Souled On Samples Part VIII

"Shaft's Mama"----Charlie Whitehead
(Sampled on "Move Somethin" by Reflection Eternal---Talib Kweli & DJ Hi-Tek)

Dig deeper...

"I Want To Be In the Land of Milk and Honey"---Vicki Anderson
(Sampled on "Live At the Barbeque" by Main Source ft. Nas)

Dig deeper...

"Alfomega"---Caetano Veloso
(Sampled on "Charlie Brown" by Ghostface Killah; produced by MF Doom)

Dig deeper...

"What Can You Bring Me?"---Charles Wright
(Sampled on "Rock Rock Y'all" by A Tribe Called Quest and "Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down" by Brand Nubian)

Dig deeper...

"I'm Not To Blame"---Bobby Byrd
(Sampled on "You Don't Know" by Jay-Z)

Dig deeper...

"Colonial Mentality"---Fela Kuti
(Sampled on "Whatcha Gon' Do" by Missy Elliott ft. Timbaland)

Dig deeper...

"All Your Goodies Are Gone"----Parliament
(Sampled on "Follow Me" by Buckshot, "Everybody Get Up" by Salt-N-Pepa, "Afraid of the Flavor" by Poison Clan, "Born Gangsta" by Boss)

Dig deeper...

"Too Blind To See"---Dorothy Moore
(Sampled on "Purple Haze" by The Diplomats)

Dig deeper...

"The Madness Subsides" (aka "Sekoilu Seestyy")---Pekka Pohjola
(Sampled on "Midnight in a Perfect World" by DJ Shadow)

Dig deeper...

Supplemental Materials:

The exceptional video for "Midnight in a Perfect World":



Bonus mp3s:

"Charlie Brown"---Ghostface Killah
I've read differing accounts as to why, but this track was an early leak from Fishscale that never actually made it onto the final version of the LP. Most sources agree that the omission was due to sample clearance issues, but the rest of the story remains somewhat of a mystery to me. This is a full version of the track, just in case ya ain't heard...

"All Your Goodies Are Gone (The Loser's Seat)" Instrumental version---The Parliaments
George Clinton fanatics probably already know this, but he was in a doo-wop quintet called The Parliaments prior to his legendary work with Parliament/Funkadelic. This is a funky little instrumental take on the original version of "All Your Goodies Are Gone", released on the Revilot label in 1967. The later rendition with Parliament was released in 1974, on the Up For The Down Stroke LP. If anyone's interested in the original vocal version, give me a holler via e-mail.

Please use the links after each track to "dig deeper" into the history and/or discography of each original artist, and as always, show your support by actually buying the records.

Word From Your Moms:

DJ Shadow describes the Tao of crate diggin':

We Are Family

This is long overdue, so I wanted to take some time out today to initiate some of the newest members of the ever-growing Souled On family...

Attorney Street: Souled On and Palms Out Sounds have been good friends since day one. Attorney Street is a splinter site launched by a few of their contributors, and it promises to be every bit as fundamental to the masses. Don't be the last to know.

Give Me Aural: This is a newer site that is off to quite an impressive start. Some of the artists recently featured are Nina Simone, Kashmere Stage Band, Ursula Rucker, and Gil Scott-Heron. Remixes, covers, and lots of other funktastic stuff...

The Memphis Sound: There's no way to overestimate the importance of this blog as a resource on the rich history and legacy of the music scene in Memphis. Many forgotten artists and landmarks are rediscovered here, making this site a must for anyone who's even remotely interested in the people, places, and things behind the music.

DJ Audio 1: Nothing is more fitting to explain what this blog's all about than Audio 1's own description: "If you are looking for hyphy, crunk, hip-hop, refixes, mash-ups, Bmore club, dubstep, drum & bass and just about everything else, this is your site".

AM, Then FM: This blog offers an eclectic variety of classic tunes, as well as a healthy dose of pleasantly amusing commentary. Soul fans will appreciate recent posts on Curtis Mayfield and The Staples Singers, but Jeff offers a little something for just about everyone.

The Fly Life: I love this title---the self-proclaimed "home of the couch stuffers". Once again, the scope of this site reaches beyond a single genre, but hip-hop enthusiasts will find lots of dope joints here by the likes of Black Milk, Trae, David Banner, DJ Quik, and more.

Internettal L's: Satchmo is just getting things started, but I can't help but be entertained by this dude already. He's a pretty amusing guy, and he's posted some truly worthwhile stuff so far---rare Dilla joints, a Lil' Wayne mixtape, some samples, remixes, and more. All hail Young Satch...

Galactic Fractures: This is the blog for an outstanding radio show on WMFO. They've got shows as far back as 2000 available for download, featuring some of the absolute finest soul, funk, reggae, jazz, and blues gems ever recorded. Some of their highest rated shows include sets by well-known favorites, such as Cosmo Baker and DJ Ayres.

No Trivia: Brandon Soderberg's musings on music and popular culture are cynical, witty, intelligent, cranky, humorous, and sarcastic---all at the same time. Needless to say, I'm fiendishly hooked.

Blogger's Delite: This is an album-based spot that offers lots of great LPs to choose from on a relatively consistent basis. A wide variety of recordings are available here, but I'm especially prone to visit when I want to scoop up some old school reggae joints that are still missing from my collection.

Sly: Sly is a DJ hailing from Chicago who blesses his readers with a plethora of dope mash-ups, bootlegs, remixes, and videos. Additionally, his blogroll is a veritable who's who of the best music/audio blogs on the net.

Fifteen Minutes To Live: This site has been holding things down on the interweb for quite a while, so it was about damn time I made the blogroll! Fifteen Minutes is one of the spots I visit to stay informed about all the freshest/latest in contemporary music---an occasional necessity for someone with a record collection as dusty as mine.

The JackBoyz: Devotees of hip-hop music and culture will definitely want to make a pilgrimage to this musical mecca. Tons of videos and full album downloads by commercial and underground/independent artists.

Soul Brutha's "Put The Needle On The Record": This is one of those sites I should have checked out much sooner. Featuring a stunning selection of soul and funk mp3s. It's immediately apparent that Dave's my kinda people---so if you like me, chances are you'll like him, too.

Missingtoof.com: This is another highly eclectic site with lots of great content, specializing in indie, hip-hop, and electronica music. Be sure to tune in for my favorite feature---Old Rap Wednesdays. Trust me---it's uncommonly fresh...

Further gratitude is extended to Rebel Mag and WFMU for recently including Souled On in their round-ups.

Well---that's all for now, soul children. Please don't get your feelings hurt if I somehow excluded your site from this list. I've been smokin' greens for so long that short term memory loss is somewhat of a given. Doesn't mean I ain't got love for ya...

I'll be out of town for a couple of days this week, but I should be able to post a few tunes for the road before I make my departure.

Remember, kids---keep your friends close...but your enemies closer...

Word From Your Moms:

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."---Jane Howard

Souled On Samples Part VII

For this edition of Souled On Samples, I decided to put a slightly different spin on things. I love the way these original songs have been flipped by their borrowers, so I decided to include the hip-hop joints in this post as well.

My operating theory for today is this: “Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.” Enjoy...

"Ghost Of Myself"---Doris Duke

Sampled on: "Smart Went Crazy"---Atmosphere


"Let's Make A Record"----Sister Gertrude Morgan

Sampled on: "Let's Make A Record"---King Britt


"Stockyard"---Galt MacDermot

Sampled on: "Fo'eva Blunted"---Nine


"Back To You"---Jean Plum

Sampled on: "Street Corner"---Masta Killa


"Stormy"---The Meters

Sampled on: "Clear Blue Skies" ---Juggaknots

Word From Your Moms:

Mixmaster Mike shows you how to do that, son...in 43 seconds or less...

Sistas Are Doin' It For Themselves...

"Here I Am (Take Me)"---The Sweet Inspirations

"It's Mighty Hard"---Laura Lee

"This Girl"---Jean Grae

"Give Me Your Love"---The Sisters Love

"Pam's Song"---The Coup



"Walking Through the Darkness"---Tekitha

"Anyone Who Knows What Love Is Will Understand"---Irma Thomas

"Shortee's Return"---DJ Shortee

"Get Ready"---Ursula Rucker

"Try To Leave Me If You Can (I Bet You Can't Do It)"---Bessie Banks

I think the pictures say it all, but if anyone is still confused, the working formula for today's post is estrogen=excellence.

Chicks Who Kick Ass Appreciation Day is now an official holiday at Souled On. May blessings behold all three of my female readers ;)

Word From Your Moms:

Souled On Samples Part VI: The Iconz

"Nautilus"---Bob James
(Sampled on "Live At The BBQ" by Main Source, "Stray Bullet" by Organized Konfusion, "Daytona 500" by Ghostface Killah, "Take You There", "What's Next on the Menu?", and "The Sun Won't Come Out" by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, "Just Mary" by Mary J Blige, "Groove To the Sound" and "Beats to the Rhyme" by Run-DMC, "The Rhyme" by Keith Murray, "Children's Story" by Slick Rick, "Follow the Leader" and "Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em" by Eric B & Rakim, "Black Nostaljack" by Camp Lo, "Daaam" by Alkaholiks, "Jazzy's Groove" by Dj Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, "Keep It Secret" by Chubb Rock, "Clap Your Hands" by ATCQ, "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx, "Double Trouble" by The Roots/Mos Def, "Raise It Up", "Moe Love on the One & Two", and "Ced Gee (Delta Force One)" by Ultramagnetic MCs, "Show Me a Hero" by Leaders of the New School, "The Rap World" by Large Professor/ Pete Rock, "Victory" by Puff Daddy/Notorious B.I.G./Busta Rhymes, "No Delayin" by Nice & Smooth, "Job Song" by Consequence, "Brothers On My Jock" by EPMD, "Book of Rhyme Pages" by Jungle Brothers, "Snitches" by The Geto Boys, "Word Is Bond" by Poor Righteous Teachers, etc...

Shoot me if I'm lyin'---that's still not even close to being an exhaustive list of all the sampling artists who've mined this fundamental recording. Feel free to drop some more examples in the comment box, but I think I've stated a pretty good case for this track's relevance either way.

"Blind Man Can See It"---James Brown
(Sampled on "They Want EFX" by Das EFX, "Funky Technician" by Lord Finesse, "I Will Always Love H.E.R." by Peanut Butter Wolf, "The Vapors" by Snoop Dogg, "Use Me Again" by Steady B, "No Diggity" by Blackstreet, "Sticky Fingaz" by Coolio, and "Hypest from Cypress" by Mellow Man Ace)

James Brown is the most frequently sampled artist in music history, so it's always a no-brainer to throw one of his tracks into the mix. He has tracks like "Funky Drummer" and "The Payback" that have been sampled more times, but "Blind Man Can See It" isn't often given the props it deserves for providing a solid foundation for many hip-hop joints. Two things that I especially appreciate about it are its timelessness and flexibility. This exceptional recording has been flipped by DJs/producers of both the old and new school, and has been borrowed by a diverse array of underground and commercial artists.

"Wish You Were Here"---Al Green
(Sampled on "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly" by Kanye West/Consequence, "Wanna Test" by Lootpack, and "Shootouts" by Nas)

Kanye isn't exactly the deepest crate digger when it comes to finding material to sample, but I do give him credit for choosing some ultra-fine, sweet soul records to lay the foundation for his tracks.

"Superman Lover"---Johnny "Guitar" Watson
(Sampled on "Crackpot" by KMD, "A Day of Sooperman Lover" and "Sooperman Luva II" by Redman, "The Predator" by Ice Cube, "What's the 411?" by Mary J Blige, "Ya Wish Ya Could" by Special Ed, "Funk Soul Sensation" by Jemini The Gifted One, "U Don't Work, U Don't Eat" by WC & The Maad Circle, "Compton's Lynchin" by Compton's Most Wanted, "Afro Puffs" by Rage, and "The Desolate One" by Just Ice)

Johnny is cooler than a fan, children. 'Nuff said...

"Our Day Will Come"---Isaac Hayes
(Sampled on "Operation: Greenbacks" by MF Doom and "Exchange" by Massive Attack)

Isaac Hayes is another artist who's frequently sampled. While other songs from his repertoire have been utilized to a greater extent (see "The Look Of Love", "Shaft", "Ike's Mood"and "Walk On By"), I remember hearing the Doomsday LP for the first time, and being relieved that someone finally mined a unique gem from his collection.

"In All My Wildest Dreams"---Joe Sample
(Sampled on "Dear Mama" by Tupac, "Africa's Inside Me" by Arrested Development, and "WRMS' Dedication To The Bitty" by De La Soul)

Although I'm not as enamored with Tupac as your average hip-hop enthusiast, I'm still a sucka for a good "mama" song any day of the week.

"If You Think It (You May As Well Do It)"---The Emotions
(Sampled on "Verbal Intercourse" by Raekwon/Ghostface Killah/Nas)

"Blind Alley" gets mentioned all the time as a sample source, but I like this track just as well. RZA took the very beginning of this Emotions song and created one of the dopest songs on Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. He simultaneously provided a perfect backdrop for one of Nas' nicest verses, some impressive bars from back when he was still bein' Nasty.

"Give Me Your Love"---Curtis Mayfield
(Sampled on "Shine On Me" by Pete Rock/CL Smooth, "Git Bizzy" by Big Daddy Kane, "Trouble Man" by Inspectah Deck, "Nickel Bags" by Digable Planets, "It's Whatever" by Aaliyah, "Bathtub" by Snoop Dogg, "Can't Hear Nothing but the Music" by EPMD, and "I'm the Only Woman" by Mary J Blige)

Although the title comes across as a bit pushy, "Give Me Your Love" is actually a gorgeous Mayfield song that's been put to immeasurably good use on several hip-hop classics.

"Harlem Medley"---Galt MacDermot
(Sampled on "Who U Jackin' ?" by Masta Ace and "Discipline '99" by Quasimoto/Madlib)

I've discussed Galt's invaluable contribution to hip-hop numerous times. The fact that most fans of the genre don't even know his name continues to frustrate and perplex me...

"It's A New Day"---Skull Snaps
(Sampled on "Passin' Me By" by Pharcyde, "Watch Yo' Nuggets" by Redman, "Hippa To Da Hoppa" by ODB, "Who You Think I Am?" by MF Doom, "Who Got Da Props?" by Black Moon, "Step Back" by Eric B & Rakim, "Take It Personal" by Gang Starr, "Mommy, What's A Gravedigga?" by Gravediggaz, "Cooley High" by Camp Lo, "East Coast" and "Mic Checka" by Das EFX, "Sally Got A One Track Mind" by Diamond D, "Silence of the Lambs" by Showbiz & AG, "How To Kill A Radio Consultant" by Public Enemy, "It's A New Day" by Heavy D, "I'll Wax Anybody" by Tim Dog, "Crack Da Weazel (Dat Other Shit)" by Da King & I, "All Things" by Hieroglyphics, "For Corners" by Digable Planets, "Funky Child" by Lords Of The Underground, "The Ill Shit" by Erick Sermon, and many, many more...

Well damn...there you go. Collect all 10!

I'm hoping that no one is wondering why I didn't post "Apache". This list is not intended to detail the most popular or best original songs of all time. These tracks are just larger-than-life to me when it comes to their influence on hip-hop, and that's pretty damn B.I.G.

Word From Your Moms:

"I remixed a remix. It was back to normal."---Mitch Hedberg

The Back Burner

It's not so much that I'm planning to post any Tupac joints today---this image just seemed to succinctly summarize my attitude towards (thug) life at this particular moment in time. I'm having the sort of really bad day that makes one wish to consume a plenitudinous quantity of alcohol...or use a thesaurus very awkwardly, whichever comes first.

Despite my real or imagined misery, what kind of person would I be if I completely neglected the soul children for another day? Fortunately you won't have to find out, because my heightened sense of immoral responsibility just won't let it be.

Consequently, I'm offering a handful of mighty tunes that have been doing their part to lift the weight of the world from my shoulders. Hopefully their importance in your (thug) life will be equally substantial...

"You Didn't Really Mean It"---Carolyn Franklin
(Amazing tune from Aretha's most underappreciated sibling; appears on Sister Soul: The Best Of The RCA Years 1969-1976)

"Bright As the Stars"---Black Star
(Dope Kweli/ Mos Def joint that I've been meaning to post for the longest; appears on Black Star: B-Sides & Rarities)

"Killin' Time"----Natural Essence
(A slower jam that appears on In Search Of Happiness, 1973; dig for this LP if you love soul, jazz, and/or funk)

"Groovin'"---Marvin Gaye
(Cover version of a popular track by The Rascals; appears on That's The Way Love Is, 1970)

"Resurrection (Large Professor Remix)"---Common
(Extra P's take on a joint from when Common still had some Sense; that may sound dismissive, but bloggers are shitty like that sometimes)

"Ponytail"---Corduroy

(Stunningly funky basslines and jazzy beats; appears on Dad Man Cat, 1997)

Word From Your Moms:

Souled On Samples V

"In My Heart"---Barbara & The Browns
(Sampled on "Y'all Been Warned" by Wu-Tang Clan)

"Love Is Missing From Our Lives"---Dells vs. The Dramatics
(Sampled on "Live It Up" by John Legend)

"Killer's Lullaby"---Love Unlimited Orchestra
(Sampled on "My World" by OC, produced by DJ Premier)

"Harlem Hindoo"---Al Hirt
(Sampled on "Ego Trippin' (Part 2)" by De La Soul)

"And This Is Love"---Gladys Knight & The Pips
(Sampled on "In Cold Blood" by Scarface (produced by Kanye West) and "Nehanda and Cream" by Masta Killa)

"We Made It"---Black Ivory
(Sampled on "Revolutionary Warfare" by Nas)

"Love Sounds"---Intimate Strangers
(Sampled on "Legends" by Prodigy of Mobb Deep and "Feels So Good" by Remy Ma ft. Ne-Yo)

"The Beggar's Song"---Wet Willie
(Sampled on "Like That" by Kid Capri ft. Jay-Z and "Fallen Soldiers" by Cormega)

"Remember Who You Are"---Sly & The Family Stone
(Sampled on "Each One Teach One" by Poor Righteous Teachers and "After Hours" by A Tribe Called Quest)

Word From Your Moms:

“The thing that makes you exceptional, if you are at all, is inevitably that which must also make you lonely.”---Lorraine Hansberry