from Oannes *

Στη διάρκεια των ‘70s ο Stevie Wonder, μια από τις κορυφαίες φυσιογνωμίες της soul και του May born club, κυκλοφόρησε μια σειρά εκπληκτικών άλμπουμ που επανπροσδιόρισαν το είδος, ηχώντας σήμερα σε “μυστηριώδη” βαθμό επίκαιρα, αντίθετα με εξ ίσου σημαντικά άλμπουμ πολλών από τους συγχρόνους του.
Διαλέγουμε ένα από τα λιγότερο προβεβλημένα, το διπλό βινύλιο – soundtrack του ντοκιμαντέρ The Secret Life Of Plants που κυκλοφόρησε εν μέσω new wave κυκεώνα την τελευταία χρονιά των ‘70s. Ακούμε ένα “sample” τεσσάρων κομματιών, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του ομώνυμου.

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During the ‘70s Stevie Wonder, one of the leading figures of soul and also the May born club, released a series of astonishing albums which redefined the genre, sounding “mysteriously” up-to-date today, unlike equally important albums by most of his contemporaries.
We choose one of the less featured among them, double vinyl – soundtrack of the documentary The Secret Life Of Plants, released in the midst of the new wave storm on the last year of the ’70s. We listen to a “sample” of four tracks, including the title track.

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00:00 EARTH’S CREATION
(Instrumental)

04:03 BLACK ORCHID
❝ A flake of snow within a storm
A new way waiting to be born
In a world with need for change
A touch of love in fear of hate
A rushing wind that’s asked to wait
For the promises of rain
A pearl of wisdom entrapped by poverty
She gives love with purity
Filling minds with hopeful schemes
To build worlds enhanced by peace
Draped in sparkling morning dew
She expresses life anew
From the earth beneath her feet
She is a flower that grows
In love ability
She’s femininity
Black Orchid, Black Orchid
Why did they make you begin
When they know in time you’ll find your truth
Before your cycle ends?
Black Orchid, Black Orchid
Why are you crying their fears
When the true reflection of you that they see
Is love besieged by years?
She has touched the farthest star
Her beauty speaks of what we are
And her freedom makes us free
Her now is in eternity
Infinite to all that see
And her dreams have been achieved
Now there is a sound of laughter
Nature signs out her name
For the world to know her fame
Black Orchid, Black Orchid
Why did they criticize
When they knew your love could cast it’s spell and
Consecrate their eyes?
Black Orchid, Black Orchid
Why do you linger in space
When you know in every heart that beats
You hold a special place?
When you know in every heart that beats
You hold a special place ❞

07:50 A SEED’S A STAR / TREE MEDLEY
❝ Thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen
And those of you who have taken with us this long journey
To celebrate the completion of the orbit of Po Tolo
Tonight, as a tribute to Po Tolo, we have a special song, written
And performed for the occasion by Stevie Wonder
“A seed is a star, a star is a seed”
We’re a people black as is your night
Born to spread Amma’s eternal light
Which, since time began
Has been to bring truth to every man
Our ancestors have since long ago
Passed their wisdom down so we to know
For here lies the key
That will help unfold the mistery
A seed’s a star
A seed’s a star’s a seed
A star’s a seed
A star’s a seed’s a star
In myself I do contain
The elements of sun and rain
First a seed with roots that swell
I gradually burst through my shell
Pushing down into the ground
The root of me is homeward bound
A trunk, a leaf and there I am
A miracle of least by far
Tree – you are the longest living one we know
The largest of all plants, and still you grow
Tree – within your branches there’s such history
So much of what we’re searching for to know
Every fifty years we celebrate
Po Tolo, our star, as it rotates
Though infinitely small
It is still the heaviest of them all
A seed’s a star
A seed’s a star’s a seed
A star’s a seed
A star’s a seed’s a star
A seed’s a star
A seed’s a star’s a seed
A star’s a seed
A star’s a seed’s a star ❞

13:45 THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS
❝ I can’t conceive the nucleus of all
Begins inside a tiny seed
And what we think as insignificant
Provides the purest air we breathe
But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants
A species smaller than the eye can see
Or larger than most living things
And yet we take from it without consent
Our shelter, food, habilment
But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants
But far too many give them in return
A stomp, cut, drown, or burn
As is they’re nothing
But if you ask yourself where would you be
Without them you will find you would not
And some believe antennas are their leaves
That spans beyond our galaxy
They’ve been, they are and probably will be
Who are the mediocrity
But who am I to doubt or question the inevitable being
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants
For these are but a few discoveries
We find inside the Secret Life of Plants ❞

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Enjoy!

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As always, I’m happy to hear your thoughts, however I’d highly recommend a direct dialogue with the …’source’ [why comments are closed here], so please visit Oannes’ page where you can also listen to the music !

More about these reblogs

* For my friends who didn’t know, or first timers here, Oannes [aka Socratis Papahatzis] is my husband, partner in life and music and the one with my undying admiration. Together we have a band MK-O [the music of Marina Kanavaki & Oannes]. So, it’s my pleasure to share with you his [and sometimes mine] musical selections. • Do visit his site. He has my highest recommendation!