LOS ANGELES (Rhino Records) - Rhino Records puts a new spin on the legendary Curtis Mayfield's towering musical legacy with Mayfield Remixed 'The Curtis Mayfield Collection', a ten song collection of Mayfield's greatest hits reimagined by some of today's most respected DJ/producers, including Grandmaster Flash, MixMasterMike, and King Britt. Packaged in foil-stamped paper, the CD will be available March 15 at all retail outlets and at www.rhino.com.
Mayfield Remixed ?The Curtis Mayfield Collection? includes rap/hip-hop hero Grandmaster Flash giving the old-school treatment to The Impressions' hit "We're A Winner." Pioneering New York City house music DJ Louie Vega turns "Superfly" into a heady club classic with muffled backbeats, Latin percussion, and trippy synthesizers. Renowned keyboard player, remixer, and producer Eric Kupper ties Mayfield's beautiful falsetto melody on "Move On Up" to an insistent rhythm. King Britt evokes the bleak urban tale of "Little Child Runnin' Wild" with a languid beat and a claustrophobic wall of sound. Solo artist and Beastie Boy collaborator MixMasterMike deconstructs Mayfield's "Pusherman" by adding a mechanical sheen and daredevil scratching to the funk classic. Grammy'-winner Maurice Joshua's Nu Soul Mix of "(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go," and "People Get Ready" as reinterpreted by StoneBridge among the other transcendent tracks included on the album.
"One of the reasons to do this remix album was to have Curtis legacy continue on to yet another generation," says executive producer Ron Weisner. "When you stop and reflect on a man of integrity, principle, and true creative genius, it is important to keep his words and music alive."
"In assembling this all-star team of musical spin doctors around the world," says the album's co-executive producer, Brad LeBeau, "it is my hope that the very same music that had such a profound effect on my youth will be rediscovered and appreciated today."
Curtis Mayfield help lay the groundwork for soul music in the early 1960s as a founding member of The Impressions. That group's hits (including "Keep On Pushing," "People Get Ready," and "I'm So Proud") spoke of an optimism and spirituality that made principal songwriter Mayfield a key voice in the burgeoning civil rights movement.
When Curtis left The Impressions in the late ?60s, his status as cultural commentator was confirmed with a string of critically acclaimed solo albums. Chief among these was the groundbreaking 1972 soundtrack Superfly, highlighted by such classics as "Freddie's Dead," "Pusherman," and "Give Me Your Love." More than three decade have passed, during which Superfly transcended its status as a soundtrack to become a universal shorthand for all things funky.
Mayfield's career was cut tragically short in 1990 when a lighting rig collapsed on him during a concert in Brooklyn, leaving him a quadriplegic. Mayfield?the soulful poet laureate whose timeless music, courage, and strength inspired countless fans?died in 1999 at the age of 57, a few months after his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With the release of Mayfield Remixed ?The Curtis Mayfield Collection five years after Mayfield's death, it's clear that the work of this musical prophet continues to resonate with a new generation of listeners and performers.
Mayfield Remixed 'The Curtis Mayfield Collection' Tracklisting:
1. Superfly (Little Louie Vega EOL Mix)
2. Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here (Ashley Beedle Re-Edit)
3. Move On Up (Eric Kupper Vocal Mix)
4. We're A Winner (Grandmaster Flash Remix) - The Impressions
5. Little Child Runnin' Wild (King Britt Scuba Mix)
6. Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") (Blaze Roots DJ Mix)
7. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul Mix)
8. We Got To Have Peace (Eddie Baez Laid Back Mix)
9. People Get Ready (StoneBridge Club Remix) - The Impressions
10. Pusherman (MixMasterMike Pusher's Nephew Mix)
