(MusicPortal.com) (03/07/05)

By Michael Bennett

LOS ANGELES, CA, USA - Rhino Records will put a new spin on the legendary CURTIS MAYFIELD's towering musical legacy come next week on March 15th with "Mayfield: Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection," a ten song album of Mayfield's greatest hits reimagined by some of today's most respected DJ/producers, including Grandmaster Flash, Mixmaster Mike and King Britt.

Packaged in foil-stamped paper, the new collection will be available through all retail outlets and directly from www.rhino.com for a suggested retail price of $18.98.

"Mayfield: Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection" includes Hip-Hop hero Grandmaster Flash giving the old-school treatment to The Impressions' hit, 'We're A Winner.'

Pioneering New York City House music DJ Louie Vega turns 'Superfly' into a heady club classic with muffled backbeats, Latin percussion, and trippy synthesizers, while renowned keyboard player, remixer and producer Eric Kupper ties Mayfield's beautiful falsetto melody on 'Move On Up' to an insistent rhythm.

King Britt evokes the bleak urban tale of 'Little Child Runnin' Wild' with a languid beat and a claustrophobic wall of sound as solo artist and Beastie Boys collaborator Mixmaster Mike deconstructs Mayfield's 'Pusherman' on the final track by adding a mechanical sheen and some daredevil scratching to the Funk classic.

Grammy winner Maurice Joshua's Nu Soul Mix of '(Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go' sees that song reinterpreted along with classic 'People Get Ready' by StoneBridge, among the other transcendent tracks included on the album.

"One of the reasons to do this remix album was to have Curtis legacy continue on to yet another generation," says executive producer Ron Weisner.

"When you stop and reflect on a man of integrity, principle, and true creative genius, it is important to keep his words and music alive."

"In assembling this all-star team of musical spin doctors around the world," says the album's co-executive producer Brad LeBeau: "It is my hope that the very same music that had such a profound effect on my youth will be rediscovered and appreciated today."

Curtis Mayfield help lay the groundwork for soul music in the early 1960s as a founding member of The Impressions.

That group's hits (including 'Keep On Pushing,' 'People Get Ready,' and 'I'm So Proud') spoke of an optimism and spirituality that made principal songwriter Mayfield a key voice in the burgeoning civil rights movement.

When he left The Impressions in the late 1960s, Curtis Mayfield's status as cultural commentator was confirmed with a string of critically acclaimed solo albums that followed.

Most notable among them was the groundbreaking 1972 soundtrack to the movie "Superfly," highlighted by such classics as 'Freddie's Dead,' 'Pusherman,' and 'Give Me Your Love.''

More than three decades have passed since the release of that album, during which "Superfly" long ago transcended its original status as a motion picture soundtrack to become a universal shorthand for all things funky.

Curtis Mayfield's career was cut tragically short in 1990 when a lighting rig collapsed on him during a concert in Brooklyn, leaving him a quadriplegic.

Mayfield, the soulful poet laureate whose timeless music, courage and strength inspired countless fans and musicians alike, died in 1999 at the age of 57, a few months after his induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

With the release of "Mayfield: Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection" six years after Curtis Mayfield's death, it's clear that the work of this musical prophet continues to resonate with a new generation of listeners and performers.

"Mayfield: Remixed - The Curtis Mayfield Collection" Track Listing:

1. Superfly (Little Louie Vega EOL Mix)
2. Do Do Wap Is Strong In Here (Ashley Beedle Re-Edit)
3. Move On Up (Eric Kupper Vocal Mix)
4. We're A Winner (By The Impressions) (Grandmaster Flash Remix)
5. Little Child Runnin' Wild (King Britt Scuba Mix)
6. Freddie's Dead (Theme From "Superfly") (Blaze Roots DJ Mix)
7. (Don't Worry) If There's A Hell Below We're All Going To Go (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul Mix)
8. We Got To Have Peace (Eddie Baez Laid Back Mix)
9. People Get Ready (By The Impressions) (StoneBridge Club Remix)
10. Pusherman (Mixmaster Mike Pusher's Nephew Mix)

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