intergalactic identity

analog-blog:

RIP to Jimmy Castor. Saxophonist, percussionist, singer/songwriter & funk MONSTER. I knew about him like most people my age (I assume) through his Bboy anthem “It’s Just Begun”. With the break appearing in the 1983 film Flashdance in the scene with legendary Rock Steady Bboys Frosty Freeze, Crazy Legs, it blew up Bboying (and Hip-Hop in general) globally. “It’s Just Begun” has held on & become one of the staple jams of the culture. Another great scene with the cut is the end credits of QD3’s Freshest Kids Bboy documentary.

Luckily for myself and others who attended, they convinced Jimmy to come out of retirement & perform at the 2010 Long Beach Funk Fest. He put on a great set, with the highlight being the jam, of course. Definitely a special moment so thanks to the organizers there for making it happen.

Jimmy Castor…songwriter, singer, saxophonist, percussionist. Producer, arranger, humorist …alias The E-Man, has earned his well deserved reputation as “THE EVERYTHING MAN.”

Before even finishing junior high school, Jimmy Castor had written his first million seller for Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers called, “I Promise To Remember.” While furthering his education at New York City’s prestigious High School of Music & Art and later attending City College, Jimmy pursued his musical career by assembling a band of his own playing an assortment of major New York nightspots. He then wrote his second million seller, “Hey Leroy Your Mama’s Calling You,” on Mercury Records, through which a new flashy and spirited performer was introduced to the public – JIMMY CASTOR. Still early into his career, Castor befriended such music greats as Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Tito Puente and King Curtis to name only a handful.

Moving on to RCA Records, “The Jimmy Castor Bunch” continued to show off Castor’s witty, pop/r&b writing ability through his amusing characterizations of “Troglodyte” and “Luther the Anthropoid,” hit singles from their first and second RCA albums, “It’s Just Begun” and “Phase Two” – the title cut from the “It’s Just Begun” album was featured in the movie “Flashdance.” On the third RCA LP, Jimmy further established his versatility as an artist/producer by expanding the group’s more serious instrumental abilities as first recognized through Castor’s haunting rendition of “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “A Whiter Shade of Pale”.

By the time Jimmy Castor released his debut album for Atlantic Records, it was no wonder that his aptly descriptive nickname could no longer be kept a secret. “The Everything Man” LP was released, and through Jimmy’s obvious talent as a master of all trades, The E-Man and The Bunch justly enjoyed a victory in obtaining Record World’s “Top Instrumental Group” award for the year. And, yet another new pair of innovative singles, “Maggie” and “The Everything Man,” hit the charts.

The internationally famous, smash LP, “Butt of Course,” was Castor’s second Atlantic release. It featured two more pop/r&b hit singles, “The Bertha Butt Boogie” and “Potential”. From the same album, there was also the legendary worldwide disco hit “E-Man Boogie,” which rated number 10 in Billboards’ annual disco poll.

“Supersound,” the next Atlantic LP yielded two more prosperous singles for The Bunch – one being the widely publicized, international favorite “King Kong” which entered the Top 100 Pop Charts in the first week of its release and reached number 1 in Japan. “E-Man Groovin’,” Castor’s fourth Atlantic LP, brought forth still another successful tale – this time about the universal and immortal Transylvanian figure “Dracula.” Castors “Maximum Stimulation” and “The Jimmy Castor Bunch” LPs further displayed Jimmy’s brilliance as a writer and performer through his enchanting saxophone melodies and smooth vocal harmonies.

In addition to his success as a recording artist, producer, writer and arranger as “The Everything Man,” Jimmy’s natural ability to relate to people along with his skill, confidence and ease as a performer and speaker has captivated and motivated audiences throughout the world at various speaking engagements.

Castor has appeared on such television shows as Dinah!, American Bandstand, Soul Train, Positively Black and Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. Jimmy and The Bunch have also enjoyed sold out performances at such venues as The Roxy in Los Angeles, The Felt Forum and Madison Square Garden in New York, RFK Stadium in the nation’s capitol and the Omni in Atlanta.

And to add to his credit, much of Jimmy Castor’s music (“It’s Just Begun,” “The Bertha Butt Boogie” and “King Kong,” to name a few) has been sampled innumerable times in movies and by a myriad of today’s most popular artists. His statement of “What we’re gonna do right here is go back,” is LEGENDARY

Bio from the Jimmy Castor website

i posted It’s Just Begun just the other day when I was watching the NY77 documentary… RIP.