SONGSTORY

I’ve negleted you lately Songstory and I’m sorry from the bottomness of my various styrofoam hearts.  And to top it all off I had to remove that saucy Latin song from the Crip4Life post.  You’re mad and I don’t blame you.  You love dancing to saucy Latin music Songstory, I know.  Don’t cry.  Oh come come now.  I’ll make it up to you I swear.  No, of course there’s no other blog!  Another blog!?  Thats crazy talk Songstory. HA!  I can’t believe you’d even suggest tha….what? FACEBOOK?  FACEBOOK!  ha? I…ummm, yeah…..  I don’t know what to say Songstory.  I know, you’re right, I’m a piece of shit.  A worthless, no good, liar and a cheat.  Give me one last chance?  I’ll do anything, ANYTHING FOR YOU!  Ok Songstory.  You got it, I promise.  A sample week it is.  

I’ll post songs containing elements that great hip hop producers of our time have sampled, and leave it to the masses, or your “bitches” as you insist on calling them, to figure it all out.  Yeah, good point, Garret shouldn’t be allowed to play.  No, you’re right, that wouldn’t be fair.  Ok Songstory, your wish is my command.  May Sample Week…..BEGIN!!

Here’s the first song.  Its a Stereolab song called Come and Play in the Milky Night.  I think this one might be a little too easy, but its a good starting point.  Here’s the thing, the same guy used this sample multiple times.  OUCH!! don’t pinch me Songstory!  Oh, hahaha stop, that tickles.  No. Not tonight, I have a headache in several of my various styrofoam heads.  We’ll do it tomorrow, I promise.

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Hi, it’s me, Keith Murray…boyoyoyoing!

So I got the invite to be a guest contributor on Songstory and I thought to myself ‘Cornelious (I call myself Cornelious when I’m thinking and talking to myself), never pass up an opportunity to self-promote,’ so with that in mind I decided to feature one of my own songs.  This is a J Dilla remix of The Rhyme, a track off my 1996 album Enigma.  I like this remix way better than the original.  In fact, the best thing about this remix is not my skills on the mic, it’s Dilla Dawg!   Dilla’s the greatest.  So many subtle touches that just kill me on his production work here.  The way the track starts, with the sound of a record coming up to speed, and the way he mixes up the drums–making them sound live.  The HORNS!  It sounds so simple, but it’s so refined, yet it sounds so raw, how did he do it?  If I hadn’t been in jail so much I would have made time to sit in the studio watching him work, observing his creative process quietly, mouth shut, ears open–dying to ask questions, but even more terrified to interupt brilliance.  BAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!! Why couldn’t God have taken me instead!?

Sorry, I got a little worked up there.  Keep it cool Cornelious.  Alright, for those of you who may not know that much about me, I’m a rapper.  I’m a member of Def Squad, but the amount of time I’ve spent in jail has really been a stick in the spokes of my career.  I don’t think I’m in jail right now, but I’m not sure about that.  At least Britany Spears got my back.  Check it…http://www.nme.com/news/keith-murray/4051.  Good thing Britany’s there for me, cause my family is really screwed.  Check out what wikipedia says happened to them…

“Keith Murray had a rough childhood. Both of his parents used intravenous drugs. Both died when Murray was young. When Murray was in eight grade, his father died from cirrhosis of the liver. His mother later died from AIDS. His sister would also die from AIDS.”

Holy crap. 

To cheer us all up, here’s some funny fake pictures of me pretending to break out of jail and then getting away on a motorcycle!

Enjoy the song.  It’s the most beautifulest thing in the world!  Boyoyoyoyoyoyoyoing!

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It’s day 2 of Guest Contributors Week and I think we got off to a damn good start yesterday with Mr. Brycebag’s submission.  Today is Tony B Day.  Happy Birthday TONY!!!!  Tony writes about a blues musician named Henry Thomas who lived long long ago, and thus there aren’t any pictures readily available for me to post of him.  But I love posting pictures, so here are 3 of people named Henry Thomas who aren’t the Henry Thomas Tony is talking about.  Tony’s entry is directly below the pics.  Make sure you comment on what TB gots to say! 

IMPORTANT! DO NOT LISTEN UNTIL YOU’VE READ THIS!  TRUST ME!

Henry Thomas was a blues musician born in Texas in the late 1800’s.  Though most of the major blues figures are from the Mississippi Delta –an area in Mississippi where the most fertile soil, and thus largest plantations and black populations were found—Thomas was from the West.    That’s about all the biographical info you’re gonna get from me.  Let me tell you what I think of the song.  

Don’t Leave Me Here is a blues song.  To most people it may not sound like a blues song, not like Son House, or Muddy Waters, or even Bonny fucking Raitt (who rocks), but it’s a blues song.  It’s important to recognize that The Blues don’t have to sound a certain way.  The Twelve Bar Blues that most of us can recognize right away is only one style of the genre.  I only used ‘genre’ there because I felt I was on the verge of using the word ‘Blues’ too much. The idea of themes is more vital in classifying The Blues than the sound of the song itself.  Quickly off the top of the flowing locks that sit upon my perfect head, the most prominent themes are; love, work, rivers, trains, freedom from love, work, rivers and trains, race, mobility and much much more. Don’t Leave Me Here deals directly with another major theme, that being that being mobility.  Although southern blacks were no longer slaves, and were technically free, Jim Crow laws passed just after the Emancipation Proclamation ensured they were anything but free.  Mobility represented the freedom to move around, live or work were one pleased.  This was a very uncommon for thing for a southern black, and actually some of the blacks with the most mobility were in fact blues musicians.  

I’m gonna post a variety of blues songs on here to show you what I mean about the different themes tying together several different sounds into one….genre…bombardier.   Dave, tell the people how to pronounce both words.  Okay, now listen.  

Tony 

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Today marks the beginning of what I hope to be a full week of exciting guest contributions to Songstory.  Our first contributor is Andrew Bryce.  Andrew is a music maniac, a ball hockey superstar, and a masters student on the history of rat tails in mid-western America.  Goddamn!

This is a Blind Melon cover of a song originally recorded by Hoyt Axton (see picture), and made famous as it was covered in 1968 by the Canadian band Steppenwolf.  Everyone knows at least one or two Steppenwolf songs (Born to be Wild, or Magic Carpet Ride).  I haven’t heard Hoyt Axton’s original recording, but Steppenwolf’s is most definitely electric and in the same vein as the harder songs mentioned earlier.  Firstly, I really like Blind Melon and do not think they’ve ever received the respect they deserved.  Contrary to what Much Music may think, they were more than a “one hit wonder” and have atleast three albums full of quality material.  Unfortunately the lead singer, Shannon Hoon (who sang back up on Guns N’ Roses’ “Don’t Cry”!), battled with heroin addiction and lost in 1995. The Blind Melon cover of ”The Pusher” was not available until it appeared on the album Nico which was released following Shannon’s death (Nico’s cover is the other picture on this post). 

I can’t say enough about how much I like Shannon’s voice and song writing, and the band Blind Melon, but I think this song is especially interesting as the first verse is Shannon’s own lyrics, and then he sang the rest of the song as it had been recorded by Axton and Steppenwolf.  I had never heard the original version(s) of this song before I heard Blind Melon’s, and what struck me about their take on it is that I never doubted for a moment the continuity of the lyrics; the verses fit together very well.  I think it’s a testament to the song writing skills of Mr. Hoon.  I love the guitar, and the opening lines to the second verse get me every time, almost a celebration of the debaucherous reality of a drug user’s life: “well I smoke a lotta grass, and I pop a lotta pills…” 

I copied this from the Wikipedia article on Hoyt Axton :

Axton spent some time struggling with alcohol and cocaine addiction and several of his songs, including “The Pusher”, “Snowblind Friend”, and “No-No Song”, partly reflect his negative drug experiences. He had been known as an opponent of drug use for many years when, in February 1997, he and his wife were arrested at their Montana home for possession of approximately 500 grams of marijuana-about a pound. His wife explained later that she offered Hoyt marijuana to relieve pain and stress following a 1995 stroke; both were fined and given deferred sentences.

I think it’s a song written and later re-worked, by drug addicts.  Listening to it I can’t help but think of the sad story of Hoon’s short life.  Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy the song.

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First things first.  I had to erase a song.  We’ve reached full capacity so to add news songs, old ones gots to go.  This is tough.  I guess this is what grown ups were refering to when they would warn me about the “real world.”  Limited hosting is real, a little too real, and I’m having trouble with this.  So our first casualty was Charles Earland’s Betty’s Theme.  My thinking on this one was that since I don’t know anyone named Betty it is highly unlikely that anyone named Betty is visiting Songstory, therefore there’s no good reason to have theme music available for Bettys.  Sound reasoning?  I thought so. 

Our newest addition is a little gem–a 9th Wonder remix of Hieroglyphics Make Your Move. 

I love this remix.  Obvious.  Why else would I put it up if I didn’t?  I enjoy pretty much every verse and the hook (I think its sung by Goapele) but my favourite aspect is the pro-production. 

9th Wonder is an ASSHOLE! for being so good.  I wish I was that good at something cool like hip hop production.  Instead I’m stuck being fucking brilliant and beautiful.  What a jip.  

Here’s a picture of one of us.

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How about that?  It didn’t take long for the celebs to find SONGSTORY!  Ricky Williams, and that Fat french guy, what’s his name?? they’re two of my absolute favourites!  Check out the comments section under the Kalimba Solo! posting to see what these ‘A’ listers have to say about Earth, Wind & Fire.

We recently featured some production work by Oh No.  But that lady, Mrs. Rabnett, seemed somewhat dismissive of his older brother producer/emcee Madlib.  What’s that about?  Maybe she thinks Madlib is played out?  Everyone knows about Madlib, so you can’t like Madlib anymore?  Is that what you’re thinking you old bag?  Sorry.  I get defensive when I feel Madlib has been slighted. 

Today’s featured song is a piece of Madlib production that I absolutely love.  It’s off Declaime’s 2001 album ”Andsoitissaid”, an album which was produced in its entirety by Madlib.  On “Andsoitissaid” this track is titled Thankful, but this is just the instrumental version.  I can listen to this shit on repeat and never get tired of it.  It really puts me in a very specific mood–a very relaxed mood.  It’s the musical equivalent of mood lighting and incense. 

Here’s a picture of Madlib taking a swing at one of his fans.

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I caught some serious flak from a few different peeps for liking this song.  I’m not sure if its the title, Let Your Feelings Show, or because its kind of disco-e, or maybe people just have something against me in general.  Paranoid?  Anyways, I got this Earth, Wind & Fire album in the dollar bins at a record store and when I heard this song I went nutsoy!  But the thing is, I don’t think it sounds quite as good when I’m not listening to it off the record player.  Is that strange? 

I have one interesting fact for you all.  Earth, Wind & Fire’s bandleader, Maurice White was an accomplished Kalimba player.  He liked to dress up in capes and do Kalimba solos on stage.   

I dedicate this song to the homeless lady who told me “you don’t look so good.”  Obviously one of us is crazy.

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Mrs. Georgia Rabnett has been the assistant music director of the Walkholm Seniors Residence for the past 7 years. Although she doesn’t play any instruments per say she is surprisingly talented at making noises that sound like a tuba with her mouth. Nicknamed “Dutchess” after the Dutch style clog dancing dress she wears every single day, Rabnett has been an avid music fan since conception. She sent me an msn message yesterday asking to make a posting on SONGSTORY. I don’t know how she got my email address. Here’s what she sent:

What is it with the youngsters these days? I’m CRAZY for this song right now. Maybe it’s the baby rattle in the background that triggers my affection to this track, but I can’t help melt into my chair and drool when I hear it. To all pregnant mothers out there - a recommended soundtrack for the womb. “Oh No’s” real name is Michael Jackson-that’s enough stimulus to love him. You might notice subtle hints at this interesting coincidence in his lyrics i.e. “ask Billie Jean, I can make the ground glow”. You’ve probably also heard of his older sibling Madlib, but that’s not important right now. I still harbour ambiguous feelings towards his accomplice on this track. I always thought Vast Aire was a loser-with his whole angry rapping, Canibus featuring, Tupac hating front… But this song kind of revealed the more indie side of him. It especially exposes his syrupy, yet conceited nature with this lyric “I’m Vast Aire, you’re small like an airplane pillow “. Airplane pillows are so small, shit. His voice flatters this beat so beautifully too; can you honestly think of a better pair now that you’ve heard this? I’ve heard more of Oh No’s stuff on Stones Throw releases than anyone else these days. Though I’ve only heard two of his albums, already his sound is recognizable and UNTOUCHABLE. Not to mention his sound is hardly similar to Madlib’s, thus his distinction as a Stones Throw emcee impressive. This is my favourite track off “Exodus”, let alone my favourite song right now.

I devote the happiness this song brings to my park (Winston Churchill Park), because today I sat in the park, and also didn’t cry.

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You know when a song hits you and instantly you know its perfect?  I mean, you wouldn’t alter a single thing about it and you just marvel at how someone was able to create something that is 100% correct–nothing could ever be done to improve it.  That’s how I felt when I first heard The Impressions 1965 hit People Get Ready.   

Curtis Mayfield’s biblically themed narrative speaks to the power and inclusiveness of the Civil Rights Movement in a very broad yet very relevant way.  Indeed, People Get Ready is regarded as one of the most important, and impactful songs to come out of this era.

 I dedicate this song to the guy who discovered dedications, Dr. Andre Dedicassion.

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It is inevitable that attempts will be made to compare any new artist to other more established artists.  However, 27 year old Corinne Bailey Rae’s voice seems to defy comparison.  Bailey Rae has been described as a pop influenced Billie Holiday, neo-soul Norah Jones and an amalgamation of Alicia Keys, Joss Stone and Macy Gray.  But none of these comparisons are really able to adequately sum her up.  Without question listening to Bailey Rae provides a comfortable, familiar feeling.  Yet there is something simultaneously unique about the way she sings  

Listen and see. This song is called Til it Happens to You off Bailey Rae’s 2006 self titled debut album.    

I predict great things for Bailey Rae.  I love the way she sings words.  Omar, another artist I recently featured (see Stevie(heart)Omar) has a knack for this as well—to turn the pronunciation of words into an expressive art form.  Listen to the way Bailey Rae says “heaven” at 1:00 and “violins playin” at 1:13 and you’ll see what I mean.  Plus she’s got that raspy twinge.  I love the raspy twinge.  

I dedicate this to Merr the birthday girl.  Thanks for exposing me to Corinne Bailey Rae, and inviting me to her concert, and then backing out.   

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