Booker T. & The MGs – Sun-king-mean-mr-mustard-polythene-pam-she-came-in-through-the-bathroom-window-i-want-you-shes-so-heavy

It’s hard to substitute anything for the Beatles’ distinctive vocals, but Booker T’s organ does a decent job filling in, and the arrangements, though straightforward renditions, bring out the soulful/bluesy side of the Beatles’ compositions.

Somewhat incongruously, I also have a take by Bola Sete, who tackles 2 bits of the medley in a twangy, funky,  vaguely psychedelic style.

Bola Sete – Polythene Pam/She Came In Through the Bathroom Window

From George Benson we have a very schmaltzy take on Here Comes the Sun that gives way to a groovy I Want You.

George Benson – Here Comes the Sun/I Want You She’s So Heavy

Lastly, Jackie Mittoo’s Wishbone, which, while not exactly a cover, certainly reveals a large shall we say “influence” from Abbey Road.

Jackie Mittoo – Wishbone

James Brown – The Funky Drummer

James Brown – Funky Drummer (bonus beat reprise)

Grandmaster Flash w/Kurtis Blow

The Pharcyde – Officer

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Pump Up the Bass

Eric B. & Rakim – Lyrics of Fury

Ultramagnetic MCs – Give the Drummer Some

Public Enemy – Bring the Noise

]]> http://www.joshuarosenstock.com/musicblog/the-funky-drummer/feed 1 http://www.joshuarosenstock.com/musicblog/couple-more-band-picks http://www.joshuarosenstock.com/musicblog/couple-more-band-picks#comments Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:44:33 +0000 avocado kid http://www.joshuarosenstock.com/musicblog/?p=190 Fela Kukti – Swegbe & Pako

Fela Kuti – Jeun Ko Ku (chop n quench)

Budos Band – Monkey See Monkey Do

from Andrea:

Untouchable Machine Shop – Machine Shop (pt 1)

Miles Grayson – Stuck In the Mud

Helene Smith – You Got to Be A Man

R.A.M.P. – The American Promise

Detroit Sex Machines – The Stretch

Latin Playboys – Viva La Raza

I try this myself sometimes as a creative exercise: take a chestnut that has been famously sampled to death, and find some new fragment of the song to bring forward and build a groove out of.

The Beatnuts are masters of this approach, of finding that brief interesting transitional moment, putting it under the microscope, and bringing it to life anew. My favorite example of this is their remix of Chi-Ali’s “Funky Lemonade”, which is not only one of my favorite hip hop tunes in the world, but is also somewhat rare, or at least used to be in the pre-sharity days when incredibly obscure treasures were not available on a daily basis. (Actually, in an earlier era of the internet offering unprecedented access to niche interests some years ago, I finally tracked down a promo-only 12″ from a record store in the Netherlands).

Chi-Ali – Funky Lemonade (Beatnuts Remix)

Chi-Ali’s story is depressing and I will not belabor it here, except to note for the uninitiated that he was a young member of the Native Tongues posse who showed great promise but ended up with a fate sadly all too common for African American males.

So about that sample. Once, on a road trip through the Southwestern USA, that organ stab jumped off a Grant Green tape (made for me by my buddy Punjab, source of all musics funky in my life at that point) and smacked me in the ears with its brilliant provenance. It is from the Alive album, which is absolutely essential and is hopefully already in a place of honor in every groove-lover’s collection. This album has been sampled heavily, with this specific track also used by the likes of A Tribe Called Quest and Cypress Hill. I eventually noticed that Pete Rock also used this sample around the same year so I don’t know who stole from whom. Anyway, there it is around the 37 second mark. The Beatnuts have pitched it up and bathed it in yummy scratches and a Guru sample and it is perfect.

Grant Green – Down Here On the Ground

Greyboy Allstars – 2% Body Fat (w/Fred Wesley)

The Daktaris – Super Afro Beat

Blue Rivers & the Maroons – Seven Steps to Power

Mulatu Astatqé – Yèkatit (february)

The Daktaris – Upside-Down

Theme From Don

Fela Kuti – Opposite People

Tommy McCook & the Super Sonics – Wild Bunch

Daktaris – Eltsuhg Ibal Lasiti

Eltsuhg Ibal Lasiti (Mad Professor remix) – Daktaris

Plus, as a bonus, the very nice Ticklah remix of Sharon Jones in rocksteady stylee.

How Long Do I Have To Wait For You (Ticklah remix) – Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings

Mamani Keita – Yelema

Ernest Ranglin – Jericho Rocking

The Quantic Soul Orchestra – Hold It Down

Dr. Squiggles – Sunrise Blender (feat. Josh & Jonah)

Alan Hawkshaw – Beat Me Til I’m Blue

The Vibrations – Ain’t No Greens In Harlem

The Rebirth – Evil Vibrations

Eddie Palmieri – Bilongo

Ugly Duckling – Eye On the Gold Chain (92 Remix)

Billy Preston – Swing Down Chariot

Amadou & Mariam – Pauvre Type

Olu Dara – Okra

Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – Dub Je Je

Sister Nancy – Bam Bam

Tabu Ley Rochereau – Aon Aon

Orchestra Baobab – Africa

Dorothy Masuka – Khauleza

Michael Franti & Spearhead – We Don’t Mind

Extra bonus tracks:

Jackie Mittoo & The Soul Vendors – Rock Steady Wedding

Stanton Moore – Angel Nemali

Nicolas Repac – Swing Swing

John Scofield and MMW – Jeep On 35

Asha Boshle & Mahendra Kapoor – One Two Three Baby

Spacemonkeyz vs. Gorillaz – Slow Country (Strictly Rubbadub)

Balkan Beatbox – Bulgarian Chicks

Quincy Jones – Summer In The City

The whole darn thing as a zip file

J.B.s – Damn Right I Am Somebody

Jazz Jamaica Allstars – Liquidator

Fresner Augustin – Simbi Dio

Greyboy Allstars – 2% Body Fat (w/Fred Wesley)

Theme From Don