A Nice Little Pub In The Middle Of Nowhere

More golden age hip hop for you today but seriously less angry than Public Enemy’s 1989 single Fight The Power that raised the temperature here yesterday. I’ve been meaning to write about De La Soul and their thirty year old debut album. I was listening to Eye Know recently and it sounded ace, really fresh and inventive. But instead today we have De La Soul’s Native Tongue’s compatriots A Tribe Called Quest. The group’s debut single I Left My Wallet In El Segundo came out in 1990. A year later it was remixed by the then fairly unknown Norman Cook and this version was put out as a promo. Norman samples/borrows liberally from/rebuilds the song entirely around Donna Summer’s State Of Independence. El Segundo’s rap is led by Q- Tip, whose lighthearted drawl sounds wonderful. He narrates the story of coming into some cash, heading south to Mexico and the dangers that lie within- buying gas, eating enchiladas and at the moment of payment being so distracted by the beauty of the waitress that you forget your wallet. Easily done.

I Left My Wallet In El Segundo (The State Of Independence Mix)

As a bonus track here’s Donna’s sublime early 80s single. State Of Independence was written and originally recorded by Jon and Vangelis. Donna recorded and released her take on it in 1982, a lolloping reggae based groove with sunshine drizzled all over it and Quincy Jones at the controls.

State Of Independence

Bonus, bonus track. In 1992 State Of Independence was covered by Moodswings, laid back, downtempo house groove with Chrissie Hynde and Martin Luther King on vocals. Moodswings were James FT Hood and Grant Showbiz. Grant spent his 80s being road crew and guitar tech for Billy Bragg and The Smiths.I’d imagine being a roadie for The Smiths involved moodswings on a daily basis. The version here is nine minutes of bliss.

Spiritual High (Moodfood Megamix)

1989 Another Summer, Sound Of The Funky Drummer

Here’s today’s post which didn’t publish this morning for some unknown reason.

The ultimate extension of Keith LeBlanc’s 1983 Malcolm X record was this, the motherlode of righteous hip hop, the pinnacle of Public Enemy’s career, the greatest protest record of them all- Fight The Power. One record pulling together the history of the civil rights movement, the upsurge in interest in Malcolm X, Spike Lee’s film making, The Bomb Squad’s screaming, pummeling production and Chuck D’s angriest, most on-point lyrics (the verse that goes ‘Elvis was a hero to most but he never meant shit to me, straight out racist that sucker was simple and plain, motherfuck him and John Wayne, people get ready ‘cos I’m black and I’m proud, I’m hyped and I’m amped, most of my heroes don’t appear on no stamps’ is as good as it gets). Again not on the hard drive but do you want the full seven minute version of the video? Yeah, boyeee!

 

Let Freedom Ring

To start the week, at what can be a bit of a miserable time of year, we need something soothing and uplifting. Moodswings were a late 80s duo made up of Grant Showbiz (formerly roadie and guitar tech for the Smiths and Billy Bragg) and James Hood (drummer for the Pretenders and Kid Creole and The Coconuts). Inspired by club culture, sampling and all the rest they made a very of its time album most of which still sound spretty good today although the drums have dated. It’s a datedness I like admittedly. The 1991 single Spiritual High married that Soul II Soul drumbeat, Jon and Vangelis, Martin Luther King and Donna Summer with Chrissie Hynde on vocals.

This dubbed out nine minute version is a delight and a pick-me-up.

Spiritual High (Moodfood megamix)