Behind the Sample: 'NARD

One of my favorite aspects of Hip Hop music is discovering the musical legacy behind the singles.  I love it when I stumble across an old tune and instantly recognize it from its use in a more-famous rap song. I've found a lot of great music this way over the years.

Many of the Hip Hop genre's biggest hits have sampled from Jazz, Funk, R&B and Rock songs, and from the earliest days of the rap scene, artists would dig through crates of old records for inspiration.  Sometimes just a few seconds from a dusty old album would speak to an artist enough to sample, loop and rhyme over.  

For many young artists without the means for expensive musical equipment, two turntables and a microphone (cue Beck) were enough to create unique, original music.

Just last week, I was having a conversation about samples with a coworker and asked him if he'd ever listened to Bernard Wright's album, 'NARD, because a couple of the album's tracks have been prominently featured in some of Hip Hop's greatest hits.

He was unfamiliar, and realizing I didn't actually own it myself, I promptly ordered myself a copy of the LP on Discogs.  I've been happily spinning it since and that brings me to today's post...

'Nard is the near definition of a forgotten gem.

Bernard Wright was born in Jamaica, Queens in 1963--the son of the legendary Roberta "Killing Me Softly" Flack.  A prodigal young jazz/funk keyboardist, Wright began touring with jazz drummer Lenny White when he was only 13-years-old.

Wright's debut album, 'Nard, was recorded when he was just 16 and released in 1981.  While the album didn't gain as much momentum as it deserved, it did make it to #7 on the Billboard Jazz charts, and the single, "Just Chillin' Out", made the charts for both US R&B and Dance that year.

But here we are, 40 years later, and the album still holds up.  

From the wacky, funked-out roller coaster trip of "Haboglabotribin'" to the beautiful piano rendition of Miles Davis' "Solar" concluding the album, 'Nard is a musical joy ride.

Wright's commercial career peaked a few short years later with the single "Who Do You Love?" (which was later the base for LL Cool J's hit single, "Loungin").

But back to 'Nard...

If you've ever heard the song "Gz & Hustlas" from Snoop Doggy Dogg's 1993 breakout masterpiece, Doggystyle, you'll instantly recognize Bernard Wright's connection when you hear "Haboglabotribin'".

A few years after Snoop, 2Pac sampled the same song on "Lie to Kick It" from his album, R U Still Down?

The song's music box intro transitioning to full on, bass-slappin' funk was a major player in the memorable Snoop anthem.  Wright's amusement park raps and tweaked vocals throughout the song feel like a lost track from George Clinton.  It's goofy and weird, but funky as all get out.

Speaking of slap bass, the album's next track, "Spinnin'" is even more impressive -- highlighting Wright's keyboard skills and a tight horn section bringing to mind Earth, Wind & Fire or Kool & the Gang.

Around the 1:25 mark, the song suddenly switches gears to a laid back vibe.  That :15 seconds of chill was later sampled on the self-deprecating megahit 1995 song, "I Wish" by Skee-Lo.  

Check out Bernard Wright's "Spinnin'" in the YouTube clip below, and then watch Skee-Lo's classic music video to hear the sample.

Songs from the album have also been sampled by The Afros, Yo-Yo feat. Ice Cube, and Anotha Level, and dozens of other artists.

The whole 'Nard album is worth checking out if you haven't heard it, and used copies of the out-of-print LP aren't difficult or expensive to find online.  Enjoy!

(The sampled clip on "Spinnin'" first appears at 1:25)

Behind the Sample: Dua Lipa's "Love Again"

If 2020 was a person, it would've been named "Year Least Likely for a Dance Club Banger" in your high school yearbook.

This year, COVID-19 actively halted large gatherings, concerts, and--understandably--sweaty nightclub dalliances. 

However, that didn't stop Dua Lipa from putting out one of the year's most (dare I use the term) infectious pop albums with Future Nostalgia.

Even the album's title nails the mood of 2020--remember back when we could just pack a bunch of random people into to a tiny room and dance it out, breathing in one another's oxygen without a care in the world?  Who knew how much we'd take that for granted.

Lipa's major singles, like "Physical," have been blowing up the charts, even if her chants of "C'mon, let's get physical" seem weirdly out of place when you're manically bouncing around your bedroom by yourself.  But, it's that innate human desire for personal connection that's still striving to break out from the confines of your socially-distanced lifestyle.  So, in many ways, it's just the kind of album we needed.

Admittedly, I'm a fan.  Sure, I'd say I most typically gravitate towards the Rock genre, but I've always had a soft spot for a catchy Pop song. That's why if you saw my Year Wrapped list on Spotify, you'd see Dua Lipa holding her own right up there with the new Deftones album.

Upon my first full listen to Future Nostalgia a while back, I instantly picked up on a familiar sample from my youth in her song, "Love Again".

I paused the song and thought to myself, "Wait. Is that White Town?"

That's right, White Town.  Talk about some nostalgia...  Dua Lipa had me going all Marty McFly back to the year 1997 when my little sister owned the album Women in Technology based solely on the success of the one-hit-wonder, "Your Woman".  It's safe to say I've heard that song a few times, so  I'd recognize that little trumpety sample anywhere. But, what I didn't recognize was the rich history of its use, until I went down the proverbial rabbit hole.

According to WhoSampled.com, the Dua Lipa song does in fact owe a nod back to White Town, but that signature loop actually dates all the way back to a 1932 big band rendition of Bing Crosby's "My Woman," as performed by Lew Stone & the Monseigneur Band feat. Al Bowlly.  

Right off the bat, you can notice the familiar sample, which was originally performed by trumpeter Nat Gonella on the 1932 recording.  Do you think Gonella would've imagined a bunch of millennials going nuts over his trumpeting in 2020?

After being picked up and repopularized by White Town nearly 65 years later, that memorable trumpet sample has continued to find an audience.

Just 3 years ago, it found its way into another dance anthem, "Fight Back with Love Tonight" by German electronica duo, Kush Kush.  

Perhaps the Kush Kush sample more directly influenced Dua Lipa than White Town? After all, Lipa was only 2 years-old when White Town hit the charts (which subsequently makes me feel really old).  Or, who knows, maybe Lipa is a closet Big Band aficionado...? 

No matter the case, I always enjoy hearing a familiar sample and tracing it back to its roots.  After all, passing along a song's rich history to a new generation is one of the true beauties of music.  In fact, when taking something old and making it new, one could even argue the result brings about a certain... Future Nostalgia.

Behind the Sample: The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy"

"Super Nintendo. Sega Genesis.  When I was dead broke, man I couldn't picture this."

It was all a dream for Christopher Wallace, a.k.a. The Notorious B.I.G.

The hip/hop artist took the rap world by storm in 1994 with the release of his monumental single, "Juicy" - a personalized rags-to-riches tale that went on to sell more than a half million copies and secured his status as one of the biggest rap stars in history.  It's been called one of the greatest hip hop songs of all time by critics from Rolling Stone to The Source.

Biggie was, as his name implied, a large man. And he was a man with big dreams, who details his struggle and aspirations in "Juicy".  The song discusses his childhood ambition to become a famous rapper, and to escape from his impoverished Brooklyn upbringing.  In "Juicy", Biggie name-drops many of the artists who inspired him as a youth, including Heavy D - one of the first overweight rappers to find mainstream success.

In his early teens, Biggie started dealing drugs and found himself in and out of a jail cell, but his sights were always set on music stardom.

The opening of the song openly declares it's dedication, "...to all the teachers who said I'd never amount to nothin'".  Sure, many of the lyrics read like a laundry list of his lavish possessions, but for every boast he makes, he juxtaposes it with a hardship it took to get there.

The deepest message of the song lies within the chorus -- "You know very well who you are, don't let 'em hold you down, reach for the stars..."

It's one of the most uplifting choruses in hip/hop, speaking to all of those other kids who grow up with nothing more than a dream.

The Notorious B.I.G.'s life was cut tragically short when he was killed in a 1997 drive-by shooting, but his music - and his dream - proudly lives on.

__________________________


But let it be known that the musical sample for "Juicy" dates back more than a decade earlier...

In 1983, the funk/soul group Mtume - named after founder James Mtume - released a track called "Juicy Fruit".

Mtume, an accomplished percussionist who'd previously toured with Miles Davis, formed his namesake group in the late '70s.  The band reached their height of popularity with "Juicy Fruit" - a midtempo track that proved immensely successful on R&B stations and dance clubs.  While the single never quite reached the Top 40, it still sold more than a million copies.

The popularity of "Juicy Fruit" established it as a staple in the hip/hop sampling community and has lived on successfully in various incarnations in the 30+ years since its release.  For a full list of artists who've sampled it, visit the song's Wikipedia entry.

"Cuz if ya don't know, now ya know..."

You can watch the videos to The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Juicy" and Mtume's "Juicy Fruit" below:

Behind the Sample: Nancy Sinatra and Robbie Williams

In the final moments of last night's Mad Men season finale, Don Draper sits down in the lounge and orders an old fashioned.  Just moments afterward, a couple of young and attractive females proposition the show's protagonist, asking if he's alone.  Before we can discover the Ad Man's answer, the scene blacks out, and Nancy Sinatra's 'You Only Live Twice' saunters in the background, carrying the show out on a hopeful--albeit muted--note.  Will Don continue living the virtues of his new life with second spouse Megan?  Or will he revert to the not so virtuous ways of his past?

As I was taking in this final scene, I had that all too familiar nagging feeling.  I knew I'd heard this song before, even though I never really had.  Thankfully, it only took me a few moments of self reflection to realize that 'You Only Live Twice' featured the same sampling as the late-nineties smash 'Millennium' by Robbie Williams.  In 1999, I probably heard Robbie Williams' take on the sampling only a few hundred times.  Conversely, I had never encountered Nancy's version, even though it was the theme song to one of the Sean Connery Bond films.  Nevertheless, I felt a little sheepish having not realized until this moment that the most iconic part of 'Millennium' was borrowed from another song 22 years its senior.  

Below, I've posted videos to both songs.  Listen to the two of them in succession to discover the music behind the sample:

    

Forgotten Gem: Souls of Mischief - '93 'Til Infinity'

"This is how we chill from '93 'til..."

Truer words couldn't have described this laid back West Coast hip-hop track by Souls of Mischief. Eighteen years later, that chillness lives on.

Acclaimed as one of the seminal classics of the West Coast underground rap movement, the album 93 'Til Infinity is considered somewhat of a forgotten masterpiece. Music critic Steve Huey even referred to it as "...one of the most slept-on records of the '90s"

The album's title track gained S.O.M. some attention upon its release, sampling Billy Cobham's "Heather" and incorporating smoothed out jazz and funk aethetics and breaks. Souls of Mischief's lyrical complexity, charisma and tight group dynamic are evident on this underappreciated release.

Watch the video to Souls of Mischief's "93 'Til Infinity" below:

Behind the Sample: Club Nouveau's 'Why You Treat Me So Bad?'

Remember the 1987 R&B dance single "Why You Treat Me So Bad?" by Club Nouveau?

The single charted #39 on the Billboard Hot 100 on the merit of the melodic hook and signature keyboard and rhythmic arrangement.

If the name still doesn't ring a bell, perhaps it would be best to put the song into context with the numerous artists who have sampled it on their own hit singles.

First, you should listen to Club Nouveau's "Why You Treat Me So Bad?" right here.

Maybe you'd be more familiar with "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz. The rap duo scored their biggest hit single in 1995, selling over a million copies of the song. Notably, the song sampled heavily from the Club Nouveau synthline, as well as from Kool & the Gang's "Jungle Boogie". The result is a now-classic staple of '90s hip hop.

Watch the video for Luniz' "I Got 5 on It" below:


1999 was a simpler time - a time when Sean Combs still called himself "Puff Daddy" and R. Kelly wasn't relieving himself on underage girls. The two megastars combined forces for the #1 hit single, "Satisfy You". Back then, it was hard to go anywhere without hearing this smooth track on the radio. Oh, by the way, it implements the same beat and synth track as some song called "I Got 5 on It" by Luniz, which apparently sampled some song by Club Nouveau...

Watch the video to "Satisfy You" by Puff Daddy & R. Kelly:


In 2001, Jennifer Lopez released her second album, J.Lo. She followed it up the next year with a remix album, titled, J to tha L-O!: The Remixes. That album had a reworked version of her song, "I'm Gonna Be Alright" by the Track Masters and Nas which went on to outshine the previous version, hitting the #10 spot on the Billboard charts. That remix also contained a reworked instrumental sample of "I Got 5 on It".

You can see what I mean by watching the video to "I'm Gonna Be Alright (Track Masters Remix)":


During the first few years of the aughts, it seemed like Ashanti was singing on just about every rap song on the radio. Her third solo album, Concrete Rose, was released in 2004 and the Gold-selling single "Only U" gained considerable airtime. The song briefly, but prominently uses the same samples as the aforementioned artists. You can click here to watch the video.

By now, you can tell that quite a few pop artists have had big success sampling and reworking the simple catchiness of Club Nouveau's "Why You Treat Me So Bad?".

But we're not quite done.

Club Nouveau's Jay King was previously involved in another group, Timex Social Club - best known for their hit, "Rumors".

Timex Social Club penned another single, "Thinkin' About Ya" in 1986 and then shortly after disbanded.

King went on to form a "new" group, called Club Nouveau and used his own "Thinkin' About Ya" as the basis for a new single... called, "Why You Treat Me So Bad?".

No, seriously.

Listen to Timex Social Club's "Thinkin' About Ya" right here, then go back and compare the two.

Did I mention that Luniz' "I Got 5 on It" features guest vocals from Michael Marshall, the former lead singer of Timex Social Club?

And that's the story... behind the sample.

Behind The Sample: Michael Jackson - 'Behind The Mask'

Like many children of the '80s, I grew up idolizing Michael Jackson. In fact, some of the earliest surviving VHS footage from my youth showcases my attempts at the moonwalk.

Despite many of his later accusations and odd behaviors, Jackson's early influence on my own musical upbringing always remained, so I was taken aback when I heard of his passing. To his fans, it was the end of an era.

Naturally, I was a bit hesitant to embrace Jackson's latest "album", Michael -- a collection of unfinished songs recorded by Jackson and delivered posthumously by several producers on behalf of his estate.

While it's hard to say from an outside perspective whether the album stays true to Jackson's meticulous and perfectionist vision, it is obvious that the producers worked hard to make this collection sound like a complete album. And while it may not always meet the insurmountable expectations of mourning fans, it does have some outstanding moments.

I would even go so far as to suggest that a few of the tracks on Michael are among Jackson's best in years.

One particular track which has quickly become an album favorite of mine is called "Behind the Mask." The song is refreshingly full of the energy and danceability that originally earned Jackson his throne as the King of Pop.

According to one Metafilter blog, "Behind the Mask" has been long-awaited by his fans - a song that's been sitting on the shelf since Jackson's time working with producer Quincy Jones and possibly recorded as far back as his Off The Wall or Thriller days.

You can listen to Michael Jackson's "Behind the Mask" below: *



What I didn't realize when I first heard "Behind the Mask" was that it is essentially a reinvention of another song by the same title by Yellow Magic Orchestra.

The original version was recorded in 1979 by the influential Japanese group, who are often credited as pioneers of modern electronic music.

Stream Yellow Magic Orchestra's original version below:

	Yellow Magic Orchestra - Behind the Mask .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

You may immediately notice that Jackson's version of the song retained the otherworldly keyboards and robotic vocals of the original, while ramping up the dance rhythms. But it's once MJ takes control with his signature vocals that the song cruises into hyperdrive.

After hearing Jackson's contribution, one might wonder how the original melody was ever conceived without him in mind.

But there's more to this story...

Jackson's recording never made it to album form until now. What is interesting is that the song was re-recorded by Jackson's keyboardist, Greg Phillinganes.

Phillinganes joined Eric Clapton's band and the song "Behind the Mask" was then released on Clapton's 1986 album, August.

Don't believe me? Stream Eric Clapton's version of the song below to hear for yourself:

	Eric Clapton - Behind The Mask .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

* (The Michael album credits "Behind the Mask" songwriting to Jackson, Chris Mosdell and Ryuichi Sakamoto (of YMO), with production by Jackson and John McClain.)

Behind The Sample: Lafayette Afro Rock Band - 'Darkest Light'

You've heard it before. That smoother-than-smooth horn loop is recognizable from the very onset of the first note. So indelible, you could probably hum it in your sleep. "Rump Shaker!" you call out with abandon to all decency.

Yes, I am talking about the "Rump Shaker" - that lovably tacky 1992 rap hit from Wreckx-N-Effect. It was a single that climbed to the top of the charts and caused its fair share of complaints. Afterall, the video was basically everything The Grind at the MTV Beach House wanted to be - beach babes in bikinis dancing to funky beats. It was a celebration of the simple things in life.

Wreckx-N-Effect - "Rump Shaker" (1992)


But the sexy saxophone that got all those ladies shaking dates back a heck of a lot longer than 1992!

Let's take the wayback machine to 1975 - a time when a group from New York, called Lafayette Afro Rock Band, was struggling to overcome obscurity by pursuing a career in France.

Taking cues from African rhythms and beats, Lafayette Afro Rock Band only received the widespread critical success they deserved years after disbanding. Today, the group is heralded as one of the most influential funk bands of the '70s and their music has become amongst the most heavily sampled in hip-hop. Their song, "Darkest Light", written by band member Michael McEwan, could even be regarded as one of the best break-beat samples of all time. "Why?" you may ask. Well, let me show you.

Lafayette Afro Rock Band - "Darkest Light" (1975)


But the story doesn't end there. It merely begins.

Before ever being picked up as a raunchy summer anthem, "Darkest Light" first had to undergo its most important revival.

When Public Enemy's epic album, It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, dropped in 1988, it forever changed the hip-hop game. The album's ingenious, biting lyrics were woven over heavy samples, including jazz and funk.

On the interlude track, "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" (via YouTube), Public Enemy take "Darkest Light" for a fresh spin. The horns loop, the bass thumps and Chuck D and Flavor Flav call out, "Public Enemy Number One" and "Show 'Em Whatcha Got!" respectively throughout.

Public Enemy's sampling of the Lafayette Afro Rock Band song created a resurgence for the classic funk band's music.

Below is a list of some other songs that have sampled "Darkest Light." For audio/video links, simply click the song titles:

• Masters at Work -- "Justa Lil' Dope" (1991)
• Kid Capri -- "The Apollo" (1991)
• N2Deep -- "Back to the Hotel" (1992)
• Heavy D & The Boys -- "You Can't See What I Can See" (1992)
• Ice Cube -- "Friday" (from the 1995 movie soundtrack)

The song received one of its most popular and high-profile samples to date on Jay-Z's massive 2006 single, "Show Me What You Got."

Besides sampling the original horn loop from Lafayette Afro Rock Band, Jay-Z invokes Flavor Flav's notorious call from Public Enemy's "Show 'Em Whatcha Got."

Now, that's what I call a sample.

Jay-Z - "Show Me What You Got" (2006)

Behind the Sample: Stan Getz, The Pharcyde & Mya

In a previous installment of his Behind the Sample series, Tae intricately examined the similarities between The Pharcyde's 'Passin' Me By' and The Lovin' Spoonful hit, 'Summer in the City.'  This time, we focus our attention once again upon The Pharcyde, albeit only briefly.

In 1995, The Pharcyde released their cool-as-ice track, 'Runnin'.'  The single's video was notable for its parody of white privilege, as well as for its highlighting of the residual effects of slavery.  The track's musical substance was led primarily by a short loop of Stan Getz's 'Saudade Vem Correndo.'

In 2003, Mya lifted the backing track from 'Runnin'' (and by extension, from 'Saudade Vem Correndo') and fused it with her unique brand of stylish R&B vocalization.  The result was a moving record that touched upon yearning and desire.

I've featured videos of each of the three songs featuring the sample below.  Check them out and witness for yourself the evolution of the sample.







Stan Getz - 'Saudade Vem Correndo'







The Pharcyde - 'Runnin''







Mya - 'Fallen'

Sizzling songs

Dear John Lyrics Taylor Swift	Get Em Girls Lyrics Jessica Mauboy
They Burned Me Lyrics 50 Cent	Give It To 'em Lyrics Akon
Bulletproof Heart Lyrics My Chemical Romance	Kiss Goodbye Lyrics Avant
Ym Salute Lyrics Lil' Wayne	Perfect Day Lyrics Susan Boyle
Somebody Lyrics Joe McElderry	Baddest Chick Lyrics Alesha Dixon

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Behind The Sample: Copyright Criminals

“I've found you've got to look back at the old things and see them in a new light.”
-- John Coltrane

Last night, I got a chance to watch Copyright Criminals, an intriguing documentary about the history of music sampling.

The film takes a strong look at both sides of the argument over artistic license. Can you really copyright a sound? How many notes of a song can you use before you're "stealing" someone else's life's work?

Some would argue that there are few wholly-original ideas, and that everyone has borrowed from others to get where they are creatively. This is not a new argument. When white men began to play blues-inspired music, they called it Rock 'n Roll and many were left feeling used.

When poor, inner city youths couldn't afford guitars, they improvised on what they had: turntables. Remixing and rapping over layers of old funk records and breakbeats led to a major revolution in music. However, it wasn't until that music gained popularity and made money that anyone took much notice.

Today's legal system of acquiring samples is so expensive that it has created a new disparity. Anyone relying heavily on samples has to be rich enough to pay for them or continue to release the music illegally.

This documentary aired on PBS' Independent Lens some months back. If you're a lover of music history or law, it's really worth your time. You can sample the trailer below:

"Make it New!" -- Ezra Pound

Looking forward to...

This Is Hot Lyrics Knyt	Still A Weirdo Lyrics KT Tunstall
The Truth Lyrics Kris Allen	Strip Me Lyrics Natasha Bedingfield
Gimmie Dat Lyrics Ciara	It Won't Be Long Lyrics J. Cole
Night Nurse Lyrics Cascada	All Of The Lights Lyrics Kanye West
One Life Lyrics Ne-Yo	Sunrise Lyrics Shakira

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Behind The Sample: Imogen Heap - "Hide & Seek"

Imogen Heap is a British singer/songwriter whose solo work gained increased mainstream success after her duo, Frou Frou, was included in the breakthrough Garden State soundtrack. The film's soundtrack created a large buzz for the single, "Let Go."

A year later, Heap released her lush 2005 solo album, Speak for Yourself.

Amongst the songs featured on the LP was "Hide and Seek" - an a cappela single that utilized a harmonizer to create a synthetic quality to Heap's vocals. Stream the video below:





"Hide and Seek" was showcased prominently in the tense ending moments of The O.C.'s season 2 finale. Watch the clip HERE (via YouTube). In the scene, a scuffle leads to a murder when a shot is fired in slow motion and abruptly met with the song's signature refrain, "Mmm, what you saaaay."

Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg then parodied the overly dramatic scene in the 2007 Digital Short, The Shooting, where the song is overused to the point of hilarity. Watch the skit HERE (via IDKWTF.com).

Under the casual title, "Dear Sister", the short quickly became an internet phenomenon, with legions of fans reenacting their own parodies using the song sample.

If you've turned on Top 40 radio anytime in the last 6 months, chances are you've heard Jason DeRulo's megahit R&B single, "Whatcha Say." DeRulo's 2009 sensation heavily samples the now-famous refrain for it's chorus. Stream the video below:




Even more recently, New Orleans hip hop duo, The Knux released the song, "Watchu Say," which also spins predominantly off of Heap's lyrics. Have a listen to it below:

The Knux - "Watchu Say"


Imogen Heap's "Hide and Seek" is yet another great example of a song that has continued to grow in popularity over a period of several years due to widespread pop culture and internet references.

Behind The Sample: 'Summer in the City'

"Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty"

Chances are, you've heard those lyrics before. They belong to none other than The Lovin' Spoonful's 1966 hit, "Summer in the City."

The single jumped to #1 on the Billboard charts, and has since gone down in the classic rock history books for its signature keyboard and organ structure.

You probably already know that the single was a big hit and that it's still played regularly on classic rock radio. You may even recall cover versions of the song by BB King and Joe Cocker. What you might not have known is the influence it has had as a sample in popular music.

In 1973, legendary producer/songwriter Quincy Jones did a smooth-jazz interpretation of "Summer in the City," which emphasized the keyboard/organ interplay of the original.



Jones' seminal take on "Summer in the City" was able to cross over into future generations when hip-hop wordsmiths, The Pharcyde, broke onto the rap scene in 1992 with their iconic single, "Passin' Me By."

The song, recounting boyhood crushes and heartbreak, was built on a recognizable sample of "Summer in the City," as well as The Weather Report's "125th Street Congress," and Hendrix's "Are You Experienced?"



Three years later, Jones' cover was the basis for the Nightmares on Wax trip-hop/electronica song, "Nights Introlude," from its 1995 album, Smokers Delight.

In 1998, Massive Attack furthered the sample's use in trip-hop with limited use in the song, "Exchange."

But as if that wasn't already enough evidence of the sample's popularity...

Joe, a popular R&B singer, had a #1 single in 2001 with the remix of his track, "Stutter." The song finds the singer calling out his girlfriend for lying over an affair. Beyond the familiar keyboard loop itself, one recognizably stuttered lyric is, "My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me, but I know you very well, now let me tell you that I c-c-c-c-caught you."

Joe - "Stutter (remix, feat. Mystikal)"

Sound familiar? If not, listen again to that last verse of The Pharcyde's, "Passin' Me By."

At one point, The Pharcyde's lyrics speak of a love letter that reads, "My dear, my dear, my dear, you do not know me but I know you very well, now let me tell you about the feelings I have for you..."

Hmm. So, I suppose this would mean that Joe's best hook is based off of The Pharcyde's hook, which is based off of Quincy Jones' hook from his song which covers a classic rock single by The Lovin' Spoonful, who were influenced by the British Invasion movement in the 1960s. Interesting.

It is a test to just how far a good musical idea can reach. A well-written song can recur and be interpreted through generations of new musicians.

Soon 2 Be Hits

A Fine Mess Lyrics Kate Voegele	Don't Forget Lyrics T.I.
Glamour Girl Lyrics Electrik Red	Good One Lyrics Mario
Trust Lyrics Keyshia Cole	Seasons Of Love Lyrics RENT
Songz Medley Lyrics Trey Songz	It's All Road Lyrics T.I.
Note to God Lyrics JoJo	No Boundaries Lyrics Kris Allen

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Behind The Sample: The Wallace Collection - 'Daydream'

"Daydream, I fell asleep amid the flowers, for a couple of hours, on a beautiful day"

Some songs become so widely used as samples in other hit songs that we often lose track of their origins. One of the shining examples of this is the song "Daydream" - popularized in television commercials featuring acts like I Monster and rapper Lupe Fiasco.

The original version of "Daydream," however, was recorded in 1968 by a largely forgotten Belgian band, known as The Wallace Collection.

Taking a melody from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, the song has since been covered and sampled by a multitude of other musicians. In fact, several of the more popular incarnations of the song are not even samples of the original at all, but of an easy-listening cover of the song.

Below, you will find a stream of original recording, followed by some of the more recognizable uses of the sample:


The Wallace Collection - "Daydream"

Beta Band - "Squares"


I Monster - "Daydream in Blue"



Lupe Fiasco - "Daydreamin'(feat. Jill Scott)"

So, which modern use of the sample is your favorite?

Recent music update

Can You Get Away Lyrics Ne-Yo	Lesson In Love Lyrics Lloyd
Sugar Lyrics Flo Rida	Rock 2 It Lyrics Corbin Bleu
Right Round Lyrics Flo Rida	Beat It Lyrics Michael Jackson
White Horse Lyrics Taylor Swift	Supa Dupa Lyrics Big Sean
I'm On A Boat Lyrics The Lonely Island	Cause A Scene Lyrics Teairra Mari

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