“They’re my theme music. Every hero’s got to have some.”

- Bernie Casey’s John Spade from the 1988 film, I’m Gonna Get You Sucka

Shaft had Isaac Hayes

Mr. T. aka “Trouble Man” had Marvin Gaye.

Youngblood “Super Fly” Priest had Curtis Mayfield.

Now, Isaiah “Pastor” Hurt has C.E. Garcia.

As many of you guessed from my hint last week, WORLD OF HURT, the Internet’s #1 Blaxploitation Webcomic, now has its own theme song!

The song, entitled “The Black Fist” was written and performed by Christopher “C.E.” Garcia, a member of the Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra and musician on the original score for the Black Dynamite movie.  Chris is an extraordinary musician who is steeped in the history of funk and soul.  He drops some serious history lessons on a regular basis on his blog, vinyl4giants@blogspot.com.  When Chris first approached me with the idea of creating an original song for WORLD OF HURT, my jaw hit the floor.  When he sent me the first draft of the song, the rest of my body joined my jaw on the ground.   Chris knows his stuff, he enjoys and respects the Blaxploitation era, as well as the music that preceded, and grew out of, that time period.  He knew that’s what I was trying to capture with WORLD OF HURT, so the song he crafted brings the tone and era of the comic strip alive with a brooding, gritty, raw instrumental that sounds like impending violence from the first note.   C.E. Garcia’s “The Black Fist” announces itself with a growling  bass line that stalks its way through the course of the song and the foreboding, thundering ”CLANG” of a church bell, and it just gets better from there.  Youou can easily imagine Pastor kicking down doors or prowling along the darkened streets of Pointe Blanc behind the wheel of his car as he shakes down informants or dispenses righteous, two-fisted justice.

The song, “The Black Fist” will be available on iTunes in about two weeks.  I’ll keep you posted on the exact release date.  As the day approaches, we’ll be issuing press releases to build the hype.  Nonetheless, I’ll make sure that you’ll be able to hear the first sample of the song right here on WorldOfHurtOnline.com, so keep your ears peeled.

- JEP

As I mentioned previously, C.E. Garcia, a professional musician who performed on the original motion picture soundtrack for Black Dynamite and now regularly tours as a member of The Black Dynamite Sound Orchestra, composed an original theme for WORLD OF HURT.  The song is now available on iTunes, but as I promised, you’d hear a sample of it right here at the home of The Internet’s #1 Blaxploitation Webcomic!

The Black Fist (Theme to WORLD OF HURT) {Sample}

Dude just KILLED it!  Those clanging church bells just sound like doom!  Ask not for whom the bell tolls.  It tolls for thee, muthafucka!  Also, my hat is off to the talented Alfredo E. Fratti and his magic flute.  I don’t have the musical vocabulary to express what he did, but never has a flute sounded so menacing.  It adds the perfect touch to a note-perfect song.

Now, please do Mr. Garcia and myself a favor and buy this bad boy from iTunes.  We got bills ta pay!   Just search for “The Black Fist” or “C.E. Garcia” and it should pop right up.

- JEP

We love music here at WORLD OF HURT World Headquarters.  Especially soul music.  For this week’s blog, my wife, Noelle, was kind enough to provide a review of a concert we saw in Augusta, GA last week.  She (mostly) has good taste in music and I completely agree with her assessment of the concert.  Enjoy!

Let’s just get to the point on this one. Sharon Jones puts 99.9 percent of today’s young hip/hop and pop stars to shame.

At 53, the woman can dance for two hours, belt out soul song after soul song and never lose her breath. No AutoTune. No DJ. No “entourage” standing in the background to offer distractions while she catches her breath.

Sharon commands attention. The audience gives it. And they are rewarded for plunking down $20 to see the spectacle.

For those who don’t know about Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, let’s go to class. The band is made in the image of classic 1960s soul bands. Their sound is a lively mix of gospel, soul and funk. Jones is clearly the star of the show. But the Dap-Kings, which includes a three-piece brass section, two percussionists, a bassist, two guitars and two back-up singers, holds its own against Jones’ stage presence.

Last Saturday, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings put on one hell of a show in Augusta, Ga., which happens to be her hometown. James Brown’s influence was in the air. The Dap-Kings show opens like those of the Godfather of Soul. The band takes the stage and plays a couple of numbers to warm up their audience. The two backup singers got a chance to sing on center stage. Then, amidst the hype of the band leader, Binky Griptite, Jones emerges from the shadows. The energy doesn’t let up until the final note.

The band could not leave Augusta without paying homage James Brown. The encore that featured his music with Sharon Jones demonstrating some of Brown’s signature dance moves.

The audience was filled with Jones’ friends and families. Her’s is a classic Southern biography for African-Americans. Her family migrated to New York to escape the Jim Crow South and to find job opportunities up North. Before finding success with the Dap-Kings, Jones worked as a correctional officer at Rikers Island and sang at weddings. Last weekend, she clearly was happy to be home in Augusta. And we were happy to be there, too.

Other notes from the night….

The opening act was a pleasant surprise. The Howlies hail from Atlanta. These four white guys are a throwback to pop groups form the 1950s and 60s with their skinny ties, skinny jeans and narrow-cut suit jackets. And they can harmonize (Harmonize!). While their sound is old school rock-n-roll their lyrics reflect modern day sensibilities. The four-piece is lead by the drummer. I’m always impressed with someone who can keep the beat going with both arms and legs and sing and keep the rest of the band in check. I recommend you look for them in your area.

The concert was held in Augusta’s Imperial Theater, a charming venue that needs a little love. The theater was built in 1918 on Broad Street. Its ornate interior is beautiful in spite of the peeling paint. The seats are upholstered in red velvet. The neon marquee winks and blinks to passersby. I couldn’t think of a more appropriate venue to see Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings.

Finally, it’s rare for me to arrive anywhere early but somehow we got to Augusta with time to spare. While strolling on Augusta’s Broad Street we discovered Pyramid Records and Video, a hole-in-the-wall record store. It may be small but Pyramid is filled top-to-bottom with CDs, vinyl, movies and T-shirts. If you’re looking for the latest Arcade Fire release, you best keep walking. But if you’re in the mood to prowl for gospel, soul and rap gems, this is your place.