Three, Two, One: A Final Say With Bob James

Wax Poetics added to their ever-expanding empire this week by launching their online digital store. To set things off, they chose an article on Bob James by yours truly. Click the image below to read it:

I usually have qualms about posting my non-WTTM work on here (I just did it in my previous post, I know), but I'm proud of this one. It's a three-parter where Bob talks about the myths surrounding his work, breaks down his best albums and the most sampled tracks off each, while contextualizing his own importance within hip-hop's history.

I'm flattered that Wax Po chose it as their lead article for the big launching of their digital store. And as far as I know, it's probably the most in-depth, hip-hop related interview you'll ever read on Bob James.

Wax Return

Lee Perry and the Upsetters' Return of Wax was one of the first records I bought when I was starting my collection. (Justice League, 1998. Still looking for an original.) At the time I was heavily into the Beastie Boys and actually picked up a few nice records following their samples and shout outs ("Like Lee Perry I'm very... odd," from Sure Shot). The opening track on the second side is an original instrumental called "One Armed Boxer" with a killer intro. After the drums roll in, a single note repeats for a few bars over snappy drums before settling into the bass groove that makes up the rest of the track. We here at WTTM headquarters can't agree on the orgin of that addictive sound. Cutso thinks it's an organ, Weezy and I are guessing some kind of effected guitar. I always wanted to sample that part myself but never got around to it. Luckily, someone far more talented than I am used it a few years later.


The utterly unique MC/producer Beans jacked the loop for "Databreaker" off of his slept-on album Now Soon Someday (Warp,2003). He drops a slew of his trademark mind-bending free-associative rhymes over the track.
Highlights include a brilliant metaphor:"If Earth's a jail, then music's how I'll serve my life sentence..."
Some cogent advice for weak MCs: "If you want constructive criticism, then stop rhyming..."
And a concise, hilarious story rap tucked into the last verse that explains a lot about Beans' outlook on life: "Picked up these two girls in the club so they could double team me/ Caught them walking out the door trying to steal my TV/ Wasn't mad, but if you like me, admire ingenuity, so you understand..."

Though not nearly as prolific or influential, I see Beans as an inheritor of Perry's legacy of innovative and eccentric artistry. Among other similarities, the two men share an inclination toward bass-heavy production and a penchant for seemingly nonsensical wordplay.

The Marketts vs. Four Tet

The Marketts were a Hollywood-based group that gained slight fame during the surf craze of the 1960s. In fact, they weren’t really a band, but a collection of session musicians gathered and guided by Joe Saraceno (producer of The Ventures, Gene Mcdaniels, The Sunshine Company, The Routers, Bobby Vee). Their songs were mainly instrumentals, most of which had strong rock, soul, and weird sci-fi touches. They’re not terribly memorable, but nevertheless made some great recordings between 1961-1977.

If Marketts sound somewhat familiar, it’s because they appeared on the popular Pulp Fiction soundtrack. The song, “Out Of Limits”, was #3 on the charts in 1964 and remains their highest ranked single. My favorite of theirs is "Bella Dalena", and is actually the b-side to the famous single. It's short and succinct, has a steady groove, and is guided by some really great drums***. It’s the kind of song you can hear twice in a row.

***The drums you hear at the beginning were lifted and used on the Four Tet track below, “Carmella”.


“Carmella” is from the Four Tet: Remixes album, and uses a song by Beth Orton. The track builds slowly and the layering is superb (typical Four Tet), but is also about 6–minutes too long (typical Four Tet). Who would’ve thought Four Tet, Beth Orton, and The Marketts would mesh so well?