When guitarists lastly get round to studying Jimi Hendrix tunes, it’s often “Little Wing,” “The Wind Cries Mary,” or “Castles Made from Sand.” The chords in these songs and the way they’re performed epitomize what is typically referred to as “That Hendrix rhythm fashion.” In trendy pop/rock, it has been utilized by John Frusciante and John Mayer on hits like “Below The Bridge” or “Ready on the World to Change.” However the truth is, all of them appropriated the fashion – instantly or not directly – from Curtis Mayfield. Curtis Mayfield.

Origins
Mayfield didn’t invent this tasty fashion, however did depart his mark on it. Lengthy earlier than Frusciante and Mayer have been born, Hendrix was listening to Curtis Mayfield data. In truth, as a struggling musician, Hendrix was employed as a result of he was “That man who might play like Curtis Mayfield.” Had there been no Curtis Mayfield, there can be no Jimi Hendrix.

Born in Chicago on June 3, 1942, Curtis Lee Mayfield lived by the well-known Nina Simone quote, “An artist’s responsibility, so far as I’m involved, is to mirror the instances.” Mayfield’s songs not solely stirred the hearts and minds of music followers, however additionally they mirrored the racial and political turmoil of the ’60s, which resonates in our present cultural local weather. It was the vibe, the falsetto, and the songwriting, however it was additionally his guitar taking part in. Time-travel again to the ’70s, and the funky sounds of Curtis Mayfield have been ubiquitous. Rising from Chicago gospel teams of the ’50s, his church-infused sounds morphed into hits just like the civil rights-themed “Individuals Get Prepared” together with his group, The Impressions. His fashion advanced right into a sound generally known as the Mayfield sound. His magnum opus was the soundtrack to the 1972 movie Tremendous Fly.

The Early Years
Mayfield’s musical journey started with the piano at his mom’s behest. By the age of three, he was performing in church and later joined the North Jubilee Singers. In 1956, he met future Impressions bandmate Jerry Butler. As a youngster, Mayfield started instructing himself to play guitar by ear. With no one to show him, he tuned his guitar to the notes of his mom’s piano: F#–A#–C#–F#–A#–F#, low to excessive. Mayfield and Butler left the Northern Jubilee Singers and fashioned a short-lived singing group. Their paths would cross once more when, in 1957, they heard a couple of doo-wop group referred to as The Roosters, which included Sam Gooden, Richard Brooks, and his brother, Arthur Brooks. Needing a guitarist and a lead vocalist, they added Mayfield and Butler and adjusted the identify of the group to Jerry Butler & The Impressions. In ’58, they signed with Vee-Jay Data.

The Impressions
Signed to a Vee-Jay subsidiary referred to as Falcon Data, Mayfield and the Impressions recorded “For Your Treasured Love,” written by Butler. It grew to become a success in the summertime of ’58. Pressure within the band grew after Butler’s identify was listed earlier than the group. This induced Butler to depart. Mayfield took over as lead singer however later backed Butler as a solo artist. The Impressions have been later dropped by their label resulting from plummeting file gross sales, and the group quickly disbanded.

At simply 18, Mayfield spent 1960 supporting Butler on guitar and vocals. Throughout a residency on the Apollo Theater, his prowess on guitar grew by leaps and bounds and he found his F# open tuning introduced challenges when performing with the home band. Nonetheless, performing continuous improved his singing, taking part in, and songwriting. Lots of his songs have been recorded by Butler, together with “He Will Break Your Coronary heart,” which reached #1 on the R&B charts and #7 on the pop charts.

In 1961, The Impressions regrouped after signing a recording contract with ABC-Paramount. Mayfield grew to become the group’s lead singer and chief songwriter and was one of many first writers in his style to include related social themes. Their first launch with ABC-Paramount was “Gypsy Lady,” which grew to become an enormous hit. Nevertheless, resulting from a scarcity of a robust follow-up, the group misplaced momentum, and the Brooks brothers left in ’62

After shifting to Chicago, the band retooled its sound, and Mayfield’s guitar fashion grew to become very fashionable due partly to the hit “Monkey Time” written by Mayfield, backed by The Impressions, and carried out by Main Lance. In ’63, Mayfield launched “It’s All Proper,” which grew to become a million-seller on the R&B charts and reached #4 on the pop charts. It and “Gypsy Lady” grew to become The Impressions’ best-known hits.

In ’64, they launched “Carry on Pushing,” adopted by “Individuals Get Prepared” in ’65. Main hits that fused cultural pleasure and social consciousness with the sounds of soul and gospel on the peak of the civil rights motion, Mayfield’s songwriting mirrored the instances, not like the period’s escapist bubblegum pop. He had skilled the depraved hand of injustice, and the songs struck a chord within the zeitgeist. “Carry on Pushing” reached #10 on the Billboard pop charts, and “Individuals Get Prepared” grew to become a #3 R&B hit.

Different Mayfield songs with The Impressions throughout this era included the singles “You Should Consider Me” and “Amen.” The albums Carry on Pushing and Individuals Get Prepared contained the band’s hits and have been the top of the band’s reputation and success. By 23, Mayfield had outlined the sound of Chicago soul, rivaling the sounds of the West Coast, East Coast, and Motown. He was additionally a profitable songwriter and producer for different artists, together with Jerry Butler.

Throughout the guitar group, Mayfield’s taking part in had turn out to be a major affect within the genres of soul, R&B, and even reggae. Throughout The Impressions period, he performed Stratocasters with rosewood fretboards.

Band of Gypsys bassist Billy Cox as soon as mentioned “each guitarist” within the ’60s needed to sound like Mayfield, together with Hendrix,” itemizing “Drifting” and “Castles Made from Sand” as a nod to his fashion.

Within the latter ’60s, Mayfield created Windy C Data and Mayfield Data to provide the all-girl group The Fascinations. In March of ’68, Mayfield and Eddie Thomas based Curtom Data with the thought of signing The Impressions as soon as their contract with ABC-Paramount expired. The Impression’s final album with ABC-Paramount was We’re A Winner, which went to #1 on the R&B charts. The album options Mayfield and guitarist Phil Upchurch on the tune “I’m Gettin’ Prepared.”

This Is My Nation was The Impressions’ first album on Curtom, produced by Mayfield. It featured rising star Donny Hathaway as an artist, co-writer, and arranger. On the shut of the last decade, the group launched the socially aware “Alternative of Colours,” with the funkified “Mighty, Mighty Spade & Whitey,” full with a full horn part and a visceral guitar solo. The title monitor went to #1 on the R&B charts.

Going Solo
Within the ’70s, Mayfield pursued a solo profession (principally taking part in Telecaster Thinlines via a Twin Reverb) whereas persevering with to file and produce The Impressions. He launched a number of albums, that continued his socially aware path with the psychedelic-soul sounds of “(Don’t Fear) If There’s a Hell Under We’re All Going to Go,” “Transfer on Up,” and “We the Individuals Who Are Darker Than Blue.” These songs outlined Mayfield’s sound, characterised by funky rhythm guitar, wah, and driving percussion. His label launched albums by The Impressions, The 5 Stairsteps, The Staple Singers, Mavis Staples, The Notations, Child Huey & the Babysitters, Gene Chandler, and Main Lance. 1971’s Curtis/Stay!, recorded on the Bitter Finish in Greenwich Village, was a distillation of his sound, minus horns. Its grounded, organic-sounding ensemble would turn out to be a mainstay. The album featured drummer Tyrone McCullen, bassist Joseph “Fortunate” Scott, percussionist Henry Gibson, and Craig McMullen becoming a member of Mayfield on guitar. Their interaction is impressed as they weave contrasting elements whereas sustaining their characters.

Curtis/Stay! provided one thing for everybody. The four-sided file dips closely into his Impressions catalog that includes crowd favorites and a soul-drenched rendition of Paul Williams’ “We’ve Solely Simply Begun,” made well-known by The Carpenters.

Roots, launched the identical yr, is one among Mayfield’s greatest progressive-soul albums – a musical snapshot of black American life circa 1971. Highlights embody “Get Down” and “Stunning Brother of Mine,” which characteristic mesmerizing, grinding bass, fuzz, wah, and conga. Mayfield continued his message of social consciousness with “Preserve On Protecting On” and “We Bought to Have Peace.” Roots landed at #6 on the R&B album charts. The album marks the completion of Mayfield’s signature sound.

Tremendous Fly
In 1972, Gordon Parks wanted a band to carry out within the background of a nightclub scene of a movie he was directing. He additionally wanted a music for it to play. Mayfield met the problem by composing “Pusherman,” which then impressed him to jot down the soundtrack for what would turn out to be probably the most well-known blaxploitation movie in historical past – Tremendous Fly.

The band featured bassist Joseph “Fortunate” Scott, drummer Morris Jennings (on all of the tracks besides “Pusherman”), Grasp Henry Gibson on percussion, and guitarists Mayfield, McCullen, and Phil Upchurch. “Freddie’s Lifeless” showcases a wonderfully funky groove with wah and fuzz. “Pusherman” is Mayfield with basic orchestrations of unpolluted guitar, energetic congas, wah, and polished lead guitar. If there was ever a signature sound for the early ’70s, it might be “Tremendous Fly.”

The album and soundtrack have been praised for his or her themes, addressing poverty, drug abuse, and crime. Mayfield at first refused to launch “Pusherman” as a single, involved it might glorify drug abuse. In a July, 2012, interview with The New York Occasions, Mayfield’s widow, Altheida, shared how, after studying the script to Tremendous Fly, Mayfield believed the movie can be a “Industrial to promote cocaine.” This impressed him to go towards the movie’s sentiment and write songs with an anti-drug message. Not like different blaxploitation movies that glorified ghetto life, machismo, and drug use, Mayfield relayed his message with hard-hitting lyrics in regards to the risks of drug abuse and harsh ghetto life. It’s unlucky that 53 years later, followers of the Tremendous Fly soundtrack are blind to the truth that the movie is a couple of drug seller making an attempt to flee from being a drug seller. Although the soundtrack criticized the glorification of drug sellers and pimps, Mayfield felt his message was downplayed resulting from nefarious advertising. Thus continued the glorification of ghetto life.

The file stands alongside different good African American idea albums comparable to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, Stevie Surprise’s Innervisions, and Parliament’s Mothership Connection as one of many best socially aware idea albums. It chills, grooves, drives, and is full of quantity swells, wonderful wah work, Mayfield’s signature falsetto, and to high it off, a badass horn part. Tremendous Fly has stood the take a look at of time and is likely one of the best socially related idea albums of all time. The film isn’t dangerous, both.

Tremendous Fly went to #1 on Billboard and was a monetary and important success, promoting greater than 12 million copies upon its preliminary launch. “Freddie’s Lifeless” was the background music to a era of music followers, and, with the success of the title monitor and “Pusherman,” Tremendous Fly grew to become Mayfield’s most profitable album.

All Issues Should Cross
In 1973, Mayfield wrote and produced Again to the World, an anti-war idea album that addressed the aftermath of Vietnam. In ’74, Mayfield wrote and produced the soundtrack to Claudine, starring Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones. The album options Gladys Knight & the Pips on vocals. He additionally launched Candy Exorcist, which included the hit “Kung Fu.” He wrote the soundtrack to Let’s Do It Once more in ’75 (with Sidney Poitier and Invoice Cosby within the lead roles) that includes The Staple Singers. In ’76, Mayfield produced the soundtrack for Sparkle, that includes Aretha Franklin. In ’77, the soundtrack to A Piece of the Motion grew to become the ultimate installment of the Sidney Poitier/Invoice Cosby trilogy, that includes Mavis Staples on vocals. Considered one of Mayfield’s final hits, “Do Do Wap is Robust in Right here,” was featured on the soundtrack to the indie jail drama Quick Eyes.

On August 13, 1990, Mayfield was struck by a chunk of falling lighting gear. The incident left him paralyzed from the neck down, and although he was unable to play the guitar, he continued to file. The next yr, he was inducted to the Rock & Roll Corridor of Fame as a member of The Impressions. In ’95, he acquired a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. His remaining album, New World Order, was launched in ’96, and in ’99 he entered the Rock Corridor of Fame as a solo artist. On December 26, 1999, he handed away resulting from diabetes.

Guitar Type
There are two methods to go if one needs to soak up the six-string nuances of Curtis Mayfield. For the perfectionist soul disciple, one abandons commonplace tuning in favor of F#–A#–C#–F#–A#–F# matching the black keys of the piano. This forsakes numerous fretboard data acquired in commonplace tuning, however taking part in his songs is just a matter of taking widespread chord shapes and shifting them to provide the right sounds. Making use of scales to soloing concepts requires a a lot deeper dive, because the widespread scale and field shapes exit the window as a result of intervals are elsewhere.

In commonplace tuning, guitarists will discover Mayfield’s use of triads, main and minor thirds, fourths, and the superimposition of main sixths over minor pentatonic riffs. He performed sixths over minor seventh chords, which created soulful moods. Practitioners of CAGED fretboard ideas have an enormous leg up, because the chordal elaborations are all inside attain. Hammer-on ornamentation and sliding sixths over wah-infused rhythmic minor seventh chords is a Mayfield trademark. And in at present’s world, the place wah is usually handled like an previous man’s crutch, it will possibly manifest a world of tonal colours.

Mayfield was the grasp of nuance. He was a refined participant who performed fairly and was extra involved with vibe, texture, and environment than pace and aggression. His use of house inside chord progressions was additionally essential. In spite of everything, he was taking part in behind his voice and different nice singers. The large takeaway from Mayfield’s fashion is to tell one’s taking part in, even when the style isn’t soul-based gospel funk. One can hear parts of it within the revved-up reside model of Hendrix performing “Stone Free.” Dig the Mayfield-inspired hammered double-stops within the 1969 Royal Albert Corridor model from the reside compilation The Hendrix Live shows.

Mayfield’s guitar fashion lives on. Contemporaries like John “Jubu” Smith, Isaiah Sharkey, and Jabrille Williams, also referred to as Jimmy Scratch James, have taken the foundational parts of his fashion and introduced them into the twenty first century.

For extra, take a look at Touring Soul: The Lifetime of Curtis Mayfield by Todd Mayfield and Curtis Mayfield: Individuals By no means Give Up by Peter Burns.

This text initially appeared in VG’s October 2025 problem. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.