Melvin Van Peebles was an American actor, filmmaker, writer, and composer. Over his career he recorded several albums with various musicians, and also recorded soundtracks.
Studio albums
- Brer Soul (1968)
- Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (1970)
- As Serious as a Heart-Attack (1971)
- What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?! (1974)
- Ghetto Gothic (1995)
- Nahh... Nahh Mofo (2012)
- The Last Transmission (2014, with The Heliocentrics)
Compilations
- X-Rated By an All-White Jury (1997) – including Brer Soul, Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death and As Serious as a Heart-Attack
Soundtrack albums
- Watermelon Man (1970)
- Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song (1971)
- Ain't Supposed to Die a Natural Death (1972)
- Don't Play Us Cheap (1972)
Details
La Permission
In 1968, Van Peebles released a 4-song EP in France to accompany the motion picture with the same name.
Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song
In 1971, to help promote his film, Van Peebles released this soundtrack album, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song which featured Earth, Wind & Fire.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweetback Losing His Cherry" | 2:45 |
| 2. | "Sweetback Getting It Uptight And Preaching It So Hard The Bourgeois Reggin Angels In Heaven Turn Around" | 5:00 |
| 3. | "Come On Feet Do Your Thing" | 4:15 |
| 4. | "Sweetback's Theme" | 7:36 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Hoppin' John" | 2:25 |
| 2. | "Voices" | 0:15 |
| 3. | "Mojo Woman" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "Voices" | 0:17 |
| 5. | "Reggins Hanging On In There As Best They Can" | 2:58 |
| 6. | "Voices" | 1:13 |
| 7. | "Won't Bleed Me" | 2:41 |
| 8. | "The Man Tries Running His Usual Game but Sweetback's Jones Is So Strong He Wastes the Hounds (Yeah! Yeah! and Besides That He Will Be Comin' Back Takin' Names and Collecting Dues)" | 4:25 |
| Total length: | 31:51 | |
As Serious as a Heart-Attack
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Rufus & Ruby" | |
| 2. | "Mothers Prayer" | |
| 3. | "The Country Brother & The City Sister" | |
| 4. | "Chippin" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Don't Make No Sense" | |
| 2. | "Dearmistuh P" | |
| 3. | "Love, That's America" | |
| 4. | "I Remember" | |
| 5. | "My Pal Johnny" |
Musicians
- Rhetta Hughes - guest vocalist on "Mother's Prayer"
- Doug Carn - keyboards
- John Boudreaux Jr. - drums
- Tom Scott, Albert Hall, Jr. - horns
- William Henderson - strings
- Clydie King, Venetta Fields, Rhetta Hughes, Jessica Smith - backing vocals
Engineers
- Robert Appère - recording and mix
- Dick Burns - mix
- Produced And Conceived By Melvin Van Peebles
- All Words And Music By Melvin Van Peebles
- All Selections Published By Almo Music Corp./Yeah Inc., Ascap,
- Except "Love That's, America," Colgems Music, Ascap
- Art Direction: Roland Young
- Album Design: Chuck Beeson
- Photography: Jim McCrary
What the....You Mean I Can't Sing?!
In 1974, Van Peebles released his first album that had less spoke word and a good deal of singing on the tracks.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles, except for "Superstition", written by Stevie Wonder
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A Birth Certificate Ain't Nothing But A Death Warrant Anyway" | 3:57 |
| 2. | "So Many Bars" | 4:11 |
| 3. | "Save The Watergate 500" | 3:21 |
| 4. | "Superstition" | 5:05 |
| 5. | "There" | 3:58 |
| 6. | "Come On Write Me" | 3:42 |
| 7. | "Eyes On The Rabbit" | 5:09 |
| 8. | "My Love Belongs To You" | 10:22 |
| Total length: | 39:48 | |
Musicians
- Melvin Van Peebles – lead vocals
- Kenny Altman – bass
- Bob Babbitt – bass
- David Cohen – guitar
- George David – guitar
- Leopoldo Fleming – percussion
- Jerry Friedman – guitar
- Rhetta Hughes – background vocals
- Tali Jackson – drums
- Arthur Jenkins – keyboards
- Bob Mann – guitar
- Barbara Massey – background vocals
- Andrew Smith – drums
- Warren Smith – percussion
- J. Steven Soles – guitar
- Tasha Thomas – background vocals
- Christie Thompson – keyboards
- Harold Wheeler – arranger, conductor, keyboards
Production
- Charles Blackwell – executive producer
- Tony Bongiovi – remixing
- Gary Hobish – remastering
- Michael Myers – liner notes
- Abdullah Rahman – artwork
- Dave Rubin – cover design
- Mark Rubin – cover design
- Stephen Y. Scheaffer – engineer
- LeBaron Taylor – executive producer
- Pat Thomas – reissue producer
- Melvin Van Peebles – liner notes, photography, producer
Ghetto Gothic
After over 20 years, in 1995, Van Peebles released an album, waiting so long because he waited "until I could do it correctly."
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blinded By Your Stuff" | 4:55 |
| 2. | "On 115" | 2:49 |
| 3. | "My Love Belongs To You" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "There" | 4:49 |
| 5. | "Greasy Lightin'" | 3:50 |
| 6. | "Lilly Done The Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail" | 6:00 |
| 7. | "Same Ole Raggedy Song" | 2:44 |
| 8. | "The Apple Stretching" | 10:31 |
| 9. | "Just Don't Make No Sense" | 5:50 |
| 10. | "Quittin Time" | 5:59 |
| Total length: | 52:22 | |
Musicians
- Melvin Van Peebles – vocals
- Anthony Aiello – saxophone
- Lamar Alsop – viola
- Seymour Barab – cello
- Julien Barber – viola
- Katreese Barnes – background vocals
- Warren Benbow – drums
- Don Blackman – organ, piano
- Roger Byam – saxophone
- Barry Finclair – violin
- Kenneth Gordon – violin
- Natalie Kriegler – violin
- Spaceman Patterson – bass, guitar, baritone horn, pocket trumpet
- Dunn Pearson, Jr. – keyboards
- Angel Rogers – background vocals
- Norma Jean Wright – background vocals
Production
- Charles "Prince Charles" Alexander – engineer
- Nelson George – liner notes
- Butch Jones – engineer
- Mark Partis – engineer
- Spaceman Patterson – arranger, associate producer, programming
- Dunn Pearson, Jr. – arranger, associate producer, programming
- Mark Schaffel – engineer
- Tommy Steele – art direction
- Mark Stichman – engineer
- Ezra Tucker – illustrations
- Melvin Van Peebles – arranger, producer
- Harley White – remixing
Nahh... Nahh Mofo
Van Peebles released a limited vinyl album for his eightieth birthday. It featured his current band at the time, widLaxative. It was distributed at his birthday celebration at the Film Forum.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Sweetback Medley" | 2:33 |
| 2. | "Quittin' Time" | 7:43 |
| 3. | "My Love Belongs To You" | 7:44 |
| 4. | "Love Me Some Highway" | 4:00 |
| 5. | "intro" | 0:48 |
| 6. | "Opportunity" | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "intro" | 0:39 |
| 2. | "The World's All Stagee" | 5:38 |
| 3. | "The Apple Stretching" | 5:32 |
| 4. | "Lilly Done The Zampoughi Every Time I Pulled Her Coattail" | 11:10 |
Credits
- Baritone Saxophone – Paula Henderson
- Bass – Jared Nickerson
- Cello – Will Martina
- Drums – Chris Eddleton
- Keyboards – Bruce Mack
- Lead Vocals – Melvin Van Peebles
- Mastered By – Tony Dawsey
- Mixed By – Alex Lozupone
- Music By – Melvin Van Peebles
- Recorded By – Alex Lozupone
- Technician – Billy "Spaceman" Patterson
- Words By – Melvin Van Peebles
- Samaritans: Mikel Banks, Andre Lasalle, Michael Kammers
- Mike Sargent - Front Cover
- Amy Gail - Original Logo
- Alex Lozupone - Rear Photo
The Last Transmission
Van Peebles' last recorded release was a concept album with The Heliocentrics released in 2014.
Track listing
All tracks are written by Melvin Van Peebles
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Prologue" | |
| 2. | "Big Bang Reincarnation" | |
| 3. | "Searching For Signs Of Live" | |
| 4. | "Blue Mist" | |
| 5. | "The Cavern" | |
| 6. | "Transformation Part 1" |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Transformation Part 2" | |
| 2. | "Telepathic Routine" | |
| 3. | "The Dance" | |
| 4. | "Trust The Cosmos (Believe In The Universe)" | |
| 5. | "Infinite List (Toss The Dice)" | |
| 6. | "Epilogue" |
Credits
- Art Direction – Errol F. Richardson
- Bass Clarinet – Shabaka Hutchings
- Composed By, Arranged By, Performer – The Heliocentrics
- Electronics – Tom Hodges
- Executive Producer – Eothen Alapatt
- Guitar – Adrian Owusu
- Lyrics By, Performer, Vocals – Melvin Van Peebles
- astered By – Guy Davie
- Mixed By – Spaceman Patterson
- Percussion, Vibraphone, Flute, Other – Jack Yglesias
- Photography By – Eric Coleman
- Piano, Keyboards, Effects – Ollie Parfitt*
- Recorded By, Mixed By, Producer, Bass, Other – Jake Ferguson
- Recorded By, Mixed By, Producer, Drums, Percussion, Guitar, Piano, Effects – Malcom Catto
- Theremin – Susi O'Neil
References
- "Melvin Van Peebles Biography". Tvguide.com. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
- "Heliocentrics & Melvin Van Peebles – The Last Transmission". Rappcats. October 1, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2019.
- https://blaxploitation.com/s_364.html
- Bessman, Jim (March 4, 1995). "Capitol's Melvin Van Peebles Issues 1st Album In 20 Years". Billboard. 107 (9): 8, 86. ISSN 0006-2510.
- https://www.obv.org.uk/news-blogs/melvin-van-peebles-life-more-creative
- https://staxrecords.com/artist/melvin-van-peebles/
- https://www.popmatters.com/187076-the-heliocentrics-melvin-van-peebles-the-last-transmission-2495601187.html