‘Whitey on the Moon’: Gil Scott-Heron televises his Revolution in ‘Black Wax,’ 1982
As most of the nation still tries to stay warm, If you’re casting about for something to watch or even just something to fill the room, you could do a lot worse than this.
Black Wax, Robert Mugge’s 1982 documentary about Gil Scott-Heron is positively overflowing with the legendary talker and musician–“talker” seeming a far apter description of what GSH did than “street poet.” The man was born to talk, and everything he says in this movie has a wonderful, cockeyed, sad beauty to it. The music, supplied by the Midnight Band, has the same marvelous flow.
This photo is from the start of Scott-Heron’s tour of Washington, D.C., somewhere around the middle of part 1. His angry poem “Whitey on the Moon,” which kicks off part 2, is a particular highlight. Enjoy.
Gil Scott-Heron, Black Wax, part 1:
Gil Scott-Heron, Black Wax, part 2: