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Welcome to our second look at the sample sources of Madlib's expansive beat tape 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2'.For the heavy diggers, Madlib doesn't disappoint by sampling Lotti Golden's 'Motor-Cycle Michael' on 'Gold Jungle (Tribe)'. By contrast, the source for 'Pyramids (Change)' is the hit single 'Risin' to the Top' from Keni Burke's post-Five Stairsteps 1982 album 'Changes'. Madlib samples Raymond Scott again, this time using the bizarre 'IBM MT/ST: The Paperwork Explosion' for 'West Coast (Coastin')'. For 'Box Top (Cardboard Dues)', Madlib samples 'Trapped' from Elmer Bernstein's soundtrack to the 1974 film 'Gold'. The early solo Diana Ross cut 'Keep an Eye' from her self titled album is the source for Madlib's 'Friends (Foes)'. 'Too Fat (Ghettozone)' uses a sample of Garland Green's 'I Can't Believe You Quit Me' from his 1969 album 'Jealous Kind of Fella'. Finally, the rock band Vanilla Fudge is sampled on 'Money Hugger (Gold Diggin')', which takes part of the 'Rock and Roll' album cut 'Street Walkin' Woman'.
Check back for our third and final look at Madlib's 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2'.The Lowdown:
Madlib 'Gold Jungle (Tribe)', 'Pyramids (Change)', 'West Coast (Coastin')', 'Box Top (Cardboard Dues)', 'Friends (Foes)', 'Too Fat (Ghettozone)', and 'Money Hugger (Gold Diggin')'
from 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Lotti Golden 'Motor-Cycle Michael'
from 'Motor-Cycle' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Keni Burke 'Risin' to the Top'
from 'Changes' (1982) (MP3/Import CD)
Raymond Scott 'IBM MT/ST: The Paperwork Explosion'
from 'Manhattan Research Inc.' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Elmer Bernstein 'Trapped'
from 'Gold' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Diana Ross 'Keep an Eye'
from 'Diana Ross' (1970) (MP3/CD not available)
Garland Green 'I Can't Believe You Quit Me'
from 'Jealous Kind of Fella' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Vanilla Fudge 'Street Walkin' Woman'
from 'Rock and Roll' (1969) (MP3/CD)
'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2' released in 2006 is the first two releases in a series of beat tapes produced by Madlib, containing a series of short instrumentals. This installment of the series is based around 'movie themes' and features some excellent sampling. This blog's three part look at 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2' will decode Madlib's sample sources.The album begins with Madlib's 'The Comeback (Madlib)' which features a sample of Dee Dee Sharp's 1965 single 'I Really Love You'. It's been sampled to death, but James Brown's 'The Payback' gets an inventive flip on Madlib's 'The Payback (Gotta)', turning the intro's background vocals into a soul banger. 'Face the Sun (Africa)' finds Madlib sampling 'Time to Face the Sun' from BLO's 1973 album 'Chapter One'. On 'Open (Space)', Madlib interpolates the melody to Kraftwerk's famous b-boy cut (by way of Afrika Bambaataa) 'Trans-Europe Express' from the 1977 album of the same name. As could be easily decoded from it's name, 'Stax (Strings)' has a sample of a Stax artist: Carla Thomas on her 'Memphis Queen' album track 'I've Fallen in Love with You'. A year after J Dilla sampled Raymond Scott on 'Donuts', Madlib also sampled Scott on 'Electric Company (Voltage-Watts)' by cutting up 'Wheels That Go' and 'Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.' (Take 1), both from Raymond Scott's fantastic retrospective 'Manhattan Research, Inc.'. Madlib digs deep for 'Left on Silverlake (Ride)''s sample source: 'The All Golden' from Van Dyke Parks' 1968 LP 'Song Cycle'.
Check back for part 2 of our look at 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2'.The Lowdown:
Madlib 'The Comeback (Madlib)', 'The Payback (Gotta)', 'Face the Sun (Africa)', 'Open (Space)', 'Stax (Strings)', 'Electric Company (Voltage-Watts)', and 'Left on Silverlake (Ride)'
from 'Beat Konducta Vol 1-2' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Dee Dee Sharp 'I Really Love You'
from 'I Really Love You' 7" (1965) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
James Brown 'The Payback'
from 'The Payback' (1973) (MP3/CD)
BLO 'Time to Face the Sun'
from 'Chapter One' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Kraftwerk 'Trans-Europe Express'
from 'Trans-Europe Express' (1977) (MP3 not available/CD)
Carla Thomas 'I've Fallen in Love with You'
from 'Memphis Queen' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Raymond Scott 'Wheels That Go' and 'Baltimore Gas and Electric Co.' (Take 1)
from 'Manhattan Research, Inc.' (2000) (MP3/CD)
Van Dyke Parks 'The All Golden'
from 'Song Cycle' (1968) (MP3/CD)
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Although J Dilla's career was cut tragically short on February 10th of 2006, his legacy as one of hip-hop's most forward thinking producers was already concrete. For the non-believer, there were two more examples of J Dilla's skill released in 2006: his broken-beat magnum opus 'Donuts' and his final (to date) solo album 'The Shining'.
'Donuts' was released on February 7th of 2006, Dilla's final birthday. The album is comprised of 31 short instrumentals that blend into a stunning album. One of the standout tracks on 'Donuts' is the propulsive 'Lightworks' which utilizes samples from electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott's 'Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People' and, of course, 'Lightworks'. Dilla's original instrumental was used in its entirety for DOOM's 'Lightworks' from 2009's 'Born Like This' (check back for a full look at 'Born Like This' later this week). Similarly, Ghostface Killah used Dilla's 'Hi.' as the backing for his song 'Beauty Jackson' from 2006's 'Fishscale'. The basis for both tracks is the Three Degrees' 'Maybe' from their 1970 album 'Maybe'.
'Donuts' was followed by 'The Shining' four months later in August of 2006. The album was not finished by Dilla, after his death the album was completed by Karriem Riggins. One of the standout tracks from 'The Shining' is 'So Far to Go' with Common. The track samples the Isley Brothers' 'Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)' and was featured as 'Bye.' on Dilla's 'Donuts' album. The track would appear in a slightly different version as Common's 'So Far to Go' on his 2007 album 'Finding Forever'.
Dilla lives on through his music and is frequently cited by producers and given tributes by his friends and peers. Future posts on this blog will cover his material in greater depth.The Lowdown:
J Dilla 'Lightworks', 'Hi.', and 'Bye.'
from 'Donuts' (2006) (MP3 not available/CD)
Raymond Scott 'Bendix 1: The Tomorrow People' and 'Lightworks'
from 'Manhattan Research, Inc.' (2000) (MP3/CD)
DOOM 'Lightworks'
from 'Born Like This' (2009) (MP3/CD)
Ghostface Killah 'Beauty Jackson'
from 'Fishscale' (2006) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Beauty Jackson'
The Three Degrees 'Maybe'
from 'Maybe' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
J Dilla 'So Far to Go'
from 'The Shining' (2006) (MP3/CD)
The Isley Brothers 'Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time for Love)'
from 'Go All the Way' (1980) (MP3 not available/CD)
Common 'So Far to Go'
from 'Finding Forever' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Related Posts:
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 1, 1995)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 2, 1996-1997)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 3, 1998-1999)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 4, 2000)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 5, 2001-2003)
Producer Profile: J Dilla (Part 6, 2004-2005)
