The crew also filmed then little known comic Richard Pryor's biting insights on the black experience which frame the entire Wattstax movie. The mise-en-scene of Wattstax is all undiluted summer of '72 funk, jive and soul as expressed in and around the streets of Watts. Interspersed throughout Wattstax - The Special Edition are the dynamic fashion, knowing humor, indomitable courage, uncanny insight, and undeniable style of Black Los Angeles.

From conception to realization, Stax Records was the driving force behind staging the Wattstax concert in conjucntion with The Watts Summer Festival. They had the foresight and vision to commission a documentary of not just the concert, amazing as it was, but of African-American life in and around Watts as well. The original 1972 Film Production Notes, provide the story within the story of Wattstax - The Special Edition. To delve more deeply into the backstory of Wattstax visit the Wattstax Bilbliography. Dig it.

Most important, check out this lineup:

Wattstax Onscreen Performances In Order Of Appearance
(Song, Artist, Location)
"The Star Spangled Banner," Kim Weston, L.A. Coliseum

"Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing (The Black National Anthem)," Kim Weston, L.A.Coliseum

"Somebody Bigger Than You And I," Jimmy Jones, L.A. Coliseum

"Lying On The Truth," The Rance Allen Group, L.A. Coliseum

"Peace Be Still," The Emotions, Friendly Will Church

"Old Time Religion," Stax Golden 13 (William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Debra Manning, Eric Mercury, Freddy Robinson, Lee Sain, Ernie Hines, Little Sonny, Louise McCord, Newcomers, Temprees, Frederick Knight), L.A. Coliseum

"Respect Yourself," The Staple Singers, L.A. Coliseum

"Son Of Shaft," The Bar-Kays, L.A. Coliseum

"I'll Play The Blues For You," Albert King, L.A. Coliseum

"Walking The Backstreets And Crying," Little Milton, Watts Railroad Tracks

"Jody's Got Your Girl And Gone," Johnnie Taylor, The Summit Club - Los Angeles, CA

"Pick Up The Pieces," Carla Thomas, L.A. Coliseum

"The Breakdown," Rufus Thomas, L.A. Coliseum

"Do The Funky Chicken," Rufus Thomas, L.A. Coliseum

"If Lovin' You Is Wrong (I Don't Want To Be Right)," Luthar Ingram, L.A. Coliseum

"Theme From Shaft," Isaac Hayes, L.A. Coliseum

"Soulsville," Isaac Hayes, L.A. Coliseum

"Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing (Reprise)," Kim Weston, L.A. Coliseum

Wattstax Additional Offscreen Performances
"Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get," The Dramatics

"Oh La De Da," The Staple Singers

"We The People," The Staple Singers

"I May Not Be What You Want," Mel and Tim