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As is easily seen on this blog, Sly and the Family Stone are known for their endearing breaks in addition to their endearing run of fantastic albums through the late 60s and early 70s. One of the breaks that has become a staple for hip-hop and dance producers is the pounding intro to their hit single 'Dance to the Music' from their 1968 album of the same title. This post will explore the artists who've used 'Dance to the Music' through the years.
Upon its release, the single was a psych funk hit and become an instant classic. Sly and the Family Stone themselves expanded on 'Dance to the Music' with the excellent 12 minute 'Dance to the Medley', also on the album 'Dance to the Music', which utilizes the same drum pattern with some very samplable fills throughout. One year after the release of 'Dance to the Music', Stax staple the Bar-Kays covered 'Dance to the Music' for their album 'Gotta Groove'.
Twenty years later, as hip-hop gained the use of samplers, 'Dance to the Music' was revived as a prime drum source for producers. Notably, Dr. Dre and Yella uses the break for N.W.A.'s L.A. dance club homage 'Something 2 Dance 2' from 1988's 'Straight Outta Compton'. In 1992, Beastie Boys and Mario Caldato Jr. sampled the break for the Beasties track 'Finger Lickin' Good' on their third album 'Check Your Head'.
In 1994, two indie bands sampled the break for their projects. Japanese band Pizzicato Five sampled Sly on 'Sweet Soul Revue' for their 'Made in USA' compilation for Matador Records and England's Primal Scream sampled Sly on their hit single 'Rocks' from fourth their album 'Give Out But Don't Give Up'.The Lowdown:
Sly and the Family Stone 'Dance to the Music' and 'Dance to the Medley'
from 'Dance to the Music' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Bar-Kays 'Dance to the Music'
from 'Gotta Groove' (1969) (MP3/CD)
N.W.A. 'Something 2 Dance 2'
from 'Straight Outta Compton' (1988) (MP3/CD)
Beastie Boys 'Finger Lickin' Good'
from 'Check Your Head' (1992) (MP3/CD)
Pizzicato Five 'Sweet Soul Revue'
from 'Made in USA' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Primal Scream 'Rocks'
from 'Give Out But Don't Give Up' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Related Posts:
Source Material: Sly and the Family Stone 'There's a Riot Goin' On'
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Welcome to the second part of our look at Kanye West's second album 'Late Registration'.
To me, one of the best sample flipped on 'Late Registration' is that of Gil Scott-Heron's forever chilling junkie dirge 'Home is Where the Hatred Is' used for Kanye and Common's 'My Way Home'. West's track leaves much of the sample intact, but the original track is still necessary for complete music collections. Nas makes an appearance on Kanye West's 'We Major' produced by West, Jon Brion, and Warryn Campbell. The song uses samples from Stevie Wonder's 'Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)' from his 1972 album 'Music of My Mind'. Kanye, Cam'ron, and Consequence rhyme over portions of Otis Redding's 'It's Too Late' on the late album track 'Gone'. Finally, the lead single 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone' produced by Kanye, Brion, and Devo Springfield flips Shirley Bassey's theme to 'Diamonds are Forever' from the James Bond film soundtrack of the same name.
'Late Registration' was more successful than its predecessor, 'College Dropout', but both were later eclipsed (in terms of sales) by Kanye West's third album 'Graduation' (which was previously reviewed on this blog).The Lowdown:
Kanye West 'My Way Home', 'We Major', 'Gone', and 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone'
from 'Late Registration' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'My Way Home', 'We Major', 'Gone', and 'Diamonds from Sierra Leone'
Gil Scott-Heron 'Home is Where the Hatred Is'
from 'Pieces of a Man' (1970) (MP3/CD)
Stevie Wonder 'Superwoman (Where Were You When I Needed You)'
from 'Music of My Mind' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Otis Redding 'It's Too Late'
from 'The Great Otis Redding Sings Soul Ballads' (1965) (MP3/CD)
Shirley Bassey 'Diamonds are Forever'
from 'Diamonds are Forever OST' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Related Posts:
Kanye West 'Graduation' (Part 1)
Kanye West 'Graduation' (Part 2)
It's been a minute since we've had another Street Sounds post, so I thought I'd continue our look at the Belleville Three (a previous installment about Juan Atkins can be found here) with a post about the early work of Derrick May.
Derrick May is responsible for two of Detroit's undeniable classics as Rhythim is Rhythim: 'Nude Photo' and 'Strings of Life', both from 1987. Both songs are fantastic examples of Detroit's early techno sound and are still club burners that will light up the people in the know. Following the runaway success of his work as Rhythim is Rhythim, with his 'Sinister' single in 1988 as Mayday with two more heavy techno hitters: 'Sinister' and 'Wiggin'. Over a decade after these recordings, May is still in high demand worldwide as one of techno's founders. Check back for a post on the third member of the Belleville Three: Kevin Saunderson.The Lowdown:
Rhythim is Rhythim 'Nude Photo'
from 'Nude Photo' 12" (1987) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Rhythim is Rhythim 'Strings of Life'
from 'Strings of Life' 12" (1987) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Mayday 'Sinister' and 'Wiggin'
from 'Sinister' 12" (1988) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Related Posts:
Street Sounds: Juan Atkins
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After three years of near silence after a flurry of releases, MF Doom returned to Earth with 2009's 'Born Like This' under his new pseudonym DOOM. This two part blog post will cover the music and samples of Doom's latest album.
The album's opening track, 'Supervillain Intro, recycles a past Doom beat from 2005's 'Special Herbs 9+0': 'Coca Leaf' as Metal Fingers. DOOM's 'Gazzillion Ear' uses a posthumous J Dilla beat that utilizes samples from Giorgio Moroder's '(Theme from) Midnight Express' from the 'Midnight Express' soundtrack from 1987 and an early Brenton Wood single titled 'Trouble'. Raekwon takes center stage on 'Yessir!, floating on MF Doom's beat constructed from ESG's b-boy break 'UFO'. Madlib provides production for DOOM's 'Absolutely' uses a grip of producer go to tracks. Madlib samples Joe Tex's 'Tramp' answer track 'Papa Was Too', Ramsey Lewis' 'Sun Goddess', and Earth, Wind and Fire's essential party starter 'Brazilian Rhyme'.
Check back for part two of our look at 'Born Like This'.The Lowdown:
DOOM 'Supervillain Intro', 'Gazzillion Ear', 'Yessir!', and 'Absolutely'
from 'Born Like This' (2009) (MP3/CD)
Metal Fingers 'Coca Leaf'
from 'Special Herbs 9+0' (2005) (MP3/CD)
Giorgio Moroder '(Theme from) Midnight Express'
from 'Midnight Express' (1987) (MP3/CD not available)
Brenton Wood 'Trouble'
from 'Baby You Got It' (1967) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
ESG 'UFO'
from 'ESG' (1981) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Joe Tex 'Papa Was Too'
from 'Papa Was Too' 7" (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Ramsey Lewis 'Sun Goddess'
from 'Sun Goddess' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Earth, Wind and Fire 'Brazilian Rhyme'
from 'All 'n All' (1977) (MP3/CD)
Related Posts:
Rewind: Madvillain 'Madvillainy' (Part 1)
Rewind: Madvillain 'Madvillainy' (Part 2)
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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)
One of reggae's sureshot anthems is Dawn Penn's 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)'. What isn't as widely known is the song's past - this post will trace the history of 'You Don't Love Me', from its roots in blues music through its revival in dancehall, and its sample usage in the modern day.The song's first appearance is attributed to Bo Diddley under the title 'She's Fine, She's Mine' from 1955. Other blues variations of the song include Clarence Edwards, Cornelius Edwards, and Butch Cage's 'You Don't Love Me' from 1959, Willie Cobbs' 'You Don't Love Me' from 1961, and Junior Wells' 'You Don't Love Me Baby'. Stax blueser Albert King covered 'You Don't Love Me' from his 1968 album 'Years Gone By' and a year later Ike and Tina Turner covered the song, titled 'You Don't Love Me (Yes I Know)', for their ultra-funky 1969 album 'Hunter'.Dawn Penn's original version of 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)' was released in 1967, though most dancehall fans will know the 1995 remake of the song, also titled 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)'. Another notable version on the 'No, No, No' riddim is Big Youth's 1973 hit 'Screaming Target' from his album of the same title. Since the 1995 version, 'No, No, No' has become a must have for DJs inside and outside of dancehall. The song has been covered and sampled many times, including Melaaz's remarkable 1998 French language version titled 'Non Non Non' and Eve's less remarkable 'No, No, No' produced by Stephen Marley from her 2001 album 'Scorpion'. In 2005, Rihanna covered 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)' with Vybz Kartel on her dancehall inflected debut album 'Music of the Sun'.The Lowdown:
Bo Diddley 'She's Fine, She's Mine'
from 'She's Fine, She's Mine' 10" (1955) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Clarence Edwards, Cornelius Edwards, and Butch Cage 'You Don't Love Me'
from 'Country Negro Jam Sessions' (1959) (MP3/CD)
Willie Cobbs 'You Don't Love Me'
from 'You Don't Love Me' 7" (1961) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Junior Wells 'You Don't Love Me Baby'
from 'Hoodoo Man Blues' (1964) (MP3/CD)
Albert King 'You Don't Love Me'
from 'Years Gone By' (1968) (MP3/CD)
Ike and Tina Turner 'You Don't Love Me (Yes I Know)'
from 'Hunter' (1969) (MP3 not available/Import CD)
Dawn Penn 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)'
from 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)' 7" (1967) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Dawn Penn 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)' (1995 Version)
from 'No No No' (1995) (MP3/CD not available)
Big Youth 'Screaming Target'
from 'Screaming Target' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Melaaz 'Non Non Non'
from 'Melaaz' (1998) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Eve 'No, No, No'
from 'Scorpion' (2001) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'No, No, No'
Rihanna 'You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)'
from 'Music of the Sun'(2005) (MP3/CD)
Related Posts:
Pull Up: Drum Song Riddim (Dawn Penn appearance)
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Welcome to part 2 of our two part look at Mary J. Blige's Puffy and the Hitmen produced album 'My Life' from 1994.
The album's biggest hit was its fourth single, 'I'm Goin' Down'. The track is a cover of Rose Royce's single 'I'm Going Down' from the soundtrack to the movie 'Car Wash' (better known for its title track). 'I Love You', a top 40 R&B single, samples Isaac Hayes' 'The Look of Love' and 'Ike's Mood I', both from Hayes' essential 1971 album '...To Be Continued'. Finally, the album's first single 'Be Happy' features a sample of Curtis Mayfield's 'You're So Good to Me' from his later career album 'Heartbeat' and also uses Jimmy Spicer's early 80s single 'Money (Dollar Bill Ya'll)'.
'My Life' was another bona fide success for Mary J. Blige and Puff Daddy's camp, producing a handful of singles and staying on top of the Billboard R&B album charts for eight consecutive weeks. However, with Uptown records falling apart, this would be her final album produced with such large input from the Hitmen production team.The Lowdown:
Mary J. Blige 'I'm Goin' Down', 'I Love You', and 'Be Happy'
from 'My Life' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Rose Royce 'I'm Going Down'
from 'Car Wash' (1976) (MP3/CD not available)
Isaac Hayes 'The Look of Love' (Radio Edit) and 'Ike's Mood I' (Radio Edit)
from '...To Be Continued' (1969) (MP3/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'You're So Good to Me'
from 'Heartbeat' (1979) (MP3/CD not available)
Jimmy Spicer 'Money (Dollar Bill Ya'll)'
from 'Money' 12" (1983) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
