I'm on my way out of the house but seems cruel to leave this hanging, so quickly:
The Underground Railroad is a real radio show that actually exists, lol. We've been on the air since 1991, I think we're well known in certain circles (if I draw a circle around my mom's house, at least). Original home of DJ Spinna, and DJ Monkone of Wax Poetics among others. Jared of Sound Library/Big City also spins for us, O-Dub and Phil aka Soulman have been guests among other known strutters.
That night DJ 3D was playing for me.. at one point he puts on a record and I think "hey this sounds like Mardi Gras with no bells", so I ask hey where'd you get this and he says "Biz gave this to me." I'm pretty sure 3D doesn't read this site or know the significance this would have here, but I thought of Soulstrut right away so I took a little mic break to acknowledge the moment.
So no it's not a hoax, BUT.. here's the catch. 3D was doing a Microwave set that night.. if I understood correctly it's one of a bunch of tracks that Biz gave him in digital form.
Soooo, take that for what it is. Results inconclusive, I guess. Sorry to let this thread go on so long, I hadn't seen it till Joe Schloss dropped an email.
sadly I don't think we're much futher than we were last week.
Biz has an MP3 that may (or may not) be Mardi Gras without the bells. We knew that from the Youtube clip with Questlove. Biz gave said MP3 to Jay Smooth's homie and a recording of the MP3 it made its way here.
TShirt Please! Biz's head should be in the background laughing though.
Or just on the back of the shirt.
Actually, shouldn't the back have a version of this? :
For real though, If the Mardi Gras icon was a little more recognizable (I thought they were binoculars or something) I would definitely cop that shirt. I think that needs to be the next SoulStrut shirt line addition.
First of all if we listn to the break presented on the radio show. We wanna know is this a new played version, or is this a 2 bar break which was played in the original recording session, but was maybe edited away for release.
So to answer the question. This is the same break we used to cut up for the last 30 years.
How can I proof it ?? Check this audio file. First you will hear the cowbell-less break, than you will hear the original version but I panned it and used the stereo side where the cowbells are lower in volume.
After that i mixed them together, what happens is that you get something which is called flanging. DJs know this effect and will recognise in a second.
First I thought it sounded like some backwards loops, and I use a technique to extend or manipulate loops by using fragments of the sample in a forward/backward loop style.
But after I listened closeley I came to the point that there is no backwards looping. What happens is that at one 16th before the first snare the sound of the cowbell comes back. Which means it is there before too, but was manipulated away by a filter or another technique I dont know.
Did you ever buy a CD reissue of some 30s music ?? If yes than you came across a effect where the record company tried to get the best out of this old recordings, because they think that all the hiss noise and static from these classic recordings would be a pain to the ears of the listeners. So they ran this material through a filter. If you now listen to a tune which ran through those noise reduction filters you will recognise that in certain parts the tune sounds like it has more high frequencys and in some you think it sounds all muddy. This comes because in those parts where they are playing instruments which have less natural highs like a piano, the filter will work stronger than in a part where a singer is. This means that the filter is opening up when a lot of high frequencies are coming into play.
If you keep this effect in mind, it could be that the filter used here opens up for the ghostsnare and ghostbassdrum that is one 16th before the snare, therefore we can hear the cowbell again.
To me it sounds manipulated, and it doesnt sound like it was manipulated in 1973.
If you listen to the end of the radio snippet you will hear that the cowbell-less break is even longer than the famous 2 bars. If you listen to this snippet I made you will hear that the dude from the radio speaker, that is sometimes refered as audience noise, says something like "master" and he is saying it right onto the offbeat after the first bassdrum of the second 2 bars in the original recordings.
This is the first two 8th of the second 2 bar loop from the original 12". Which means that the cowbell-less break is even longer than we ever thaught.
Thats no proof for a hoax, but you will hear it in this clip, thats why I'm mentioning it.
Another proof for a hoax to me is that if you listen closely to the bassdrum section, you will hear a diffrence when the original full cowbell break comes in.
The bassdrum is deeper and fatter. I checked it with my frequency analyser and the cowbell-less break got less volume around 30hz than the full original break.
I think this comes from the fact that they manipulated only the one panned side of the break, that side where the bells are allready lower in volume, on that side the bassdrum is not as fat as on the other channel.
I think this is a very good manipulated mono sample of the original break. I dont think it was done in 1973 till I see and hear the original record Biz Markie is talking about.
Peace Hawkeye
i think you forgot to triangulate one of the vectORS
but seriously, I'm still not convinced that this record exists, but this thread reminds my of why I HEART SOUL STRUT!!! classic thread...
This may or may not exist (Santa Claus Theory) but if you think it does, plaese to come up with a more plausable explanation on how it would have been released.
Questlove internet geek extroadinare himself stumbles upon said conversation. Rings up the Biz about it. They have a nice long laugh. Then Quest suggests, we could probably just remake our own bell-less mardi gras track. So, they slow down the sample over a PA, questlove painstakingly remakes the famous mardi gras break over several takes they keep the best snippet. Then they release a youtube clip about it to let the Okayplayer community in on the joke.
Despite my young age, I was a pretty in-demand session player of bells, chimes, and glockenspiels back in the day. So I got tapped to do these sessions with Bob James. During the recording of "Mardi Gras," Bob kept getting annoyed that perfectly good takes were getting ruined by minor mistakes. His frustration kept building until finally, as we started from the top for the umpteenth time, he turned to me and yelled, "Can we do ONE Frickin' TAKE without your goddamn bells in it? Huh? how 'bout just a couple bars? Can you shut the fuck up for a couple bars? Is that too much to ask, maestro?"
The studio fell dead silent.
After a pause, I said, "Damn, for a jazz noodler, you're pretty Frickin' ornery."
Bob cracked up. Tension broken. We started from the top, and I didn't come in with my bells until we had given the drummer some. Bam. Bell-less "Mardi Gras."
(On the real, that T-shirt must get made, and that RZA "invented it!" graemlin is )
Sayin'. Until I see video of Biz or anyone hold the record up to the camera so I can read the label and then put the thing directly on the turntable and play the first 20 seconds....
Even with evidence like I might still be dubious, but still. I actually hope that it never surfaces, because the constant discussions are more fun and satisfying than I think seeing it proved would be.
didn't there used to be Mythical Raer graemlin? Raj, holler!
On Point!
come one man what digger out there would not want to show off that they had this on wax if it existed? Maybe in the 80s it was hard to show it to everyone.....but with the technology nowdays it would take 10 minutes for Biz to post a film of him pulling the record out, showing it, playing it...and then smiling into the camera...Its not like its an unknown rare break he doesnt want anyone to know about...we all know the mardi gras break....
Comments
The Underground Railroad is a real radio show that actually exists, lol. We've been on the air since 1991, I think we're well known in certain circles (if I draw a circle around my mom's house, at least). Original home of DJ Spinna, and DJ Monkone of Wax Poetics among others. Jared of Sound Library/Big City also spins for us, O-Dub and Phil aka Soulman have been guests among other known strutters.
That night DJ 3D was playing for me.. at one point he puts on a record and I think "hey this sounds like Mardi Gras with no bells", so I ask hey where'd you get this and he says "Biz gave this to me." I'm pretty sure 3D doesn't read this site or know the significance this would have here, but I thought of Soulstrut right away so I took a little mic break to acknowledge the moment.
So no it's not a hoax, BUT.. here's the catch. 3D was doing a Microwave set that night.. if I understood correctly it's one of a bunch of tracks that Biz gave him in digital form.
Soooo, take that for what it is. Results inconclusive, I guess. Sorry to let this thread go on so long, I hadn't seen it till Joe Schloss dropped an email.
Jay Smooth
http://www.illdoctrine.com
They go on to talk about the "replicator" at about 1:14!
tell joe i said sup!
Oh yeah, you should check my video about the Replicator here:
http://www.illdoctrine.com/2007/11/rza_and_the_legend_of_the_repl.html
Mardi Gras without the bells reaches a pinnacle on the internets
AND...
Britney's lil sister gets knocked up @ 16!!!
I bet now you dudes are watching CHEMTRAILS...
sadly I don't think we're much futher than we were last week.
Biz has an MP3 that may (or may not) be Mardi Gras without the bells. We knew that from the Youtube clip with Questlove. Biz gave said MP3 to Jay Smooth's homie and a recording of the MP3 it made its way here.
record still nowhere to be found.
Has no one made this a shirt yet???
I've said this before, but that would make one hell of a dope shirt!!!
that was great. I think i believe in the replicator now too.
Someone make this happen!
MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Ah, the saga continues!
Or just on the back of the shirt.
I really hope Biz does have it, cuz if so he's a uber-PT-Barnum-genius for stretching out the drama this long.
I'm gonna add it to my resume that I achieved Salma Hayek status, btw.
Actually, shouldn't the back have a version of this? :
For real though, If the Mardi Gras icon was a little more recognizable (I thought they were binoculars or something) I would definitely cop that shirt. I think that needs to be the next SoulStrut shirt line addition.
www.zazzle.com
i think you forgot to triangulate one of the vectORS
but seriously, I'm still not convinced that this record exists, but this thread reminds my of why I HEART SOUL STRUT!!! classic thread...
Questlove internet geek extroadinare himself stumbles upon said conversation. Rings up the Biz about it. They have a nice long laugh. Then Quest suggests, we could probably just remake our own bell-less mardi gras track. So, they slow down the sample over a PA, questlove painstakingly remakes the famous mardi gras break over several takes they keep the best snippet. Then they release a youtube clip about it to let the Okayplayer community in on the joke.
Looped, leaked, internet folktale born.
- spidey
Beads and tits?
I need this
Guys,
I can make this happen however I am assuming I need Raj's approval beforehand. Apart from that, I can def. print these.
buk buk booyaka shot!
I played the bells on "Mardi Gras."
Despite my young age, I was a pretty in-demand session player of bells, chimes, and glockenspiels back in the day. So I got tapped to do these sessions with Bob James. During the recording of "Mardi Gras," Bob kept getting annoyed that perfectly good takes were getting ruined by minor mistakes. His frustration kept building until finally, as we started from the top for the umpteenth time, he turned to me and yelled, "Can we do ONE Frickin' TAKE without your goddamn bells in it? Huh? how 'bout just a couple bars? Can you shut the fuck up for a couple bars? Is that too much to ask, maestro?"
The studio fell dead silent.
After a pause, I said, "Damn, for a jazz noodler, you're pretty Frickin' ornery."
Bob cracked up. Tension broken. We started from the top, and I didn't come in with my bells until we had given the drummer some. Bam. Bell-less "Mardi Gras."
(On the real, that T-shirt must get made, and that RZA "invented it!" graemlin is
On Point!
come one man what digger out there would not want to show off that they had this on wax if it existed?
Maybe in the 80s it was hard to show it to everyone.....but with the technology nowdays it would take 10 minutes for Biz to post a film of him pulling the record out, showing it, playing it...and then smiling into the camera...Its not like its an unknown rare break he doesnt want anyone to know about...we all know the mardi gras break....