I heard this Thursday from several sources, but I don’t have any further info right now. When I get more info I’ll pass it on.

Of course he was yet another of the big time DJ’s I used to listen to in NYC when I was a kid. But the rest of yall know Hank Spann too even if you never heard him on the radio.

WWRL Flyer f. Hank Spann.
Click For Larger View

He is the kinda “narrator” on the song SAME BEAT by the JB’s. In fact the song starts off with Hank Spann saying…

::THE JB’S LIVE AND BADDDDDDDD::

Followed by that NASTY GROOVE….
….then the infamous chicken (rooster???)

& Hank Spann says….

:::THIS IS SOLID FUNK::::

…..followed by the chicken (rooster?)….then more of that NASTY GROOVE

then…..Hank comes back in and says….

::::FOR THA PEOPLE::::::

And then out of nowhere

COMES…..THA….FUNK….BOMB

(that blew our minds the first time we heard it)

THE REVEREND JESSIE JACKSON

I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
(crowd cheers)

I may be unemployed
But I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
(crowd cheers)

I may be unskilled
But I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
(crowd cheers)

I may be uneducated
But I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
(crowd cheers)

I may be in jail
But I am S-O-M-E-B-O-D-Y
(crowd cheers)

…and Hank comes back in and says

BADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD

The title of this song may be a joke. A PLAY ON THE FACT THAT James Brown’s songs all sounded the same.

But it’s groove, message and it’s subversiveness are serious as a heart attack!!!

“Same Beat” is one of the greatest moments in the history of FUNK music.

…& mah man Hank Spann serves as our “tour guide” for the journey. Now we will have to get to the destination without him…

RIP Hank Spann

—————–
Bob Davis
earthjuice[at]prodigy.net
bobdavis[at]radioio.com
609-351-0154
——————

Co-Founder www.soul-patrol.com

Hip Hop and Soul Music Director
www.radioio.com
——————-

Links For More Hank Spann Information:

The Urban Network’s Comments on Hank Spann

Alan Furst’s Program Director Blog

Radio Facts

Listen To Hank Spann Open his WWRL show on this Power House Radio Frankie Crocker Tribute Page

This poem comes from our friend Paradise. A few years ago a few of yall will recall that Paradise was named as Soul-Patrol’s Jazz Artist of the year…
——

THEY JUST BEAT HIM!

by Paradise

They just beat him
Just yesterday
They Finally beat him
Beat him to death
Beat all the black off of him
Beat all the naps off of him
Beat all the song
And the dance
And the music out of him
Beat him like a pinata
Until they knocked
All the goodies out of him
Beat the Soul out of him
Like Rodney King
They just beat him
And beat him and beat him
For 50 years
This world beat him
Made fun of him
And made him their whipping boy
For making great music
For giving us a Thriller of a life
A Thriller of a time
For leaving behind an incredible
Legacy of music and love
And not a single curse word
On any of his songs
Nothing but great art
For the world to cherish forevermore
The number one selling album of all time
On planet Earth
And for this they beat him
Like Emmitt Till and Jesus
They just beat him, beat him
Put him on a cross and beat him
Another messiah bites the dust
For having a beautiful soul
For being too beautiful for this world
For trying to heal the world
And bring salvation back
And bring us together
A humanitarian, a vegetarian
Because he loved animals
Wouldn’t harm a flea
He loved us all
It didn’t matter
Whether you’re black or white
But whites and blacks
Just beat him
Assassinated his character
Blasphemed his name
Held him up against The Wall
And threw rocks at him
Stoned him to death
For trying to Rock With You
For singing about Butterflies
For being a Dancing Machine
They pulled him over
And gave him a ticket
For Moonwalking While Black
For having a Moonwalk
more shocking than NASAs
For being one Giant Step for mankind
They finally popped the King of Pop
And sent him back to Neverneverland
With Peter Pan
And all the other mythical
Mystical, magical creatures
He gave us
Billie Jean, The Love You Save
Never Can Say Goodbye & I’ll Be There
And we gave him creature features
We are the World
And we just beat him
Pulverized him into submission
Teased him to death
The world finally beat Michael Jackson
He’s Out of Our Lives
Are you happy now
Beat him off the planet
Beat all the ebony and ivory off of him
And yet he continues to stand
And he will forevermore be The Man
With the velvet touch
And the Sequined Gloved Hand
Michael Jackson
Invincible
Heeee hee!

(c) 6/26/09 6:30am by Paradise