GBH Boston : Soul Archives Interviews.

[Coolnotes]

 

GBH  is a Boston based TV and Radio company with a quality pedigree in public broadcasting  as well as contributing to local education initiatives , despite that unfortunate  moniker !This includes an on line Open Vaults section which includes an open archive of the stations reports on American political and cultural history throughout the last 70 years.This includes a Rock and Roll archive with interviews with about 50 artists , half of them from the Soul music scene, which might have some appeal

https://openvault.wgbh.org/collections/rock_roll/interviews

 

Ive had a quick look at two of them , which are made up of 3 separate interview clips which total about an hour each.

 

Thomas Beans Bowles  :

Two interview clips with Motown session player, song writer and tour manager of the Motown Revue .It  covers Maurice King Orchestra at the Flame Show Bar, his introduction and recruitment by Berry Gordy . His Motown years and his role on the Motown Revue , and the issue of the segregated South.

Al Bell :

3 interview clips totalling an hour .His arrival at Stax and his work in promotion , his work with Sam Cooke , Otis Redding and the  Stax European Tour . Issac Hayes and a reflection on the cultural and political significance of Stax Records .

There are also similar  interviews with :

Ben E King , Billy Davis ,Cholly Atkins , Bootsy Collins, Bobby Eli and Vince Montana , Claudette Robinson , Nelson George ,Martha Reeves, Maceo Parker , Teddy Pendergrass , Cynthia Robinson and Sly and the Family Stone. Gamble and Huff , Jerry Wexler.

I discovered GBH after watching their documentary "United States of Conspiracy."  A riveting but scary production which explores the emergence of Alex Jones, a far-right political extremist, who helped give rise to President Donald Trump and normalized conspiracy theories, which clearly is a very topical but separate issue shown on PBS America .

 

Cool Notes 

 

 

[Geobuch335]

Watched the beans Bowles interviews, very informative and wee snippets that you wouldn’t always pick up on a book. Be dipping into this site again.