Emerald Sapphire & Gold: Alive, Well and Working in the South Bronx

Being one of the most widely imitated and innovative live bands of the early ’80s isn’t necessarily a bed of roses.

When the production trends of the last decade turned away from real instrumentation and D.I.Y. hipness into TV. track dates and M.I.D.I., live performers like Liquid Liquid, E.S.G., James White & the Blacks, Defunkt and many others were shoved onto the sidelines of a scene they had pioneered. Today their trademark hits are regularly robbed for samples to be used on less imaginative dance and rap productions. Even some complete songs are bootlegged and sold by 12-inch retailers without a dime of those sales going back to the artists who wrote and played the originals. Continue reading “Emerald Sapphire & Gold: Alive, Well and Working in the South Bronx”