The Culture of Tapology

This MMA community has many non-MMA threads already.  Music, Jokes, baseball, football, etc.

So, I thought it might serve a purpose to create a thread for all the other contributions to each other's lives that don't fit anywhere else.

Do you have something that would enrich the community culturally?  Maybe dance, comedy, nutritional, inspirational, arresting visuals?  But please let's keep this positive, and appropriate to the general public.

Maybe a video clip of a movie, broadway show, highly unusual, utterly creative, a cutting edge piece of information, a new computer application, or something that would make someone's life better or richer.

First of all, thanks for the contribution.  I think your choices are pretty fair.

If you are really not familiar with Smokey, you have an unbelievable treat in store.  Go back to the second page of this archive, and listen to his set of songs.

Here's a project for a rainy day.  Go slow and listen to the set of songs of Smokey / the Temptations, and also Sophisticated Soul.  They are on page 2 of this archive.

If you go slow, and keep an open mind, those songs will change your life.  Only music and love can do that.  The easy way.  Smokey's voice is to men what Aretha's voice is to women.  The voices of their era.  Smokey gave pleasure to millions of us fans.  And he wrote all the early Temptation hits, too.  My Girl, It's Growing, Since I Lost My Baby, etc.

Let me know what you think.  Take your time.

What do you think of this rap song?

He Got Game, by Public Enemy, 1998
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI6CV_3GBN8

Its lyrics are possessed of a power and majesty rarely found.  I salute these young visionaries.

* Edited at 04.08.2013, 7:34 PM ET *

I GOT SO MUCH TROUBLE ON MY MIND, REFUSE TO LOSE!

Sly and The Family Stone
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sly_and_the_Family_Stone

Sly and the Family Stone were an American rock, funk, and soul band from San Francisco. Active from 1967 to 1983, the band was pivotal in the development of soul, funk, and psychedelic music. Headed by singer, songwriter, record producer, and multi-instrumentalist Sly Stone, and containing several of his family members and friends, the band was the first major American rock band to have an "integrated, multi-gender" lineup.

Brothers Sly Stone and singer/guitarist Freddie Stone combined their bands (Sly & the Stoners and Freddie & the Stone Souls) in 1967. Sly and Freddie Stone, trumpeter Cynthia Robinson, drummer Gregg Errico, saxophonist Jerry Martini, and bassist Larry Graham completed the original lineup; Sly and Freddie's sister, singer/keyboardist Rose Stone, joined within a year. This collective recorded five Billboard Hot 100 hits which reached the top 10, and four ground-breaking albums, which greatly influenced the sound of American pop music, soul, R&B, funk, and hip hop music. In the preface of his 1998 book For the Record: Sly and the Family Stone: An Oral History, Joel Selvin sums up the importance of Sly and the Family Stone's influence on African American music by stating "there are two types of black music: black music before Sly Stone, and black music after Sly Stone". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993.

Dance To The Music, 1967

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiIBwu2mjs0

Everyday People, 1968

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YI9RGK9iyNo

Sing A Simple Song, 1968

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IPEQNYD6oI

Stand, 1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7Yakl_xIkc

I Want to Take You Higher, 1970

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDjnB_61k58

Hot Fun in the Sumertime, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NVVe1DkVsQ

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YXPJOUD7G0

Everybody Is a Star, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m29F4FtVo-U

Family Affair, 1971

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdiRhzTsSnk

You Can Make It If You Try, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8X7h9jLCqFc

* Edited at 04.09.2013, 1:48 AM ET *

The Guess Who
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guess_Who

The Guess Who are a Canadian rock band from Winnipeg,Manitoba. Initially gaining recognition in Canada, they also found international success from the late 1960s through the mid-1970s with numerous hit singles, including "No Time", "American Woman", "These Eyes" and "Laughing". Several former members of The Guess Who, notably Burton Cummings andRandy Bachman (of Bachman–Turner Overdrive), have also found considerable success outside the band.

The band was inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1987.

These Eyes, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uU0MNDKv7g

Laughing, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZUzXKDVx8

No Time, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPX48NpSRvo

American Woman, 1969

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJTd9y-l6ks

* Edited at 04.09.2013, 1:54 AM ET *

The Grass Roots
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Grass_Roots

The Grass Roots is an American rock band that charted between 1966 and 1975 that was originally the brainchild of songwriting duo P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri.

Sloan and Barri were looking for a band to play their songs.  The group name was a copy-righted brand for their music

In their career, the Grass Roots achieved two gold albums, one gold single and charted singles a total of 21 times. Among their charting singles, they achieved Top 10 three times, Top 20 three times and Top 40 eight times.  They have sold over twenty million records worldwide.

Until his death in 2011, early member Rob Grilland a newer lineup of The Grass Roots continued to play many live performances.

Let's Live For Today

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5NtzB-voZo

Where Were You When I Needed You

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQsCRFycaQ

Midnight Confessions

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kJj_L8zzZE

The River Is Wide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQGdH4EQClI

Heaven Knows

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=few1-xbaEBw

Baby Hold On

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHQlUZGIXns

Temptation Eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RldavTsbGFk

Sooner or Later

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cnCEvGrj3M

Two Divided by Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-lsVcX_uCw

The Doors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Doors

The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger. The band took its name from the title of Aldous Huxley's book The Doors of Perception, which itself was a reference to a William Blake quotation: "If the doors of perception were cleansed every thing would appear to man as it is, infinite."  They were among the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, due mostly to Morrison's wild, poetic lyrics and charismatic but unpredictable stage persona. After Morrison's death in 1971, the remaining members continued as a trio until finally disbanding in 1973.  Morrison died in July 3, 1973 in Paris, France at the age of 27.  No autopsy was performed and the death certificate had no cause of death.  It was assumed that the years of abusing drugs had simply worn out his heart.

Light My Fire, 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iSXrZYhJt4

Riders on the Storm, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbPUzhWeeI

Love Her Madly, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LORr_IlnoqA

The Soft Parade, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XlqCFi6o-E

Hello I Love You, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XlqCFi6o-E

Touch Me, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PNqzK4ZXFI

* Edited at 04.09.2013, 6:04 PM ET *

The Carpenters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Carpenters

The Carpenters were an American vocal and instrumental duo, consisting of siblings Karen and Richard Carpenter.  During a period in the 1970s when louder and wilder rock was in great demand, Richard and Karen produced a distinctively soft musical style that made them among the best-selling music artists of all time.

Carpenters' melodic pop produced a record-breaking run of hit recordings on the American Top 40 and Adult Contemporary charts, and they became leading sellers in the soft rock, easy listening and adult contemporary genres. Carpenters had three No. 1 singles and five No. 2 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 and fifteen No. 1 hits on the Adult Contemporary chart. In addition, they had twelve top 10 singles (including their No. 1 hits). To date, Carpenters' album and single sales total more than 100 million units.

During their 14-year career, the Carpenters recorded 11 albums, thirty-one singles, five television specials, and a short-lived television series. They toured in the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Their recording career ended with Karen's death on February 4, 1983 from cardiac arrest following complications of anorexia nervosa. Extensive news coverage of the circumstances surrounding her death increased public awareness of the consequences of eating disorders

They Long To Be Close to You, 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87XQKCXfFjQ

We've Only Just Begun, 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__VQX2Xn7tI

For All We Know, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__VQX2Xn7tI

Rainy Days and Mondays, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPmbT5XC-q0

Superstar, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EezQX8_QPRQ

Hurting Each Other, 1972
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVKAPL9idD8

It's Going to Take Some Time, 1972
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ae2vJ-GA8

Sing, 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYjcNR7W-Ow

Yesterday Once More, 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfTnf4AiN4Y

Top of the World, 1973
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u6628Rdqs

I Won't Last a Day Without You, 1974
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GWThwGj8qM

Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft, 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BrSVOOK610

* Edited at 04.09.2013, 10:32 PM ET *

James Brown
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown

James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is one of the founding fathers of funk music and is a major figure of 20th century popular music and dance. In a career that spanned six decades, Brown profoundly influenced the development of many different musical genres. Brown moved on a continuum of blues and gospel-based forms and styles to a profoundly "Africanized" approach to music making. First coming to national public attention in the mid-1950s as a member of the R&B singing group The Famous Flames, Brown performed in concerts, first making his rounds across the chitlin' circuit, and then across the country and later around the world, along with appearing in shows on television and in movies. Although he contributed much to the music world through his hitmaking, Brown holds the record as the artist who charted the most singles on the Billboard Hot 100 without ever hitting number one on that chart.

For many years, Brown's touring show was one of the most extravagant productions in American popular music. At the time of Brown's death, his band included three guitarists, two bass guitar players, two drummers, three horns and a percussionist.  The bands that he maintained during the late 1960s and 1970s were of comparable size, and the bands also included a three-piece amplified string section that played during ballads.

Although some younger fans may only remember his later problems with the law, what successful black men did not have sc****s with it.  From Chuck Berry, Mohammad Ali, Jesse Jackson, Michael Jackson, Jim Brown and Johnny Cochrane, greatness can never be defined by the worst moments but by the far more numerous best ones.  For many decades, James strove to entertain the world by his dance songs, dance moves, and indelible personality.  He influenced countless other recording artists from Prince to Michael Jackson to MC Hammer.  The world can never forget him.  And his overwhelming success bears this out.  For whatever his sins, he more than paid for them and went on to leave a rich legacy for his fans to enjoy.

There Was A Time, 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjcii4QKpo8

Please, Please, Please, 1956
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwbzpU9SRN4

Papa Got A Brand New Bag, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogGAiyjMNY

I Feel Good, I Got You, 1965
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ly9NyHC1yV8

It's A Man's World, 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVLt1QV-8hA

Cold Sweat, 1967
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9elAWq7z_8

I Got The Feeling, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21yFiTOTDt0

Licking Stick, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TcUCyH7rRr0

Say It Loud (I'm Black and I'm Proud, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M53-Mb1KDZ0

Get On The Good Foot, 1972
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1N5jY00z_Sk

Mother Popcorn, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoSXpNZD9o

Super Bad, 1970
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udZ_o727M68

Hot Pants, 1971
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDTWsMaIHLE

Papa Don't Take No Mess, 1974
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ziBH-67sew

Sex Machine, 1975
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOD-M7WZkZQ

Get Up Off That Thing,1976
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwOFThiNnA

Living In America, 1985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwOFThiNnA

* Edited at 04.09.2013, 9:47 PM ET *

Just to break the predictability of my Culture Thread, I thought I'd try in a refreshing change of pace.
This one is the great fight between Mohamed Ali and Smokin' Joe Frazier of Philadelphia that took place in New York City, NY on January 28, 1974. The entire fight and interviews afterwards.  12 rounds.  Ali won by unanimous decision.  Their first 2 fights occurred at Madison Square Garden in NYC.

Ali had lost their first fight by unanimous decision on March 8, 1971 in NYC.  Ali won their third and last fight of their unforgettable trilogy - the immortal Thrilla in Manilla - by TKO when Frazier's trainer - Eddie Futch, would allow Joe to answer the bell for the 15th round.  October 1, 1975.  Greatest fight I ever saw.

Ali had the best jab in the history of boxing and his combinations were right in their with the very best.  I think he had the best combinations, but that is open to debate.  Others had great ones, too, especially the lighter guys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMOIWWyNHJs

* Edited at 04.10.2013, 12:22 PM ET *

I know I'lll take a ton of heat on this one BUT, I disagree with "Ali had the best jab and best combinations".

Larry Holmes had the greatest jab in boxing - the man could stop a rhino with that left hand. *Pacqauio's is pretty fantastic as well - considering his size*

And as far as combos go, you can't **** with Tyson.

Don't get me wrong - I am a HUGE Ali fan, he was a fantastic boxer and a cultural icon. But to say he had the best jab and the best combos? C'mon. . .

 

atta boy JAY. lay it down.

Kenny Rogers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Rogers
Kenneth Donald "Kenny" Rogers (born August 21, 1938) is an American singer-songwriter, photographer, record producer, actor,entrepreneur and author. Though he has been most successful with country audiences, he has charted more than 120 hit singles across various music genres, topped the country and pop album charts for more than 200 individual weeks in the United States alone and has sold over 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the highest-selling artists of all time.

Two of his albums, The Gambler and Kenny, are featured in the About.com poll of "The 200 Most Influential Country Albums Ever".He was voted the "Favorite Singer of All-Time" in a 1986 joint poll by readers of both USA Today and People.  He has received numerous such awards as the AMAs, Grammys, ACMs and CMAs, as well as a lifetime achievement award for a career spanning six decades in 2003.

Kenny Rogers was on the many crossover country stars who found huge success in the mainstream, as did John Denver, Dolly Parton, The Eagles, Credence Clearwater Revival, Crosby Still Nash and Young and so many others.

Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), by The First Edition, 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ8k6fVe25k

Ruby (Don't Take Your Love To Town), by The First Edition, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1e9p6J89rQ

Reuben James, by The First Edition, 1969
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIwz1vBX0RI

Lucille, 1977
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLKDFKRTdlo

The Gambler, 1978, 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jj4nJ1YEAp4

She Believes in Me, 1979
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSPvv2EUdCA

You Decorated My Life, 1979
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIxYTBlRxpI

Coward of the County, 1979
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sraL5ERiwZ4

Lady, 1980
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYRfUoR9Q4Y

Through the Years, 1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4WvK442P6U

We've Got Tonight, (with Sheena Easton), 1983
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3BuITOx3Cs

Islands in the Stream, (with Dolly Parton), 1983
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lixDK_tMEhE

Love Is Strange, (with Dolly Parton), 1990
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kIc7ARl4HE

* Edited at 04.10.2013, 12:15 PM ET *

To say that Ali had the best combinations is a fair comment.  Others may have had great combinations too, but Ali was right in there with them.

Larry Holmes did have a great jab and he was highly-touted for it, but Ali's was even better.  I watched them both for years and Ali used his to better advantage.  Like a sword.  Holmes had a hard jab but others could through it easier than they could Ali's, I think.

We're offering our opinions here.  There are no absolutes.

* Edited at 04.10.2013, 12:19 PM ET *

Oh, the chicken guy!

No, not Colonel Sanders of KFC.  KENNY ROGERS!

I retracted and re-phrased the 'best combinations' comment.  

"Ali had the best jab in the history of boxing and his combinations were right in their with the very best.  I think he had the best combinations, but that is open to debate.  Others had great ones, too, especially the lighter guys."

* Edited at 04.10.2013, 12:24 PM ET *

Line of succession in fighting styles.

The crouch, back and forth: Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Evander Hollyfield, Mike Tyson

Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Macho Camacho, Prince Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis.

Generations of fighters learned to fight watching Ali.  They studied his film, studied his bicycle, learned his footwork and dancing.  His jab was incorporated into his bicycle.  He could jab while circling.

Ali hit like a big guy but moved like a smaller guy.  He flurried like a little guy.  Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis tried to fight like him, emulated his style but didn't have his talent.  But they copied his style, his jab, his bicycle.

Bill the two pics on the top row to the right are not kenny rogers.