So far in the series we’ve checked out classics from both Black Sheep and Main source so for part three of Each One Teach One were going to focus on Digable Planets’ 1993 release Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) which was conceived, freaked, arranged and produced by the groups own – Butterfly.

Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was Digable Planets’ official debut offering released back in 1993 on Electra Records. The record is well known for the track Rebirth of Slick (cool like that) which was a big hit back in that period and a track that gained the group a lot of air play and recognition. The entire album was produced by Butterfly who tended to dive into the jazz fusion side of things in his production, and the album as a whole could be filed under or seen as a ‘jazz-rap’ project. It was this initial sound that gained them success and one they drifted away from with their future release ‘Blowout Comb’ in 94 which was not as successful as Reachin’ but still contained some strong stand out tracks such as 9th Wonder (Blackitolism) for example.

The other members of the group include Doodlebug and Ladybug who were also known to be lyrically conscious in their raps. So all in all a classic combination and one that earned the LP a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a group in 1994 and was certified gold in 1993. It also made its way into the source’s top 100 rap albums in 1998. One important thing to note is that the album does not feature any guest appearances which was rare enough for full length releases around this time. While the  individual tracks on Reaching contain many samples, lets take a look at some of the main ones behind this album and rejoice in its essence!

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Digable Planets – Each One Teach One Part 3 by ChoiceCuts

Each One Teach One Playlist

Digable Planets – Each One Teach One Part 3 by ChoiceCuts

Its Good To Be Here

Original recording artist: Grant Green
Sample taken from: Samba De Orpheus
Appears on: Iron City Lp
Released by: Cobblestone – 1977

This Latin inspired cut by Grant Green is an incredible piece of work and proves to be the main hook used on ‘Its good to be here’ by Digable who certainly knew how to pick a sample. It features on the Iron City Lp which was one of Greens lesser known releases but a fans favorite so to speak. Samba De Orpheus is an organ / soul jazz favorite of mine and has some stand out solos from the other players on the album which even included Larry Young as well as the main trio, Big John Patton and long-time associate Ben Dixon on drums.

Pacifics

Original recording artist: Lonnie Liston Smith
Sample taken from: Devika (Goddess)
Appears on: Visons of a New World LP
Released by: Flying Dutchman – 1975

This track has also been sampled by Crucial Conflict on Lil Advice but its Digable who have relied heavily on the baseline in particular from this spiritual jazz cut by Lonnie Liston Smith. Visions of a New World is a relaxed fusion styled jazz funk masterpiece and alongside releases such as ‘Expansions’ (Flying Dutchman, 1974) & ‘Reflections of a Golden Dream’ (RCA, 1976) they have become favorites amongst Djs and collectors. Lonnie continued releasing records in this key and even had some crossover success with his ‘Space Lady’ cut which is certainly notable and one which can feature heavily on the dance floor.

Where I’m From

Original recording artist: KC & The Sunshine Band
Sample taken from: Aint Nothing Wrong
Appears on: Single 7”
Released by: RCA – 1975

What a sample! Simple and very very effective. This is one of the standout tracks from the Reachin album and a sample that done all the work itself. This was a b-side on the ‘That’s The Way (I Like It)’ 7” and featured on the self titled Lp – KC & The Sunshine Band who were a huge success. This Lp also featured heavy hitters such as “Get Down Tonight”, and “Boogie Shoes” and was only the groups second release. ‘Aint Nothing Wrong; however holds its own weight and is one of our favorite cuts from the Lp. Check it out!

What Cool Breezes Do

Original recording artist: The Crusaders
Sample taken from: Mystique Blues
Appears on: Crusaders 1 Lp
Released by: Blue Thumb Records – 1972

The Crusaders who were formerly known as the Jazz Crusaders were a free, soulful jazz fusion group from the 1960′s who had some great success and released some timeless albums around this period. This cut from the Crusaders comes of the fantastic Crusaders 1 Lp which was released in 1972 on Blue Thumb records and is a classic Jazz Lp. The main hook used on What Cool Breezes do is called Mystique Blues which has also been sampled by other artists such as KRS-1 on Squash all beef and on Ice Cubes The Birth from the Death Certificate album. Mystique Blues is an amazing piece of work and a track that can be found on many mix cds from J-Rocc to Paul Nice for example.

Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)

Original recording artist: Sonny Rollins
Sample taken from: Mambo Dance
Appears on: Single 7”
Released by: Prestige - ?

Mambo Dance is a 7” Ive only recently come across by Sonny Rollins Quartet due to compiling this edition of To Each One Teach One but is a record that I intend on playing out a lot more often now since that Ive found it. A nice early dancefloor cut if you like dig doing the Mambo. Great use of a sample from Butterfly who has tweeked it in such a way that it really comes to life and is one of the stronger cuts from Reachin..

Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)

Original recording artist: Art Blakey
Sample taken from: Stretching
Appears on: Reflections in Blue LP
Released by: Timeless Records – 1979

Another great LP from Art Blakey who rarely disappoints. This is another cut Ive come across from this mans exhausting but thrilling back catalog while putting together this edition. Its a track that will feature in all my Jazz sets from now on ( Im a ‘Jazzer’ at heart, the boogie stuff is just a front) and could also slot in well beside any set to be quite honest. The sample is just neck snapping material and it’s the track Digable Planets are most known for. Just check out the baseline at the beginning – and the drum loop around half way through – INCREDIBLE, and then Bang! the horns kick in. Absolute killer tune and one to play out loud. It doesn’t get much better for me.

Last Of The Spiddyocks

Original recording artist: The Honey Drippers
Sample taken from: Impeach The President
Appears on: Single 7”
Released by: Alaga – 1972

This track by The Honey Drippers should need no introduction so Ill keep this short. This hard-hitting funky soul break is the backbone for countless golden-era Hip-Hop classics such as Unbelievable by Biggie Smalls to De La’s Ring Ring Ring. It’s been used so much I can remember Gza rhyming that mcs are ‘still trippin of the beat to Impeach the President’. This break has been sampled and used  in every year since 1987. Fact! You’ve heard this a hundred times or more and it still sounds fresh as ever. A true classic this one! Nuff said…

Jimmi Diggin’ Cats

Original recording artist: Kool & The Gang
Sample taken from: Summer Madness
Appears on: Single 7”
Released by: Dee-Lite – 1975

Ah yes Summer Madness. A lesser known commercial hit by The Gang but one that is well known in the Hip Hop Community as its been sampled to death by numerous groups. Another great use of this cut was on DJ Premier’s ‘Deep Concentration’ . I love this record, its aged nicely over time as well and a track that will never get overplayed in my opinion. It features on the ‘Light of Worlds’ LP from 1975 and if you find it, purchase it as its terrific from start to end and has been considered to be one of their greatest achievements in recording. As Samuel Jackson put it in Pulp Fiction ‘its Kool & the Gang baybeeee’

La Femme Fetal

Original recording artist: The Last Poets
Sample taken from: Jazzoetry
Appears on: Jazzoetry LP
Released by: Douglas – 1976

Butterfly apparently loved The Last Poets and this is quite evident in his production and writing skills. Samples from the Jazzoetry Lp can also be found on “”Escapism (Gettin’ Free)” & “Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)” and generally throughout the album. The Last Poets have been described by many as the roots of rap and they consisted of a bunch of poets and musicians from the 1960s African America civil rights movement’s that were focused on free speech and Black Power so to speak. There back catalog is pretty extensive so if your looking for a place to start, start here with Jazzoetry yo!

Escapism (Gettin’ Free)

Original recording artist: Ohio Players
Sample taken from: Funky Worm
Appears on: Single 7”
Released by: Westbound – 1972

What a break! Pure west coast business and a break that gets me every time I hear it. I could put this on loop all day, put on my raiders cap and black tee on then vibe out with ease. Funky worm has been a cut that many producers over time have used even the great Dr.Dre whos used it on ‘Let me ride’ (stone cold classic) but its Digable here who have flipped it in a different way. This was the bands first major hit which reached #1 on the Billboard R&B chart and proved to be a huge success for the group. It features on the ‘Pain’ Lp from 1972. You know this cut!

Appointment At The Fat Clinic”

Original recording artist: Rashand Roland Kirk
Sample taken from: Blacknuss
Appears on: Blacknuss LP
Released by: Atlantic – 1971

Taken from the Blacknuss Lp from 1971. Rahand Roland Kirk was a jazz multi instrumentalist who played tenor saxophone, flute and many other instruments, sometimes all at once! Quite the talented musician, performer who also had great audacity and presence on stage. Blacknuss is a fantastic example of Kirks work and a great place to start if one were interested in getting familiar with his back catalog. Butterfly has tweeked the sample here to great effect from the original track. Check it out below!

Nickel Bags

Original recording artist: Curtis Mayfield
Sample taken from: Give me your love
Appears on: Superfly OST
Released by: Curtom Records – 1972

D.P will hit you with a Nickel Bag! Give me your love comes straight of the Superfly soundtrack from 1972 on Mayfields own label Curtom which you really should own – if you don’t already. Curtis Mayfield is hands down one of my favorite soul-singers and Im a huge fan of his music which I cant go a day without to be honest. While Nickel Bags has many samples running throughout, its this track that proves to be the noticeable riff with those killer guitar notes that Curtis used to hit so well. The main flute sample comes from Herbie Mann’s Push Push Lp which is also killer! Herbie Mann & Curtis Mayfield – a great combination…

Swoon Units

Original recording artist: Kain
Sample taken from: Black Satin Amazon Fire Engine Cry Baby
Appears on: The Blue Guerrilla LP
Released by: Juggernaut Records – 1972

The great thing about research is that it will undoubtedly expose you to new information. Ive never heard of Kain before and in the pursuit of finding out the sample used for Swoon Units I came across this gem. This track has my seal of approval all over it – even though Ive no idea what a Black Satin Amazon Fire Engine Cry Baby is or what the track is actually about. Thats why Im so intrigued by it – it gets better with every listen and its got a killer flow. Almost sounding like a hipper Nick Drake at times Kain’s approach with this one is on point. Pure groove! This comes straight of the Blue Guerrilla Lp from 1972 and is rare enough it seems but one that still can be found. Kain is the man! One of my personal favs of the Reachin Lp.

Examination Of What

Original recording artist: The Crusaders
Sample taken from: Listen and you’ll see
Appears on: Pass The Plate LP
Released by: Chisa Records 1972

The majority of samples used on Reachin tended to come from 1972 and this is another one. The Crusaders (formerly known as the Jazz crusaders) were a incredible group and had many hits. ‘Listen And You’ll See’ featured on the killer ‘Pass the Plate’ Lp and has featured on many mixtapes – including Madlibs 45′s podcast from Stones Throw amonst many more (including my own). The Crusaders have been sampled to death by the Hip Hop community but this has to be my own personal favorite track of theirs and could be suited to dancefloors in the right environment.  Absolutely love this cut and again a fantastic use of the sample from Butterfly who really nailed this one.

For part two of Each One Teach One we were going to move on to 1992 after covering Black Sheep’s A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing.  But really, how could we leave 1991 behind without delving into what is probably that year’s most important hip-hop record ‘Breaking Atoms’…

Breaking Atoms was released on July 23, 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. It was Main Source’s debut LP and although the group is credited on the sleeve of the LP as collectively being responsible for production, it’s the Large Professor (aka Large Pro aka Xtra P) that is mainly responsible for the ground breaking sound of the group.

Main Source came together in 1989 with the group consisting of Large Pro alongside K-Cut and Sir Scratch from Toronto.  Working together they created what is now regarded as one of the most important hip-hop records ever produced. The sampling techniques employed by Large Professor pushed the EMU SP1200 to the very edge of its capabilities and the overall approach to the structure and use of the samples in the songs would instruct various influential producers such as Q-Tip, Pete Rock, The Beatnuts and Showbiz for the next decade.

The term ‘Jazz Rap’ is often bandied around to describe this record.  Much like the term ‘Trip Hop’, ‘Jazz Rap’ is a lazy way to describe a progression in sound rather than a new branch of the genre.  Breaking Atoms simply represented a move into sampling that reflected a more mature and astute understanding of the records that had inspired the DJs of the late 70s and early 80s to start looping breaks.  Breaking Atoms is a hip-hop record in it’s purest sense, reflecting an amalgamation of styles both vocally, musically and also in terms of source material for the samples.

It’s worthy to note that Nas (then called ‘Nasty Nas’) makes his debut on Live at the Barbeque alongside Akinyele and Joe Fatal.  Just three years later Large Pro would contribute to Nas’ undisputed stone cold classic Illmatic alongside DJ Premier and Pete Rock.

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Main Source – Each One Teach One Part 2 by ChoiceCuts

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Main Source – Each One Teach One Part 2 by ChoiceCuts

Snake Eyes

Original recording artist: Jesse Anderson
Sample taken from: ‘Mighty Mighty’
Appears on: Single 7″
Released by: Thomas 1970

Originally written by Curtis Mayfield and also peformed with amazing gusto by the legendary vocalist and musician Baby Huey this is a much more break-laden version of Mighty Mighty than the original.  Jesse Anderson got his start early in the 60s recording for Federal, moving on to Cadet, then the revived Thomas label, and finally the Outta Cyte imprint.   This version of ‘Mighty Mighty’ is Chitown funk at it’s best; much heavier and ‘crunchier’ than the original, with a powerful rhythm section driven by a great wah-wah guitar. The drums are prevalent the whole way through but check out the break in the middle.  Add this to a funky flute brige and it sounds like S.O.U.L. stepped into the studio for a second!

Just Hangin Out

Original recording artist: Gwen McCrae
Sample taken from: ’90% Of Me Is You’
Appears on: Rockin Chair LP
Released by:Cat 1975

This track has been sampled a lot.  A LOT.  Large Professor has revisited it once or twice (Tragedy – “Da Funk Mode” for example) and the chorus has been used to great effect by  NO.ID on Common’s ‘Stolen Moments Part 1′.  McCrae enjoyed mainstream success after her Husband, George, had a huge hit with ‘Rock your Baby’ which undoubtedly opened doors for her.  ‘Rockin Chair’ was a smash for Gwen and gave her the following her label (T.K.) were hoping for to justify the release of a long player.  Rockin’ Chair is a great album in it’s own right but ’90% Of Me Is You’ is the stand-out track showcasing Gwen’s inate ability to merge the soulful with the funky.

Looking At The Front Door

Original recording artist: The Detroit Emeralds
Sample taken from: ‘You’re Getting A Little Too Smart’
Appears on: Single 7″
Released by: Westbound 1973

What a drum break.  Right at the beginning of the track too.  It’s easy to imagine that when Large Professor first heard this he must have made a conscious decision to not touch the drum arrangement at all.  In true early-90s sampling style this is a clean 4/4 drum sample with a slight 808 kick thrown in for good measure.  ‘Chick a Boom’ by the Pazant Brothers provides the vocal hook but it’s the Detroit Emeralds drummer who gives ‘Looking At The Front Door’ it’s status as a guaranteed floor filler every time.  Check out the video for this track also for some great footage of Main Source in action.  Looks like Lord Finesse wasn’t the only DJ with a fade and a half-moon back in 1991!

Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball

Original recording artist: Lou Donaldson
Sample taken from: ‘Pot Belly’
Appears on: Pretty Things LP
Released by:Blue Note 1970

Pretty Things is jazz saxophonist Lou Donaldson’s LP recorded for the Blue Note label in 1970. Featuring Blue Mitchell, Leon Spencer, Ted Dunbar and Idris Muhammad the album represented a fresh reworking of the Donaldson sound that most Blue Note fans had become accustomed to at that stage.  ‘Pot Belly’ is another one of those tracks that has been pillaged for samples (most notably the opening 2 bars) over the years but it’s safe to say Xtra P was the first to flip it and get it down on vinyl.  If you want to hear how this has been used (and used and used) on other tracks you could do worse than checking out A Tribe Called Quest (If the Papes Come), Pharcyde (4 Better or 4 Worse), Big Daddy Kane (Let Yourself Go), Freestyle Fellowship (Respect Due), Leaders of the New School (The End is Near) or Lord Finesse (Do Your Thing)

Peace Is Not The Word To Play

Original recording artist: The Meters
Sample taken from: ‘Britches’
Appears on: Struttin’ LP
Released by: Josie 1970

Leo Nocentelli on guitar.  This has got to be one of the pluckiest guitar riffs known to man.  Excuse the dreadful pun considering there’s a hen on the cover of what was The Meters’ third LP release from 1970 but this is one of the best tunes the group has recorded (in my humble and thus irrelevant opinion).  Their southern roots are perfectly captured in this funk/hoedown amalgamation of styles. Overall this is a pretty understated track when considered in the wider context of how influention The Meters were over various funk bands that followed them.  No slamming drum breaks from Joseph Modeliste, no groundbreaking keyboard playing from Art Neville – just a steady tempo and consistent melody that was set in stone thanks to the cohesion of the talented players involved.

Vamos a Rapier

Original recording artist: The Three Sounds
Sample taken from: ‘Repeat After Me’
Appears on: Soul Symphony LP
Released by: Blue Note 1969

If you don’t like jazz (but wonder what it would be like if you did) you should check out The Three Sound’s Black Orchid on Blue Note (1964).  It’s not an important jazz album by any means (when you compare it to something like Kind of Blue or Giant Steps) but it’s one of the easist jazz albums to listen to without having to endure listening to easy jazz (go on, read that sentence again).  Take a great jazz band and throw in a heavy dollop of hardbop  (funky keyboards and a heavy R&B influence) and you end up where The Three Sounds were for their second-last LP recorded together in 1969.  This album is The Three Sounds at their funky best.  Listening to the first 4 bars of this track makes it obvious why it caught the attention of Pete Rock who sat in on production of Vamos a Rapier alongside Large Professor.

He Got So Much Soul (He Don’t Need No Music)

Original recording artist: Lou Courtney
Sample taken from: ‘Hey Joyce’
Appears on: Single 7″
Released by: Popside 1967

This was recorded in 1964 and everytime I play it out (usually around 2am when everyone except me is plastered) at least 5 people ask me what it is.  It’s great to see a record that’s 46 years old get such a great reaction from people half it’s age.  The lyrics, the drums, the production – everything about this record is drenched in soul.  Thanks to Shadow and Cut Chemist including this on their Brainfreeze mix late in the 1990s the price of this 7″ went through the roof and it’s remained up there beside the chimney pots ever since.  When people are getting down to this in front of the DJ booth it reminds me how much for granted I take Serato these days.

Live At The Barbeque

Original recording artist: Vicki Anderson
Sample taken from: ‘I Want To Be In The Land Of Milk & Honey’
Appears on: Single  7″ (B Side to ‘I’ll Work It Out’)
Released by: King 1971

Any hip-hopper worth their salt knows ‘Live At The Barbecue’ is the track that Queensbridge MC Nasty Nas made his debut on.  A slammer of a tune and a true hiphop classic the majority of this track is made up of a tiny sample from this great Vicki Anderson 7″.  Vicki sang with James Brown until she was replaced by Marva Whitney (who has been a guest of ChoiceCuts twice in as many years) in 1968.  She rejoined the James Brown Revue in 1969 and stayed on until 1972 when the legendary Lyn Collins stepped in.  Vicki married Bobby Byrd in the mid-sixties and gave birth to Carleen and Jhelisa, both of whom established musical careers of their own in the early 1990s.

Watch Roger Do His Thing

Original recording artist: Funkadelic
Sample taken from: ‘You’ll Like It Too’
Appears on: Connections and Dicsonnections LP
Released by: Lax 1981

To be honest not much of this particular track is actually present in Watch Roger Do His Thing but it’s woth noting for two reasons.  One, ‘You’ll Like It Too’ is a damn good song and one of Funkadelic’s best. Two, the drum break at the beginning.  It’s the reason (along with the Bobby Byrd sample) that Eric B and Rakim’s ‘I know You Got Soul’ has so much soul.  Because of that track it’s probably one of the most recognised drum breaks in hiphop history (after It’s a New Day by Skull Snaps that is).  Eric B used this break back in 1988 which was a full 3 years before Large Professor chopped things up in his style.  It’s a great demonstration of sample re-usage  that exemplifies the arrangement that wasn’t apparent to the previous producer.

Fakin’ The Funk

Original recording artist: Main Ingredient
Sample taken from: ‘Magic Shoes’
Appears on: Tasteful Soul LP
Released by: RCA 1971

‘Fakin The Funk’ wasn’t on Breaking Atoms.  It was a 12″ single release that featured on the EP ‘White Men Can’t Rap’ back when (apart from possibly three exceptions*) white men couldn’t actually rap and it was OK to say the same.   A taste of things to come the sticker on the limited 12″ release said “From the EP White Men Can’t Rap.  Look out for the Main Source album ‘The Science’”.  The Science never appeared.  Large Professor left the group in 1992. Sir Scratch and K-Cut went on to record ‘Fuck What You Think’ with new MC recruit Mikey D but the album was shelved before getting an official release.  It’s a real shame the group parted ways when they did because if Fakin’ The Funk is anything to go by the group had a lot of creative energery left to burn.

*3rd Bass, Beastie Boys and Everlast

A special podcast from the Fruitman has just arrived.  We’ve been waiting for this for a while and glad it’s here.  Download below via Soundcloud…

Fruitman aka Darren has been contributing to the ChoiceCuts website and DJing at our shows for sometime now.  A regular face in front of and behind the counters of various record stores around Dublin city and beyond, Fruitman is well known for his ability to drop the right records at the right time.  Check out this podcast Fruitman recorded for us – perfectly jumps through boogie and disco hoops while keeping everything smoothly paced.  And in case you forget the name, just listen to the intro…

Fruitman ChoiceCuts Podcast by ChoiceCuts

TRACKLSTING
1. Twighlight – Dance With Me
2. Pinch – Shot Out
3. California Executive – I Can’T Forget You
4. J.D Hall – I Wanna Get Into You
5. Cojo – Play It By Ear
6. Glass Pyramid – Whos Girl Are You
7. Aretha Franklin – Jump To It
8. Carol Shinette – Cyanide Love
9. Cheryl Lynn – Say You’ll Be Mine
10. Billy Ocean – Nights
11. Donny Mccollough – From The Heart (Kon Edit)
12. Alicia Myers – Dont Stop Doing What Your Doing
13. Earth, Wind & Fire – Runnin
14. Brass Fever – Time Is Running Out
15. Doug Carn – Time Is Running Out

Just in case anyone forgot, the 90s were an incredible decade for hiphop. Over the next while we’re going to dissect 10 hiphop albums released during that period and wax a little about the original tunes that were sampled so beautifully for these seminal classics.  So read on for Part 1 of our ‘Each One Teach One’ series of articles…

Black Sheep debuted in 1991 and was composed of Andres “Dres” Titus and William “Mista Lawnge” McLean. The pair are native New Yorkers but met as teenagers in North Carolina, where both of their families relocated. The group was an affiliate of the Native Tongues, which included the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul. “Flavor of the Month” was their first single and shortly after the group released their first album “A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing” which we have tried to deconstruct as best we can here.

Black Sheep gained popularity very quickly, most notably because of their fresh approach to production; the duo were always digging deeper than most to find original sample material and layering great flows (and at times remarkebly lucid lyrics) over the beats they produced.  As with most hiphop groups (and their debut releases) of the time, there’s a curious contradiction throughout this album.  On the one hand you have clever piss-takes of gangsta rap (which was a relatively new form of hiphop at the time), righteous afrocentric viewpoints and a very broad and mature appreciation of music displayed in the sample fodder used to construct the album.  On the other hand you have dick jokes, fuck-you anthems and some of the most overt (and quite frankly hilarious) misogyny ever put down on record.  As Hip-Hop albums go, this one’s perfect.

As the first album to get broken down in our Each One Teach One series what we’re aiming for here is  to turn you on to this great album if you happened to miss it first time round, never heard of it or just plain forgot about it and of course turn you on to the amazing records sampled by Black Sheep when they were making A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing.

The podcast of all the tunes is below so you can download that and listen at your leisure or just hit play on the individual tracks to hear what we’re talking about.

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Black Sheep – Each One Teach One Part 1 by ChoiceCuts

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Butt In The Mean Time

Original recording artist: Paul Butterfield
Sample taken from: ‘I Don’t Want To Go’
Appears on: Put It In Your Ear LP
Released by: Bearsville 1975

Paul Butterfield was a Chicago-born blues musician. As a teenager Butterfield started hanging around black blues musicians such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Walter and Otis Rush. Butterfield and his college buddy Elvin Bishop soon formed a band with Jerome Arnold and Sam Lay (both members of Howlin’ Wolf’s band). In 1963 the racially-mixed ensemble was a unqiue fixture at the famous venue “Big John’s”, a folk music club in the Old Town district on Chicago’s north side.  Having established himself as a top class harmonica player and blues guitarist he went on to play with various blues groups of the time, most notably The Band (whom he performed with at thir farewall show The Last Waltz).  This album is Paul Butterfield at his best.  The hook sampled on this track is instantly recognisable and indeed the album itself contains plenty of licks and breaks that we’re surprised weren’t pillaged for other cuts on the Black Sheep album.

Strobelite Honey

Original recording artist: Young and Company
Sample taken from: ‘I Like (What You’re Doing To Me)’
Appears on: Single 12″
Released by: Brunswick 1980

Young & Company consisted of three brother and three friends who formed the group in 1979.  The band’s biggest hit was this track “I Like (What You’re Doing To Me)” and again it’s the first 10 seconds of this track that punctuates “Strobelite Honey” with it’s unique sound.  The placement of the sample throughout the song and in key with the various other hooks and drums resulted in Strobelite Honey becoming a favourite cut from the album.  Keep an ear out for the other main sample in this tune taken from S.O.S Band’s hit single “Take Your Time, Do It Right”.  Strobelite Honey is probably the best example of how Black Sheep were able to take two straight up 4 bar loops and stick them together with very little chopping to the original sample to create something new.  Sometimes straight to the point is best.

To Whom It May Concern

Original recording artist: Gary Bartz
Sample taken from: ‘Celestial Blues’
Appears on: Harlem Bush Music LP
Released by: Milestone 1970

Gary Bartz is an incredible musican having played with Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, Max Roach and Jackie McLean.  He now teaches at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music when not on the road and is still an active Saxophinist.  With Ron Carter on bass and an infectious Alto Sax playing throughout this song in unison with the vocal this was bound to be sampled at some stage and indeed it’s found it’s way onto many HipHop album’s since A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing.  As far as we know, Black Sheep were the first to sample Celestial Blues on a  major label release.  The sample itself is the perfect backdrop for Black Sheep’s style of rhyming, most notably Mistah Lawnge’s laconic and drawn out style.

Similak Child (Intro sample)

Original recording artist: Jefferson Airplane
Sample taken from: ‘Today’
Appears on: Surrealistic Pillow LP
Released by: RCA 1966

In the context of Similak Child people always seem to mix up  this version of ‘Today’ (the original version) with the classic Tom Scott version off  The Honeysuckle Breeze LP.  Most of you will know Tom Scott’s version as it’s got that insanely good sax break that Pete Rock sampled for They Reminisce Over You off the Mecca and the Soul Brother LP (also released in 1991).  But Black Sheep went to source for the sample for our favourite track off the Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing LP.  Similak Child is the only track where we have mentioned two songs used to construct the track. The juxtoposition of a white 1960s psychrock band with one of America’s most popular black jazz pianists is just too beautiful to ignore.  Jefferson Airplane sets the mood but Ramsey brings the tone. As for the barking dogs at the beggining of Similak Child?  Well, that’s hiphop production at it’s finest…

Similak Child (Main hook)

Original recording artist: Ramsey Lewis
Sample taken from: ‘Les Fleur’
Appears on: Maiden Voyage LP
Released by: Cadet 1968

This track is powerful.  Ramsey’s incredible piano speaks for itself; the strings are ever present but coupled with the soulful-by-the-bowlful vocals you would think there’s very little room to build upon a sample taken from the introduction of the song.  What’s amazing is Jefferson Airplane fits perfectly (see above) – yet another happy co-incidence in the world of sample-based production.   The sequencing of these two tracks together is one of those things you would expect was an accident in the studio, a record played while digging through loops on vinyl while one or the other of the samples we’re discussing here was on loop.  However it happened it works beautifully and both of these songs are just as infectious on their own as when they’re together.

Try Counting Sheep

Original recording artist: Jimi Hendrix
Sample taken from: ‘Got To Have It’
Appears on: Second Time Around LP
Released by: Astan 1979 (German Pressing)

Nothing more needs to be said about Jimi here.  A true master and nobody doubts it.  This is an interesting track though.  Around the time we got our hands on A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing we also got hold of Beastie Boy’s Check Your Head. This was very many years pre-ChoiceCuts and we were  just freshly into our teen years if memory serves.  The first track off Check Your Head and Try Counting Sheep sampled ‘Got To Have It’.  It was hearing two hiphop groups coming out with songs very different to each other but yet built on something entirely the same that began the fascination with sampling and more importantly with what was being sampled.   The realisation that HipHop music was borne of something else and that a legacy and heritage of soul and funk was awaiting discovery just below the surface was the seed that kept us out of pocket and in records.  The story continues…

Flavour Of The Month

Original recording artist: Bubble Gum Machine
Sample taken from: ‘I Wonder’
Appears on: The Bubble Gum Machine LP
Released by: Senate 1967

Psycherock doesn’t come more upfront than this.  This seems to have been a studio project for producer/writer Wes Farrell (credited as such on the back of the record). Released by the Senate label this self-titled 1967 album featured a decent mix of originals along with a rake of popular covers (Beatles, Buffalo Springfield, The Bee Gees etc).  ‘I Wonder’ is definitly the stand-out track on this record and it’s very cleverly sampled for ‘Flavor Of The Month’ which was Black Sheep’s first single.  One of the best cuts off the album, the chorus really comes alive with a very tight sample of horns taken from Herb Alpert’s ‘In a Little Spanish Town’.  Snappy drums, what sounds like a deep low-pass filter on the bassline from ‘I Wonder’ and one of HipHop’s catchiest chorus lines makes Flavor of the Month the perfect debut 12” for Black Sheep.

Le Menage

Original recording artist: Mouth & MacNeal
Sample taken from: ‘A.B.C’
Appears on: Mouth & MacNeal LP
Released by: Decca 1971

Mouth & MacNeal were a pop-duo from the Netherlands.  They enjoyed huge success in the 70s with various hit pop tunes and in 1974 represented the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest (that right there was the first and last time that competition will be mentioned on this website).  This track was chopped up by Black Sheep to construct the main hook of their La Menage track.  Relying on MacNeal’s sultry vocals pitched up just a notch to emphasise Mistah Lawnge and Dres’ vocals (and perhaps to match guest emcee Q-Tip’s nasal rhyme stlye) along with the orginal sample’s drums brought out by using the intro drum break from Funk Inc.’s ‘God Only Knows’ meant the track had that slow, lazy sound that the lyrical content of the tune demanded.  Listen to the lyrics to get what we mean.  When Slick Rick said on La Di Da Di ‘and on and on and on she kept [on]‘ he didn’t mean it this way…

Black with N.V (No Vision)

Original recording artist: Freddie Hubbard
Sample taken from: ‘Povo’
Appears on: Sky Dive LP
Released by: CTI 1972

Creed Taylor produced some of the best jazz records of the late 60s and 70s under the CTI Records label.  Always emphasising quality of recording and cover art over massaging artist egos some of the cleanest breaks and basslines can be found on CTI records.  Hubbard had a very varied career leading up to his time on CTI but enjoyed his best successes there.  One of our favourite CTI records is Hubbard’s SkyDive and it’s this album that has the incredible Povo track featuring Ron Carter and Billy Cobham.  The bassline of this standout track is the main hook for Black With N.V (No Vision).  Certainly the most thoughtful track on Black Sheep’s debut album it’s also the the most minimalist, consisting mainly of the Povo bassline, the drum break from New Birth’s ‘I Wash My Hands of the Whole Damn Deal’ and not much else.  This minimalism lends itself well to the song though, as a subtle phase in the drums is the only thing that might distract you from what Dres is trying to say.

Pass The 40

Original recording artist: Jimmy McGriff
Sample taken from: ‘Blue Juice’
Appears on: The Worm
Released by: Solid State 1968

Posse cuts.  Nothing beats a good posse cut.  This one is particularly strong featuring Mista Lawnge, Chris Lighty, Dave Gossett (yes, he rocks it), Dres, Moc-Fu and of course Chi-Ali who was about 12 when this track was recorded.  All that’s in this tune is the bassline from Jimmy McGriff’s ‘Blue Juice’ and a subtle guitar lick from Ike Quebec (“Shu Shu”). Most likely this simplicity is deliberate to allow the MC’s their space.  This is a great track on the album, one that showcases the talent of the extended Black Sheep family.  It’s a shame Chi Ali’s path in life led him to violence; he was sent to prison for murder in 2001.  Chi Ali and Shyheim always seemed to be the strongest of the spate of child rappers that appeared during the 90s.

Compiled by Loughlin. Most of these records were found in bargain bins, tacked on record shop walls with $40.00 stickers on the sleeve or on eBay where the post and packaging cost more than the damn record.

Matthew Halsall is from Manchester and plays trumpet like nothing we’ve heard in a while.  He just hooked us up with a great mix which is available to download at 320Kbps below…

Big shout out to Fruitman for hooking us up with a great interview with Mancunian Maestro Matthew Halsall a few weeks back.  Matt was nice enough to follow up with a really nice jazzy mix for us too which we present here for your listening pleasure.  The 25 year old trumpeter, composer, arranger, DJ, producer and band leader is one to watch during 2010.  We haven’t been this excited about a Jazz record since Soil N Pimp dropped ‘Wheel within a Wheel‘ back in 2006.  The track below has been on heavy rotation in ChoiceCuts HQ for some time now, a beautiful track that’s definitly wrapped up in the late ’50s Miles sound but has Matthew’s own style very much in there too…

Click here to view the embedded video.

Halsall picked up the trumpet at just 6 years old after being taken to a jazz gig by his parents. From the age of 14 Matt has toured the world playing in France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Holland, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Australia and America.

His debut album ‘Sending My Love’ was released in October 2008 on the newly formed independent jazz label Gondwana Records. The album received rave reviews and heavy airplay from the likes of Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 1), Stuart Maconie (BBC 6 Music), Tom Robinson (BBC 6 Music) and Mike Chadwick (Jazz FM).

In September 2008 he was asked to perform a special live session at the legendery BBC Maida Vale Studios for Stuart Maconie’s Freakzone show on BBC 6 Music to coincide with the release.

Following on from this Matt began work on his first co-production project with saxophonist/composer and arranger Nat Birchall. The album titled ‘Akhenaten’ was released on Gondwana Records on Monday 22nd June 2009 and features four beautiful tracks composed by Nat Birchall.

In July 2009 Matt flew out to Genoa to spend a week working with world-class producer, songwriter, DJ, multi-instrumentalist, orchestral composer, and cultural pioneer Nitin Sawhney.

Matt is currently finishing off his second album for Gondwana Records which is due for release in October/November 2009.

Matthew Halsall – ChoiceCuts Guest Mix by ChoiceCuts

Tracklisting:
1. Build An Ark – This Prayer: For The Whole World – Kindred Spirits
2. Pharoah Sanders – You’ve Got To Have Freedom – Theresa Records
3. Jazztronik – Colors Of Days – Flower Records
4. Timo Lassy – The More I Look At You (Feat. Jose James) – Ricky-Tick Records
5. Timo Lassy – The Call – Ricky-Tick Records
6. Art Blakey – Cubano Chant – Columbia
7. Mulatu Astatke – Ebo Lala – Soundway
8. Art Blakey – Oscalypso – Columbia
9. Ron Blake – Tom Blake (Yoruba Soul Samba Mix) – Freestyle

To celebrate the realunch of our website www.choicecuts.com we are delighted to present to you an exclusive mix by legendary cut and paste wizard and remixer orginator Steinski.  We’re big fans of this guy and for those of you who don’t know Steinski is probably one of the most influential remix artists in Hip-Hop’s vibrant history.

With partner Double Dee (Douglas DiFranco; a prince) he co-produced the series of records known as The Lessons: The Payoff Mix, Lesson 2 (The James Brown Mix), Lesson 3 (The History Of Hiphop) for the Tommy Boy label. These analog tape cut-and-paste collages, still widely bootlegged (and wildly illegal), are generally acknowledged as three of the most influential works in the world of hiphop and dance music production. Cited as defintive influences by DJ Shadow, Cut Chemist, and Fatboy Slim, among others.

Add to this the fact that Steinski is one of New York’s most sought-after advertising copy writers and it’s easy to see there is a mind behind all this musical greatness!

We’ve got Steinski playing in Dublin and Galway this April (2010) so head over to the events section for more info!

Steinski ChoiceCuts.Com Relaunch Mix by ChoiceCuts

Over the past 20 years Billy Scurry has become synonymous with the club and DJ scene in Ireland. Cited by many as the pioneer who brought real dance music to Ireland in the early to mid 90s, Billy’s roots are as much in Soul, Funk and HipHop as they are in Techno, House and Disco.

This is our favorite mix from the series and leans a little more towards the funk at the beginning than the previous two mixes but it’s all killer from start to end.

Check out the other two mixes here (Part 1) and here (Part 2)

Billy Scurry – HipHop Funk Mix Vol. 3 by ChoiceCuts

Live show recording of the Dublin performance by one of our favourite MCs ever. We still argue amongst ourselves over who is better – Kane or Rakim. The jury is still out but to help you decide (just in case you are unsure too) here’s the highlights of Big Daddy Kane’s unbelievable show from back in 2007 recorded in the Village, Dublin.

Photos from the show are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/choicecuts/sets/72157600126507029/

LIVE – Big Daddy Kane @ ChoiceCuts, Dublin by ChoiceCuts

Rizm shares his favourite soul classics dug up during various record shopping trips over the last while.

Matthew Larkin Cassell is a perfect example of how the LA private press industry of the late 60s and 70s produced some of the most overlooked soul music of the period.  J.Dilla was hip to Africa years before anyone else thought of sampling them and Dorando reminded everybody what real soul music was all about on his EP ‘Let my People Go’ which was re-released on Ubiquity Records in 2006.

King Heroin must be one of James Brown’s most overlooked and insightful tracks which compliments the down the earth righteousness of Gil Scott Heron’s cover of the Marvin Gaye classic Innercity Blues perfectly. David T. Walker’s Lay Lady Lay inspired one of the strongest People Under The Stairs tunes from their 2004 album OST and Heatwave has to get a look-in on any mix of this nature.

Harold Melvin’s album Wake Up provided the piano that brought Kanye and Common together on the limited pressing (and now hard-to-find) 12″ ‘Food’; Sterelob rounds things off – perfect to follow up a Philly-soul master with a relatively new band and a track that saw Madlib and Jay Dee as Jaylib at their finest on ‘The Message’ way back in 2002.

Tracklisting
Matthew Larkin Cassell- All I’m Missing Is You
Africa – Here I Stand
Dorondo – Didn’t I
Gil Scott Heron – Innercity Blues
James Brown – King Heroin
David T. Walker – Lay Lady Lay
Heatwave – Star of the Story
Harold Melvin – Wake Up
Stereolab – Come and play in the milky night

Rizm – Soul Sleepers by ChoiceCuts

This show is a recording from May 2009 with our good friends Karl Hector & The Malcouns who have performed for us about 6 times now.

One of the tightest collectives of musicians we have had the pleasure of welcoming to ChoiceCuts, this show will take you all over the world with some incredible rhythms, melodies and arrangements all tied together with afro-tinged funk music originating from the Southern Sahara and played by some of the tightest German funk musicians you can hear these days.

Karl Hector has, to date, only appeared on one 7-inch, from 1996, as the leader of the Funk Pilots.   Players on this recording include Jay Whitefield (producer and guitarist for the Poets of Rhythm and the Whitefield Brothers, and founder of the now defunct Hotpie & Candy Records) and Thomas Myland and Zdenko Curlija, founders of The Malcouns so this is a top-notch ChoiceCuts exclusive and we’re delighted to be able to bring you this recording from our Dublin live show.

This is 1 hour 28 mins of pure afrobeat goodness.

Karl Hector & The Malcouns are signed to NowAgain, a subsidiary of Stones Throw.

Karl Hector & The Malcouns live at ChoiceCuts by ChoiceCuts