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TOP 1200 CHOICE TRACKS

#648 MOVE ON UP Curtis Mayfield
"Move On Up" finds R&B legend Curtis Mayfield at his coolest. It is bursting with a positive and upbeat message, oozing black empowerment and packed with irresistible horn riffs. Mayfield wrote the song for his 1970 LP, 'Curtis'. That track ran for just under 9 minutes. As a result, it was not released as a single in the USA. It was later edited down and charted in the UK, where it peaked at #12.
Mayfield first came to the public's attention as a member of The Impressions. He formed the group with Jerry Butler in 1957 and by his departure in 1970, was at its helm, writing / producing essential soul staples such as "Gypsy Woman", "Keep on Pushin'", "This is my Country", "Choice of Colours", "Check Out Your Mind" and, of course, "People Get Ready". In 1972, he released a blaxploitation classic- the 'Superfly' soundtrack. 
In 1990, while on stage, a lighting tower fell on him. Mayfield was left paralyzed from the waist down. He was only aged 57 when he died on Boxing Day 1999 after years of declining health following the accident.
His legacy will continue to be highly regarded, arguably more in the future than in the past. In 2001, his voice was featured on the Bran Van 3000 dance song "Astounded". Kanye West sampled "Move On Up" 4 years later in his hip hop hit "Touch the Sky".