Mrs Kennedy’s Pink Suit

50 years ago today events unfolded around Deeley Plaza that led to the creation of this genius cut-and-paste hip hop record by Steinski.

And now…. here’s Johnny
Ask not what your country can do for you
Ask what you can do for your country
Here is a bulletin
Stand by please
In Dallas, Texas
It appears that something has happened in the motorcade route
Ich bin ein Berliner
Three shots were fired
Put me on Phil, put me on
President Kennedy has been seriously wounded by this shooting
Stand by please, stand by please
More details, just arrived
Mrs Kennedy jumped up
She called ‘oh no’
The energy, the faith, the devotion
The motorcade sped on
The world is very different now
Something has happened here
We understand there has been a shooting
I can see many, many motorcycles
Mrs Kennedy’s pink suit
Something is wrong here, something is terribly wrong
More details just arrived
The motorcade sped on
A flash, apparently official
President Kennedy died at 1 pm
Central standard time.
We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution
There is a prisoner, wearing a black sweater
Do you have anything to say in your defence?
Oswald has been shot
Jack Ruby, Jack Ruby
Ruby, he lives in Texas
He runs the Carousel Club
More details just arrived
Mrs Kennedy jumped up, she called ‘oh no’
The energy, the faith, the devotion
The motorcade sped on
More details just arrived
Mrs Kennedy jumped up, she called ‘oh no’

The Motorcade Sped On

History Lesson With Breakbeats

Steinski’s Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop) is slide ‘n’ fade, cut ‘n’ paste, hip hop without rap (if that makes sense). Built from the now over-familiar samples and beats, it’s funky, urgent party music from before rappers took over. Ideal if you’re staying in with friends tomorrow night.

I found a copy of this (a 90’s reisssue, but still…) in Sale Oxfam for £2.99 the other day. How does this stuff end up there? It’s a reason I can’t, no daren’t, pass a charity shop without rummaging in their vinyl box.

Steinski_01_03_Lesson 3 (History Of Hip Hop).mp3

Mrs Kennedy Jumped Up, She Called ‘Oh No’

From 1987 one of the first cut and-paste montage set to a hip-hop drumbeat records, and still one of the most effective. I’m sure almost anyone with half an idea, some newsreel vocal samples, a drum machine software package and an hour or two could do something similar, but Steinski was first. This groundbreaking 7″ single was given away free on the cover of the NME. Who now give blanket coverage to Mumford And Sons and suchlike. Truly they were different times…

The_Motorcade_Sped_On.mp3