TIR 11: War Founders at Peace With Past, Positive in Present

Clockwise from bottom right: Current LowRider Band and original War members B.B. Dickerson (not interviewed), Harold Brown, Lee Oskar and Howard Scott.

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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 this three-part series: Guitarist/vocalist Howard Scott, drummer Harold Brown and harmonica player Lee Oskar — all original, founding members of War, one of the most important and successful funk-R&B bands of all time. In recent years, they have performed together as the LowRider Band.

Along with keyboardist/vocalist Lonnie Jordan,  Saxophonist Charles Miller, bassist B.B. Dickerson, percussionist Papa Dee Allen, the group emerged from Los Angeles in 1969 as ex-Animals lead singer Eric Burdon’s backup band and notched the hit “Spill the Wine.” With a unique and identifiable sound marked by deep funk grooves, heavy percussion, Latin rhythms, sax-harmonica horn section, group vocals and unifying messages, the band struck out on its own in 1971, beginning a run of hit multimillion-selling albums and singles. The World Is a Ghetto, was 1973’s best-selling album. In addition to that album’s hit title song, other key tracks by the band included “All Day Music,” “Get Down,” “Slipping Into Darkness,” “The Cisco Kid,” “Where Was You At,” “Gypsy Man,” “Me and Baby Brother,” “Why Can’t We Be Friends,” “Lowrider,” “Heartbeat,” “Summer” and “Galaxy.”

This series provides a comprehensive overview of the band’s legendary history, as told by the originators who lived and breathed it. Part 1 of this series focuses on the band’s beginnings through its Eric Burdon period. Part 2 goes behind the scenes of the classic songs and albums. Part 3 discusses the group’s turbulent 1980s , its rebound and current status as the LowRider Band. See them all!

(Recorded July 2017)

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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.