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Pieces of Peace – A Sample Odyssey · by Dan Love
Main Source – ‘Peace Is Not The Word To Play’
Main Source – ‘Peace Is Not The Word To Play (Remix)’
For any fan of that real hip hop, the recent release of the second installment of Large Pro’s instrumental series is likely to have got you hyped (well, sort of). Although I’ve enjoyed the album, the true joy in digesting it for me has been a rekindled relationship with Breaking Atoms, the universally recognized Main Source classic from ’91.
Don’t fret though: this post is not going to be yet another net-based diatribe about how fantastic the crew’s debut was/is, but rather a deeper look at the various samples that went into the construction of ‘Peace Is Not The Word To Play’, one of the finest tracks to be found on the album. Grab your notepad, sharpen that pencil and prepare to get your geek on…
Given the multiple samples used in the song, it’s difficult to know exactly where to start. Flowing, beautifully constructed prose would of course be my preferred medium (yea, you know my steez), however a list with commentary will serve the purpose just as well (just don’t call it laziness).
S.O.U.L. – ‘Peace Of Mind’
One for the aficionados only here, in that this sample only appears on the extended mix of ‘Peace…’ found on the original 12’’. This song comes from the group’s second studio effort Can You Feel It and was released on the Musicor imprint in 1972, a funky little number that settles into a sweet groove over its three and a half minutes or so. This and the group’s debut What Is It have both been mined by some heavy hitting beat diggers over the years, including the likes of Organized Konfusion and The Jungle Brothers, so if you’re interested in some sample geekery, see if you can track ‘em down (this shouldn’t be hard given that there’s a rather convenient reissue that contains both albums available on Amazon. Nothing of particular interest production-wise to comment on here, as the bridge section that begins around the 3.15 mark simply serves as an introduction and closer to the extended mix of ‘Peace…’, but it’s a great song that deserves your attention from an outfit that may have passed you by.
MFSB – ‘TLC (Tender Lovin’ Care)’
MFSB were in fact the house band for Philadelphia International Records during the early ‘70s, working with a myriad of artists including The Delfonics, The O’Jays and The Spinners. The loose affiliation of studio musicians recorded a surprising number of albums under the MFSB moniker during the era, most notably in this case their 1975 release Universal Love that spawned TLC, the foundation for the squealing horns that sit so perfectly in ‘Peace…’. There’s a little chopping to unravel here, as Large Pro and the boys skilfully rearrange the first nine seconds of ‘TLC’, and it serves as a testament to the innovative production tendencies of the Main Source crew at a time when more simplistic loops were a defining feature of the genre. If you’re planning on progressing beyond this section and listening to the song in its entirety then be warned, as the drop into the main groove leads the listener into decidedly cheesy disco territory. Having said this, ‘TLC’ could act as the perfect accompaniment to your finely honed John Travolta impersonation: just don’t forget to wiggle those hips fellas.
The Meters – ‘Britches’
Given their pre-eminence as one of the funk bands of the ‘70s, The Meters hardly need any discussion here (a cunning ploy on my part to avoid exposing the holes in my own knowledge of the group). ‘Britches’ comes from their third studio album Struttin’, the home of a significant bulk of samples that have gone into the construction of some of the most highly regarded jams that the annals of hip hop has to offer. The point to focus on arrives at the 0.44 mark when the main groove breaks down into energetic guitar work and a gradual organ track crescendo. It’s used in an almost identical manner in ‘Peace…’, bridging the gap between the opening section of the song and the switch up into the instrumental frenzy that follows. With Large Pro’s instructions to ‘stop frontin’!’ still ringing in your ears, the break acts as a springboard into the second half of the Main Source composition that is nothing short of perfection. No frontin’ here Extra P, and that’s a promise.
The reader interaction part!
Miles Davis – ‘Right Off’
The Breaks also cites a sample from this Miles Davis track taken from his 1970 album A Tribute To Jack Johnson. In referring to the opinion dividing/at times inaccurate sample database I am fully aware of revoking my ghetto pass, but since I never had one in the first place, I’m really not that bothered. Standing at an epic 27 minutes in length, I’ll be damned if I can hear how it was used in ‘Peace…’, but given that there are several samples unaccounted for in this post I guess somebody out there might know. Answers on a postcard folks (or just leave a comment).
I’ll catch ya next time. Peace!
Dan Love stays schooling suckas at From Da Bricks.
I think Oh Word readers are getting spoiled by the glut of quality around here this month.
— rafi Nov 30, 01:36 PM
Yeah for real. Oh Word November is the month to remember.
— Jay B Nov 30, 08:48 PM
I guess the Miles Davis break will remain an enigma…
— Dan Love Dec 14, 01:22 PM
I’m tryin to find out what LP used for Lookin at the front Door.The “Chica boom boom boom” & “Baby Bye bye“at the beginning.
Been puzzling me ever since 91.
— BIG NOISE Feb 13, 03:30 PM
Big Noise,
From a quick scout around I think it’s safe to say that The Pazant Brothers ‘Chick A Boom’ was only ever released as a 45 single. You can get it on this compilation of their work here:
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6981294/a/Brothers+Funk+Rare+New+York+City+Funk+1969-75.htm
Peace,
Dan
— Dan Love Feb 13, 05:32 PM