Is That Black Enough for You?!? Soundtrack [2022] All Songs and Music

List of Songs

City, Country, City War

0:01 The narrator discusses how the word "Black" changed from its denotative meaning to a reference to Black identity and culture in movie titles in the 1970s.

Ol’ Man River (SHOW BOAT(1936)) Paul Robeson & Elisabeth Welch

0:05 The narrator uses the musical Show Boat as an example to discuss how Black people's stereotypes are being used again.

Suzanne Harry Belafonte

0:10 With a scene from the film Bright Road where he sings this song, the narrator discusses Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte's collaborations and the racism that followed them throughout their careers.

My Lord What a Mornin’ Harry Belafonte

0:10 Harry Belafonte's acting training, musical talent, and distinctive stage presence are all explored by the narrator.

Dis Flower Georges Bizet & Herschel Burke Gilbert

0:11 Belafonte lip-syncing this song in a scene from the film Carmen Jones shows how uncomfortable the establishment was with his singing voice.

My Baby’s Not Around Harry Belafonte

0:11 Odds Against Tomorrow is played as a scene.

Never Ending Melody Charles Earland (feat. Freddie Hubbard & Joe Henderson)

0:15 In response to the mistreatment of people of color, this song is played over footage of 1960s civil unrest. Charles Burnett, the director, thinks back on the Watts riots in Los Angeles.

Blue Sophisticate Marian McPartland

0:16 Black actors at the time had more artistic freedom in the Indie scene, away from White eyes, but their talent received little attention. Nothing But A Man features a scene starring Ivan Dixon and Abbey Lincoln.

I Want to Be Wanted Sammy Davis Jr.

0:17 Davis sang this song on stage at the beginning of the movie A Man Called Adam, which the narrator discusses.

Cookie Jar Reverend Barrington Stanley

0:19 Following the publication of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner and In the Heat of the Night, Sydney Poitier enjoyed success, according to the narrator.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe Up Above My Head

0:20 The narrator ponders why white rock pioneers like Elvis and The Beatles had access to the same movie career opportunities as women.

Bo Diddley Bo Diddley

0:20 Another illustration of underappreciated talent is the Duchess.

If I’m In Luck I Might Get Picked Up Betty Davis

0:20 The narrator's final illustration of underappreciated talent.

Privacy Mirot

0:21 With murders and boarded-up windows reenacting television footage, The Night of the Living Dead is portrayed as an allegory for riots that take place in real life.

Skid Row Joe Orchestra Heinz Kiessling

0:24 The narrator discusses Oscar Micheaux's writing, filming, and occasional acting career as well as the political and economic conditions that influenced it.

Tweedy Combo Fred Spannuth

0:25 The relationship between Fred Astaire's servant persona and the historical portrayal of African Americans in the entertainment industry is examined.

Fusty Game Ludovic Beier & Jean-Paul Jamot

0:26 The narrator discusses Alice Guy Blaché's silent movie A Fool and his Money from 1912, which is notable today for having an all-African American cast and portraying them in non-degrading or stereotypical roles.

All Right Nineoneone

0:26 Black independent filmmakers had to use ingenuity to find funding and audiences for their films in the underground economy and culture, according to the narrator. They were more influenced by marginalization than rebellion, making them the forerunners of today's independent filmmakers.

Walk On By Isaac Hayes

0:32 Isaac Hayes continued to write this piece after being greatly influenced by Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in the West, which featured Woody Strode and Henry Ford as perverts of White decency.

Black Enough Melba Moore, Galt MacDermot

0:45 In Cotton Come to Harlem, where Black pride is celebrated rather than viewed as an inconvenience, the narrator demonstrates Ossie Davis' artistic vision. This song, which he co-wrote with Galt MacDermot, also demonstrates this viewpoint.

Shaft Ultimate DJ Tools

0:49 The narrator emphasizes the significance of soundtracks in supporting a movie's message by examining Gordon Parks and Isaac Hayes' work on the film Shaft.

Betty’s Theme Charles Earland

0:51 In defiance of the Motion Picture Association film rating system, the narrator discusses Sweet Sweetback's Badassad Song and how it pursued and abused its X-rating.

Won’t Bleed Me Melvin Van Peebles

0:54 This song is played over a scene in the movie, so more analysis of the soundtrack is necessary.

Piano Nocturne Marian McPartland

1:00 As Rupert Crosse was set to appear in the movie The Last Detail, the narrator describes his final year before succumbing to leukemia.

Theme from Shaft Isaac Hayes

1:00 In 1972, Isaac Hayes wins his first Black Best Song award, and his performance at the 44th Academy Awards is legendary.

Earthy Brian Dee & Irving Martin

1:01 The narrator emphasizes the qualities that set Black film culture apart from the mainstream, including the bravery and swagger displayed by Black actors who had never before been permitted to appear on screen.

Lady Sings the Blues Diana Ross

1:02 Diana Ross and Cicely Tyson, two Black women, are nominated for Best Actress for the first time in 1973, a year when Black-led films are at their height.

Baker ’56 Chet Baker

1:05 a description of Billy Dee Williams, an actor, and his good looks.

Trouble Man Marvin Gaye

1:11 The narrator introduces Marvin Gaye's work and the impact of his song "Whats Going On" on subsequent Black film soundtracks.

Pusherman Curtis Mayfield

1:12 The narrator portrays Curtis Mayfield's career and lyricism as being motivated by a militant attitude toward institutional inertia and the desire for social change through the Super Fly soundtrack.

Junkie Chase Curtis Mayfield

1:14 This song plays in the background as a chase scene from Super Fly plays.

Transmograpfication The J.B.’s & Fred Wesley

1:19 The significance, appeal, and debate surrounding Blaxploitation movies are all explored by the narrator.

Incidental Backcloth (3) Keith Mansfield

1:20 As their Blackness became more apparent and Black audiences could identify with them, the narrator talks about the part the Black stars played in these films.

People Get Up and Drive Your Funky Soul James Brown

1:21 The narrator explains how Black movies have developed to the point where Black characters can play leading roles, with a focus on the conflicts and conundrums that drug wars and crime have sparked.

The Greatest Performance Of My Life Nancy Wilson

1:26 Stan Lathan shares various concert play artist clips with the audience as he recalls how the Save The Children lineup was put together.

To Be Invisible Gladys Knight & The Pips

1:36 This song, which was included in the Claudine soundtrack and was based on a fear that Black people frequently experience, is played over movie footage.

Rash Orchestra Cometa

1:38 a scene from Diana Ross and Roscoe Orman's Willie Dynamite performance.

Delivery Date Alan Hawkshaw

1:42 Sydney Poitier's Uptown Saturday Night performance is examined by the narrator.

Can’t Seem to Find Him The Love Unlimited Orchestra

1:43 The narrator emphasizes how this era's Black performers' work transcended the screen and the audience with passion and joy.

That’s the Way of the World Earth, Wind & Fire

1:44 The narrator talks about the movie That's the Way of the World while the band plays this song.

Black Jesus Ghostface Killah

1:47 This song plays as the narrator discusses the impact the movie had at the time as a young Black man is shot by police in Cornbread.

Fingertips (Pt. 2) Stevie Wonder

1:47 The narrator discusses Cooley High's coming-of-age tale, which is infused with nostalgia thanks to the Motown song soundtrack.

Rock ‘N’ Roll Choo Choo Bloodstone

1:51 In the film Train Ride to Hollywood, a man performs this song.

Car Wash Rose Royce

1:54 The movie Car Wash is mentioned by the narrator.

Something He Can Feel Aretha Franklin

1:54 Scenes from the movie Sparkle are shown, and the narrator mentions that Curtis Mayfield wrote this song for it.

The Bingo Long Song (Steal On Home) William Goldstein & Thelma Houston

1:55 The narrator of the movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings examines another aspect of Black lives that it depicts in a scene.

The Greatest Love of All George Benson

1:57 The narrator discusses the circumstances surrounding the Muhammad Ali-themed movie The Greatest.

The Greatest Love of All Whitney Houston

1:57 The narrator describes how Whitney's performance of the song helped change how the public viewed the movie for which it was written while she is seen singing it.

Omaca Sestetto Dino Piana & Oscar Valdambrini

1:57 The narrator discusses how the value of soundtracks has changed over time and how Black 1970s movies have increased their significance and box office appeal.

Lialeh Bernard Purdie

1:58 Purdie is shown playing the score he wrote for a scene in the X-rated movie Lialeh, showcasing his contribution to its creation.

Stayin’ Alive Bee Gees

1:59 The narrator watches as Saturday Night Fever, a well-known movie, finally makes the cinematic legacy of Black movies clear.

You Should Be Dancing Bee Gees

2:00 In Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta is seen dancing at the disco as the narrator considers how his swagger resembles performances made possible by Black actors.

Night Fever Be Gees

2:00 In Saturday Night Fever, John Travolta dances in front of a mirror as he gets ready for an evening out.

This Bitter Earth Dinah Washington

2:05 The narrator explores the lengthy process of finishing Killer of Sheep and the inspiration it served as for cinematography in an intimate scene from the movie. This song's tenderness is evident in the effect it has on the environment.