Soul Strut 100: # 10 - Bob James - 2 (Mardi Gras with or without the Bells)

RAJ

I will slowly be unveiling the Top 100 Soul Strut Related Records as Voted by the Strutters Themselves.

# 10 - Bob James - 2 (Mardi Gras with or without the Bells)



The list so far:

# 100 - Jr. and His Soulettes - Psychodelic Sounds
# 99 - Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul
# 98 - Donny Hathaway - S/T (1971)
# 97 - Bernard Wright - ???Nard
# 96 - Tom Scott - Honeysuckle Breeze
# 95 - People Under the Stairs - Question in the Form of an Answer
# 94 - Harlem River Drive
# 93 - Black Moon - Enta Da Stage
# 92 - Marvin Gaye - Here, My Dear
# 91 - Muddy Waters - Electric Mud
# 90 - Les McCann - Layers
# 89 - Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
# 88 - Leroy Hutson - Hutson (1975)
# 87 - ESG - S/T (1981)
# 86 - Can - Tago Mago
# 85 - Bohannon - Stop & Go
# 84 - WILLIAM DEVAUGHN - Be Thankful For What You Got
# 83 - Power of Zeus - The Gospel According to Zeus
# 82 - Gang Starr - Hard To Earn
# 81 - The J.B.???s - Doing It to Death
# 80 - Parliament - Osmium
# 79 - McNeal & Niles - Thrust
# 78 - The Lafayette Afro Rock Band - Malik
# 77 - Earth, Wind, and Fire (1971)
# 76 - Dr. Dre - The Chronic
# 75 - Black Sabbath (1970)
# 74 - Trap Door / An International Psychedelic Mystery Mix (2006)
# 73 - Bob James - One
# 72 - Matthew Larkin Cassell - Pieces
# 71 - The Beginning Of The End - Funky Nassau
# 70 - Big Bear - Doin??? Thangs
# 69 - Steely Dan - Aja
# 68 - Quasimoto - The Unseen
# 67 - Curtis Mayfield - Curtis/Live! (1971)
# 66 - Al Green - Im still in love with you
# 65 - The Beatnuts - Street Level
# 64 - Archie Whitewater - Archie Whitewater (1970)
# 63 - Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca & the Soul Brother
# 62 - Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
# 61 - The J.B.???s - Food For Thought
# 60 - Don Blackman (1982)
# 59 - Niagara - (Tiddies)
# 58 - Can - Ege Bamyasi
# 57 - Whatnauts - On the Rocks
# 56 - The Mohawks - Champ
# 55 - McDonald and Giles (1971)
# 54 - Darondo - Let My People Go
# 53 - Dorothy Ashby - Afro Harping
# 52 - Beastie Boys - Paul???s Boutique
# 51 - Mulatu Astatke - Mulatu of Ethiopia
# 50 - Lyman Woodard Organization - Saturday Night Special
# 49 - Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul
# 48 - Lyn Collins - Think (About It)
# 47 - James Brown - In The Jungle Groove
# 46 - Bill Withers - Still Bill
# 45 - Stevie Wonder - Innervisions
# 44 - Silver Apples - S/T
# 43 - Mobb Deep - The Infamous
# 42 - Lyn Christopher (1973)
# 41 - Serge Gainsbourg - Histoire de Melody Nelson
# 40 - Gang Starr - Step in the Arena
# 39 - Diamond D - Stunts, Blunts, & Hip Hop
# 38 - Terry Callier - What Color is Love
# 37 - David Axelrod - Song of Innocence
# 36 - The Invaders - Spacing Out
# 35 - Leo Sayer - Endless Flight
# 34 - Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
# 33 - DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist - Brainfreeze (Mix)
# 32 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
# 31 - DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
# 30 - De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
# 29 - Ray Barretto - Acid
# 28 - The Sylvers - II
# 27 - Donald Byrd - Places and Spaces
# 26 - Shuggie Otis - Inspiration Information
# 25 - Nas - Illmatic
# 24 - The Baby Huey Story - The Living Legend
# 23 - Roy Ayers - He???s Coming
# 22 - Kool and the Gang (album) (1969)
# 21 - Demon Fuzz - Afreaka!
# 20 - Curtis Mayfield - Curtis!
#19 - Eugene McDaniels - Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse
# 18 - Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock
# 17 - Placebo - Ball of Eyes
# 16 - Arthur Verocai - Arthur Verocai (1972)
# 15 - A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
# 14 - S.O.U.L. - What Is It
# 13 - Funkadelic - Maggot Brain
# 12 - Boscoe
# 11 - RAMP - Come Into Knowledge

Please discuss your reactions to this record. The thread will be archived later here.

About

Many moons ago famed DJ, rapper, and record digger Biz Markie claimed to own a PROMO only 12" version of Bob James Ultimate Break "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" that was pressed without the infamous bells. It was also said to have come along with a leather briefcase with all over CTI logo print ( a la Louis Vuitton).

The existence of such a holy grail has been questioned for many years (especially because Biz has not presented evidence) and Bob James himself could not confirm.

In 2012, Thes One of People Under the Stairs unearthed a reel-to-reel of old music for TV shows that in fact had a version of Mardi Gras without the bells! It was posted and quickly removed from Youtube furthering the controversy.

Related Threads

???Mardi Gras??? without the bells..Courtesy Wbai..

Look, I didnt want to get involved but - I have the Bob James without the bells reel: 6057TV1a

Mardi Gras without the bells?

Media

fishmongerfunk

obviously this record belongs high up on the list because of its important connection to soulstrut lore and it birthed the beatoff and so forth but i don't think i could sit through this whole record.

for my money, the bells make that break.... RIP Ralph McDonald....

4YearGraduate

:holygrail:

piedpiper

This is soulstrut.

LaserWolf

I've got a copy!
:balla: :game_over: :get_on_my_level:

How about some bells related gremlins?

Duderonomy

piedpiper said:

This is soulstrut.

Yes!

It had to be somewhere in the top ten. Mardi Gras is part of the furniture here.

Bapt

Many moons ago famed DJ, rapper, and record digger Biz Markie claimed to own a PROMO only 12" version of Bob James Ultimate Break "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" that was pressed without the infamous bells.

(...)

In 2012, Thes One of People Under the Stairs unearthed a reel-to-reel of old music for TV shows that in fact had a version of Mardi Gras without the bells!

[

Isn't it missing something in between?

Hello the Strut!!

CratesGatsby

So Good. So Hype!

It's accessible- you can pick this up early in the game for low cost, free or trade. (How pumped when you found this!) It's not precious- one of the best original doubles flips. You can beat the fuck out of it, replace it. But it's also as rare as it gets...

BeatChemist

I bought a reissue of this cheap, not realizing it was warped. I also forgot about it and never returned it. So now I have a shitty, unplayable reissue. So I just load Mardi Gras up in Traktor and rock doubles lol

Anyone have other songs they enjoy off the album?

DocMcCoy

piedpiper said:

This is soulstrut.

Absolutely.

BeatChemist

Many moons ago famed DJ, rapper, and record digger Biz Markie claimed to own a PROMO only 12" version of Bob James Ultimate Break "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" that was pressed without the infamous bells.

(...)

In 2012, Thes One of People Under the Stairs unearthed a reel-to-reel of old music for TV shows that in fact had a version of Mardi Gras without the bells!

[

Isn't it missing something in between?

Hello the Strut!!

You just want a mention for your bell removal efforts!!

Whatup!!?? Ca fait long temps!

Bapt

Salut Kyle, yes, ??a fait longtemps!!
I'm not claiming any mention, I just want people to remind that I posted the first high quality AIFF snippet of that breakbeat without the bells on the net. Saying.
I'll post a new one if needed, I can provide a 88.2 KHz/24 bits AIFF recorded from the (original/ not a reissue like yours) on an EMT 948 turntable / EMT needle through an Hylo AD/DA conv.
Have a good day

LaserWolf

DocMcCoy

LaserWolf said:

The dissolve puts it over the top, imo.

DOR

DocMcCoy said:

LaserWolf said:

The dissolve puts it over the top, imo.

This is a dollar_bin classic correct? From when I posted the bigfoot.gif

That d00d had talent!


Side note. I enjoy with the bells.

stratasphere

BeatChemist said:

I bought a reissue of this cheap, not realizing it was warped. I also forgot about it and never returned it. So now I have a shitty, unplayable reissue. So I just load Mardi Gras up in Traktor and rock doubles lol

Anyone have other songs they enjoy off the album?

Farandole :real_headz:

BeatChemist

Haha Bapt! :P

Have any of you tried to explain this whole story to anyone who isn't into records? Get some weird looks!

Bapt

stratasphere said:

BeatChemist said:

I bought a reissue of this cheap, not realizing it was warped. I also forgot about it and never returned it. So now I have a shitty, unplayable reissue. So I just load Mardi Gras up in Traktor and rock doubles lol

Anyone have other songs they enjoy off the album?

Farandole :real_headz:

+ 1000

CratesGatsby

I have been away from this scene for a while, I've missed alot and I don't get many of the jokes. I had heard of the Biz's Bell-less myth hype long ago.
But I just heard the Live Biz YouTube for the first time. Holy SHIT! I almost fell out of my chair. Mind Blown.

ps- sure this has been covered, but how does the MC ask if there are any real Bboys in the house, and not LOSE his shit when the beat drops...like fucking life on Mars news)

batmon

Uploader.......

hendravis

this is one of the first albums that got me into collecting. i used to go over to a friends when we'd skip class, we would blaze a bit and then he showed me some Bob James. my friend was a super talented piano player, and loved bob, had all his stuff. so every now and then he would put on the vinyl and from then on the rest is history. it inspired me to not just get into and collect that type of music but also play the piano/synth.

utters

Umm, that live biz youtube no-bells version... I can still hear the bells in the background... probably nothing you can't achieve with some steep filtering, polyphonic melodyne, some crafty phase-reversing maybe and other such tricks/plug-ins available on the market these days

I missed the original thread, but would be interested to hear that AIFF file...

tabira

utters said:

Umm, that live biz youtube no-bells version... I can still hear the bells in the background... probably nothing you can't achieve with some steep filtering, polyphonic melodyne, some crafty phase-reversing maybe and other such tricks/plug-ins available on the market these days

I missed the original thread, but would be interested to hear that AIFF file...

I've got a mix with nothing but the bells, sucks though

utters

tabira said:

utters said:

Umm, that live biz youtube no-bells version... I can still hear the bells in the background... probably nothing you can't achieve with some steep filtering, polyphonic melodyne, some crafty phase-reversing maybe and other such tricks/plug-ins available on the market these days

I missed the original thread, but would be interested to hear that AIFF file...

I've got a mix with nothing but the bells, sucks though

Oh where's that from? Would love to hear that

If you phase-reversed that over the original you might be able to take them out entirely

Jimster

2 words:
Italian Jukebox

tabira

utters said:

tabira said:

utters said:

Umm, that live biz youtube no-bells version... I can still hear the bells in the background... probably nothing you can't achieve with some steep filtering, polyphonic melodyne, some crafty phase-reversing maybe and other such tricks/plug-ins available on the market these days

I missed the original thread, but would be interested to hear that AIFF file...

I've got a mix with nothing but the bells, sucks though

Oh where's that from? Would love to hear that

If you phase-reversed that over the original you might be able to take them out entirely

I was joking. Not sure if you followed me.

sticky_dojah

Bambaataa's copy.

utters

tabira said:

utters said:

tabira said:

utters said:

Umm, that live biz youtube no-bells version... I can still hear the bells in the background... probably nothing you can't achieve with some steep filtering, polyphonic melodyne, some crafty phase-reversing maybe and other such tricks/plug-ins available on the market these days

I missed the original thread, but would be interested to hear that AIFF file...

I've got a mix with nothing but the bells, sucks though

Oh where's that from? Would love to hear that

If you phase-reversed that over the original you might be able to take them out entirely

I was joking. Not sure if you followed me.

Haha don't think I did