[FA Worldmusic] 17 Hippies controversy

[Steve Hochman]

When I first heard the Lily Allen album I was stunned to hear the  
Prof. Longhair "Big Chief" lick (the song, for the record, was  
written by another New Orleans great, Earl King)... it made me a fan  
of hers for life, no matter what else she does (and she is not bad at  
all, a lot of personality and growth potential, artistically, if she  
keeps her head).

-----------------------------------
Check out my column:
http://www.spinner.com/category/around-the-world/
-----------------------------------

On Aug 10, 2007, at 11:45 AM, Ian Menzies wrote:

> Isn't pretty much every hip hop track a co-opting or cover of a  
> previous hit
> (snark)?
>
> Speaking of remakes and sampling, not sure how many on this list  
> have taken
> notice of Lily Allen, but her hit debut album is heavly laced with  
> fairly
> easy to recognize "world music" samples. The first one I noticed was
> Professor Longhair's "Big Chief" (speaking of Native Amerian  
> influences)
> which is the backbone of her song "Knock em Out". But upon a closer  
> listen
> (and a look at the song writing credits) I found several more,  
> including -
> The Soul Brothers "Free Soul" (produced by Coxsone Dodd), providing  
> the
> backbone for "Smile" - and the horns on "LDN" coming from Tommy  
> McCook's
> "Reggae Merengue".
>
> Nice to see the kids diggin' their roots, but I wonder how many of  
> them
> realize where these tunes and sounds originally came from? Would be
> interesting to know if labels like Trojan (who have the Tommy  
> McCook track)
> or Mardi Gras Records (who I think control the Watch catalogue that  
> Big
> Cheif first came out on) have experienced any sales bumps for the  
> originals
> because of it? Certainly whomever conotrols the publishing will  
> have seen a
> nice cash injection in the last few quarters.
> Ian
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+ian=menziesmixedmedia.com at folk.org
> [mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+ian=menziesmixedmedia.com at folk.org]On
> Behalf Of Bill Bragin
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 12:09 PM
> To: Dmitri Vietze; fa-worldmusic at folk.org
> Subject: Re: [FA Worldmusic] 17 Hippies controversy
>
>
> Apache is absolutely a hip-hop classic, even if it has earlier  
> sources,
> just as much as I Will Always Love you is a defining soul ballad
> classic, even if Dolly Parton wrote it.
>
> Where you are wrong is that it was Sugarhill gang, not Afrika  
> Bambaata.
> And you can see a hugely offensive video here (though I guess the fake
> Native American characatures and bongos help it to qualify as world
> Music)"Tonto, jump opon it. Kimopsabi, jump on it..."
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=TJL8jDvukew
>
> Sugar Hill gang were really drawing from the Incredible Bongo Band's
> version: http://youtube.com/watch?v=kTvkoakkMX4
>
>
> But, there are lots of other great versions:
>
> The Shadows; http://youtube.com/watch?v=tFwVSYQ3GUQ
> The Ventures: http://youtube.com/watch?v=tFwVSYQ3GUQ
> Danish Disco version: http://youtube.com/watch?v=eTKL8MNH95Q (I think
> the outfits rival Sugar Hill Gang's)
>
> And a Prodigy video mash-up of the same:
> http://youtube.com/watch?v=-COGNOY3Nic
>
> Yes, it's a rainy Friday...
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=publictheater.org at folk.org
> [mailto:fa-worldmusic-bounces+bbragin=publictheater.org at folk.org] On
> Behalf Of Dmitri Vietze
> Sent: Friday, August 10, 2007 1:52 PM
> To: fa-worldmusic at folk.org
> Subject: [FA Worldmusic] 17 Hippies controversy
>
> OK, so I have now been slapped on the wrist twice for calling Apache a
> "hip
> hop classic." See below. Another "elder" (ha, haaaa! no harm meant) of
> our
> community took the time from their busy schedule to call me and  
> tell me
> the
> song had earlier origins in some old cowboy flick or something.  
> (Though
> that
> person got credit for catching the Afrika Bambata reference, in  
> spite of
> me
> being wrong, wrong wrong.) So in addition to booking 17 Hippies this
> September, you could schedule a debate and discussion on the multiple
> histories of the song "Apache."
>
> ("Kimosobi, jump on it!, jump on it, jump on it!)
>
> Much respect,
>
> ===> Dmitri!
> music at rockpaperscissors.biz
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>> At 10:02 AM 8/10/2007, you wrote:
>>> Apache (yes, that's right, folks! The hip hop classic done
> acoustically
>>> and in
>>> a Turkish 9/8 rhythm!)
>>
>> Oh, dude, you are S0-0-0-0 showing your youth. <g>
>>
>> "Apache" was a 1960s surf-guitar hit for The Challengers, written by
> Jerry
>> Lawler, ... a little early for hip-hop. <g>
>>
>> I'll give you the 9/8 rhythm, though.
> _______________________________________________
> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
> FA-Worldmusic at folk.org
> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
> _______________________________________________
> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
> FA-Worldmusic at folk.org
> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic
> _______________________________________________
> FA-Worldmusic mailing list
> FA-Worldmusic at folk.org
> http://www.folkserv.net/mailman/listinfo/fa-worldmusic