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July 15th, 2007

Ambushed by unexpected samples

Playing solid Brit-soul outfit The Real Thing’s “Love’s Such A Wonderful Thing” for the first time and I’m stopped in my tracks twenty-five seconds in - “Love! Love’s such a wonderful thing - think of the joys it can bring - I GOT SO MUCH LOVE TO GI-IVE” - whu? Hey, hold on!

This shock of recognition is an ever-rarer pleasure, even though I try hard not to source or even find out where samples are from. Bangalter and DJ Falcon’s “So Much Love To Give” of course came from SOMEWHERE but it was a thrill to find it in this minor 1977 hit.

But what does it do to the Real Thing’s track? It annihilates it. Listening to “Love’s Such” I am willing it to stop and repeat every time it gets to that line - no, really guys, you’ve got it right there, just freeze the song… - and I’m disappointed, repeatedly, when it doesn’t. The original huffs and hoofs but is banjaxed by its own hidden genius, the perpetual climax of Bangalter/Falcon’s masterpiece poking through like cyberman steel under the ordinary skin.

(Or to use another Who metaphor, it’s like that bit in the Eccleston series when Richard Wilson is turned into a gasmask-face and can only repeat one phrase forever - except in this case the phrase is actually the one holy universal truth and if it was all any of us could say forever it would be a VERY GOOD THING)

 
 The Real Thing [3:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1055)

Written by Tom on Sunday, July 15th, 2007 | 385 views |

Responses

  1. FT's Alan on July 15th, 2007

    When DJs play the original song that is the source of the key sample in a better known, or current, track it can be really cheesy - especially if they mix into the better known track.

    HOWEVER in this case, i for one give you permission to give that a go - fading in B&F after the second chorus.

    :-)

  2. FT's Tom on July 15th, 2007

    Yesss, I will leave that for someone who has mixing skills above those of a donkey wearing boxing gloves.

    Steve?

 

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