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All songs Produced, Composed, Arranged and Performed by The Master James L. Richard II
You have here an unusual opportunity to appraise the human mind, or to examine, in Earth terms, the roles of good and evil in a man. His negative side, which you call hostility, lust, violence; and his positive side, which Earth people express as compassion, love, tenderness. And what is it that makes one man an exceptional leader? We see here indications that it is his negative side which makes him strong -- that his evil side, if you will, properly controlled and disciplined, is vital to his strength. Your negative side, removed from you, the power of command begins to elude you.
"The Enemy Within", stardate 1673.1.
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Looking at James L. Richard..s family, it was fairly safe to say that the Oakland native was not going to be a street sweeper or a computer programmer. From the get go, the current band leader for the Bay Areas New Sekret Service was introduced to music by his talented musical family. His uncles are William Richard and Roy Richard of the doo wop group The Robins, and original members of the chart topping icons, The Coasters. His older brother Billy has been a member of the legendary R&B group since 1962.
James.. Dad was the reviled Rev J L Richard, Pastor and founder of The Evergreen Baptist Church Of Oakland, and Baptist icon. Lead the political charge for black people in the Bay Area and across the nation. A celebrity in his field, working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Julian Bond and a young Jesse Jackon among others.
James..s Mom, Dortha Lee Richard lived with Frank Sinatra, working as Nancy Sinatra..s personal assistant (from the ages of 17-21 at that). She dressed Mrs. Sinatra (bought all her clothes and jewelry), handled all her appointments, acted as her single personal liaison, even took care of Frank Jr. and Tina, until she married Rev Richard in the early 50..s.
The precocious musician started playing drums at 4 years of age and moved on to piano at 5. During college, Richard says he formed an Oakland band called The Millenium Falcons. He says that the group dressed up in rugby shirts adorned with safety pins and played new wave and punk rock tunes.
Following his punk phase, Richard became enamored by Prince and a burgeoning new music form known as rap. During this time, Richard wanted to form a band called The Secret Service but found he had to settle for The Sekret Service. "You cant copyright a name of a government agency", he says.
While the old version of the The Sekret Service played all the popular artists of the time, like Michael Jackson and Prince, Richard says the band also covered more adventurous fare. "We were a top 40 band, but we took chances, he says. We did Depeche Mode".
By the mid-80s, Richard had another brother who started making waves in the music industry, Jay King. King was the man behind the Timex Social Club, who had a hit with Rumors, and Club Nouveau. Club Nouveau and took the world by storm with such charted hits as "Situation ..9", Why You Treat Me So Bad", "Jealousy", "Heavy On My Mind", and the number 1 Grammy award winning remake of the Bill Withers classic: "Lean On Me". Their songs have been covered or sampled by such varied artists as J-Lo, R Kelly and Puff Daddy, Jessica Simpson, and The Luniz.
Richard pulled the plug on The Sekret Service to focus on doing studio work. He says he ended up working with artists like R&B outfit Tony! Toni! Tone! and dozens of rap/hip hop artists such as Askari X, Dru Down, Rodney O, But, in June of 2004, Richard realized he was missing the feel of performing in front of a crowd and formed The New Sekret Service. With experienced musicians like former MC Hammer drummer Tyrone Duncan, supreme vocalist Chuck Lounge, bass champion extraordinaire Freddie White, and keybaord genius Juan Ugly Fingerz Blair, The New Sekret Service plays songs by everyone from Marvin Gaye to Outkast.
Richard says they embrace the same philosophy that the past version of his band adhered to.
We pick material that is huge number one smash hits, but we make sure no one else plays it, he says. If we hear another band do a song, we drop it. Real Men Wear Black/49ers wear red/better dead than red/commit to excellence/have pride and poise and just win in LIFE. Once You Go Silver And Black, you never go back. We just DONT skate.
THE BLACK PANTHER PARTY FOR SELF DEFENSE CONSTITUTION
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
1. WE WANT FREEDOM. WE WANT POWER TO DETERMINE THE DESTINY OF OUR BLACK AND OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES.
2. WE WANT FULL EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE.
3. WE WANT AN END TO THE ROBBERY BY THE CAPITALISTS OF OUR BLACK AND OPPRESSED COMMUNITIES.
4. WE WANT DECENT HOUSING, FIT FOR THE SHELTER OF HUMAN BEINGS.
5. WE WANT DECENT EDUCATION FOR OUR PEOPLE THAT EXPOSES THE TRUE NATURE OF THIS DECADENT AMERICAN SOCIETY. WE WANT EDUCATION THAT TEACHES US OUR TRUE HISTORY AND OUR ROLE IN THE PRESENT-DAY SOCIETY.
6. WE WANT COMPLETELY FREE HEALTH CARE FOR All BLACK AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE.
7. WE WANT AN IMMEDIATE END TO POLICE BRUTALITY AND MURDER OF BLACK PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE OF COLOR, All OPPRESSED PEOPLE INSIDE THE UNITED STATES.
8. WE WANT AN IMMEDIATE END TO ALL WARS OF AGGRESSION.
9. WE WANT FREEDOM FOR ALL BLACK AND OPPRESSED PEOPLE NOW HELD IN U. S. FEDERAL, STATE, COUNTY, CITY AND MILITARY PRISONS AND JAILS. WE WANT TRIALS BY A JURY OF PEERS FOR All PERSONS CHARGED WITH SO-CALLED CRIMES UNDER THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY.
10. WE WANT LAND, BREAD, HOUSING, EDUCATION, CLOTHING, JUSTICE, PEACE AND PEOPLE'S COMMUNITY CONTROL OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that, whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience hath shown that mankind are most disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But, when a long train of abuses and usurpation, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
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