Showing posts with label Rare Earth. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rare Earth. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2009

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)

Monday, May 25, 2009

Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'The Big Doe Rehab' (Part 1)



In 2007, Ghostface Killah delivered his 7th major label solo album 'The Big Doe Rehab'. This two part arc will cover the sample sources, producers, and guests of Ghost's latest album to date.

Beanie Sigel and Styles P appear on Ghost's heavy hitting album cut 'Toney Sigel A.K.A. the Barrel Brothers' produced by the Hitmen production teams' LV and Sean C. Similar to the team's work on Jay-Z's 'American Gangster', this track relies on a deep crate sample: Al Wilson's 1971 single 'Falling in Love with You'. The team used a much more well known sample for the album's opening single 'We Celebrate' with Kid Capri. They use Rare Earth's huge 1971 hit 'I Just Want to Celebrate' from the album 'One World'. On 'Walk Alone', Anthony Acid uses Little Milton's 'Packed Up and Took My Mind' as a backing for Ghostface, Trife Da God, and Sun God. Scram Jones and Frequency provide the beat for Ghost's bizarre celeb-obsessed 'White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)' which lifts a sample from 'That's the Way It's Got to Be (Body and Soul)' from the Soul Generation's 1972 album 'Beyond Body and Soul'.

Check back for more tracks from 'The Big Doe Rehab' and their sources.

The Lowdown:
Ghostface Killah 'Toney Sigel A.K.A. The Barrel Brothers', 'We Celebrate', 'Walk Around', and 'White Linen Affair (Toney Affair)'
from 'The Big Doe Rehab' (2007) (MP3/CD)
Clean Edits: 'Toney Sigel A.K.A. The Barrel Brothers', 'We Celebrate', 'Walk Around', and 'White Linen Affair (Toney Affair)'
Al Wilson 'Fallin' in Love with You'
from 'Fallin' in Love with You' 7" (1971) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Rare Earth 'I Just Want to Celebrate'
from 'One World' (1971) (MP3 not available/CD not available)
Little Milton 'Packed Up and Took My Mind'
from 'Tin Pan Alley' (1974) (MP3/CD)
Soul Generation 'That's the Way It's Got to Be (Body and Soul)'
from 'Beyond Body and Soul' (1972) (MP3/Import CD)

Related Posts:
Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'Ironman'
Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'Supreme Clientele' (Part 1)
Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'Supreme Clientele' (Part 2)
Rewind: Ghostface Killah 'Supreme Clientele' (Part 3)
Rewind: Jay-Z 'American Gangster' (Part 1) (Hitmen production work)
Rewind: Jay-Z 'American Gangster' (Part 2) (Hitmen production work)