Curtis Mayfield was one of many artists that I decided to listen to after reading various interviews with Primal Scream's Bobby Gillespie, where he listed the soul man as a key influence. Coincidentally this was around the same time that Mayfield passed away, and various tributes gave me more of an insight into his music and more of an urge to discover more of it. There was a Kwik Save supermarket about a minute walk away from our house, and one day I was thrilled to find they were selling a Curtis Mayfield CD for £3.99. I knew I had to have it, and very soon 'Give It Up: The Curtom Years' became one of my most played selections. Over 13 years later and I have progressed into the studio albums, each and every one a treasure. I hope one day that this genius is awarded the recognition and credit that he has always deserved. Here's the opening track from that awesome compilation I bought all those years ago, the blindingly majestic 'Wild And Free'. The song originally appeared on his 1970 solo debut 'Curtis!'.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Mayfield
