The Real Story of Planet Patrol: Addiction, Survival & Purpose.

Felix Sama (0:05)

It's The Felix Sama Podcast Show, man. Let me tell you, I've had a chance to interview some legends. I've had a chance to interview some interesting people. But today, I am sitting down at Legacy. I mean, I'm gonna go as far as saying this group is in part responsible for the whole hip hop movement, the electro-funk sound, and what hip hop and dance is to date. Ladies and gentlemen, Darcy Calvarez, the one and only Planet Patrol.

Herb Jackson (0:41)

Hey, Felix. What's up, bro?

Felix Sama (0:43)

Hey, how are you? Doing good, man.

Rodney Butler (0:44)

Thanks for having us.

Herb Jackson (0:45)

Thank you for that.

Felix Sama (0:46)

It's a blessing to have you here in these studios. Big shout out to Sean and the whole crew for making this possible.

This is a new location for me, and we got some big things planned.

Herb Jackson (0:59)

Nice.

Felix Sama (1:00)

You're the first guest to come on The Felix Sama Podcast show mobiley, so congratulations for that.

Herb Jackson (1:06)

Thank you, man. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Felix Sama (1:08)

I know you're in town, you got a lot going on, but we want to dabble into a few things. And one of the main things that I want to dabble into is the evolution of the group, because it's had some changes. There's some change in the guards. But take us back, because I know you had a group called The Energetics, but even before that, take me back to what even inspired you to get into the music business.

Rodney Butler (1:33)

Wow.

Herb Jackson (1:35)

Which one, you want to sob, D?

Rodney Butler (1:37)

No, you go ahead.

Herb Jackson (1:38)

Well, for me, I'm one of the original members of The Energetics. And it was a dream at the age of 14 years young.

Felix Sama (1:48)

Can you just then pop up the group picture right there of The Energetics?

Herb Jackson (1:52)

It was a dream to just want to be an entertainer. My inspiration came from the Jackson Five, the Osmond Brothers, the Silvers.

I saw those groups on television when I was a little kid growing up between Boston and Brooklyn because my family lived in New York on my mom's side. Yeah, Boston, Boston born, New York raised because I was back and forth. Yeah, Brooklyn. So the thing was I wanted to be an entertainer. I wanted to be a celebrity. My nana took me to the Brooklyn Theater.

I saw a little Anthony and the Imperials. I'm giving my age away now. I saw Jackie Wilson.

Felix Sama (2:29)

Well, you look like a fort.

Herb Jackson (2:31)

Thank you, man.

A couple of other artists at the Brooklyn Theater. When I saw them guys come out on stage, they had the shock skin suits on, the lights hit them. They changed colors. I'm like, I was so, I was locked in. Ever since then, it was my destiny to pursue, how do I become an entertainer like them? I was raised up in the church. I was a Catholic altar boy, the whole nine yards with the church. Yeah, so as soon as I finished there, I jetted out and I started, there was some auditions for The Energetics and they only had a four-man group and then I was the fifth man. I was the audition for the fifth man in the group and surprisingly I passed because of my choreography skills.

Rodney Butler (3:23)

Yeah. Yeah, I joined the last iteration of the group.

Herb Jackson (3:28)

Yeah, you know what the transition?

Felix Sama (3:29)

Y'all were the head of it.

Rodney Butler (3:31)

Well, yeah. Well, we were in rival groups and yeah, I was with a band called, I started out with a group called The Fourth Amendment in the housing projects in Dorchester, Mass. And then once that disbanded, then I joined the ambitions who were like-

Felix Sama (3:48)

Rival R&B group?

Herb Jackson (3:50)

Yeah.

Rodney Butler (3:51)

Five-man groups.

Felix Sama (3:52)

Playing R&B music.

Herb Jackson (3:54)

Yeah.

Rodney Butler (3:54)

Well, you know what? But the competition was fierce because I would go to his hills and we would gauge like, you know, where we needed to go because they were like the premier.

Felix Sama (4:08)

The competition was about to sound.

Rodney Butler (4:10)

Yeah. But the energetics were Boston's first true boy band.

Felix Sama (4:16)

Really?

Rodney Butler (4:17)

Yeah. Before New Edition, obviously, before New Kids, they were considered like the original boy band from Boston.

Felix Sama (4:26)

Some of the guys from New Kids were from Boston as well.