Five On It: July 2009's Essentials

Welcome to another installment of Five on It, the essential cuts covered in the last month. This month was brimming with excellent breaks, so it was hard to narrow it down to only five cuts; but all five of these tracks are sureshots that need to be in the arsenal of any good producer or DJ.

On our look at Nightmares on Wax's 'A Word of Science', we mentioned two classic breakbeats: Bob James' classic 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras' and Quincy Jones' 'Summer in the City'. Take a look at the original post for more info on Quincy Jones' song and the people who've sampled it throughout history. On the first part of our post about Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth's 'Main Ingredient', they used the breakbeat from Deodato's 'September 13' as a sample. Look below for more on samples from Deodatos' 1972 album 'Prelude'. On our first look at 'Black Sunday' by Cypress Hill, we mentioned Lee Dorsey's monumental open break intro to 'Get Out of My Life Woman'. Look for a two-part post next month on the people who've sampled this track - there were too many for only one post. Finally, in the same post, Billy Cobham's jazz-funk drum blast 'Stratus' was mentioned - check out the several minute intro of open drum sounds before the track falls into a bass and drum groove sampled by Massive Attack among others.

The Lowdown:
Bob James 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras'
from 'Two' (1975) (MP3/CD)
Quincy Jones 'Summer in the City'
from 'You Got it Bad Girl' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Deodato 'September 13'
from 'Prelude' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Bonus Cuts:
Dedoato's 'Prelude' album contains the break 'September 13', but this isn't the only song sampled from this album. Check out the cut 'Spirit of Summer' sampled by the Dilated Peoples for their early non-album track 'The Ruggedness' in 1997 and sampled again three years later by fellow West Coast rapper Nobody on 'For Those Who Never Dream'.

Related Posts:
Rewind: Massive Attack 'Blue Lines' (Part 1) (Billy Cobham appearance)

Rewind: Cypress Hill 'Black Sunday' (Part 1)

Without parallel commercially speaking, Cypress Hill's 1993 album 'Black Sunday' is still the release the rap unit is most recognized for. The album charted at #1 on the Billboard album charts and contains their most enduring hit single. This two part post will cover the sample material used by Cypress Hill and their producer DJ Muggs to make this album.

The album's opening track sets the mood for the album and much of Cypress Hill's career: 'I Wanna Get High'. Muggs samples the drums from Lee Dorsey's famous 'Get Out of My Life Woman' along with Junior Parker's 'Taxman' and Rita Marley's 1981 cut 'One Draw'. The only track on the album not produced by DJ Muggs is the single 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', produced by T-Ray. The song samples two cuts from Black Sabbath's 1970 self titled debut album: 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'. The first single from the album is still Cypress Hill's most recognizable song: 'Insane in the Brain'. The song samples Sly and the Family Stone's title track from the 1968 album 'Life', James Brown's title track from the 1969 album 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud', Mel and Tim's title track from the 1969 album 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies', and a song from the Youngbloods titled 'All Over the World'. Finally 'When the S--- Goes Down' makes good use of 'Deep Gully' by the Outlaw Blues Band and the massive bassline and breaks from Billy Cobham's 'Stratus'.

Check back for our second look at 'Black Sunday'.

The Lowdown:
Cypress Hill 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
from 'Black Sunday' (1993) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'I Wanna Get High', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That', 'Insane in the Brain', and 'When the S--- Goes Down'
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out of My Life Woman'
from 'The New Lee Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Junior Parker 'Taxman'
from 'The Outside Man' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Rita Marley 'One Draw'
from 'Who Feels It Knows It' (1981) (MP3/CD)
Black Sabbath 'Wicked World' and 'The Wizard'
from 'Black Sabbath' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Sly and the Family Stone 'Life'
from 'Life' (1968) (MP3/CD)
James Brown 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud'
from 'Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud' (1969) (MP3/Import CD)
Mel and Tim 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies'
from 'Good Guys Only Win in the Movies' (1969) (MP3/CD)
The Youngbloods 'All Over the World'
from 'Get Together' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Outlaw Blues Band 'Deep Gully'
from 'Breakin' In' (1969) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics 'Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop' (Part 3)

Welcome to our third and final look at Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics' 1992 album 'Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop'.

Diamond D samples a couple hits for 'Confused', cutting up King Floyd's excellent single 'Groove Me' and the 80s joint 'Intimate Connection' by Kleeer (which sounds a lot like "internet connection" - you'll hear it). On the posse cut 'Pass Dat S---', which includes some early raps by Fat Joe, Diamond samples the Ohio Players song 'Pride and Vanity' from 1973's 'Pleasure' and Rare Earth's Motown rock joint 'Keep Me Out of the Storm'. Q-Tip joins Diamond D on 'K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid)', which samples fusion rock group Weather Report (who yield a lot of samplable cuts, take note)'s 'American Tango' from their 1974 album 'Mysterious Traveller'. On the title track for 'Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop', Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics use a sample of Billy Cobham and George Duke Band's 'Almustafa the Beloved' from the 1976 album 'Live on tour in Europe'. Finally, on 'Feel the Vibe', Showbiz and Diamond D sample Lee Dorsey's huge break 'Get Out My Life Woman', Brother Jack McDuff's 'Hold it for a Minute', and Earth, Wind and Fire's 1970 song 'Bad Tune' from their self titled debut album.

'Stunts, Blunts and Hip-Hop' yielded three singles and peaked just outside of the Billboard R&B / Hip Hop top 40. Big L and Fat Joe, who both contributed to the album, would achieve greater acclaim due to the album's underground success. Though Diamond D would produce for a slew of acts following this album, including Fat Joe, he would not record a follow up solo outing until 1997's 'Hatred, Passions and Infidelity'.

The Lowdown:
Diamond and the Psychotic Neurotics 'Confused', 'Pass Dat S---', 'K.I.S.S. (Keep it Simple Stupid)', 'Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop', and 'Feel the Vibe'
from 'Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop' (1992) (MP3/CD)
King Floyd 'Groove Me'
from 'King Floyd' (1973) (MP3 not available/CD)
Kleeer 'Intimate Connection'
from 'Intimate Connection' (1984) (MP3/CD not available)
The Ohio Players 'Pride and Vanity'
from 'Pleasure' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Rare Earth 'Keep Me Out of the Storm'
from 'Back to Earth' (1975) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Weather Report 'American Tango'
from 'Mysterious Traveller' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Billy Cobham and George Duke Band 'Almustafa the Beloved'
from 'Live on tour in Europe' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Lee Dorsey 'Get Out My Life Woman'
from 'The New Dorsey' (1966) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Brother Jack McDuff 'Hold it for a Minute'
from 'Getting Our Thing Together' (1968) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Earth, Wind and Fire 'Bad Tune'
from 'Earth, Wind and Fire' (1970) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Massive Attack 'Blue Lines' (Part 1)

Following success with the Wild Bunch, the members of Massive Attack released one of the then-unnamed genre of trip-hop's defining albums: 1991's 'Blue Lines'. Like its hip-hop predecessors, 'Blue Lines' contains more than its fair share of sampled breaks. This two part look at 'Blue Lines' will cover Massive Attack's sample sources.

The album's opening track and highest charting single is the hypnotic 'Safe from Harm'. The track samples its bassline from Billy Cobham's 1973 song 'Stratus' from the album 'Spectrum' as well as drum fills from Funkadelic's 'Good Ole Music'. The title track 'Blue Lines' samples Tom Scott and L.A. Express' necessary breakbeat 'Sneakin' In the Back' and the Donald Byrd produced b-boy classic 'Rock Creek Park' from the Blackbyrds' 1975 album 'City Life'. Massive Attack do a cover of William DeVaughn's 'Be Thankful for What You Got' on their similarly titled 'Be Thankful for What You've Got'. The group use another classic break on 'Five Man Army': Al Green's slo-mo intro drum fill on 'I'm Glad You're Mine' from his legendary album 'I'm Still in Love with You'.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'Blue Lines'.

The Lowdown:
Massive Attack 'Safe from Harm', 'Blue Lines', 'Be Thankful for What You've Got', and 'Five Man Army'
from 'Blue Lines' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Billy Cobham 'Stratus'
from 'Spectrum' (1973) (MP3/CD)
Funkadelic 'Good Ole Music'
from 'Funkadelic' (1970) (MP3 not available/CD)
Tom Scott and the L.A. Express 'Sneakin' in the Back'
from 'Tom Scott and the L.A. Express' (1973) (MP3/CD not available)
The Blackbyrds 'Rock Creek Park'
from 'City Life' (1975) (MP3/CD)
William DeVaughn 'Be Thankful for What You Got'
from 'Be Thankful for What You Got' (1974) (MP3 not available/CD)
Al Green 'I'm Glad You're Mine'
from 'I'm Still in Love with You' (1972) (MP3/CD)

Bonus Cuts:
The title track from 'Blue Lines' was sampled on Barry Adamson's 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' released only a few years after Massive Attack's album. The song is notable for its use in David Lynch's film 'Lost Highway'.

Related Posts:
Source Material: Marvin Gaye 'I Want You' (Massive Attack appearance)