Gil Scott-Heron ¦ I’m New Here

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I'm New Here is the 15th and final studio album by American vocalist and pianist Gil Scott-Heron. It was released on February 8, 2010, by XL Recordings and was his first release of original music in 16 years, following a period of personal and legal troubles with drug addiction.

The record was produced by XL owner Richard Russell, who was influenced by the 2009 self-titled debut album of English band the xx.[1] I'm New Here is a post-industrial blues album,[2] with spoken word folk songs and trip hop interludes.[3]

I'm New Here received positive reviews from most critics and debuted at number 181 on the US Billboard 200, selling 3,700 copies in its first week. It was promoted with the single "Me and the Devil", an adaptation of blues musician Robert Johnson's "Me and the Devil Blues" (1937). A remix of the album, titled We're New Here, was produced by the xx's Jamie xx and released by XL in 2011.[4]

Musical style

Scott-Heron sang and played piano on the album.

I'm New Here is a departure from the rhythmic, jazz-funk and soul style of Scott-Heron's previous work,[5][6][7] and embraces an acoustic and electronic minimal sound.[8] Musically, I'm New Here incorporates blues, folk, trip hop, and electronica styles.[3][9][10][6][7][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Music writer Patrick Taylor notes of the album's style, "It's the ragged, warts-and-all approach of the blues versus the more refined jazz soul style he favored in the seventies".[9] It also contains some musical elements of dubstep, electro, and ambient music.[8][18][19][20] Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune called it a "post-modern" blues album,[10] while Rolling Stone magazine's Will Hermes described it as "a steely blues record at heart — the sound of a damaged man staring in the mirror without self-pity but not without hope".[11] City Pages critic Rick Mason deemed the music "hard-edged post-industrial blues".[2]

The album contains a sonically dark and gritty soundscape characterized by low-tone synths and spatial beats.[19][21] Due to its sparse sound and minimalist production, music writers have compared it to singer-songwriter Johnny Cash's American Recordings albums with producer Rick Rubin.[17] Crawdaddy!'s David MacFadden-Elliott wrote that Richard Russell's production finds "deep electronic grooves that still contain hints of soul and gospel music",[22] while critic Neil McCormick noted that the album's musical setting produced by Russell "blends dubby beats with spoken word and raw, confessional blues", describing the musical fusion as "like Massive Attack jamming with Robert Johnson and Allen Ginsberg".[23]

Scott-Heron's baritone vocals on the album stylistically range from spoken word to blues-oriented crooning.[5] Music writers have noted that Scott-Heron's vocal ability has changed, perceiving it as rougher, slurred, and aged.[7][13][15][17][19][23][24] Simon Price of The Independent described his voice on the album as "bourbon-soaked".[25]

Themes

I'm New Here features introspective, confessional lyrics expressing themes of regret, reconciliation, and redemption,[13][26][27][24] which deviate from his earlier music's agitprop lyrics and social, political themes.[5][15][28][29] On Scott-Heron's thematic departure, critic Paul Trynka wrote "The man who depicted Winter in America is now in his own autumn; a season replete with both beauty and sadness".[21] The Skinny's Bram Gieben perceived "flashes of Burroughs-like darkness, the wry humour of post-addiction Richard Pryor" in Scott-Heron's performance.[24] Although Scott-Heron's lyrics concerning his bleak life experiences are understated and reflective, they express pride, dignity, defiance, and unapologetic confession.[13][28][30] According to Robert Ferguson of Drowned in Sound, Scott-Heron expresses "confession, but no apology" to "pick over the bones of his life, acknowledging the hard times and his own mistakes, but standing proud of all they have led him to become".[7]

"Your Soul and Mine"
The spoken word piece based on Scott-Heron's 1970 poem "The Vulture" features dubstep-styled sonics over a cello loop.
"New York Is Killing Me"
Written as a 12-bar blues,[12] the song is about alienation in New York City and is built around handclaps and distorted bass.[9][15]
Problems playing these files? See media help.

The album's bookending and two-part poem "On Coming from a Broken Home" features piano and a sampled string loop from Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" (2007).[19][31] It is a tribute to the women in his family, particularly Scott-Heron's grandmother Lily Scott, with whom he was sent to live as a child in Tennessee.[7][15][28] The song reflects on his upbringing around strong female figures and challenges the sociological perception of a broken home:[19][32] "Womenfolk raised me, and I was full-grown before knew I came from a broken home".[28] It defends Scott-Heron's upbringing and arguing that his grandmother's love and devotion taught him passionate humanity, despite lacking of a positive male figure.[13] According to music writers, "On Coming from a Broken Home" introduces and concludes the album's prominent theme of unapologetic confession.[7][15][28]

"Your Soul and Mine" adapts lyrics from Scott-Heron's spoken word piece "The Vulture", originally featured on Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970).[33] It contains a dubstep-styled collage of effects over a cello loop similar to the style of Burial and Massive Attack.[19][34] The song's blank verse recitation discusses the evils, represented as a metaphorical vulture, that inhabit and destroy African-American ghettos.[34][35] The "vulture" also represents death from Scott-Heron's point of view, who concludes the song with the theme of defiance.[19][35]

Release and promotion

I'm New Here was released by XL Recordings on February 8, 2010, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States.[36] It debuted at number 181 on the US Billboard 200 chart with first week sales of 3,700 copies.[37] It also entered at number 28 on Billboard's Top Independent Albums,[38] at number 6 on its Top Jazz Albums,[39] and at number 38 on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[40] The album also entered at number 35 in Ireland and at number 39 in the United Kingdom.[41][42] It also debuted at number six on the UK R&B Chart.[43] It spent two to three weeks on most international charts.[44] In 2010, it was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 30,000 copies throughout Europe.[45]

The album's lead single, "Me and the Devil", was released on February 22, 2010 as a 7" and music download.[46] It did not chart as a single on the Billboard charts.[47] On September 26, British director Chris Cunningham premiered the 10-minute film New York Is Killing Me at the Museum of Modern Art, projected on three screens side by side. For this "audio-visual remix" he replaced 90% of Scott-Heron's musical track with train sounds and environmental recordings to create a "musique concrète" version of the original composition.[48]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.8/10[49]
Metacritic78/100[50]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[19]
The Daily Telegraph[23]
The Guardian[18]
The Independent[28]
Mojo[21]
NME9/10[3]
Pitchfork8.5/10[15]
Q[51]
Rolling Stone[11]
Spin7/10[52]

I'm New Here was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 28 reviews.[50]

Reviewing the album for Slant Magazine, Jesse Cataldo called it "post-structural, indefinably plotted" and "masterfully stark",[53] while Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times regarded it as "an extraordinarily powerful album" featuring "superb Scott-Heron originals".[20] AllMusic's Thom Jurek said it "contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron’s best art".[19] Siddharta Mitter from The Boston Globe believed Russell's "swirling miasma of sound wholly suits Scott-Heron’s mood, which is angry yet humble, and even more his voice, which is rich and intent as ever".[6] In The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick found the lyrics to be of "depth, wisdom and experience", delivered in "a voice rich with musicality, all set in a sonic context that locates him in the present moment".[23] Rupert Howe of Q said Russell's arrangements "brilliantly frame [Scott-Heron]'s rich burr and terse street poetry with brooding electronica and stark blues handclaps".[51] In the opinion of The Village Voice's Stacey Anderson, "it's more emotional, more optimistic, than his past political provocations, and he hasn't sounded this lively in ages".[54] Pitchfork ranked I'm New Here number 45 on its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2010,[55] and number 176 on its list of the 200 Best Albums of the 2010s.[56] It also placed "New York Is Killing Me" at number 141 on its list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s."[57]

Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Writing for Chicago Sun-Times, Jim DeRogatis deemed the album's sound "alien and unsuccessful" while describing Scott-Heron's performance as "bland philosophizing and surprisingly hollow personal reflections".[58] Will Layman from PopMatters said it was "a thin affair—musically weak and lyrically narrow" while finding its material "unimaginative".[12]

Reworkings

The entire album has been reworked twice: as We're New Here by Jamie xx, released in 2011,[59] and as We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven, released in 2020.[60]

Track listing

  • All tracks were produced by Richard Russell.
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."On Coming from a Broken Home (Part 1)"Gil Scott-Heron2:20
2."Me and the Devil"Robert Johnson3:33
3."I'm New Here"Bill Callahan (album track from A River Ain't Too Much to Love)3:33
4."Your Soul and Mine"Richard Russell, Scott-Heron2:02
5."Parents" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:18
6."I'll Take Care of You"Brook Benton2:58
7."Being Blessed" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:12
8."Where Did the Night Go"Scott-Heron1:14
9."I Was Guided" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:14
10."New York Is Killing Me"Scott-Heron4:29
11."Certain Things" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:08
12."Running"Russell, Scott-Heron2:00
13."The Crutch"Russell, Scott-Heron2:44
14."I've Been Me" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:16
15."On Coming from a Broken Home (Part 2)"Scott-Heron2:15
Limited edition bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
16."Piano Player" (Intro)Scott-Heron0:24
17."Home Is Where the Hatred Is"Scott-Heron3:20
18."Winter in America"Scott-Heron5:33
19."Jazz" (Interlude)Scott-Heron3:24
20."Is That Jazz"Scott-Heron4:35
21."A Place to Go" (Interlude)Scott-Heron0:49
22."My Cloud"Scott-Heron3:55

Personnel

Credits for I'm New Here adapted from liner notes.[61]

Charts

Chart (2010)Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[62]62
French Albums (SNEP)[44]100
Greek Albums (IFPI)[63]19
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[64]88
Irish Albums (IRMA)[65]30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[66]97
UK Albums (OCC)[42]39
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[43]6
US Billboard 200[37]181
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[67]28
US Top Jazz Albums (Billboard)[68]5
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[69]38

References

  1. ^ Mulholland, Garry (February 18, 2011). "Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie T – We're New Here". Uncut. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  2. ^ a b Mason, Rick (April 14, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron". City Pages. Minneapolis. Archived from the original on April 28, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Doran, John (February 22, 2010). "Album review: Gil Scott-Heron – 'I'm New Here'". NME. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  4. ^ "New album stream: Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx – We're New Here". The Guardian. London. February 14, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c Serwer, Jesse (February 9, 2010). "Album review: Gil Scott-Heron, "I'm New Here"". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  6. ^ a b c Mitter, Siddharta (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron, 'I'm New Here'". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Ferguson, Robert (February 10, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on February 13, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  8. ^ a b Yates, Steve (January 24, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here (XL)". The Observer. London. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Taylor, Patrick (February 16, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron :: I'm New Here :: XL Recordings". RapReviews. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  10. ^ a b Kot, Greg (February 23, 2010). "Album review: Gil Scott-Heron, 'I'm New Here'". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  11. ^ a b c Hermes, Will (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 29, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  12. ^ a b c Layman, Will (February 10, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". PopMatters. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c d e Woodbury, Jason P. "Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  14. ^ Wood, Mikael (February 23, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron | I'm New Here". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g Patrin, Nate (February 10, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  16. ^ Baird, Emrys. "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Blues & Soul. Retrieved February 25, 2010.
  17. ^ a b c Dietz, Jason (February 10, 2010). "This Week's New Music: Albums from Hot Chip, Massive Attack, and More". Metacritic. Archived from the original on June 16, 2010. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  18. ^ a b Simpson, Dave (February 5, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". The Guardian. London. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i Jurek, Thom. "I'm New Here – Gil Scott-Heron". AllMusic. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  20. ^ a b Cairns, Dan (February 21, 2010). "Gil Scott Heron: I'm New Here". The Sunday Times. London. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  21. ^ a b c Trynka, Paul (March 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Mojo (196): 97. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  22. ^ MacFadden-Elliot, David (February 8, 2010). "Album Review: Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here". Crawdaddy!. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  23. ^ a b c d McCormick, Neil (February 12, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here, CD review". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  24. ^ a b c Gieben, Bram (February 16, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". The Skinny. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  25. ^ Price, Simon (February 7, 2010). "Album: Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here (XL)". The Independent. London. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  26. ^ Dacks, David (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  27. ^ Neyland, Nick. "Gil Scott-Heron I'm New Here Review". BBC Music. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  28. ^ a b c d e f Gill, Andy (February 5, 2010). "Album: Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here (XL)". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on February 26, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  29. ^ Sless-Kitain, Areif (February 4–10, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron". Time Out Chicago (258). Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  30. ^ Haider, Arwa (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron still speaks from the heart". Metro. London. Archived from the original on February 11, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  31. ^ Molner, Chris (January 25, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here (XL; 2010)". Cokemachineglow. Archived from the original on January 28, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  32. ^ Lee, Darren (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". MusicOMH. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  33. ^ Smith, Jason Randall. "Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here". Impose. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  34. ^ a b Lewis, John (February 8, 2010). "Album Review: Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Uncut. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  35. ^ a b Aaron-Lopez, Carla (February 7, 2010). "Thieves & Vultures: Nas, Gil Scott-Heron & Music Videos". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 25, 2011.
  36. ^ Briehan, Tom (January 13, 2010). "In Brief: These Arms Are Snakes, Peter Hook, Gil Scott-Heron, Snowbombing". Pitchfork. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  37. ^ a b Jacobs, Allen (February 17, 2010). "Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/14/2010". HipHopDX. Retrieved February 19, 2010.
  38. ^ Independent Albums: Week of February 27, 2010 Archived January 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-02-19.
  39. ^ Jazz Albums: Week of February 27, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-02-19.
  40. ^ R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of February 27, 2010. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-02-19.
  41. ^ Irish Charts: Week ending 18th February 2010 Archived 2009-08-30 at the Wayback Machine. IRMA. Retrieved on 2010-02-20.
  42. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  43. ^ a b "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 22, 2010.
  44. ^ a b "Lescharts.com – Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  45. ^ "Color". Archived from the original on 2017-08-27. Retrieved 2017-08-26.
  46. ^ Hughes, Rich (January 20, 2010). "[Video] Gil Scott-Heron – Me And The Devil". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on January 22, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  47. ^ Chart History: 'Me and the Devil'. Billboard. Retrieved on 2010-04-02.
  48. ^ Macaulay, Scott (September 27, 2010). "Chris Cunningham @ MoMA". Filmmaker. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
  49. ^ "I'm New Here by Gil Scott-Heron reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  50. ^ a b "Reviews for I'm New Here by Gil Scott-Heron". Metacritic. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  51. ^ a b Howe, Rupert (March 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Q (284): 119. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  52. ^ Beta, Andy (February 2, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron, 'I'm New Here' (XL)". Spin. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  53. ^ Cataldo, Jesse (February 8, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here". Slant Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  54. ^ Anderson, Stacey (February 9, 2010). "Rebooting Gil Scott-Heron's Untelevised Revolution". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  55. ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2010". Pitchfork. December 16, 2010. p. 1. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  56. ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 9, 2019.
  57. ^ "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s". Pitchfork. October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 12, 2019.
  58. ^ DeRogatis, Jim (February 23, 2010). "Gil Scott-Heron, "I'm New Here" (XL Recordings)". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on July 10, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  59. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron / Jamie xx, We're New Here". Pitchfork. February 22, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  60. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron/Makaya McCraven, We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven". Pitchfork. February 7, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2020.
  61. ^ I'm New Here (album liner notes). Gil Scott-Heron. XL Recordings. 2010.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  62. ^ "Ultratop.be – Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  63. ^ "Greekcharts.com – Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  64. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  65. ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Gil Scott-Heron". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  66. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  67. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  68. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron Chart History (Top Jazz Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
  69. ^ "Gil Scott-Heron Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved February 2, 2020.

Further reading

External links

Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_New_Here

Artist(s)

Veröffentlichungen von Gil Scott-Heron die im OTRS erhältlich sind/waren:

I’m New Here ¦ We’re New Again: A Reimagining By Makaya McCraven ¦ Pieces Of A Man ¦ Free Will ¦ Small Talk At 125th And Lenox

Gil Scott-Heron auf Wikipedia (oder andere Quellen):

Gil Scott-Heron (* 1. April 1949 in Chicago, Illinois; † 27. Mai 2011 in New York[3]) war ein US-amerikanischer Musiker und Dichter.

In Scott-Herons Musik vereinen sich Elemente aus Funk, Jazz, Soul und lateinamerikanischer Musik. Er arbeitete in seinen Stücken häufig mit Sprechgesang (Spoken Word) und gilt daher als einer der wichtigsten Wegbereiter der Hip-Hop- und Rap-Musik. Seine Texte sind meist von politischen oder sozialen Inhalten geprägt.

Zu seinen bekanntesten Stücken gehören The Revolution Will Not Be Televised, We Almost Lost Detroit, The Bottle, Johannesburg, Angel Dust und Lady Day and John Coltrane.[4]

Leben

Kindheit und Jugend

Schon früh brachte ihm sein Vater Gil Heron (1922–2008)[5] das Klavierspielen und Lesen bei. Dieser war der erste schwarze Fußballspieler bei Celtic Glasgow. Seine Eltern trennten sich bald, und Scott-Heron wuchs bei seiner Großmutter im Bundesstaat Tennessee auf. Hier lernte er die ländliche afroamerikanische Kultur und Lebensweise der Südstaaten kennen, aber auch einen starken Rassismus. So war er eins von drei nicht-weißen Kindern, die zum Zwecke der Integration in eine weiße Grundschule in Jackson geschickt wurden.

Da er diesen Druck nicht mehr ertrug, zog er zu seiner Mutter, einer Bibliothekarin, die mittlerweile in der Bronx (New York) lebte. Dort ging er zur High School, wo er Arbeiten des Harlem-Renaissance-Poeten Langston Hughes und des von den Beatpoeten, aber auch der afroamerikanischen Bürgerrechtsbewegung beeinflussten LeRoi Jones (später Amiri Baraka) kennenlernte. Diese sollten seine Art zu schreiben sowohl inhaltlich als auch stilistisch stark prägen. Später zog er mit seiner Mutter in eine lateinamerikanisch geprägte Nachbarschaft im New Yorker Viertel Chelsea.

Scott-Heron wurde an der Lincoln University in Oxford, Pennsylvania angenommen. Hier lernte er Brian Jackson kennen, mit dem er später lange Jahre zusammenarbeitete. Er war aber nach eigenen Aussagen die ganze Zeit mit den Arbeiten an seinem ersten Roman, The Vulture (Der Aasgeier), beschäftigt und verließ die University nach einem guten Jahr wieder. Kurzfristig besuchte er auch die Johns-Hopkins-Universität in Baltimore. 1970 veröffentlichte er seinen Debütroman, der viel Anerkennung fand.

Beginn der musikalischen Karriere

Durch die guten Besprechungen seines Debütromans lernte Scott-Heron den Jazz-Produzenten Bob Thiele kennen, der schon mit Legenden wie Louis Armstrong und John Coltrane gearbeitet hatte. Dieser ermöglichte ihm im Jahre 1970, sein erstes Album Small Talk at 125th & Lenox Ave. aufzunehmen, auf dem er sozialkritische Texte aus seinem gleichnamigen Gedichtband rezitierte. Er kombinierte sie mit Conga-Rhythmen und anderen percussiven Elementen.

Im Jahre 1971 veröffentlichte er den Nachfolger Pieces of a Man. Zum ersten Mal war Scott-Heron mit einer vollen Band im Studio, Thiele konnte für den Soundtrack zu Scott-Herons Texten einige renommierte Jazz-Musiker wie Ron Carter (Bass), Eddie Knowles und Charlie Saunders (Percussion) versammeln. Das Album enthielt eines von Scott-Herons bis heute bekanntesten Stücken, das medien- und kapitalismuskritische Lied The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.

Im darauf folgenden Jahr veröffentlichte er seinen zweiten Roman, The Nigger Factory, und sein drittes Album Free Will. Dieses sollte sein letztes für das Label Flying Dutchman sein, mit dem er sich zerstritt. Das folgende Album, Winter in America, nahm er für Strata East auf. Dieses veröffentlichte er gemeinsam mit seinem langjährigen musikalischen Partner, dem Pianisten und Songwriter Brian Jackson, der bereits auf den vorigen Alben gewirkt hatte. Das Album enthielt den Titel The Bottle, das in den Clubs New Yorks und später auch im Radio zum Hit wurde und eines seiner beliebtesten Stücke wurde. Scott-Heron und Jackson formten in den folgenden Jahren eine enge musikalische Partnerschaft, Jackson leitete praktisch Scott-Herons Midnight-Band.

Kommerzieller Erfolg

Gil Scott-Heron, 2009

1975 wurde er von Clive Davis als der erste Künstler für das neue Label Arista Records verpflichtet, wo er für zehn Jahre blieb. Hier wurde mehr darauf geachtet, Songs in die Charts zu bringen, was mit der Singles Johannesburg (1975; Platz 29 der R&B-Charts) mäßig gelang. 1978 nahm sich der Produzent Malcolm Cecil Scott-Herons Musik an. Dieser hatte in den frühen 1970ern, der Hochphase des Funk, unter anderem mit den Isley Brothers und Stevie Wonder gearbeitet.

1980 trennte sich Scott-Heron von Brian Jackson, im selben Jahr veröffentlichten sie ihr letztes gemeinsames Album mit dem Titel 1980. In den folgenden Jahren arbeitete Scott-Heron mit Produzenten wie Nile Rodgers und Bill Laswell zusammen. 1985 wurde er nach der Veröffentlichung eines Best Of-Albums von seiner Plattenfirma Arista entlassen.

Rückzug und Kultstarstatus

Er zog sich aus dem Musikgeschäft zurück, tourte aber weiter um die Welt, wo er im Rahmen der Retromusikwelle, aber auch von Rap- und Hip-Hop-Fans wieder gefeiert wurde. 1993 unterschrieb er wieder einen Vertrag mit der Firma TVT-Records und veröffentlichte das hochgelobte Album Spirits (1994), das unter anderem den Track Message to the Messengers enthielt, in dem er die jungen Rapper dazu aufrief, Verantwortung für ihre Kunst und die Community zu übernehmen.

1994 trat er in einem „Spoken-Word“-Special von MTV auf.

Sein letztes Buch, der Gedichtband Now & Then (2001), erschien in seinem eigenen Verlag, Brouhaha Books. 2001 kam er wegen des Besitzes von einem Gramm Kokain für ein Jahr ins Gefängnis. Nachdem er im Oktober 2002 entlassen worden war, arbeitete er unter anderem wieder mit dem Kollegen Brian Jackson. 2003 filmte Don Letts im Auftrag der BBC eine Dokumentation über Scott-Herons Leben. Im selben Jahr kam Scott-Heron erneut wegen Besitzes illegaler Drogen ins Gefängnis, aus dem er ein Jahr später wieder entlassen wurde. Im Dezember 2005 wurde er in New York erneut wegen Drogenbesitzes verhaftet. Scott-Herons langjährige Kokainabhängigkeit ist Gegenstand zahlreicher Kontroversen.

Am 8. Februar 2010 erschien mit I’m New Here sein erstes Album seit 1994.[6] Im Februar 2011 veröffentlichte der Londoner Produzent Jamie xx eine Remixversion des Albums unter dem Titel We’re New Here.

Gil Scott-Heron starb im Mai 2011 im Alter von 62 Jahren an den Folgen von Aids.[7]

Politik

Scott-Heron beschäftigte sich in seinen Songs vor allem mit den sozialen Realitäten der Afroamerikaner und der gesellschaftlichen Situation in den USA. Er sympathisierte mit der Bürgerrechtsbewegung der 1960er Jahre. Ab 1975 wandte er sich in seinen Texten den Problemen der „Dritten Welt“ zu, so beispielsweise Südafrikas. Anfang der 1980er wandte er sich scharf gegen die Politik Ronald Reagans, explizit in Songs wie B-Movie und Re-Ron. Von Anfang an textete er auch über die Probleme der Gesellschaft mit Drogen.

Diskografie

Studioalben

  • 1970: Small Talk at 125th & Lenox Ave (1970; Flying Dutchman Records)
  • 1971: Pieces of a Man (Flying Dutchman Records)
  • 1972: Free Will (Flying Dutchman Records)
  • 1974: Winter in America (Strata-East Records)
  • 1975: The First Minute of a New Day – The Midnight Band (Arista Records)
  • 1976: From South Africa to South Carolina (Arista Records)
  • 1976: It’s Your World (Arista Records) (teilweise live)
  • 1977: Bridges (Arista Records)
  • 1978: Secrets (Arista Records)
  • 1980: 1980 (Arista Records)
  • 1980: Real Eyes (Arista Records)
  • 1981: Reflections (Arista Records)
  • 1982: Moving Target (Arista Records)
  • 1994: Spirits (TVT Records)
  • 2010: I’m New Here (XL Recordings)[8]
  • 2020: We’re New Again – A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven[9]

Gastauftritte / Features

  • 1996: Ron Holloway – Scorcher (Titel: Is That Jazz?, Blue Collar)
  • 2000: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek – Train Of Thought (Titel: The Blast)
  • 2009: Malik & the OG’s – Rhythms of the Diaspora (Titel: Black and Blue)

Livealben

  • 1990: Tales of Gil Scott-Heron and His Amnesia Express (Arista Records)
  • 1994: Minister of Information (Peak Top Records)
  • 2004: Save the Children – Live in Concert (Delta Music)
  • 2023: Legend In His Own Mind (feat. Amnesia Express) - Live Bremen 1983

Kompilationen

  • 1974: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Flying Dutchman Records)
  • 1979: The Mind of Gil Scott-Heron (Arista Records)
  • 1984: The Best of Gil Scott-Heron (Arista Records)
  • 1990: Glory – The Gil Scott-Heron Collection (Arista Records)
  • 1998: The Gil Scott-Heron Collection Sampler: 1974–1975 (TVT Records)
  • 1998: Ghetto Style (Camden Records, UK:SilberSilber)
  • 1999: Evolution and Flashback: The Very Best of Gil Scott-Heron (RCA)
  • 2005: Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson - Messages

Buchveröffentlichungen

Filme mit und über Gil Scott-Heron

  • 1982: Black Wax. Live-Video und -DVD mit einem Konzertmitschnitt von Robert Mugge, aufgenommen 1982 in Washington D.C.
  • 1991: Gil Scott-Heron and his Amnesia Express - Tales of Gil. Konzertmitschnitt und Interview mit Kevin Le Gendre
  • 1988: Freedom Beat. The Video Image Entertainment
  • 1979: No Nukes. Produktion: CBS, Fox Video
  • 1989: Jazz Shorts. Produktion: Rhapsody Films Inc.
  • 2003: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Fernseh-Dokumentation, Großbritannien, Regie: Don Letts, Produktion: BBC, Filmseite der BBC.
  • 2007: Gil Scott-Heron & Amnesia Express - The Paris Concert. Recorded live at the New Morning - Paris - July 23rd 2001, DVD, 120 Min.

Quellen

  1. ↑ Chartquellen: DE CH UK US
  2. ↑ Auszeichnungen für Musikverkäufe: UK
  3. ↑ „Gil Scott-Heron, Voice of Black Protest Culture, Dies at 62“, AP / New York Times, 28. Mai 2011
  4. ↑ siehe John Coltrane
  5. ↑ Roddy Forsyth: „Celtic’s first black player, Gil Heron, dies“, Daily Telegraph, 30. November 2008, Nachruf
  6. ↑ Soulpoet Gil Scott-Heron – Guck mal, wer da grollt!, Spiegel Online, 7. Februar 2010
  7. ↑ Gil Scott-Heron in der Notable Names Database (englisch)
  8. ↑ Die Rückkehr des Spoken Word-Hero Gil Scott-Heron (Memento vom 14. Februar 2010 im Internet Archive)
  9. ↑ Besprechung (Musikexpress)

Weblinks

Commons: Gil Scott-Heron – Sammlung von Bildern, Videos und Audiodateien
Personendaten
NAMEScott-Heron, Gil
KURZBESCHREIBUNGUS-amerikanischer Musiker und Dichter
GEBURTSDATUM1. April 1949
GEBURTSORTChicago, Illinois, USA
STERBEDATUM27. Mai 2011
STERBEORTNew York, USA
Quelle: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gil_Scott-Heron

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