"We wanted to help people. We wanted
v: to bring some happiness to the people
i around us and we thought that by enterr.
ing the para-medical field, we would be
k able to do just that. Now, we can bring
happiness through our music."
Z ? Russ Twins
c sing throughout Southern California, Twin Image
> developed their vocal skills both at home and at
/ church. In fact, they were discovered by Capitol
? Records while performing at a Los Angeles
: church.
The girls were originally inclined towards the
*' field of paramedics, but when Capitol Records
was so impressed with their talents that they ofWi"
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, 1984 (
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larvin Isley, all formerly wanted to record our ov
epped out on their own time to do so," said J<
"Look the Other Way." something in a differer
the Radio and Records group was scheduled to
some time we felt we at Silver Cup Studios am
?i?
is when daughtei
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Yolonda
^hI., j^BI Gayles
ly handicapped.
And, frankly, I just don't like the term. Suppose
this kind of negative label does permanent
emotional damage to her? It certainly can't help to
motivate her, which is what she really needs.
I tried to make an appointment to speak to the
school's principal, but he hasn't bothered to
return my calls. Meanwhile, my little girl is an a
it with 'MirrorTP
fered them an immediate contract, the girls decided
to accept the musical challenge and signed on
the dotted line. According to the girls, "We
wanted to help people. We wanted to bring some
happiness to the people around us and we thought
that by entering the para-medical field, we would
be able to do just that. Now, we can bring happiness
through our music."
"Mirror" was produced by Todd Cochran and
Sigidi, who co-wrote the stylish "My Baby Loves
Me (Do Do)" for the LP. Housed in this delectable
platter are tunes ranging from the danceoriented
to the balladic. The premier single, "Kiss
And Make It Better," written by Jerry Knight, is
an upbeat R&B gem which showcases the girls' instinctive
harmonic ability at its best. Other cuts include
the riveting ballad "Unidivided Love," the
energetic "Turn The World Around," and the
cooker "Love Lesson," whose funk-flavoured
rhythms are suggestive of the girls' R&B roots.
Though barely out of their teens, Jeanette and
Claudette boast a highly developed musical expertise.
The fact that they are twins and have been
singing together since childhood accounts for their
uncanny ability to sing as a single voice. Backed
up by the producing wizardry of Cochran and
Sigidi, Twin Image offer a powerful first LP in
"Mirror".
kend
, Music, Columns
a Before the morr
17, 1972, Frank W
lived a life indi
from that of thous;
hardworking black
that June morning
ing a routine check
guard at the Wat
plex in J Washin*
discovered a mvste
lock -- behind whi
out, five men were
offices of the Der
L tional Committee
years later, the li
criminally in>
Watergate have reti
mal. They have be<
forgiven, relegitim
and large, become
But for Frank W
hardly been pros
that fateful mornir
In the Novembei
sale Oct. 23),
reporter Jill Nelson
I the poignant stoi
Wills, who left hi
I Watergate a few i
the break-in becat
%. he was "under a \e
for being involved
tivities.'^He currer
vn material and we chose this North Augusta, S
asper. "We wanted to record mother, finding w
it vein." In late October, the can, doing odd job
make a video that will be filed a small backyard
d directed by Steve Kahn. the last few years h
^^___J never exceeded
'4#
r 's labeled mentai
class where everyone is called 4'mentally handicapped."
What can a parent do?
Hazel D.
Dear Hazel: I called your local school board and
after explaining your problem, I was told,
"educatable mentally handicapped is a nonbiased,
universal concept that does not mean the same to
educators and trainers as it does to others. EMH
simply refers to a child with special needs."
"Yes. But we're concerned with what it means
to this parent, and the psychological impact on her
child," I said.
"Then have that parent write the principal and
say that she would like her child reassessed
because she feels her daughter has needs other
than those addressed in EMH. She should send a
carbon copy of her letter to her district administrator."
So do that, and let me know what
occurs.
Ill Co-worker Causes Office Unrest
I i
M ^k
# M j^k
H(^-: v\&s ^^^k
Jeanette and Claudette Russ: Doubling the plea
. >r~"' -_ r~*j~,.-*. _ .
: Wills: A
i of Watergate
ling of June more often has been substanills,
then 24, tially less,
stinguishable Says Wills, "I always thought
ands of other * that for people who tried to do
men. But on the right things, good things,
, Wills, mak- that good would happen to
as a security^ them. But evidently society feels
ergate Com- a different way....It is not that
5ton, D.C., people are obligated to me, but
riously taped I still think people could have
ch, it turned? reacted more positively to what
hidden in the I did. Nixon and those people
nocratic Na- could have taken over the coun.
Now, 12 try, and they are all doing fine,
ves 01 tnose all out ot jail and making big
/olved in money, and I,,,," he trails off.
urned to nor- It is reported that political acen
pardoned, tivist Dick Gregory recently
ized and, by signed Wills to join him on the
i prosperous. lecture circuit in a campaign
ills, life has against drugs, alcohol, nicotine
perous since and caffeine,
lg in June. Other features in the fourth
r Essence (on annual men's issue includes:
investigative The Male Sex Drive: adapted
i-Ricks traces from "The Changing Definition
y of Frank of Masculinity" by Clyde W.
s job at the Franklin II, Ph.D., this promonths
after vocative article provides
ise, he says, ?fascinating information on the
>t of pressure significant differences between
in union ac- the masculine roles played by
ltly resides in? ?black and?white - males ?in
.C., with his American society,
ork when h? Spotlight on Miles Davis,
s and tending The master trumpeter blows
garden. For away his legendary mystique
is income has and celebrates 40 years of
510,000 and ? Pleas? see page B11
. - f ?
fly handicapped
Dear Yolonda: I work around a man who is in his
r mid 60s. He has a few medical probles, including
u:~t_ i-1 1 ... ...
mgii Diuoa pressure. Me is very high strung, and
thus, easy to upset.
Because everyone in our office knows that he is
edgy, we walk around as if we were walking on
eggs. We have to watch what we say and do
because we know he'll explode. Mind you, he is
not the head of the office, or even a manager, yet
he's been here so long that he practically runs the
place.
1 wouldn't care about all of this if he would
keep his problems away from me, but he doesn't.
He sits right behind me, making my life miserable.
If it wasn't for him, this might be a nice job. What
should 1 do? Please don't say go to the boss. Our
boss goes out of his way to keep from upsetting
him, too. Please advise.
Karen J.
Dear Karen: Chances are great that your coworker
is very much set in his stormy work habits
so whatever you do won't change him -- so you
make the change. Ask for a desk change.
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