Friday Morning Music: Move On Up

Here's some funk and energy from Curtis Mayfield to liven up the end of the first week of 2013. At nearly nine minutes, it's a long one, so enjoy!

I'm taking liberties with the order of the lyrics here, but this song really resonates:

Though there may be complications .... Remember your dreams are your only schemes .... Take nothing less, not even second best .... if you put your mind into it, you can surely do it .... Just move on up towards your destination ....

According to Mayfield's Wikipedia entry, Curtis Mayfield was "inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on March 15, 1999 .... [with] fellow inductees Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Dusty Springfield, [Beatles producer] George Martin, and ... The Staple Singers." He also holds the distinction of being one of Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Take a moment to check out his impressive list of professional achievements near the bottom of the entry. Best known for the album that formed the soundtrack for the 1972 movie Super Fly, Mayfield was a leader in the Black Power Movement. A singer-songwriter, record producer and multi-instrumentalist, Mayfield, along with James Brown, Sly Stone and others, was a pioneer of R&B, Funk and Soul. His music continues to influence Rap and Hip Hop to this day.