I understand why they thought that- based on the title alone- but if you listened to the lyrics at all - it's obvious what the song is about- although I didn't fully understand all the connotations until I was older and really gave the words some thought.Īlthough the author makes very valid points, and she does go on to highlight artists such as Merry Clayton, whose incredible vocals on the Stones’ song ‘Gimme Shelter’ is what made that song good, she veered way off course- and seem to lose track of the book’s primary focus, there for a while. (Clarification from original review) To be clear- Brown Sugar is about race- but when I was growing up- many adults trashed the song- because they thought it was about drugs. The author seemed to have jumped down a rabbit hole when she began to dissect the Rolling Stones song called ‘Brown Sugar’. These profiles are interesting and informative- but there weren’t enough of them.

It is only fitting that Tina Turner is the headliner here, as her success as a rock artist has been simply phenomenal. Some YouTube clips were – shall we say- eye popping! She was ahead of her time and her influence can still be seen today. The author takes us through the years- with an interesting piece on Betty Davis- not to be confused with the actress- an artist I honestly have no memory of. I admit I love the girl groups from this era of time- so I really enjoyed this section- and agree the influence of these groups was huge- but is rarely acknowledged in the world of rock music. Girl groups such as ‘The Shirelles’ have been forgotten over the years. (Janis gave public credit to Thornton- while Elvis refused.) These women were influential outside of their work in the studio, as well.īig Mama Thornton – who recorded ‘Hound Dog’ before Elvis, and ‘Ball and Chain’ before Janis Joplin- never got her due, though she worked well into her old age. Often times, these women, whose music was often mislabeled as soul or R&B, never got the respect or recognition they deserved- and doubly so for those who made contributions to male dominated rock groups. I enjoyed this tribute to the black women who helped to shape rock music. Black Diamond Queens: African American Women and Rock and Roll by Maureen Mahon is a 2020 Duke University Press publication.

Maureen mahon black diamond queens