A Long Time vs The New Dance Show

I found out Mayer Hawthorne’s latest single, “A Long Time” yesterday while visiting Soulbounce, where the fuss was about the video.

The video is a compilation of clips from the ghetto-famed Detroit dance show, “The New Dance Show.”

As a teen, I used to watch the “New Dance Show” on channel 62 all the time just to laugh at the dancers and their moves. I’m not sure that anyone took the show serious but we all know about it, watched it, had friends that appeared on it etc.

Mayer making “The New Dance Show” the back-drop of “A Long Time” is way beyond funny but once you stop gazing at the seizure like dancing and listen to the song, you will find that the song is uniquely about Detroit just like “The New Dance Show.”

Mayer’s is talking about Henry Ford and his automation of car production, the migration of Americans to Detroit for work. He is also talking about Berry Gordy & Motown Records, while giving a shout out to Hitsville USA. Everyone knows that Motown put Detroit on the map for entertainment greatness.

Further, Mayer is addressing that Detroit is no longer what it was way back when but strides are being made to make it better and we all know that’s gonna take a long time.

So, I have to admit that before last night, I never heard of Mayer Hawthorne but I’m now a fan. After digging a little deeper into his older music, I’m loving his bubbly yet laid back 70’s soul with a pinch of fuckiness sound. He is totally putting a great spin on the term blue eyed soul.