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C'mon Baby - "Light My Fire" Sample · by Dan Love
Young-Holt Unlimited – ‘Light My Fire’
Originally the rhythm section for the Ramsey Lewis Trio, Eldee Young (bass) and Red Holt (drums and percussion) parted ways from the group in 1965 as a result of shifts in the power dynamic between the three musicians that followed the commercial success of The In Crowd LP. As a newly constituted ensemble with a pianist on board, the group scored a quick Top 20 R&B hit with ‘Wack Wack’ in 1967 before another change in line up that heralded the formation of Young-Holt Unlimited. In this guise they went on to record no less than six albums for Brunswick Records until the group disbanded in 1974, leaving behind a weighty back catalogue filled with jazzy, soulful covers and original recordings that have been reinterpreted by some of hip hop’s finest producers on a multitude of slammin’ beats.
With that rather brisk overview of the group complete, the focus of today’s post is on their cover of The Doors’ classic ‘Light My Fire’. The song can be found on YHU’s penultimate LP Just A Melody, one of the only albums from their discography that has never been granted the reissue treatment. This is a real shame, because the album is a wonderful collection of songs permeated by the group’s funky, upbeat audio aesthetic, a quality aptly demonstrated by the ‘Light My Fire’ cover. The track has been sampled on a number of occasions, but the following three cuts easily rank as my favourites.
De La Soul – ‘A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays’
By far the most well known of the songs presented here, there seems little point in me going into much depth with a song and album that I suspect the majority of you know like the back of your hand (or whatever other piece of your anatomy you know particularly well). Given the myriad of breaks used in the song’s construction, the ‘Light My Fire’ sample is by no means a prominent player in this classic jam, slipping subtly into the composition at the 2.18 mark for sixteen bars or so. It’s a prime example of Prince Paul’s ability to mould different source material into a cohesive end product, and the song deserves its status as classic material. And then some.
Da King & I – ‘Let’s Take A Trip’
Why Da King & I remain so heavily slept on is beyond me, as their debut (and only) full length LP Contemporary Jeep Music is an absolute gem (I’ve discussed it at length here). A combination of the lyrical gymnastics of Izzy Ice and DJ Majesty’s rich, textured production style, the duo are perhaps at their best on ‘Let’s Take A Trip’, a standout amongst standouts on the album. It’s the infectious piano loop and on beat guitar track that feature here from YHU’s original composition, a melodic groove that is juxtaposed beautifully with a heavy-hitting, adrenalin-fueled drum track. From the echoing horns of the intro section to Izzy’s instructions to ‘unfasten the seatbelts of your mind’ as the song comes to a close, ‘Let’s Take A Trip’ is a truly sensational jam that deserves far more props than it has ever received.
Although Chubb’s fourth studio outing I Gotta Get Mine Yo! is a slightly mixed bag of killer cuts and overtly radio-friendly jams, ‘I’m The Man’ is as good a song as the heavyweight MC ever put together: his swagger is untouchable on this joint. Along with the already discussed piano/guitar loop featured in the cuts above, The Trackmasters add the squealing sax solo that begins at the 1.18 mark from the original sample to great effect, providing ‘I’m The Man’ with a neck-snapping vigour that is captivating. Chubb’s deft wordplay on the track easily matches the quality of the beat, covering both standard boasts as well as more socially conscious material with the effortless sense of style and finesse that make him one of the most underrated MCs of the era. Set the night on fire? I betcha Chubbster did it with bells on.
Comments for "C'mon Baby - "Light My Fire" Sample"
Nice.
Above The Law’s “Untouchable” is also a favorite.
— eauhellzgnaw Oct 29, 04:57 PM
Brian Auger’s cover of “Light My Fire” is a hauntingly good version, right on time for the Halloween festivities.
— Danny! Oct 29, 05:32 PM
Chubb is still heavily slept on even today but that album is still a favorite of mine. THE CHUBBSTER. WORRRRRD UP~!
— DJ Flash Oct 30, 04:48 AM
intro as also sampled by european (france o’ spain ?)jazzkor
— hiroti Aug 7, 10:11 AM