The Pointer Sisters

Don't It Drive You Crazy (1977)

The Pointer Sisters - Having A Party (Blue Thumb Records BT 6023) 1977

Having A Party; Don't It Drive You Crazy; I Need A Man; Waiting On You; Bring Your Own Sweet Stuff Home; Lonely Gal.

Produced by: Davis Rubinson & Friends

Don't it drive you crazy? yes it does - it's that great funky groove laid down by the guitar players: Bass; Lois Johnson, Chuck Dominico, James Gadson, Willie Weeks & Gene Santini, Guitar; Wah Wah Watson, Ray Parker Jr., David T. Walker, Robert Bowles and Chris Michie. Quite who's on what song I don't know.

I do know though that the guitars were sampled on a Gang Star's Execution Of A Chump (No More Mr. Nice Guy Pt.2) a great 1991 rap number album.



Execution Of A Chump (1991)

I remember a rap DJ on PCRL DJ Raw first spinning it, he also ran all the commercials at the start of his show to get them out of the way - about 20 minits worth! I first started noticing good rap samples with groups like Del La Soul, when they kicked in about 1989 with Otis Redding/Bar-Kays samples.

The Pointer Sisters though have been knocking around for quite some time. The first single I remember buying was another funky New Orleans stepper: Yes I Can Can in 1973. I think Lee Dorsey also recorded the song. I have some great Soul Train footage of them doing that.



Yes We Can Can (1973) ...

... was in the wake of Black Power's Operation PUSH and Marvin Gaye's What's Going on and has equally good conscious lyrics of love and peace for brother and sisters. Something that's lacking in today's song writers apart from Black Eyed Peas Where Is The Love. The Pointer Sisters collectable tracks are Send Him Back 1972 Atlantic, issue £40, demo £80 a popular Northern dancer.

The group originally comprised four sisters: Ruth, Anita, Bonnie and June. First formed as a quartet, they achieved their greatest success as a trio after Bonnie left the group to commence a solo career.

{{{ April 11, 2006, June Pointer died of lung cancer at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California. According to an official family statement she was surrounded by her sisters Ruth and Anita as well as brothers Aaron and Fritz at the time of her passing.

The sisters in December 1973

Later in 2006, sister Bonnie appeared on Entertainment Tonight saying the other sisters had not fulfilled the burial wishes for June, instead having her cremated because it was cheaper. Bonnie also stated the sisters had not let her ride in the family car at the funeral. Anita and Ruth responded that Bonnie had demanded to be let back in the group and that June had left no instructions for her burial. The sisters seemed estranged from Bonnie until she joined Anita Pointer on the Idol Radio Show in 2007. }}} - wickipedia