Actor/producer/musician Yaphet Kotto laid down this dark slice of soul in 1968 via the Chisa label. Proto-rap in its delivery, “Have You Ever Seen The Blues” rides the cymbals like Max Roach, all percussive piano with Kotto spitting lines like “..and all the while visions of suicide were boogalooin’ in your head and you was thinking how you might as well be dead.” And then shit gets real.
Sourced from a 45 picked up for ten cents, the track was part of our 2010, two-disc Ponytone compilation.
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What a great track! Any chance the Ponytone compilations could be shared again?
I’ll second that! That was fantastic!
Me too! They look grrrreaat!
Tony
Geez, I see nothing about this song on his wiki – but this is a monster tune.
Just heard this on Aquariusradio. Thought it must be some Kotto, Doors/Morrison cover of a long lost track. I wonder if Jim ever heard this.