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What is this?
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Moog synthesizer:
I was pretty fucked up when we did “Get It Together.” I can’t really remember making it, but I know Adrock took that beat from an old Moog record. The Beasties are the fucking Bugs Bunny of hip-hop. They just come up with the ill shit.
–Q-Tip, in Alan Light’s September 4 1998 piece for Spin…
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This is track 6 on Beastie Boys’ fourth (full-length) studio album, Ill Communication, released 5/31/1994. As the first single, it was released well ahead of the album, on 01/28/1994. In terms of genre, the song is considered rapcore, with traditional rock instrumentation (Adrock on guitar, MCA on bass, and Mike D on drums), turntable scratching, and deeply distorted bass guitar riffs.
In the “Beastie Boys Book,” Ad-Rock explains that he jokingly wrote the lyrics about the group’s then-producer, Mario Caldato Jr. He writes, “I decided that it would be funny to write a song about how Mario was holding us all down. How he was trying to mess it all up. Sabotaging our great works of art” (p.365).
- In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine placed “Sabotage” #480 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
- In March 2005, Q magazine ranked it at #46 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
- VH1’s 100 “Greatest Songs of the 90s” listed it at #19.
- Pitchfork Media put the song at #39 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s list.
The music video played extensively on MTV. “Sabotage" unfolds as the opening credits of a fictional 1970s-style police show, an homage/parody of retro crime drama tv series, such as Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco, S.W.A.T., Baretta, and Starsky and Hutch. The band members appear as the show’s characters…
- Vic Colfari as Bobby, “The Rookie” (Adrock)
- Alasondro Alegré as “The Chief” (Mike D)
- Nathan Wind as Cochese (also played by MCA)
- Sir Stewart Wallace guest-starring as himself (MCA)
- Fred Kelly as Bunny (DJ Hurricane)
source: chadn
Directed by Spike Jonze, the video was nominated in five categories at the 1994 MTV Music Video Awards.
Here’s some outtakes, set to “Futterman’s Rule.”
“Sabotage” has been performed in 237 known Concerts…
And now from the mind of Derek Langille, give it up for Sabotage—uncut—in comic form…
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On Happy Days, the Fonz’s (Henry Winkler) cousin, Chachi Arcola (Scott Baio) & Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran) became such a popular couple that they had a spin-off series of their own called Joanie Loves Chachi. However, not unlike Adrock’s relationship with Ione, Joanie Loves Chachi was short-lived; its original run on ABC lasted from 3.23.1982 to 9.13.1983.
I'm Buddy Rich when I fly off the handle Beastie Boys – Sabotage
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Bernard “Buddy” Rich (9.30.1917 – 4.2.1987) is widely regarded as one of the greatest jazz drummers of all time – and also well known for his temper (and his infamous chew outs of members of his ensemble).
photo by Herman Leonard from Morrison Hotel Gallery
With “his virtuoso technique, power, groove, and speed,” Rich was billed as “The World’s Greatest Drummer.” And the tirades unleashed on the underperforming members of his band are, well, legendary… Beastie Boys fans around the world may thank Emmet (aka trackdrummer) for transcribing, remastering, & uploading Buddy Rich’s Audio Tapes of Fury. What follows is just a little taste:
What the fuck do you think is goin’ on here? You had too many fuckin’ days off and you think this is a fuckin’ game!? You think I’m the only one that’s gonna work up there while you motherfuckers sit out there and clam all over this fuckin’ joint!? What do you think this is anyhow? What kind of playing do you think this is? What kinda miscues do you call this? What fuckin’ band do you think you’re playin’ on, motherfuckers? You wanna fuck with me on the bandstand?
…Shut that fuckin’ door! I’m up there working my balls off, trying to do somebody a favor, and you motherfuckers are suckin’ all over this joint. What kind of trumpet section do you call this tonight? And saxophones…you gotta fuckin’ be kidding me! How dare you call yourselves professionals. Assholes! You’re playin’ like fucking children up there. You got your fuc…(distracted momentarily) where the fuck are you?
Over the years, many of Buddy Rich’s former colleagues have come forward to say that his rages were actually quite rare, and that Rich was normally an affable dude. Still, after you listen to all the audio, it’s understandable that his underlings might have been a little nervous at times; hence, the title of this song…
source: beastieboysgallery.com
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DJ Hurricane, the Beastie’s tour DJ from post-License through pre-Hello Nasty. Replaced by Mix Master Mike…
source: beastieboysgallery.com
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A 1960’s New Orleans-based soul and R&B star, Lee Dorsey is best known for his hit, “Working In The Coal Mine.” Much of his work was produced with instrumental backing provided by the Meters, another Beastie favorite…
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Every Jewish mother’s favorite rap trio teams up with Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest for a playful flow in the style of the Golden Age. The track was recorded and mixed at G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, CA & Tin Pan Alley, New York, NY. It was produced and engineered by Mario Caldato, Jr. and assistant engineer, Settly. “Get it Together” was sequenced at Bundy’s Playhouse, mastered by Tom Baker at Futuredisc, and released as a single on 3.17.1994.
source: thecitrusreport
Samples include:
“Headless Heroes” by Eugene McDaniels from the album, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse (1971)
“Inside Looking Out“ by Grand Funk Railroad from the album, Grand Funk (1969)
- “Nothing Is the Same“ by Grand Funk Railroad from the album, Closer to Home (1970)
source: grooveonfire
B-Boys released several “official” remixes, including:
- “Get It Together (A.B.A. Remix/Instumental)"
- “Get It Together (Buck-Wild Remix)”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Sx1A9aUnTX8
Beastiemania reports that “Get it Together” has been performed in 16 known concerts.
- 1st Known Performance: 5.17.1995 — Convocation Center, Cleveland, OH, US
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taI90nv2_Jw&feature=player_detailpage - Last Known Performance: 8.21.1998 — Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, US
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“Jimi James” is the first song from Beastie Boys' third (full-length) album, Check Your Head. It was recorded and mixed at G-Son Studios, Atwater Village, CA, with Mario C co-producing with Beastie Boys and enginering. After mastering by Tom Baker at Future Disc, “Jimi James” was issued as the LP’s third single on 8.28.1992, four months following the album release on 4.21.1992.
source: ktsthlm
Adam “MCA” Yauch described “Jimmy James” as a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. Originally, it began as an instrumental groove with scratching done by Yauch (appears on the "Jimmy James” EP as the “Original Original Version”). Later during the making of CYH, lyrics were written and the other two Beastie Boys, Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “King Ad-Rock” Horovitz, joined Yauch on vocals.
Samples include:
“Jimi James” was performed in 48 known concerts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vw5i7TPkYfI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcdRt-yteI
Jimi Hendrix' band before the Jimi Hendrix Experience was Jimmy James and the Blue Flames.