May 2024 Connections Mix Tape
The Judge Dredd and Akon May 2024 Connections Mix Tape can be found on Spotify. Listen in-blog below for a more rich experience, or on Spotify for uninterrupted music. Please note below each song is a link to song lyrics for accessibility. Check out more details on how to best enjoy mix tapes.
Good day! I’m DJ Ponyboy. Welcome to Judge Dredd and Akon: May 2024 Connections Mix Tape on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado!
Comprised of Canadian musicians Neil Young, Bruce Palmer, and Dewey Martin as well as American musicians Stephen Stills and Richie Furay, the band Buffalo Springfield, though short-lived (1966-1968), had an outsized impact.
Our first song, written by Stephen Stills in 1966, is thought by many to be about the Vietnam War or the Kent State shootings, but was instead a response to the November 1966 Sunset Strip curfew riots in Los Angeles, California.
Wikipedia describes the riots as: “a series of early counterculture-era clashes that took place between police and young people on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, California, the same year Buffalo Springfield had become the house band at the Whisky a Go Go. […] Local residents and businesses had become annoyed by […] late-night traffic congestion. In response, they lobbied Los Angeles County to pass local ordinances stopping loitering, and enforced a strict curfew on the Strip after 10 p.m.”
The next evening a crowd of up to 1,000 demonstrators (including future celebrities like Jack Nicholson and Peter Fonda) gathered in protest. Though the event was initially peaceful, it festered into unrest that kept trouble popping up for weeks.
Just listen to this track for now and file it away – we will be coming back to it. I especially enjoy Neil Young’s distinctive guitar harmonics heard throughout.
With one of those songs that encapsulates the turmoil of 1960s America (and is still relevant today), here is Buffalo Springfield – “For What It’s Worth” on KMTJ-DB Denver.
“For What It’s Worth” – Buffalo Springfield. Store that earworm away for later.
Next, this mix tape’s featured character: 1977’s Judge Dredd, the fictional, satirical “street judge”, with the authority to arrest, convict, sentence, and execute criminals, a commentary on authoritarianism and police brutality.
Well, sort of.
Created as a collaboration between writer John Wagner and artist Carlos Ezquerra, the comic book character Judge Dredd (spelled D-r-e-d-d) was named after British reggae artist Judge Dread (D-r-e-a-d, as in Dread Pirate Roberts).
Born in England in 1945, Alexander Minto Hughes (who performed as Judge Dread) was a British reggae and ska musician, perhaps best known for being the artist with the distinction of having the most songs banned by the BBC (for his extensive use of sexual innuendo and double-entendre) and being the first White artist to have a reggae hit in Jamaica.
Well, sort of.
Hughes borrowed his moniker from the song “Judge Dread Rock Steady” by Prince Buster.
Born 1938 as Cecil Bustamente Campbell in Kingston, Jamaica, Prince Buster was a singer, songwriter, and producer who was influential in reggae in the 1960s and has continued to be an influence on reggae and ska music even today.
His 1967 track “Judge Dread Rock Steady” features the character Judge Hundred-Years, also known as Judge Dread, a satirization of authoritarianism and the overreach of many courts. One by one, defendants stream through his courtroom as he unfairly and harshly judges each for crimes they did not commit.
Here is Prince Buster with his influential 1967 reggae masterpiece “Judge Dread Rock Steady” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver.
“Don’t cry, don’t cry!”
In last month’s Dr. Joe Early Connections Mix Tape we talked about how sampling is one way artists can collaborate with or insert themselves into each other’s art.
Another way is through something called interpolation. Wikipedia defines interpolation as, “using a melody— or portions of a melody (often with modified lyrics)— from a previously recorded song but re-recording the melody instead of directly sampling it.” The article noted it is sometimes also referred to as a “replayed sample”.
Just like how this next song by the Specials references the Prince Buster track from twelve years earlier by “manually remixing” it, borrowing the rock steady sound, style, general vibe, and even some (but not all) the lyrics to add dimension to their original, predominately ska-style track.
It also acts as a sort of musical shorthand, painting the canvas of the current artwork with paints from an earlier and established work of art.
I’m DJ Ponyboy, and here are the Specials with 1979’s “Stupid Marriage”.
“Stupid Marriage” by the Specials. That band was comprised of Terry Hall and Neville Staple on vocals, Jerry Dammers on keyboards, Lynval Golding and Roddy Radiation on guitar, Horace Panter on bass, John Bradbury on drums, and Dick Cuthell and Rico Rodriguez on horns.
Terry Hall, one of the more prolific members of that band, was involved in several noteworthy projects throughout his career, often at the same time, including writing songs for himself and others.
Our next song was co-written by Hall and Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s.
The Go-Go’s were an all-women, American rock band, widely considered the most successful of all time. Formed in 1978 in Los Angeles, California, the main lineup consisted of Charlotte Caffey (lead guitar and keyboards), Belinda Carlisle (lead vocals), Gina Schock (drums), Kathy Valentine (bass), and Jane Wiedlin (rhythm guitar).
The Go-Go’s, with 1981’s “Our Lips Are Sealed” on KMTJ-DB, Denver.
We again take a brief step aside to hear a song whose inclusion may seem irrelevant now and will become clearer later.
“The Body Rock” was released in 1980 by Treacherous Three, a group made up of DJ Easy Lee, Kool Moe Dee, L.A. Sunshine, Special K and Spoonie Gee (who left in the late seventies), with occasional contributions from DJ Dano B, DJ Reggie Reg, and DJ Crazy Eddie.
An early hip-hop group, formed in 1978, they remind me heavily of a Christian rap group I grew up listening to – End Time Warriors (E.T.W.) – who I am certain were significantly influenced by songs and artists like this one.
“The Body Rock” by Treacherous Three on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Treacherous Three with “The Body Rock”. File that track away for later along with “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield.
Earlier we heard the Specials perform 1979’s “Stupid Marriage”. In 1981, lead vocalists Terry Hall and Neville Staple, along with guitarist Lynval Golding, left the Specials to form new wave pop band Fun Boy Three.
Produced by David Byrne of the band Talking Heads, and included on Fun Boy Three’s first self-titled 1982 album, this next single went to #20 on the UK Singles chart in late 1981.
Here is “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)” by Fun Boy Three.
In 1992, Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics founded the band Vegas with two additional “silent” members: Emmanuel Guiot and Olle Romo.
My two favourite parts of this next song are the lyrics and the electric guitar tone.
“She’s Alright” appears to tell the story of a troubled relationship and the narrator’s seeming obliviousness to his partner’s strange and concerning behaviours, laughing her actions off with lines like, “She puts funny things in my coffee. She asks questions like, ‘How many beans make five?’. She’s alright,” and “She drinks funny things; we get touchy. She screams and shouts a bit, but she leaves me out of it. She’s alright.”
My favourite tone in this tune is that of the electric rhythm guitar. Beginning with arpeggiated chords through a tremolo, it then loses the tremolo and adds mild distortion, before briefly adding wah pedal. About halfway through the song, the rhythm guitar begins punctuating the background with occasional distorted stabs that grow increasingly frequent and aggressive as the song goes on.
Terry Hall and Dave Stewart as Vegas, on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado. I’m DJ Ponyboy and “She’s Alright”!
Vive Las Vegas! Dave Stewart of Vegas was also one half of the internationally famous Eurythmics and a member of British rock band The Tourists.
Active from 1976 to 1980, The Tourists – who achieved several UK top ten hits – included guitarists Peet Coombes and Dave Stewart, singer Annie Lennox, bass guitarist Eddie Chin, and drummer Jim Toomey.
Listen closely for guitarist Dave Stewart before he was in Vegas and before Eurythmics, as well as vocalist Annie Lennox before Eurythmics or, well, Annie Lennox.
“So Good to Be Back Home Again” by The Tourists on KMTJ-DB, Denver, Colorado. That song was brand new in 1980, and if you were a fan, the excitement was palpable! Dave Stewart, Terry Hall, Annie Lennox, Neville Staple – all of these folks were collaborating, creating new material with existing projects, starting new projects, or ending existing projects.
There was so much great new music back then! Luckily, I would argue even more great new music is available today! Unfortunately, sorting through all the great new music available can be a bit like trying to take a sip from a fire hydrant.
Fortunately, you know me – DJ Ponyboy. Join me on the first Sunday of every month right here on KMTJ-DB for a curated mix tape containing the very best new songs in all genres. I dare you to listen beginning-to-end and tell me you do not enjoy a single new song from my hand-curated playlist.
We have mentioned the duo Eurythmics several times, but we have yet to hear from them. Here is Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox as Eurythmics with “Love Is a Stranger”.
“Love Is a Stranger” was originally released in late 1982 but failed to crack the top 50 of the UK Singles Chart; however, following the massive overnight success of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” the following year, it was re-released, reaching #6 in the UK and #23 in the US in 1983.
Their massive success as Eurythmics secured Dave Stewart a future as an in-demand music producer and allowed Annie Lennox to embark on a successful solo career.
In 1992, Lennox released her debut solo album Diva, writing and performing all songs herself. My favourite track is this one, and my favourite quote found while researching this track was from music publication Pitchfork, who said of the tune, “Like so many Eurythmics’ best records, it takes an incredibly depressing concept—romantic abandonment—and maps it onto an irresistibly danceable tune”.
Here is Annie Lennox with 1992’s “Walking On Broken Glass” on KMTJ-DB, Denver, Colorado.
Remember those two songs I asked you to file away? Well, bring ‘em on out for the finale.
I have heard people say they feel sampling is “lazy” or somehow “cheating”, and while I can concede examples exist of lazy sampling used to try to create a “new” song without any effort, in my experience, the vast majority of sampling is treated like any other instrument – and when used with skill, it helps sculpt a musical masterpiece.
Take for example our final song, an original track by rapper Akon that utilizes sampling, interpolation, and (very) original content to create a whole new piece of art.
2005’s “Bananza (Belly Dancer)” opens with a sample of Fun Boy Three’s “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)”, and the bridge samples “The Body Rock” by Treacherous Three.
In the chorus, Akon’s original lyrics use interpolation to reference the melody of Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth”. Compare, “It’s time we stop – hey, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down”, with, “Hey ladies, drop it down; just wanna see you touch the ground”.
During the bridge, Akon’s original lyrics again use interpolation to reference the cadence of “The Body Rock” by Treacherous Three. Compare, “Rock the body body,” with, “in the backseat of my Maserati -rati”.
While the lyrics of this song may raise some concerns about the objectification of women, I choose to think of the lyrics of this song as referencing well-paid and well-respected sex workers who have granted consent prior to this engagement. Consider Akon tells the ladies they, “don’t even gotta drop down if they want to”.
I think I need to share with you my new favourite line (that I discovered doing research for this mix tape).
Akon seems to say, “So stand by like a buddy pass while I watch this beautiful thing shake that ass,” except he actually says, “So stand by like a butt-y pass while I watch this beautiful thing shake that ass”.
I have been listening to this song for years and only just noticed that. So, thank you to you, my loyal listeners, for giving me something to giggle about every time I think of that line.
Bringing it all together, enjoy the incomparable Akon performing “Bananza (Belly Dancer)” on KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Thank you so very much for joining me on this musical journey of discovery connecting music from the sixties to the seventies, to the eighties, to the nineties, to 2005.
To recap, we first heard 1966’s “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey, What’s That Sound)” by Buffalo Springfield. The melody of the chorus was borrowed for Akon’s 2005 track “Bananza (Belly Dancer)”.
We then heard 1967’s “Judge Dread” by Prince Buster which was referenced by the next track, 1979’s “Stupid Marriage” by the Specials.
Terry Hall of the Specials co-wrote 1981’s “Our Lips Are Sealed”, which was recorded by The Go-Go’s.
Treacherous Three’s 1980 track “The Body Rock” was sampled in Akon’s “Bananza (Belly Dancer)”, and the cadence was borrowed for the bridge.
Three members of the Specials left to create Fun Boy Three, who had a hit with the 1983 song “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)”, which was later sampled by Akon in “Bananza (Belly Dancer)”.
Terry Hall of Fun Boy Three and Dave Stewart of Eurythmics started a group called Vegas; we heard their 1992 track “She’s Alright”.
Dave Stewart of Vegas was also one half of the internationally famous Eurythmics and a member of British rock band The Tourists; both projects also included Annie Lennox. We heard 1980’s “So Good to be Back Home Again” by the Tourists, and 1982’s “Love Is a Stranger” by Eurythmics.
Annie Lennox left Eurythmics to pursue a solo career, earning a hit with 1992’s “Walking On Broken Glass”.
Finally, we heard 2005’s “Bananza (Belly Dancer)” by Akon, taking influences from “The Lunatics (Have Taken Over the Asylum)” by Fun Boy Three, “For What It’s Worth (Stop, Hey, What’s That Sound)” by Buffalo Springfield, and “The Body Rock” by Treacherous Three.
Thank you again for joining me for this Judge Dredd and Akon: May 2024 Connections Mix Tape. I hope you had fun today and learned something new.
This is KMTJ-DB – Your Mix Tape Journey – Denver, Colorado.
Until next time, I’m DJ Ponyboy urging you to stay gold.
