September 7, 2024Scott Goldfine

TIR 84: Rotary Connection’s Sidney Barnes Spins His Rock & Soul Odyssey

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Brought to you by FUNKNSTUFF.NET and hosted by Scott Goldfine — musicologist and author of “Everything Is on THE ONE: The First Guide of Funk” ― “TRUTH IN RHYTHM” is the interview show that gets DEEP into the pocket with contemporary music’s foremost masters of the groove.

Featured in TIR Episode 84 (2 Parts): Singer, songwriter, arranger and producer Sidney Barnes, who has been active in music since the early 1960s as a staff writer for Motown, member of Rotary Connection and working with George Clinton, The Jackson 5, The Supremes, Deniece Williams, Minnie Ripperton, B.B. King and many others.

According to Wikipedia, he has appeared on more than 150 albums. Barnes is also famous for spotting, encouraging and mentoring young talent, including Donny Hathaway, Maurice White and Chaka Khan. He also recorded on his own and when starting out as a member of the doo-wop group The Serenaders. Barnes’ writing credits include “Come See Me” by The Pretty Things; “I Bet You” by Funkadelic and The Jackson 5; “I Can’t Shake It Loose” by The Supremes; “Long Live Our Love” by The Shangri-Las; and “Watch Yourself” by B.B. King. His career was rejuvenated in the late 1990s when his 1960s works were embraced by fans in England as part of the Northern Soul boom. In 2006, he released a 600-page autobiography titled, “Standing on Solid Ground.”

In this in-depth interview, Barnes serves up a Forrest Gump-like account of his encounters with all manner of music industry stars and figures from the 20th century. Highlights include his stints at Motown and Chess Records, lifelong association with George Clinton, being a core member of Rotary Connection, counseling Maurice White and hanging out with Janis Joplin. Plus, he’s got new music to share. It’s 60 years of rock and soul history from the mind of a man who was there for much of it, Mr. Sidney Barnes.

RECORDED FEBRUARY 2019

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Scott Goldfine

As a fervid lifelong music & film enthusiast / student, I grew up in and around the Los Angeles entertainment industry. I have worked and held many positions in various media realms, since 1998 serving as Editor-in-Chief and now Associate Publisher for Security Sales & Integration, a trade publication serving the electronic security industry. I love several genres of music & film. The former includes funk (Parliament-Funkadelic, Prince, Ohio Players, etc.); blues (Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Eric Gales, etc.); rock (Jack White, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, etc.); hard rock (AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, etc.); jazz (Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Crusaders, etc.); R&B (Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, Gil Scott-Heron, etc.); and more. I was a club disc jockey and ran a mobile DJ company (Musical Moods) for more than 15 years, which is where the name Dr. GX originates (Doctor Good Times). Fave film genres include horror (Dawn of the Dead, Evil Dead, Nightmare on Elm Street, etc.); science fiction (Aliens, Terminator, 2001, etc.); action (Warriors, Road Warrior, Die Hard); westerns (Outlaw Josey Wales, Showdown at OK Corral; Wild Bunch, etc.); suspense (Jaws, Inception, Silence of the Lambs, etc.); drama (Apocalypse Now, Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, etc.); and comedies (Life of Brian, Superbad, Ruthless People, etc.). I have attended many hundreds of concerts and movies (in theaters or screenings). I may as well also throw in a few favorite TV shows to give an even broader taste of my sensibilities. A handful would be Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, Lost, Justified, Fargo, Seinfeld, Sopranos, South Park, Brooklyn Nine Nine, Key & Peele, Monty Python, Inside Amy Schumer, Louie, Modern Family, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Last Man on Earth, Bob Newhart Show, All in the Family and The Office. Fave authors are Stephen King, Clive Barker and Michael Crichton. I am also a big sports fan and lifelong supporter of the Dallas Cowboys (NFL), Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and Pittsburgh Pirates (MLB). Also enjoy my family of course, electronics/computers/AV gear, and animals, nature and outdoor activities. Graduate of Santa Monica High School, Santa Monica College and California State University Northridge (Radio-TV-Film, Psychology minor). Also studied at UCLA for kinesiology/psychology and earned post-grad Certificate in Accounting from Santa Monica College. Present main occupation is as Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Security Sales & Integration (SSI), which I joined in 1998. I am responsible for overseeing all editorial content in print. online, electronic, in-person and any other media or products for the electronic security industry's leading business-to-business trade publication. SSI is part of Framingham, Mass.-based Emerald Expositions.