The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (album)
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is a compilation album by American singer and songwriter Gil Scott-Heron. It was released in 1974 by Flying Dutchman Records and titled after Scott-Heron's 1971 song of the same name.[1]
| The Revolution Will Not Be Televised | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | 1974 | |||
| Recorded | 1970–72 | |||
| Genre | Jazz, funk, R&B, proto-rap, spoken word | |||
| Length | 33:01 | |||
| Label | Flying Dutchman | |||
| Producer | Bob Thiele | |||
| Gil Scott-Heron chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 1988 reissue cover | ||||
Recordings
The album features recordings previously featured on Scott-Heron's first three records for Flying Dutchman—Small Talk at 125th and Lenox (1970), Pieces of a Man (1971), and Free Will (1972),[2] which were produced by jazz producer Bob Thiele.[3] The music compiled incorporates funk, jazz, and proto-rap styles.[4]
Release and reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | B+[5] |
| Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [4] |
| Los Angeles Daily News | A[6] |
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised was released in 1974 and charted on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums. It peaked at number 21 on October 12 of that year after spending five weeks on the chart.[7] In a contemporary review, Ebony magazine's Phyl Garland called the album "mind-blowing" and said Scott-Heron "does not merely posture and pacify, but presses one to consider the uncomfortable truths of contemporary blackness."[8]
Since then, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised has received positive reviews from publications such as The Washington Post and Los Angeles Daily News,[9] which said "the roots of rap run deep through this superb retrospective".[10] Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said the compilation abandons the homophobia that plagued Scott-Heron's 1970 debut Small Talk at 125th and Lenox in favor of songs that show artistic progress, including agitprop that sounds less arrogant but still committed and improved singing that reveals his compassion.[5] In To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic (2007), William Jelani Cobb said of its significance in hip hop music:
While The Last Poets and This Is Madness pre-dated the beginnings of hip hop, Gil Scott-Heron's 1974 album The Revolution Will Not Be Televised was released as the art form took its first breaths of South Bronx air. Primarily a jazz album, Revolution's claim to the hip hop pantheon was anchored in a title track that found Scott-Heron delivering verse over a hypnotic, funk-indebted bassline—an approach that was so distinct at that point as to warrant classic status.[11]
In the Encyclopedia of Popular Music (2002), writer Colin Larkin praised Scott-Heron's anger and passion in his spoken-word performances on "No Knock" and the title track.[4] AllMusic's Alex Henderson recommended the album's "innovative R&B and spoken poetry" to listeners interested in "exploring his artistry for the first time".[3]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" | Gil Scott-Heron | 3:03 |
| 2. | "Sex Education: Ghetto Style" | Scott-Heron, Brian Jackson | 0:48 |
| 3. | "The Get Out of the Ghetto Blues" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 4:59 |
| 4. | "No Knock" | Scott-Heron | 1:27 |
| 5. | "Lady Day and John Coltrane" | Scott-Heron | 3:32 |
| 6. | "Pieces of a Man" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 4:59 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Home Is Where the Hatred Is" | Scott-Heron | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Brother" | Scott-Heron | 1:42 |
| 3. | "Save the Children" | Scott-Heron | 4:22 |
| 4. | "Whitey on the Moon" | Scott-Heron | 1:26 |
| 5. | "Did You Hear What They Said?" | Scott-Heron | 3:25 |
- Sides one and two were combined as tracks 1–11 on CD reissues.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "When You Are Who You Are" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 3:01 |
| 13. | "I Think I'll Call It Morning" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 3:45 |
| 14. | "A Sign of the Ages" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 4:05 |
| 15. | "Or Down You Fall" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 3:08 |
| 16. | "The Needle's Eye" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 4:01 |
| 17. | "The Prisoner" | Scott-Heron, Jackson | 8:39 |
Personnel
Musicians
- Ron Carter – bass
- Brian Jackson – piano
- Jerry Jemmott – bass
- Burt Jones – guitar
- Eddie Knowles – percussion
- Hubert Laws – alto saxophone, flute
- Pretty Purdie – drums
- Charlie Saunders – percussion
- Gil Scott-Heron – piano, vocals, songwriter
- David Spinozza – guitar
Production
- Carmine Coppola – reissue artwork
- Joe Lopes – remastering
- Bob Simpson – engineer
- Stephen Sulke – engineer
- Bob Thiele – producer, remastering
Charts
Billboard Music Charts (North America) – The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
- 1974: Top Jazz Albums – #21 (5 weeks)[7]
Release history
Information regarding the release history of The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is adapted from Discogs.[12]
| Region | Year | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1974 | Flying Dutchman Records | vinyl LP | BDL 1-0613 |
| Spain | 1975 | RCA Records | vinyl LP, Spanish edition | DBL 1-0613 |
| Germany | 1988 | BMG | remastered CD | 6994-2-RB |
| United States | 1988 | RCA | vinyl LP | NL 86994 |
| United States | 1988 | BMG | vinyl LP | DRL 11798 |
| Germany | 1989 | RCA | CD | ND86994 |
| United States | 1998 | BMG | reissued LP | DRL11798 |
Sampled appearances
The information regarding sampling of songs from The Revolution Will Not Be Televised is adapted from TheBreaks.com.[13]
- "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised"
- Masta Ace – "Take a Look Around"
- Professor Griff – "Real African People 'Rap', Pt. 2"
- Queen Latifah – "The Evil That Men Do"
- Salt-N-Pepa – "Whatta Man Luvbug Remix 1"
- "Home Is Where the Hatred Is"
- Kanye West ft. Common – "My Way Home"
- "Pieces of a Man"
References
- Taylor, Patrick. Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. RapReviews. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- Dellar, Fred. Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Amazon.com. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- Henderson, Alex. Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- Larkin, Colin. "Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music: March 1, 2002.
- Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 12, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- Columnist. "Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Los Angeles Daily News: September 2, 1988.
- "Best Selling Jazz LPs". Billboard: 36. October 12, 2004.
- Garland, Phyl. "Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Ebony: 30. December 1974.
- Harrington, Richard. "Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". The Washington Post: June 30, 1998.
- Columnist. "Review: The Revolution Will Not Be Televised". Los Angeles Daily News: December 30, 1988.
- Cobb (2007), pp. 43–44.
- The Revolution Will Not Be Televised (Album, Comp). Discogs. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- Rap Sample Search: Gil Scott-Heron. TheBreaks. Retrieved on 2008-09-25.
Bibliography
- William Jelani Cobb (2007). To the Break of Dawn: A Freestyle on the Hip Hop Aesthetic. NYU Press. ISBN 0-8147-1670-9.
- Colin Larkin (2002). Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Edition 4. Virgin Books. ISBN 1-85227-923-0.
