Source Material: James Brown 'Hell' (Part 2)

Welcome back to James Brown Week and our second look at James Brown's 1974 album 'Hell' and the producers and artists who sampled it.

One of James' earlier hits was suped up for the excellent 'I Can't Stand It '76', which was sampled by Lord Finesse on his own album 'Return of the Funky Man' for the track 'Funk on the Fast Tip'. James' single 'Papa Don't Take No Mess' spawned a series of sampled tracks through out hip hop's history. Kool Moe Dee sampled it in 1986 on 'I'm a Player', but Eric B. and Rakim had a much bigger his in 1987 using the same sample for their classic 'Move the Crowd' from the album 'Paid in Full'. In 1988, Marley Marl sampled 'Papa Don't Take No Mess' for Biz Markie's single 'Vapors' from the album 'Goin' Off' and 7A3 sampled the song for their track 'Mad Mad World' from the soundtrack to the movie 'Colors'. Finally in 1993, Puff Daddy and Tony Dofat sampled the same song for Mary J. Blige's 'You Don't Have to Worry', a single with Craig Mack that hovered in the upper reaches of the Billboard 100.

'Hell' may not be as sought after as other albums from the era, but its a burner with an unlikely latin flavor. 1974 was a banner year, like any other, for James also released his legendary album 'The Payback' (another double album) during the same year.

The Lowdown:
James Brown 'I Can't Stand It '76' and 'Papa Don't Take No Mess'
from 'Hell' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Lord Finesse 'Funk on the Fast Tip'
from 'Return of the Funky Man' (1992) (MP3/CD not available)
Kool Moe Dee 'I'm a Player'
from 'How Ya Like Me Now' (1986) (MP3/CD)
Eric B. and Rakim 'Move the Crowd'
from 'Paid in Full' (1987) (MP3/CD)
Biz Markie 'Vapors'
from 'Goin' Off' (1988) (MP3/CD)
7A3 'Mad Mad World'
from 'Colors Soundtrack' (1988) (MP3/CD not available)
Mary J. Blige 'You Don't Have to Worry'
from 'What's the 411? Remix' (1993) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Mary J. Blige 'My Life' (Part 2)

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)

Rewind: Mary J. Blige 'My Life' (Part 1)

Following the runaway success of her debut album, Mary J. Blige returned two years later with her second album titled 'My Life' which was produced almost entirely by Puff Daddy and the Hitmen and generated six singles. This two part arc will cover the hits and samples from Mary's 'My Life'.

The album's second single 'Mary Jane' samples the Rick James produced 80s hit 'All Night Long' by the Mary Jane Girls. 'You Bring Me Joy', which floated just outside of Billboard's Top 50 singles in 1995, samples Barry White's hit 'It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me' from his breakout hit album 'Sings a Song for Someone You Love' from 1976. As an aside, doesn't 'Sings a Song...' have one of the worst covers from the 70s - a locket on some discolored shag carpeting? Damn. The album track 'I'm the Only Woman' samples Curtis Mayfield's 'Superfly'-era single 'Give Me Your Love', a standout from his film soundtrack.

Check back for our second batch of Mary J. Blige tracks from 'My Life' and their sample sources.

The Lowdown:
Mary J. Blige 'Mary Jane', 'You Bring Me Joy', and 'I'm the Only Woman'
from 'My Life' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Mary Jane Girls 'All Night Long'
from 'Mary Jane Girls' (1983) (MP3 not available/CD)
Barry White 'It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next to Me'
from 'Sings a Song for Someone You Love' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Curtis Mayfield 'Give Me Your Love'
from 'Superfly' (1972) (MP3/CD)

Related Posts:
Source Material: Curtis Mayfield 'Superfly'

Source Material: Marvin Gaye 'I Want You'

Following the success of his breakthrough album 'What's Going On' and two successful pop albums ('Let's Get It On' and 'Diana and Marvin'), Marvin Gaye released 'I Want You' in 1976. With writer/producer Leon Ware, Gaye created some of his most erotic music. Marvin has always been a favorite of hip-hop producers for sample sources, so 'I Want You' features a series of well used samples placed in hip-hop history.

The album's fantastic lead single 'I Want You' was a top 20 pop hit and is the blueprint for the 80s quiet storm sound. In 1994, 'I Want You' was used twice: once by 88 X Unit for Ice Cube's 'What Can I Do?' and once by Puff Daddy and the Hitmen for Mary J Blige's hit single 'Be Happy'. In 2001, a then new Three 6 Mafia, produced by production team DJ Paul and Juicy J, sampled 'I Want You' for 'Long Nite' from their debut album 'Mystic Stylez'.



The album's second track 'Come Live with Me Angel' was sampled in 2003 by Red Spyda for one of G-Unit's few charting hits: 'Wanna Get to Know You' with R&B singer Joe. The album's second single 'After the Dance' was again used by Ice Cube (via the Boogiemen production team) in 1991 for the single 'Steady Mobbin'' from 'Death Certificate'. Seven years later, 'After the Dance' was sampled by Salaam Remi for Canibus' 'Get Retarded' from his debut album 'Can-I-Bus'. Finally, L.A. Jay and SlimKid3 sampled Marvin's 'Since I Had You' for the Pharcyde's 'Otha Fish' from their debut album 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde'.

The Lowdown:
Marvin Gaye 'I Want You', 'Come Live with Me Angel', 'After the Dance', and 'Since I Had You'
from 'I Want You' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Ice Cube 'What Can I Do?'
from 'Lethal Injection' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'What Can I Do?'
Mary J. Blige 'Be Happy'
from 'My Life' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Three 6 Mafia 'Long Nite'
from 'Mystic Stylez' (2001) (MP3/CD)
G-Unit and Joe 'Wanna Get to Know You'
from 'Beg for Mercy' (2003) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Wanna Get to Know You'
Ice Cube 'Steady Mobbin''
from 'Death Certificate' (1991) (MP3/CD)
Canibus 'Get Retarded'
from 'Can-I-Bus' (1998) (MP3/CD)
The Pharcyde 'Otha Fish'
from 'Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde' (1992) (MP3/CD)

Bonus Cuts:
There are a series of decent covers of 'I Want You' (none as good as the original in my opinion), but I thought I'd throw this one out there: Madonna enlisted Massive Attack to produce her version of 'I Want You' to pretty good results (don't hate me for saying so!).

Related Posts:
Source Material: Marvin Gaye 'Trouble Man'
The Breaks: Marlena Shaw 'California Soul' (Marvin Gaye appearance)

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 3)

Welcome to part 3 of our three-part look at the Notorious B.I.G.'s album 'Life After Death'.

Puff Daddy, Steven Jordan, and the Hitmen sample the late Delfonics single 'Hey! Love' from their fourth album 'Tell Me This is a Dream' for Biggie's album track 'Playa Hater'. The same production team sampled Liquid Liquid's NYC breakbeat anthem 'Cavern' (previously covered in depth on this blog) for the hit single 'Nasty Boy', complete with one of hip-hop's nastiest intros. Biggie's 'The World is Filled...' with Too Short and Carl Thomas features the use of one of my favorite, unusual breaks: Asha Puthli's 'Space Talk' (not so easy to find, so I'm surprised you can download it from Amazon) from her 1978 album 'The Devil is Loose'. The track's production is credited to D-Dot and Puff Daddy. The Wu's RZA makes a late album production appearance on the track 'Long Kiss Goodnight' and samples Wu-stand by Al Green's excellent 'Green is Blues'-era cover of 'The Letter'.

Released only a few weeks after the Notorious B.I.G.'s murder, the double album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts and amassed a string of hits. Some verses from Biggie would appear later that year on Puff Daddy's solo outing 'No Way Out' and in the decade proceeding Biggie's death, no less than two terrible cash-in projects were released with unearthed verses and guest vocalists (1999's 'Born Again' and 2005's 'Duets: The Final Chapter'... lets hope it's the final chapter). Despite additional albums produced after his death, the Notorious B.I.G.'s legacy is complete with his two studio albums - two of hip-hop's most endearing works.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Playa Hater', 'Nasty Boy', 'The World is Filled...', and 'Long Kiss Goodnight'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
The Delfonics 'Hey! Love'
from 'Tell Me This is a Dream' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD)
Liquid Liquid 'Cavern'
from 'Optimo' (1982) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Asha Puthli 'Space Talk'
from 'The Devil is Loose' (1978) (MP3/CD not available)
Al Green 'The Letter'
from 'Green is Blues' (1972) (MP3/CD)

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 2)

Welcome to part 2 of 3 of our dissection of 'Life After Death' by the Notorious B.I.G.

Another #1 single from 'Life After Death' is the Biggie / Puffy and the Family hit 'Mo Money Mo Problems' produced by Steven Jordan, Puff Daddy, and the Hitmen. Aside from being a great, energetic sample, the question will always remain: why did Puffy choose to sample Diana Ross' 'I'm Coming Out'? The vocal sample used prominently throughout the song has, seemingly, nothing to do with the theme. Leave thoughts in the comment. The first disc of 'Life After Death' ends with the Buckwild produced 'I Got a Story to Tell', which makes good use of the ever-samplable drums from Al Green's 'I'm Glad You're Mine' from 1972's 'I'm Still in Love with You'. Stevie J, Puffy and the Hitmen provide the beat to disc two's 'Another' with guest verse from Junior M.A.F.I.A. alumnus Lil' Kim. The team samples Barbara Mason's single 'Another Man' from her album of the same title. Easy Mo Bee adds some West Coast funk to the album by sampling Zapp's 'More Bounce to the Ounce' for the Biggie single 'Going Back to Cali'.

Check back for the final part of our look at 'Life After Death'.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Mo Money Mo Problems', 'I Got a Story to Tell', 'Another', and 'Going Back to Cali'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Diana Ross 'I'm Coming Out'
from 'Diana' (1980) (MP3/CD)
Al Green 'I'm Glad You're Mine'
from 'I'm Still In Love With You' (1972) (MP3/CD)
Barbara Mason 'Another Man'
from 'Another Man' (1984) (MP3/CD)
Zapp 'More Bounce to the Ounce'
from 'Zapp' (1979) (MP3/CD)

BONUS CUT:
The 12" instrumental for 'Another Man' by Barbara Mason. Karaoke time.

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Life After Death' (Part 1)

It's hard to believe, but the Notorious B.I.G. released only one solo album during his lifetime, 1994's 'Ready to Die' (previously covered in depth on this blog here, here, and here). Biggie's follow up album was finished before his untimely murder in 1997 - his second, prophetically named studio album 'Life After Death' was released less than a month after his death. This three part post arc will cover the music of 'Life After Death', the producers, and the sample sources.

The Dramatics' excellent single 'In the Rain' is the basis for the Carlos Broady, Nashiem Myrick, and Puff Daddy produced album track 'Somebody's Gotta Die'. The album's smash hit is the unstoppable 'Hypnotize'; a decade later it is still nitro on the dancefloor. The production team of D-Dot, Ron Lawrence, Puffy and the Hitmen sampled the breakdown of Herb Alpert's 'Rise' and heavily interpolates the lyrics from Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh's 'La Di Da Di'. One of my favorite Biggie cuts is the DJ Premier produced B-side 'Kick in the Door' that makes remarkable use of Screamin' Jay Hawkins' 1950s voodoo freakout 'I Put a Spell on You'. Truly awesome work by Primo. Easy Mo Bee, returning from his work on 'Ready to Die', laces B.I.G. with the beat to 'I Love the Dough'. The track features a guest spot from Jay-Z and Angela Winbush from René and Angela on the hook, who happens to be the source of the track's sample: 'I Love You More' by René and Angela.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'Life After Death'.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Somebody's Gotta Die', 'Hypnotize', 'Kick in the Door', and 'I Love the Dough'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
The Dramatics 'In the Rain'
from 'Whatcha See is Whatcha Get' (1971) (MP3/CD)
Herb Alpert 'Rise'
from 'Rise' (1979) (MP3/CD)
Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh 'La Di Da Di'
from 'The Show' (1985) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Screamin' Jay Hawkins 'I Put a Spell on You'
from 'I Put a Spell on You' (1956) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
René and Angela 'I Love you More'
from 'Wall to Wall' (1981) (MP3 not available/CD not available)

BONUS CUTS:
'I Put a Spell on You' is a classic cut and has been covered (not to mention sampled) many times. Two notable covers of the song are Nina Simone's take on 'I Put a Spell on You' from 1964 and Creedence Clearwater Revival's cover from 1968.

Rewind: Jay-Z 'American Gangster' (Part 1)

A concept album based loosely on the themes of Ridley Scott's movie of the same name, Jay-Z's 10th studio album 'American Gangster' debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, has sold over a million copies, and served as a return to Jay-Z street sound from 2006's critical disappointment 'Kingdom Come'. This two post arc will cover the samples used for the album 'American Gangster'.

Jay-Z's 'American Dreaming' is one of the albums many collaborations with P. Diddy and the Hitmen, who served as the production crew for much of the album and lends a soulful sound reminiscent of Jay-Z's early work. 'American Dreaming' samples Marvin Gaye's 'I Want You''Soon I'll Be Loving You Again' and is co-produced by Mario Winans. The Hitmen also handle production for 'No Hook', which samples 'Love Serenade' by Barry White. The album's biggest hit, though not the highest charting single, is 'Roc Boys (and the Winner Is)...'. The track's excellent backing comes from a large sample of Menahan Street Band's 'Make the Road By Walking' which was released only months before 'Roc Boys' and did not appear on an album until this year. The Hitmen dig deep for the beat for 'Party Life' by using Little Beaver's 1974 track 'Get into the Party Life'. Just Blaze again collaborates with Jay-Z on this album by producing the track 'Ignorant S---', utilizing the Isley Brothers' classic 'Between the Sheets' album track ('Between the Sheets' was covered more in depth on September's Five On It blog post).

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'American Gangster'.

The Lowdown:
Jay-Z 'American Dreamin'', 'No Hook', 'Roc Boys (and the Winner Is)...', 'Party Life', 'Ignorant S---'
from 'American Gangster' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Marvin Gaye 'Soon I'll Be Loving You Again'
from 'I Want You' (1976) (MP3/CD)
Barry White 'Love Serenade'
from 'Just Another Way to Say I Love You' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Menahan Street Band 'Make the Road by Walking'
from 'Make the Road by Walking' (2008) (MP3/CD)
Little Beaver 'Get into the Party Life'
from 'Party Down' (1974) (MP3/CD not available)
The Isley Brothers 'Between the Sheets'
from 'Between the Sheets' (1982) (MP3/CD)

The Breaks: Liquid Liquid 'Cavern'

One of the 80s most widely known, yet least likely to be properly identified, breaks is Liquid Liquid's 1982 breakbeat jam 'Cavern'. Liquid Liquid, along with another heavily sampled band called ESG (who will be covered in a future post) were part of a short-lived, minimalistic early 80s post-punk movement centered in New York City. 'Cavern''s signature bassline and chant would be most notably replayed by the Sugar Hill band as the backing for Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel's single 'White Lines (Don't Do It)'. 'White Lines', remarkably, never broke the top 40 in America, but was a giant hit in the UK which further ignited their burgeoning electro scene.

A decade later, 'Cavern' would be sampled by a new stable of artists. LL Cool J reinterpolated the chorus of 'Cavern' for his hit 'Phenomenon' from the album of the same title (which is in the running for the worst use of a lens flare on an album cover award). The Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Nasty Boy' also interpolates 'Cavern'. Not oddly enough, both of these tracks from 1997 were produced by Sean "Puffy" Combs. Havoc has production credits for 1999's 'Quiet Storm' by Mobb Deep. The 'Quiet Storm' remix has a guest verse from Lil' Kim, part of the Diddy / Biggie stable.

2006 saw one of the more unusual interpolations of 'Cavern', bringing it back to its NYC rock roots. 'Phenomena' from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' album 'Show Your Bones' uses Liquid Liquid's familiar chant during its slow motion chorus.

The Lowdown:
Liquid Liquid 'Cavern'
from 'Optimo' (1982) (MP3 Not available/CD not available)
Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel 'White Lines (Don't Do It)'
LL Cool J 'Phenomenon'
from 'Phenomenon' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Phenomenon'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Nasty Boy'
from 'Life After Death' (1997) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edit: 'Nasty Boy'
Mobb Deep 'Quiet Storm' and 'Quiet Storm' (Remix)
from 'Murda Muzik' (1999) (MP3/CD)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs 'Phenomena'
from 'Show Your Bones' (2006) (MP3/CD)

BONUS CUT:
'Cavern' is the cut, but it is not the only track from Liquid Liquid's short career with floor filling beats. Check out 'Optimo', also from their 1982 EP that produced 'Cavern'.

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Ready to Die' (Part 2)

The track that introduced much of the world to B.I.G. was the album's lead smash single 'Juicy', which would go gold by the end of 1994. For one of Biggie's trademark songs, Sean "Puffy" Combs and Jean Oliver looped segments of Mtume's 80s hit 'Juicy Fruit'. More than a decade after its release as a single, 'Juicy' is still one of the necessary tracks in every DJ's arsenal: it is an essential party mover.

The Bluez Brothers produced 'Everyday Struggle' samples smooth jazz icon Dave Grusin's 1979 song 'Either Way' from his album 'Mountain Dance'. 'Ready to Die''s second single was another smash hit, the Sean "Puffy" Combs / Chucky Thompson produced 'Big Poppa' launched into the Billboard top 10 in 1995. The track famously mines 'Between the Sheets' by the Isley Brothers to fantastic results. Combs and Oliver dissect George McCrae's 'I Get Lifted' for Biggie's 'Respect'. 'Respect' features guest vocals from Diana King, who would receive a record deal due to this appearance and go on to have a solo hit with 'Shy Guy'.

Check back for part 3 of 'Ready to Die'.

The Lowdown:
Notorious B.I.G. 'Juicy', 'Everyday Struggle', 'Big Poppa', and 'Respect'
from 'Ready to Die' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Juicy', 'Everyday Struggle', 'Big Poppa', and 'Respect'
Mtume 'Juicy Fruit'
from 'Juicy Fruit' (1982) (MP3/CD)
Dave Grusin 'Either Way'
from 'Mountain Dance' (1979) (MP3/CD)
The Isley Brothers 'Between the Sheets'
from 'Between the Sheets' (1982) (MP3/CD)
George McCrae 'I Get Lifted
from 'Rock Your Baby' (1974) (MP3 unavailable/CD)

BONUS CUT:
Of course, Biggie was not the only one to use 'Juicy Fruit' as a sample. Warren G's self-produced singles 'Do You See' and 'This D.J.' both pluck 'Juicy Fruit' (and both slightly pre-date 'Ready to Die', although both albums were probably produced around the same time). Several B.I.G. referencing tracks also use 'Juicy Fruit', like the Faith Evans' 2001 album title track 'Faithfully and the 2007 hit 'Let it Go' by Keyshia Cole produced by Missy Elliott who also appears along with Lil' Kim.

Rewind: Notorious B.I.G. 'Ready to Die' (Part 1)

One of hip-hop's indisputable classics is the debut album 'Ready to Die' by the Notorious B.I.G., released on September 13th in 1994. After being signed by Sean Combs, the Notorious B.I.G. appeared in cameo spots on several Uptown Records singles including ones by Heavy D and the Boyz and Mary J. Blige. Just months before the release of 'Ready to Die', B.I.G. appeared on the 'Flava in Ya Ear' remix by Craig Mack, an essential East Coast party starter. In this three part post, this blog will cover the hits and sample sources of 'Ready to Die'.

'Things Done Changed', the first track following the album intro, features two samples from the Main Ingredient's 1974 album 'Euphrates River': 'Summer Breeze' and 'California My Way' (the Main Ingredient notably features vocals from Cuba Gooding Sr.). The Easy Mo Bee produced 'Gimme the Loot' utilizes samples from James Brown's 'Hell'-era funk monster 'Coldblooded. The excellent 'Machine Gun Funk' samples Black Heat's 'Something Extra' as well as 'Up for the Down Stroke' by Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns. In an example of classics begetting classics, 'Warning' is laced with the gigantic breaks of Isaac Hayes' psych-soul cover of 'Walk on By'. 'Walk on By' will be covered in depth in a future post on this blog.

Check back for part 2 of our look at 'Ready to Die'.

The Lowdown:
The Notorious B.I.G. 'Things Done Changed', 'Gimme the Loot', 'Machine Gun Funk', and 'Warning'
from 'Ready to Die' (1994) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Things Done Changed', 'Gimme the Loot', 'Machine Gun Funk', and 'Warning'
The Main Ingredient 'California My Way' and 'Summer Breeze'
from 'Euphrated River' (1974) (MP3 not available/ Import CD)
James Brown 'Coldblooded'
from 'Hell' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Black Heat 'Something Extra'
from 'Keep on Runnin'' (1975) (MP3/CD not available)
Fred Wesley and the Horny Horns 'Up for the Down Stroke'
from 'A Blow for Me, a Toot for You' (1977) (MP3/Import CD)
Isaac Hayes 'Walk on By' (Radio Edit)
from 'Hot Buttered Soul' (1968) (MP3/CD)