#jim whiting

[theaskew]

Luna Luna: the world's first art amusement park

[c-40]

A-T-3 069 Herbie Hancock - Rockit

In a chat with Greg Wilson he was saying electro-funk split UK jazz-funk scene. There were purists who didn't like the new synth records or hip hop (although synths and the rhythm-box had made appearances in jazz-funk fusion for over a decade, and Last Poets, Gil Scott Heron etc) but when a leading light like Herbie Hancock made Rockit they paid attention (a few years later there would be a similar split on the northern soul scene when some djs introduced early house records into their sets, that one didn't get resolved). Other folk who are watching closely are Jan Hammer and Harold Faltermeyer

I loved this record from the get go, I must have been 9-years-old and this was my music. In 1984 Kelloggs' Rice Krispies gave Rockit away as a free 7" single (with Wham on the other side) and that's how I got to own this record

This is another record that there's been a lot written about. Rockit came out of a session at Herbie Hancock's studio with Material, this session came about after the records Material had worked on with Celluloid released in 1982 and are posted here A-T-2 388, A-T-2 164, A-T-2 103

That last link above is to Grandmaster D.St http://www.oldschoolhiphop.com/artists/deejays/grandmixerdst.htm who is prominent on Rockit. Herbie Hancock performs Rockit at the 1984 Grammys where he is awarded Best R&B Instrumental or something like that, the US's racial separation in music is depressing. For many people this is the first time that are seeing someone scratching on TV and it's D.St and he's scratching "Fresh" from the first of the links in the above paragraph. This is supposedly the first time the "Fresh" scratch is heard by a large audience and the rest its history. Contrary to some histories Rockit isn't the first hit record to feature scratching, that'd be The World Famous Supreme Team on Malcom McLaren's (Trevor Horn and Anne Dudley's) Buffalo Gals the year before (A-T-2 102) which was a worldwide hit, going top 10 in many countries. Anyway, check out Herbie and D.St (and Jim Whiting) in their Grammys performance here, do you think the dancers look like Leatherface with those make on?

Who is Jim Whiting?

Jim Whiting is a British artist who makes animatronic objects. The ones you see in the Grammys performance are the work of Jim Whiting

Whiting's animatronic creations are also prominently featured in the video for Rockit which was made by Godley & Creme (former members of the rock band 10cc who did a ton of videos around this time and also the hit singles Cry and Under Your Thumb which I used to sing as "under you bum"). What makes me smile is the video begins with a very normal English street and set is made of second hand furniture, a far cry from California in the USA and the glamorous life. Godley & Creme have said a requirement of the job was to "keep Herbie Hancock's appearances in it to a minimum because MTV didn't like to show black artists" they did this by putting the focus on Whiting's creations

The video wins 5 MTV awards at the first MTV Awards show and is notable for getting the music of a third black artist on MTV rotation, after MJ and Prince

"In America, most people heard this song on MTV, since it wasn't a big radio hit. Herbie Hancock wasn't on the radar of program directors outside of jazz formats, and the song was too unusual for most Top 40 stations"

The Tube from The Hacienda, perhaps in preparation for the Grammys performance

[lia-serrano]

Jim Thorpe, PA.

©Lía Serrano

//

[spirk-trek]

"I will need a Vulcan desert soft suit and boots, and a small selection of streetwear circa 8877 Vulcan years. The carry bag should be of the same period."

Star Trek the Animated Series | S1E2

[t0mashek]

McKirk?? Some whiteboard McKirk for you in these trying times????

[fallenangelblade]

when i’m rewatching all my favorite shows from the late aughts and they introduce an important recurring antagonist

[alwaysbewoke]

[adrienmelon]

James T Kirk did not say “leave your bigotry in your quarters, there’s no room for it on the bridge.” in 1966 for any bigots to love Star Trek. Get out of the fandom you’re not welcome here.

[creativespark]

The Zeus Collection, 1982 Joe Paducah, entrant in Los Angeles' Supermen 80 competition, photography by Jim Hawkins

[blushingphoenix]

The original by Jim Lee and the homage by David Nakayama

Hellfire Gala Magazine cover variants

[thefugitivesaint]

Jim Fitzpatrick, 'Anna Livia Plurabelle', 1984

[staud]

Seats 1 - 8 – The Boys in the Boat (2023)

[curtvilescomic]

Emma Frost, White Queen by Jim Lee

[frownyalfred]

We talk about Jim Gordon *basically* knowing Batman is Bruce Wayne. Do you think Perry White has a similar knowledge of Clark Kent as Superman? Or is he oblivious and thinks Clark is rlly just that flighty

I find this a really fascinating question. I've always wanted to write a fic where it's just the two of them commiserating over coffee or cigarettes together, trying to stand in solidarity with their respective vigilantes without giving it away.

But whenever my mind travels down that path, I remember these are both very intelligent men whose literal jobs are to know the truth, to seek it out and break it down to the most granular details. There are very few things they don't know that they aren't consciously holding themselves back from.

They might know who Batman and Superman are out of the suit, but they don't want to know. They hold it just outside of their conscious beliefs, because to invite that kind of realization in means confronting the reality every day: they know who Batman is, who Superman is. That's a devastating secret. It burns at you when you hold it. It begs to be shared. It begs to be buried.

The greatest gift they can give Bruce and Clark (and themselves, to be honest) is pretending they don't know. But pretending you don't know something comes with its own drawbacks. They can't cover for you as well if they're pretending they don't know what they're covering for in the first place.

But yes. Beneath Perry's bluster, and Jim's gruff indifference, there are two very smart men trying to help as much as they can without driving themselves insane. So they nudge where they can, make excuses where it's plausible, and try to continue onward with this secret burning between their hands.

[momachan]

Batman: Beyond the White Knight (Batman: White Knight (2017).

[veleci]

You heard of white noise.

You heard of brown noise.

But did you consider...