Vic Waters and the Entertainers – I’m White – I’m Alright
Vic Waters (center, dig the spats) and the Entertainers
Listen/Download Vic Waters and the Entertainers – I’m White – I’m Alright
Greetings all
The end of the week approaches and so does the Funky16Corners Radio Show, which comes to you this and every Friday night at 9PM on Viva Radio with the best in funk, soul, jazz and rare groove, all on original vinyl. If you can’t be there at airtime, you can always catch up by subscribing to the show as a podcast in iTunes, or by grabbing an MP3 out of the archive here at the blog.
The tune I bring you today first came to my attention when a couple of people started discussing it on an internet message board ( a pursuit that makes up a solid percentage of all internet content).
The record in question ‘I’m White – I’m Alright’ by Vic Waters and the Entertainers was seen by some (apparently people that didn’t actually listen to the record) as a misguided, racist rant. The other folks, the ones that took the time to get past the title, and with a little bit of perspective under their belt, recognized the tune as an “answer” record of sorts (to JB’s ‘Say It Loud I’m Black and I’m Proud’).
Vic Waters and the Entertainers were a white showband that were pretty big stuff in Tampa Bay, FL during the 60s.
They recorded three 45s with Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham behind the boards, one (a nice cover of the Eddie Floyd composition ‘Taking Inventory’, also recorded by the Ferris Wheel and Danny White) on Capitol proper, and then two more (one of which you see before you today) on Capitol’s Crazy Horse subsidiary.
The Entertainers were not unlike the countless white R&B/soul bands that populated the night clubs, frat houses and various and sundry other dance floors of the American south during the 60s, like the Tempests, the Rubber Band, Bill Deal and the Rhondels and many others.
‘I’m White – I’m Alright’ is indeed funky, and can be best described as “the white brothers can get down too”, which they can and do.
It’s worth the ride to hear Vic deliver lines like :
“I’m light, white and out of sight. I ain’t tan but I can jam.”
Surely, some of this stuff – 45 years on – sounds culturally tone-deaf, but it appears that Vic and the Entertainers had their hearts in the right place.
Would it have been better if he’d said “I’m pale but I can wail” or ‘I may be pink but I’m funkier than you’d think’?
Of course not.
I hope you dig the tune, and have yourselves a great weekend.
I’ll see you all on Monday.
Keep the faith
Larry
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Themocracy
Hi…I’ve been a fan of your site for quite some time now, I enjoy the songs you’ve posted.
This one by Vic Waters named “I’m White–I’m Alright” is simply fantastic! Could you repost this single again sometimes? I’d love to have that on a CD if at all possible…thanks!
When I was in high school class of ’66 I used to go and hear Vic Waters perform live at various places around St.Pete/Clearwater area and Vic’s name came to mind so I googled it and it blew me away to hear “I’m White-I’m Alright” especiall wasy now in the year 2017!
I dug the spats. Set him apart as the front man for sure.
Thanks for the info, nice article.