and much, much more that won’t fit into a nice little list with links (If you click around, you’ll find it all).
It’s been a fun month, let’s do it all again next month shall we?
Enjoy your day!
V
P.S. – All NEW SNL tonight with Steve Martin (RECORD 15th hosting appearance) and musical guest Jason Mraz. Should be a night worth of “Two Wild and Crazy Guys!!!”
As an avid music listener, Cover songs rarely draw my attention or even garner any respect from me. I don’t know, but I guess I’m just a purist. It would be like someone trying to rewrite The Bible for Cliff’s Notes….the original is always better.
I now eat my words.
It’s always a strange feeling when you know someone is going to do a cover of a song….not just any song, YOUR song. So with mixed feelings and tons of hesitation, I watched and listened as my friend Benton Blount covered a song that I had the privaledge of co-writing called “Carolina.”
What is that? Do I write music? That’s a different story, for a different time, that I may or may not blog about…but back to the point.
I must say, you did and outstanding job Benton.
Here’s our version of “Carolina” Available on iTunes:
Okay so this song has been stuck in my head for ages. It’s ingrained in my soul.
Maybe it’s because every time an Atlanta Braves player hits a home run at a home game, they play it. Maybe it’s because I can’t get the Will and Carlton (as “Will the Thrill and Boogaloo Shrimp”) Dance out of my head from “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”
Maybe it’s because I’m just an idiot. Who Knows.
Either way, I never realized how much of a history the song has. It’s been re-recorded, covered and sampled more times than I can count or list here. Just follow along as I take you on the musical journey of “Apache.”
V
“Apache” is an instrumental written by Jerry Lordan. It has been recorded by many artists, but the first released version was recorded by British group The Shadows in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart for five weeks. In March 2005, Q magazine placed “Apache” at number 96 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
The Shadows Version (1960)
The recording was at the EMI Abbey Road Studio in London. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown had bought an Italian-built guitar echo chamber. He didn’t like it and gave it to Hank Marvin. Marvin developed a new sound using the chamber with heavy vibrato using the tremolo arm of his Fender Stratocaster. Bruce Welch borrowed an acoustic Gibson J200 guitar from Cliff Richard, a revolutionary step for a rock and roll band. These sounds, with a heavy melodic bass by Jet Harris, created a revolutionary sound. Percussion was by Tony Meehan (drums) and Cliff Richard, who played a Chinese drum at the beginning and at end to provide an atmosphere of stereotypically Native American music.
Record producer Norrie Paramor preferred the flip side, an instrumental of the army song “The Quartermaster’s Stores”, now called “The Quatermasster’s Stores” after the TV series Quatermass. Paramor changed his mind after his daughter preferred “Apache”. The Shadows version of “Apache” was considered revolutionary in the UK for twangy guitar and tribal rhythms. It has been cited by a generation of guitarists as inspirational and is considered one of the most influential British rock 45s of the pre-Beatles era.
Incredible Bongo Band version (1973)
“Apache” has been cited by Afrika Bambaataa as an early element of hip hop music with the record sampled and scratched by DJs. But it wasn’t the hit version by The Shadows, Ingmann or Weedon that Bambaataa, Kool Herc and the like turned into “hip-hop’s anthem”: it was the 1973 version by Michael Viner and an ad hoc group called the Incredible Bongo Band. They added a bongo drum intro and added more percussion. This version was not a hit on release but became the sampled foundation of rap and hip-hop classics, reworked by hip hop performers “ranging from the Sugarhill Gang and L.L. Cool J to The Roots and Nas, not to mention sampling by techno performers Future Sound of London and Moby and drum and bass acts J. Majik and Goldie
Sugarhill Gang: “Apache” (1981)
In 1981, the rap group Sugarhill Gang covered the Incredible Bongo Band version of the song, on their second album 8th Wonder. In addition to using the distinctive beat and bongo drums, the Sugarhill Gang added rap lyrics on top, with some of their signature references
Sir Mix-A-Lot: “Jump on It” (1996)
In 1996, Sir Mix-A-Lot played off of the lyrics to Sugarhill Gang’s “Apache” in his hit version of “Jump on It”.
Fatboy Slim: “Apache” (1998 )
The Snatch movie soundtrack has an extract of a DJ mix CD (On The Floor At The Boutique) by Fatboy Slim, which contained the Incredible Bongo Band version of Apache
Once again, Flight of the Conchords on HBO delivered with another hilarious episode last night. The musical numbers are the best.
What’s that? You didn’t get to see it? Well, you could wait for a replay on one of the HBO channels, or you can just watch them here. Hope you enjoy them.
V
Sugar Lumps (feat. Arj Barker) – Flight of the Conchords
You dont have to be a Prostitute – Flight of the Conchords
Alright, I guess this is the last Sunday of January (Where the heck did the month go) so it’s time for this week’s Flashback!!!
Got some different ones in here, but you should remember them all. I couldn’t decide on the usual 4, so this week there’s 5. I’ll add the extra to your tab.
I mean come on, it’s only like the best day ever. Some of the best things involve Saturday, such as (CLICK LINKS FOR INFO): Saturday – The Wikipedia description of Saturday. Saturday Night Live – Even for all of you “Too cool for school” kids out there, it still is a guilty pleasure. Saturday Night Fever – John Travolta, Disco Dancing, and the 1970’s all rolled up into a nice cheesy package. A Map For Saturday – Only one of the best backpacking stories you’ve never seen. Saturday In The Park – Not only a great song by Chicago , it’s a music festival held yearly in the Midwest.
And without a doubt, the greatest Saturday song ever……
So finally, after 5 years of waiting, U2 is releasing a new studio album entitled “No Line on the Horizon.” It will be released in Ireland on February 27th and worldwide on March 2nd.
The first single off the album entitled “Get On Your Boots,” features a quickly paced Bono vocal delivery over poly-rhythmic percussion and a scuzzy guitar riff.
I’m not quite sure how I feel about it just yet, but maybe after a few more listens I’ll make up my mind.
Why don’t you give it a listen and tell me what you think?
Once again, Flight of the Conchords on HBO delivered with another hilarious episode last night. The musical numbers are the best.
