The Break That Launched A Thousand Hits
This weekend, the NYT profiled a record it called "one of the most sampled LPs in history, if not the most sampled," featuring a cut that D.J. pioneer Kool Herc called "the national anthem of hip-hop" (and who are we to argue?). The track in question is called "Apache," and though you may not know it by name, you've heard it all your life. Trust us.
Incredible Bongo Band - "Apache" (MP3)
Who knew this was the Incredible Bongo Band? It's like that actor you always see and love but can never call out (like the guy that John C. Reilly used to be). "Apache" is on Bongo Rock, one of two Bongo Band LPs getting re-released this year. And the list of samplers is endless. Originally penned in 1960 by British composer Jerry Lordan, IBB's '72 cover has been used by everyone from Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash to Missy Elliot and Fatboy Slim.
Also, the song stars our favorite, deranged studio-drummer/drug casualty, Jim Gordon. Yes, he murdered his mom, but not before writing the timeless piano coda to "Layla" as part of Derek & The Dominoes, and not before laying down the drum beats that hip-hop has immortalized. He said his mom's was one of the "voices inside his head," and ended her with a knife in '83. Think about that while you watch.
Posted at 2:02 PM in MP3
"Originally penned in 1960 by a British guitarist".
Well, it was first performed by the Shadows, led by guitarist Hank Marvin (Bonus trivia: his name is Geordie rhyming slang for starvin'), but the writer woz Jerry Lordan, a composer and singer (I'm nicking all this from wikipedia). Any case, don't ever disrespect the Shadows.
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dude! how can you make a post mentioning apache and not include the famous video for the original???
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKL8MNH95Q
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"Who knew this was the Incredible Bongo Band?"
Anyone who owns a copy of Fatboy Slim's "On the Floor at the Boutique" where the track listing for track 1 is "1. Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band - Apache"?
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actually, a blog post from april 2005 mentions a paper by Michaelangelo Matos that covers basically the same ground as the nyt article: http://soul-sides.com/2005/04/all-roads-lead-to-apache.html
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Anyone who dares to admit he has a Fatboy Slim album?
But I loved the clip. Whatever happened to Carlton? He was waaay funnier than fresh prince.
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Thats not a bad break, but I would argue that the "Amen" break by the Winstons is more influential:
http://nkhstudio.com/pages/amen_mp4.html
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Wow - everyone sounds bitter and talked-down-to from this post.
I'm just glad that you put the Fresh Prince video in there - one of my favorite YouTube clips.
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The Amen break has been way more sampled and influential.
How would be Jungle and Drum'n Bass without it??
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I feel like the Amen break was more influential on jungle/D&B than hip-hop. But for most influential hip-hop break, what about "Funky Drummer"?
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I have to agree with Paul. "Funky Drummer" has been used in at least 200 official hip-hop releases, and that's not mentioning all of the underground producers who've sampled it. "Amen" was highly instrumental in creating the soundscape for D n'B music, but there are plenty of other records that have been more commonly jacked to craft hip-hop beats.
Not to shamelessly pimp myself, but I post a lot of soul and funk mp3s on my blog that have been sampled in hip-hop songs. Give me a moment of your time if you like that sort of thing.
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This song (and this post) was a nice surprise - I expected a Death Cab-related post because of it's title! Nice work Scott.
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a wedding reception is not over until i have pelvic-thrusted to apache
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