After such committed, socially conscious compositions as 'This Is My Country', 'Mighty Mighty, Spade and Whitey' and 'Choice Of Colours' Curtis Mayfield believes the time has now come to return to basic, personal songs.
"We've shouted the message from the roof-tops and if people haven't cottoned on to it by now then they never will," he says.
"It's like a paper that carries nothing but headlines: in the end they lose all effect. To carry on writing in that vein would be just like beating people's heads against a brick wall and in the end they resent it.
"No, it's now time to carry the message in a more personalised vein, that way people relate easier. General statements are all very well but fit the statement into a personal context which the listener can place himself into and you then have something with much more impact. That's the way I'm writing songs now."
Right from the early days of the Impressions it has been as a writer as much as a performer that Curtis has won acclaim till today, at 32, he is accepted as an elder statesman of soul music. And his appeal goes beyond that, for many would judge him in a rock context, particularly since he has gone solo with a backing band whose musical style is most aptly described as "black rock".
Today Curtis is still closely involved with the Impressions, both as their producer/arranger/writer and as boss of their recording company, Curtom Records: "Business demands made it impossible to continue touring with the group so I had to bow out and call in Leroy Hutson as a replacement but, in truth, I still feel like I'm part of the group. We spent a lot of years together and we are still very closely involved both as friends and in our music," he says.
Besides the Impressions, Curtis has produced many other Chicago artists, including Major Lance, Walter Jackson and Gene Chandler and has written hit songs for many others including Jerry Butler.
Jerry was an original member of the Impressions, along with Curtis: "We started out as the Roosters with Richard and Arthur Brooks, Sam Gooden, Jerry and myself, then the Brooks left and we became the Impressions and started recording for Vee-Jay Records.
"Fred Cash, an old friend of Sam's from his days in Chatanooga, came in to replace Jerry Butler when he went solo following the success of 'For Your Precious Love'."
After that, the Impressions – Curtis, Sam and Fred – settled down to a long string of hits but only after a spell of hard-times when, lacking the drawing power of Jerry Butler, they found little work. In fact, Curtis was actually filling in time working as guitarist in Jerry's back-up band when the group's first record for ABC came out. That one was 'Gypsy Woman', an immediate success swiftly followed by such classics as 'People Get Ready', 'Amen', 'Keep On Pushing' and 'It's Alright'.
Then came the switch to Curtom Records (issued on Buddah here), the message songs and eventually Mayfield's split to go solo.
Recently he completed the score for Superfly, a film in the Shaft mould.
"It's been received well. It's about the fast-living world of the ghetto. The hippest clothes, flashiest car, beautiful chicks, roll of banknotes – that's what it is to be superfly.
"We've shouted the message from the roof-tops and if people haven't cottoned on to it by now then they never will," he says.
"It's like a paper that carries nothing but headlines: in the end they lose all effect. To carry on writing in that vein would be just like beating people's heads against a brick wall and in the end they resent it.
"No, it's now time to carry the message in a more personalised vein, that way people relate easier. General statements are all very well but fit the statement into a personal context which the listener can place himself into and you then have something with much more impact. That's the way I'm writing songs now."
Right from the early days of the Impressions it has been as a writer as much as a performer that Curtis has won acclaim till today, at 32, he is accepted as an elder statesman of soul music. And his appeal goes beyond that, for many would judge him in a rock context, particularly since he has gone solo with a backing band whose musical style is most aptly described as "black rock".
Today Curtis is still closely involved with the Impressions, both as their producer/arranger/writer and as boss of their recording company, Curtom Records: "Business demands made it impossible to continue touring with the group so I had to bow out and call in Leroy Hutson as a replacement but, in truth, I still feel like I'm part of the group. We spent a lot of years together and we are still very closely involved both as friends and in our music," he says.
Besides the Impressions, Curtis has produced many other Chicago artists, including Major Lance, Walter Jackson and Gene Chandler and has written hit songs for many others including Jerry Butler.
Jerry was an original member of the Impressions, along with Curtis: "We started out as the Roosters with Richard and Arthur Brooks, Sam Gooden, Jerry and myself, then the Brooks left and we became the Impressions and started recording for Vee-Jay Records.
"Fred Cash, an old friend of Sam's from his days in Chatanooga, came in to replace Jerry Butler when he went solo following the success of 'For Your Precious Love'."
After that, the Impressions – Curtis, Sam and Fred – settled down to a long string of hits but only after a spell of hard-times when, lacking the drawing power of Jerry Butler, they found little work. In fact, Curtis was actually filling in time working as guitarist in Jerry's back-up band when the group's first record for ABC came out. That one was 'Gypsy Woman', an immediate success swiftly followed by such classics as 'People Get Ready', 'Amen', 'Keep On Pushing' and 'It's Alright'.
Then came the switch to Curtom Records (issued on Buddah here), the message songs and eventually Mayfield's split to go solo.
Recently he completed the score for Superfly, a film in the Shaft mould.
"It's been received well. It's about the fast-living world of the ghetto. The hippest clothes, flashiest car, beautiful chicks, roll of banknotes – that's what it is to be superfly.
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