As I've mentioned before, I'm always one for playing "spot the sample." Before Google and iTunes came along, though--and before sampling artists felt compelled to list the sampled artists in song credits, I often had to rely on fellow hip-hop heads or my parents ("You do know that's the GAP Band they're rapping over, right?") to serve as my musical Rosetta Stone.
For years, I'd tried to figure out some of the core samples in "Pump Up the Volume" to no avail. In particular, this drum break.
So, I was attending a freshman orientation party at Hinton James Dorm on UNC-Chapel Hill's South Campus in 19yadda-yadda. The RA broke out his 70s funk mix, which included the loooooong version of "Holy Ghost," and when that drum break with the timbales, congas, cowbell, and Moog came on, it was like a religious experience.
I say this without a hint of irony.
It really was like someone had unlocked a secret of the universe. I had this Liz Lemon-esque "I want to go to there" moment, and it must have shown on my face because my RA started cracking up.
A little history about the band known as The Bar-Kays: the group was one of Stax/Volt Records' house bands along with Booker T. & The MGs and The Mar-Keys (which consisted of various members of Booker T. & The MGs and The Bar-Kays). More or less, The Bar-Kays existed as a second-string backing band (with first-rate players) for Stax artists like Johnny Taylor and Sam & Dave when Booker T. & The MGs weren't available to play on their songs.
Even so, The Bar-Kays had their own Top 20 hit with the instrumental "Soul Finger" in 1967, just months before many of the original band members died in a plane crash with Stax artist Otis Redding outside Madison, WI, on their way to a gig. Two of the surviving band members soldiered on and rebuilt the band, forging a heavier funk sound that was indebted to Sly & The Family Stone with tinges of psychedelia, too. Ultimately, the new incarnation of the band would back Isaac Hayes on his 1969 album Hot Buttered Soul, and unwittingly help Hayes set the course of R&B music for the next decade.
Yesssss👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽always been a music lover since I was an itty bitty something. I remember ordering g those albums for 0.10 not knowing they were actually going to send me to the credit bureau. Lol.i even used to do extra chores to earn money to buy more albums and covers to hang on my wall. I remember when my older sister would be debating with some one about music, lyrics, members and years they came out...she would always call me, ( her 12 year old sister) to find the answer. 🙂 wasn't any google back then. I have been trying to google the band the Barkays just to find out who was playing the instruments on "Holy Ghost" but ha ent found not one break down until I came here. Of my all time favorites, it would be Cameo's INSANE, AND THE barkays Holy Ghost!! These guys were Beast on the breakdown if these songs!!! Thank you for supplying the info I've bee searching for!!!🤗 "God Bless!"
ReplyDelete