Happy Music Monday! You know all those songs you love? The ones built around some amazing loop? Well, today we're taking a good, hard, long look at their family tree. Today Scott's picking five songs that you might know better from what they became rather than what they actually were. Get the idea? If not, here's your first hint:
Maybe, for a very brief moment, the opening notes of this song weren't associated with Grandmaster Flash. Today, however, that moment is passed. Just like Trent Reznor's Hurt is now a Johnny Cash song, so has Cavern become a hip hop song. Such is life.
Got the idea now? Great! Because we're really going to need your help in the comments. After the jump, four more songs and last week's Spotify playlist and then it'll be YOUR chance to talk about your favorite sample and what it became. See you after the jump…
As always, remember our new Spotify playlist will be featuring a great selection from last week's Music Monday comments. The theme of the mix this time is Movie Themes That Rawk and we're pretty sure it does, in fact, rawk. But before you get all cinematic, check out our current Music Monday … NOW!
Before Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg stepped up with the g-funk style, the torch was carried by P-Funk's George Clinton. In fact, without George Clinton, '90s hip hop would just be some guys talking about fights and drugs. Take your bow, Dr. Funkenstein. Even if you're sometimes forgotten.
Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express
Another artist somewhat influenced by George Clinton was Afrika Bambaataa, who also picked up some help from this Kraftwerk hit along the way (enough that Bambaaataa's label apparently made an out-of-court settlement to avoid a nasty trial!) But without Planet Rock, synth rock might have been something for music majors and college kids, and just as pretty much everyone who's ever picked up a keyboard now owes a debt to this song right here, so to does Kraftwerk owe a debt to Afrika Bambaataa.
Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
For people who grew up in the 80's, the Sugarhill Gang made the best party music. Even by today's standard, those beats are still pretty good. But credit doesn't go to the party people rapping and hooting. Those beats belong to some bongo lovers from the 1970s. And since one of them was an executive at MGM records, you can be pretty sure he got his cut from this hip hop hit.
Jimmy Castor Bunch - Troglodyte
"What we're gonna do right here is go back … way back …" As I mentioned before in my previous tribute to the late, great Jimmy Castor all sorts of people have lifted from his amazing sound. This particular sample was used well by very NSFW N.W.A. but it's come up in other places as well. And with good reason. The man had talent to spare.
Okay, there's Scott's five. Now how about some samples from YOU? Tell us the song we know best, and the song that it sampled. Then run over to our Turntable.fm room for the regular Music Monday enjoyment. Also, let us just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia page and are here under fair use.