via DJ Food
“Now waaaaaiit a minute!” People are really pulling out the stops for the Solid Steel 25th year anniversary guest mixes at the moment. Last week Gilles Peterson not only made a Brit Funk mix but also a special video promo to go with it.
This week though, sees the return of United States of Audio aka Dave Trigg with what I’m already calling ‘Mix of the Year’. Riffing off the same idea as our ‘Paul’s Boutique’ reconstruction last year, he takes on De La Soul‘s classic ’3 Feet High & Rising’ LP (which is also about to turn 25). I’ll turn it over to Dave for the explanation:
“Several years in the making (well it’s an idea that’s been knocking around for a while anyway!), and including around 100 tracks, this is my personal tribute to De La Soul’s ’3 Feet High and Rising’. Using original sample sources, album tracks, interviews and rarities, ‘How High’s The Water Mama’ tells the story of one of hip hop’s most influential albums.
When De La Soul’s debut album dropped in 1989 I was ten years old. Yet, by some stroke of amazing good fortune a cassette copy of ’3 Feet High and Rising’ found its way into my hands thanks to my best mate’s older brother (though I’m pretty sure said brother had no idea of this fact!). The music was a revelation and had a significant influence in shaping my musical tastes – in fact I can’t think of any other album that has had such a profound effect on me as this one. Thus ’3 Feet High and Rising’ holds a special place in my musical affections. Now, some twenty-five years after its original release, it’s time to pay my respect to Pos, Dove, Mase, and Prince Paul…”
The pace and flow of this mix is a masterclass in how to put songs together and the ease with which he balances the sonics of a huge number of vastly different genres can only have meant hours of mixdown time. The reconstruction of the ‘Cool Breeze On The Rocks’ section is worth the price of admission alone (with a great nod to Solid Steel too). It gives a fresh take on ’3 Feet…’ and reminds you of how many great songs they recontexualised within it. It’s also a history lesson, with interview segments where the band talk about the making of the album, the hippy tag and the sample lawsuits.
This is the one to beat in 2013. Also, in a bizarre coincidence, the latest issue of Wax Poetics features De La talking about the making of the very same album.
Hit the read more break below to find out just how insane the tracklisting is and to check just how many tracks he jammed into the epic hour mix.
United States of Audio - De La Intro
Average White Band - School Boy Crush - Atlantic
De La Soul - Intro - Tommy Boy
Bob Dorough - Three is a Magic Number - Capitol
Double Dee & Steinski - Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop Mix) - Tommy Boy
Run DMC - Here We Go (Live at the Funhouse) - Profile
Johnny Cash - Five Feet High and Rising - Columbia
Syl Johnson - Different Strokes - BGP Records
James Brown - Funky Drummer - Harmless
De La Soul - The Magic Number (Too Mad Mix) - Tommy Boy
Fatback - Is This the Future? - Spring Records
De La Soul - The Magic Number (1-2-3 Mix) - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - The Magic Number - Tommy Boy
The Monkees - Mary, Mary - RCA Victor
The Mad Lads - No Strings Attached - Volt
Cymande - Bra - Janus
The New Birth - Got to Get a Knut - RCA Victor
De La Soul - Can U Keep A Secret - Tommy Boy
Maggie Thrett - Soupy - Dynovoice
De La Soul - Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin’s Revenge) - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - Derwin - Tommy Boy
Steve Miller Band - Take The Money And Run - Mercury
Liberace - Chopsticks - Columbia
De La Soul - Ghetto Thang - Tommy Boy
Kraftwerk - Trans Europe Express - Capitol
James Brown - Funky President - Polydor
The Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park - BGP Records
De La Soul - Eye Know (Know It All mix) - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - Eye Know - Tommy Boy
Steely Dan - Peg - ABC Records
Otis Redding - (Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay - Atlantic
The Mad Lads - Make This Young Lady Mine - Volt
De La Soul - Tread Water (Squire Mix) - Flying International
De La Soul - Tread Water (Mr Fish Mix) - Flying International
De La Soul - Tread Water - Tommy Boy
The People’s Choice - I Likes To Do It - Mojo
The People’s Choice - I Likes To Do It (Extended Mix) - Jamie Record Co.
De La Soul - What’s More - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - A Little Bit of Soap - Tommy Boy
The Jarmels - A Little Bit of Soap - Laurie Records
Sly & The Family Stone - Poet - Epic
De La Soul - Description - Tommy Boy
Melvin Bliss - Synthetic Substitution - Sunburst Records
War - Magic Mountain - ABC Records
De La Soul - They Don’t Know That The Soul Don’t Go For That - Tommy Boy
Parliament - Little Ole Country Boy - Invictus
Barry White - I’m Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby - 20th Century Records
United States of Audio - A Cooler Breeze on the Rocks
[Featuring:
Richard Pryor - Crap Game - Laff Records
Vaughan Mason And Crew - Bounce, Rock, Skate, Roll - Brunswick
MC Lyte - Lyte as a Rock - Atlantic
Ashford & Simpson - Solid - Capitol
Fearless Four - Rockin’ It - Enjoy Records
Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force - Planet Rock (Acapella) - Tommy Boy
Cutmaster D.C. - Brooklyn Rocks - Zakia Records
Run DMC - Hit It Run - Profile
Beastie Boys - The New Style - Def Jam
Treacherous Three - Body Rock - Sugar Hill
The Real Roxanne - Bang Zoom - Cooltempo
Public Enemy - Night of the Living Bassheads - Def Jam
L.L. Cool J - Rock The Bells - Def Jam
Michael Jackson - Rock With You - Epic
The B-Boys - Rock The House - Streetwave
Disco Dave - High Power Rap - Mike & Dave Records
Imperial Brothers - We Come To Rock - Streetwave]
Wilson Pickett - Hey Jude - Atlantic
The Turtles - You Showed Me - White Whale
De La Soul - Plug Tunin’ (Original 12" Version) - Tommy Boy
The Invitations - Written on the Wall - DynoVoice
Billy Joel - Stiletto - Columbia
De La Soul - Buddy - Tommy Boy
Taana Gardner - Heartbeat - West End Records
De La Soul - Buddy (Native Souls Instrumental) - Tommy Boy
The Commodores - Girl, I think the World About You - Motown
Eddie Harris - Get On Up and Dance - Atlantic
De La Soul - Take It Off - Tommy Boy
Funky 4 + 1 - That’s The Joint - Sugar Hill
The Turtles - I’m Chief Kamanawanalea (We’re The Royal Macadamia Nuts) - White Whale
Detroit Emeralds - Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms) - Westbound
Hall and Oates - I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) - RCA Victor
De La Soul - Say No Go (Bonus Beats) - Tommy Boy
Sly Stone - Cross Word Puzzle - Epic
The Emotions - Best of My Love - CBS
De La Soul - Say No Go - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - Say No Go (Unity Mix) - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - Me Myself and I (Richie Rich remix) - Tommy Boy
De La Soul - Me Myseld and I (Instrumental) - Tommy Boy
Edwin Birdsong - Rapper Dapper - Salsoul
Funkadelic - Not Just Knee Deep - Warner Bros
Doug E. Fresh - The Original Human Beatbox - Vintertainment
Sequence - Funk You Up - Sugar Hill
De La Soul - This Is A Recording 4 Living In A Full Time ERA (L.I.F.E.) - Tommy Boy
Magic Disco Machine - Scratchin’ - Motown
Ohio Players - Funky Worm - Westbound
De La Soul - Ain’t Hip to be Labeled a Hippie - Tommy Boy
T-Ski Valley - Catch The Beat - Grand Groove
The Rascals - My World - Atlantic
De La Soul - D.A.I.S.Y. Age - Tommy Boy
Johnny Cash - Five Feet High and Rising - Columbia
