Harry Belafonte's political ballad about the DNC -- footage from the lost Smothers Brothers season
Lumnifer sez, "This clip of Harry Belafonte singing an extended political song, 'Don't Stop The Carnival,' with a green screen backdrop of footage from the disastrous 1968 Democratic National Convention, was originally meant to air as part of the season 3 premiere of the 1968 Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Many people would be surprised to know that both Belafonte and the Smothers Brothers were very political - in fact, the Smothers Brothers series was cancelled that season for being too overtly political, even going so far as to insult the president and criticize the war! *gasp*"
Doesn't surprise me in the least -- I think being political is what the Smothers Brothers are famous for, no? In any event, Belafonte and the Smothers are both gigantic personal favorites, and this (based, it seems on "Global Carnival?") is a great song. Harry Belafonte - Don't Stop The Carnival (Thanks, Luminifer!)
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Two things:
-this makes me want to listen to side three of Sandinista
-his jumpsuit is reminiscent of the invaders', from 'By Any Other Name'
Belafonte's oft-forgotten political relevance and activism speak to his role as part of a community in NYC...after all, who else was singing labor ballads like "Banana Boat Song" in those days? The Weavers, Phil Ochs, and an obscure geeky guy named Bob Dylan, whose first professional studio session was playing some hot harmonica on Belafonte's cover of "Midnight Special" under some pseudonym...I think it was "Blind Boy Grunt," or something like that.
cheers,
Manko Eponymous
Harry Belefonte's Christmas CD from 1960something is the best collection of lullablies you'll ever hear. If there is politics in there, it is very subliminal.
I thought being hilarious was what the Smothers were best known for. My bad.
Check out the DVD "Smothered".
It documents the emergence and subsequent canning of the SB's subversive political stances on the +++ television network in the 60's.
They came back to +++ for a brief spell during the mid-80's, and were canned once again after P.D.Q. Bach performed a not-so-subtle critique of the administration in power at the time...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4omW3Cp3qfQ
Check out Steve Martin's autobiography, Born Standing Up. He used to be a writer on the show (first job out of college), and he talks about the political humor.
Just to set the historical record straight: Back then they used blue screen. I'm not sure why they switched to green. As I understand it, the principle is the same.
"Bring it on. Dissent is central to any democracy"
about his expectation of criticism for his remarks on the war in Iraq.
Harry Belafonte
"Many people would be surprised to know that both Belafonte and the Smothers Brothers were very political"
.... Many people born after 1970? (I shouldn't say that, I'm way younger than that, but honestly, if you've heard of the Smothers Brothers and don't know they're political, what rock have you been under?)
"Blind Boy Grunt." There's a Dylan cut on a Folkways sample,. "A Good Old Fashioned War," under that name. It was the first thing I heard by him and I thought he was an authentic Appalachian hillbilly, although the name was obviously a spoof.
This is a medley, with "Don't Stop the Carnival" bringing it all together. (Because I know Zombie Jamboree!) It's an awfully nice piece of music and commentary.
The song is more likely based on "Don't Stop The Carnival" by the Alan Price Set, a UK hit in '68. Cracking good version by Belafonte. BBC Radio 4 recently aired a documentary/interview with him focussing on his radical politics. A cool dude.