I'm departing a bit here from my usual kid memories to talk about some adult-ish memories I wish I'd had. If you see this movie, you'll wish you remembered these bands, too: Cookin' Bag. Black and White Affair. Cold, Bold & Together. Soul Swingers. And if you remember these bands already, bless you.
I geek-freak out every year at the Seattle International Film Festival (which is why you haven't heard from me for a bit. I'm geeking until the festival ends.) I have big love for American indie film and even bigger love for documentaries. Throw in local Seattle music history and I'm bursting with fruit flavor at the mere thought. Enter Wheedle's Groove.
Wheedle's Groove tells the unsung story of Seattle's rhythm and blues/funk scene in the late 60s and early 70s--which would have been an interesting enough story for diehard music lovers. But the fact that many of these bands were such amazing talents--as good or better than their more-famous contemporaries--makes the story even more compelling. And the music? Um, it grooves like Sly and the Family Stone. Or maybe Earth Wind & Fire. Take a listen.
Why didn't any of these talented musicians and singers (save for Kenny G) become famous? Blame disco, racism, Seattle isolation, the rain, or something.
Last night's screening was attended by not only the director (Jennifer Maas) but also several of the musicians featured in the movie, many of whom now live ordinary lives in Seattle.
Oh, and that Wheedle thing? The Wheedle on the Needle was the Seattle Supersonics' early, hairily orange mascot.
Oh! The Wheedle is the subject of the children's book "The Wheedle On The Needle", from 1974; he didn't become the mascot of the Supersonics until 1978.
ReplyDelete"Wheedle's Groove" (an instrumental) was released in 1974, WAY before the whole mascot thing.