When was the last time you heard a decent cowbell in a song? Of course, you can hear your run-of-the-mill “Low Rider” and “Hey Ladies” any damn day.
But a well-placed cowbell is really a gift. Deceptively tinny and deceivingly lowbrow, the cowbell is a creeper instrument. It starts out with a little tink-tink sound - you barely know it’s there - often growing more pronounced until folks are shaking asses up, down and all around without even knowing what got them there.
However! The cowbell can also be an instrument of evil. Beware the cowbell’s unnatural power over weddings and bar mitzvahs, as evidenced in Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” and the most wretched of all cowbell songs, Tone Loc’s “Funky Cold Medina.”
Let’s get to the awards: here are my five all-time favorite cowbell joints, in ascending order.
5. Master Jay & Michael Dee T.S.O.B. 12″, 1980
Perfect, perfect. So perfect. Master Jay & Michael Dee spit over the Sound of Brooklyn, which I guess is a couple of hot boogie breaks, a kick, a snare and a cowbell the size of Madison Square Garden.
4. Sugarhill Gang 8th Wonder 8th Wonder, 1981
Cowbell use here is almost under the radar, creating the unconscious funkiness. But still: Woo-Hah! They got you all in check.
3. Michael Jackson Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Off The Wall, 1979
Nothing much needs to be said here, except DAMN, MIKE! If you were thinking right, you woulda spent all that surgery money on a time machine and a week of Quincy Jones’ production. You coulda been somebody again…
2. Quincy Jones Sanford & Son (The Streetbeater) 45, 1973
And speaking of Quincy, how could such a fine-ass man write such a nasty, funky TV theme? It sounds like a LeMans with no muffler, Fat Albert and a rusty old cowbell.
1. Sergio Mendes Brasil ‘88 I’ll Tell You Magic Lady, 1979
This has got to be the hottest cowbell song of all time. It has everything: handclaps, growling female vocalist, and the lyrics make no damn sense. It’s like somebody poked their head in the studio to ask for directions to the Piggly Wiggly or some shit, and Sergio said, “Write zees down! Eet’s a song!” or however you say it in Brazilian. And then he brought out the cowbell and it was ON.
So what about you? What’s your favorite cowbell song? Don’t act like you don’t have one.
Hey there, >bounce/oz readers! I’m AaronM, a new addition to the site. You may know my writing from Metal Lungies, the blog of the Sound of Young America, Maximum Fun, or my own blog Canned Thinking. Anyway, enough self-promotion for now. Let me set into my topic for today.
Well, the titular instrument at the top of this post is what I’m covering today. I was reminded of the strange power of the talkbox when I saw the fantastic music video for Snoop’s new song, “Sensual Seduction“. The video pays affectionate tribute to the low production values of late ’70s/early ’80s music videos, complete with Zapp & Roger-esque costumes and split images ala “When Doves Cry.” Snoop spends most of the song singing through a talk box to produce that vocoder-sounding singing.
Of course, one of the most famous instances of talkbox use was on the song this blog takes its title from. Zapp’s “More Bounce to the Ounce” is a funk classic and has been heavily sampled in hundreds of songs, including EPMD’s “You Gots To Chill” and Snoop himself on the self-explanatory “Snoop Bounce.”
Wikipedia also has a nice writeup of the basics of the ‘box, along with a short, interesting history. Definitely worth a read.
A talk box is a musical sound effects device that allows a musician to modify the sound of a musical instrument. The musician controls the modification by changing the shape of his or her mouth.
The effect can be used to shape the frequency content of the sound and to apply speech sounds (in the same way as singing) onto a musical instrument, typically a guitar (its non-guitar use is often confused with the vocoder) and keyboards.
Here are a few more recent talk box classics. Whether on the hook or used for main vox, the talk box is always a welcome addition to any jam.
Chromeo Fancy Footwork Fancy Footwork, 2007
An irresistible jammie by fellow Jewish Canadian electro lovers. Encourages men to impress girls by dancing to “show her that you’re not that shy.”
Daft Punk Digital Love Discovery, 2001
A really sweet ballad, with a catchy backing track sampled from synthesizer guru George Duke’s
“I Love You More.” Love songs are sweeter when sung through a talk box, it’s true.
Kool G Rap & Capone-N-Noreaga My Life (Remix) Soundbombing 3, 2002
CNN pay tribute to the Kool Genius in a nice collaboration. The remix, done by VIC, has some lovely pumping horns on the beat and a SMOOTH talk box chorus by someone named G-Wise. A nice summer jam for partying gangsters and wiseguys.
Snoop Dogg Sensual Seduction Ego Trippin’, 2008
I think you already know.
I remember the first time I ever heard “Forget Me Nots.” I was at my girlfriend’s house after dance rehearsal, and she flipped on some video show. I was all, “Ooh, that’s got a bounce! Who is that?” My friend took a break from checking herself out in the full-length mirror and was all, “Oh, that’s Patrice Rushen. She’s a jaaaaaahhhhhzzzz artist.” And then Miss Thing flipped her hair, for real.
Please. Who even talks like that? The only thing that girl knew about jazz was her damn jazz hands in those corny-ass routines she practiced up in her bedroom. Hm.
But all bougie pretenses aside… old girl was right. Patrice Rushen didn’t just sing bouncy joints to heat up the roller rink; her jazz roots run deep.
Miss Rushen was a child prodigy on the piano; her parents even sent a three-year-old Patrice to USC music classes. After winning a competition at the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival at 18, Miss Rushen went on to compose, arrange and record a grip of jazz albums. Her sound became progressively funkier until she finally gave into the forces and went boogie in the early ’80s. Her pure jazz fans were disappointed, but roller skating fans were rejoicing in the damn streets.
Patrice’s sound is smooth and funky, with an unmistakable bounce - the result of her years of classical training and impeccable instincts. Her songs have been flipped, covered and chopped to death by everybody with a turntable and an 808, and they sound just as fresh today as they did 25 years ago.
So now you can bust some Patrice for your snooty Miles-Davis-Coltrane friends and be all, “Oh, you don’t know any of Rushen’s work? Shaaaame.” And then ditch those snoozers and get with a real crew. Damn.
Patrice Rushen Haw Right Now Prelusion, 1974
Hot straight ahead jazz instrumental, crazy keys. Nice, full natural afro on the album’s cover, too.
Hang It Up Patrice, 1977
You can hear Patrice’s sound start to get funkier here.
Haven’t You Heard Pizzazz, 1979
Forget that churchy Kirk Franklin remake. This is the original, irresistible jammie.
Remind Me Number One Forget Me Nots Straight from the Heart, 1982
This was Miss Rushen’s biggest selling album. “Number One” won a Grammy, and she scored monster hits on the R&B charts for “Remind Me” and “Forget Me Nots.” All straight classics, flipped by everyone from Mary J. Blige to George Michael.
I have always loved loved loved Nas, ever since the Illmatic days. From “NY State of Mind” to “Play On Playa,” I’ve been his straight up Stan.
But what has God’s Son done now? Is he seriously flipping Nipsey Emmer-Effin’ Russell on his new track? From the 1978 cinematic masterpiece The Wiz?
Just so I can be clear here: Nas, Nipsey, and a wistful tin man ballad… ALL IN ONE SONG. Is there there any doubt that not only is Nas a hip hop pioneer, but also a man of impeccable taste?
Nas Surviving the Times N*gga, 2007**
I love this so much I am crying right now.
Nipsey Russell What Would I Do If I Could Feel? OST, The Wiz, 1978
*Sigh.* Nipsey, if you could feel, you would surely come back from your grave and do a little soft shoe for Nas. He done you right.
Nipsey Russell Slide Some Oil To Me/Now Watch Me Dance OST, The Wiz, 1978
My favorite part of this is when the wooden chorus sings backup on the boards. Aww. Watching this makes me sad that Nipsey’s gone.
Quincy Jones Poppy Girls OST, The Wiz, 1978
Ooh, this was the nasty part! Sounds kind of like The O’Jays’ “For the Love of Money,” only dirtier, and with more cheeba cheeba. I didn’t realize this was a straight ’70s porn jammie until I was about 32.
Michael Jackson You Can’t Win 12″, 1979
I know I already posted this a while back, but any disco joint with a floppy scarecrow and funked-up dancing crows deserves another listen. After the soundtrack came out, this song was so popular that MJ released a disco 12″. This is the kind of thing that makes me bitter that I wasn’t old enough for the clubs in the ’70s. A girl can dream…
**This is a rumored title. Def Jam says “hells naw,” but Nas’ PR crew confirms: “buhleedat.”
You already know who Edwin Starr is from that hippie “War” song he did way back in 1970. I heard that damn song so many times, I’m starting to think it was written by the government or The Gap or some shit.
It’s not that it’s such a horrible song - back in the day, it killed. The Temptations even recorded it for Psychedelic Shack, but they wanted to avoid controversy. So they were all, “Oh, give it to that new guy with the turtleneck. He looks like he marches for stuff.”
So Edwin Starr recorded the song, tore up the airwaves, sold some damn records, and promptly sent his career downhill. He’d had some successes in the years leading up that song, but after “War” he was pigeonholed as a protest singer, and never had another hit so big after that.
And it’s too bad, because Edwin could sang. His voice was so soulful, growling, and desperate, he could probably make “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” sound like “Hot Pants.”
Check some Edwin:
Edwin Starr Twenty-Five Miles 25 Miles, 1969
Edwin’s first hit for the Motown label after they scooped him up with Ric-Tic. That walking sound is Starr and Hitsville, USA’s janitor marching their damn feet on a wooden board in the studio. Hunh!
There You Go 45, 1973
Another Motown hit. This song kills me every time. Sweet and smooth with crispy horns.
Easin’ In Didn’t It Feel Good To Be Free OST, Hell Up In Harlem, 1974
“Hell Up In Harlem” was to “Black Caesar” what “Teen Wolf Too” was to “Teen Wolf”: the wrecked sequel to a masterpiece. After James Brown wrote the soundtrack to “Black Caesar,” he turned down the opportunity to write for the sequel; I guess homegirl didn’t have time in his wig-brushing schedule or something.
So Edwin took on the project instead, and unfortunately, since “Hell” turned out to be a hot mess, the soundtrack got no love at all. Which is a damn crime! “Didn’t It Feel Good To Be Free” is a sweet, sunny piece that has Edwin using the melodic side of his voice, with a totally early ’70s motown feel. And it just takes one listen to “Easin’ In” to see the truth. That track is damn near perfect, with its crazy undulating bassline and fanga snaps. Mmm!
War War and Peace, 1970
Oh, fine. Here you go. Take this and play it for your Iraq protest marches, or whatever it is that you people do.
What is the matter with people these days? Have we all forgotten what decent party music is?
“Disco-Dancing” lessons are no longer offered at my local bowling alley, afro puffs are sadly on the decline, and I don’t even remember the last time I saw a preview for a roller skating-themed movie.
When I asked my graphic designer if he knew what kind of music “boogie” was, he said to me, “Gretchen, I was born in the ’80s.” What does that even mean? That young people are deprived of boogie culture today, that’s what it means. It’s really quite sad. Everybody deserves the giddy bounce of a great roller jammie.
So here you go, shorties, 10 tracks for your rolling pleasure. Strap on your skates, hike up your suspenders, and get boogieing. You will thank me later.
Minnie Riperton might be the most underrated soul singer of the ’70s. Folks remember her for “Lovin’ You,” her biggest, campiest hit from her first album, but they forget the rest of her work. And that’s a damn shame.
‘Cause this sister was the straight truth. In one of my many ’70s music fantasies, Bill Withers wakes me up every day by singing “Lovely Day,” and Minnie Riperton and Donny Hathaway join me after dinner for a glass of wine and a little “Where is the Love.” I always thought Ms. Riperton would have been heavenly on that track.
A girl can dream.
Having had a musical upbringing and a songwriting partner husband, Ms. Riperton had an impressive musical pedigree. And she collaborated with some of the best jazz and soul acts: Etta James, Stevie Wonder, and Earth, Wind, and Fire. In fact, Minnie initially wrote Perfect Angel as a collection of songs intended for EWF, only to have Stevie Wonder produce it as her debut solo album.
Her easy soulful style is not unlike Hathaway’s, with a vocal tone that you can feel running straight through your hair follicles. Her music sounds like slow sunny days, a great dinner party, and falling in love. The fact that she died of breast cancer at 31 is a cruel end to a career that might still be relevant. But we’ll never know.
Rotary Connection I Am The Black Gold of the Sun Hey, Love, 1971 Before Minnie went solo, she sang with the bafflingly-named Rotary Connection, and contributed to this brilliant cut. Masters at Work resurrected this one in 1997’s hot-to-death Nuyorican Soul, with ’80s club icon Jocelyn Brown on vocals.
Minnie Riperton Lovin’ You Perfect Angel, 1974 Her biggest hit. Minnie and her husband wrote this song to calm the cries of their infant daughter. I don’t know what kind of baby would be calmed with those glass-shattering vocals, but maybe that’s why Maya Rudolph is so damn crazy. Listen at about 3:25 to hear Minnie crooning, “Maya, Maya,…” Awww.
Inside My Love Adventures in Paradise, 1975 Lovely, lilting vocals with delicate keyboards by Joe Sample. Sweet and swinging; pure bliss. You might recognize it from Tina Broussard or Chant\351 Moore’s cover versions.
Memory Lane Minnie, 1979 Her last single from her last album. Especially poignant, considering Ms. Riperton died shortly after performing this song on Merv Griffin in July, 1979.
Minnie Riperton Feat. Peabo Bryson Here We Go Love Lives Forever, 1980 There is nothing like a well-placed harp in the middle of a soul song to balance the heavy with the light. Peabo Bryson recorded this gem after Minnie’s death for a tribute album. Crate diggers/all-around genuises The Roots reference this intro in “Lazy Afternoon.”
I’ma tell you what the word is. “Word Up” is one broke-ass song. It wasn’t even good the first time. But after top 40 saturation and a Cherry Coke commercial, it was downright stank.
But Cameo was so much more than “Oww.” All right, they were a lot of “Oww,” especially after 1984. But back in the ’70s and early ’80s, these brothers threw it down dirty. Way before the red codpiece, Larry Blackmon and company had a hot horn section and that inexplicable funkiness that settled right in your gut.
Not that there’s anything wrong with a red codpiece.
Cameo Rigor Mortis Cardiac Arrest, 1977 The original, the classic. If you don’t bounce to that hook, we’ll be over right directly with that embalming fluid for you.
Shake Your Pants Cameosis, 1980 Exuberant, irresistible boogie cut. Ooooh… ah-ah. You’ll need extra pants for shaking.
Alligator Woman Just Be Yourself Alligator Woman, 1982 “Alligator Woman,” Cameo’s paean to the worst girlfriend in the world, can get repetitive, but dayum, I’m a sucker for that bassline. “Be Yourself” is crazy twangy, slappy bass with ridiculous lyrics. Kind of a self-help jam for the funky set. Only dumber. But funky.
When was the last time you heard a decent cowbell in a song? Of course, you can hear your run-of-the-mill “Low Rider” and “Hey Ladies” any damn day.
I remember the first time I ever heard “Forget Me Nots.” I was at my girlfriend’s house after dance rehearsal, and she flipped on some 
I have always loved loved loved Nas, ever since the Illmatic days. From “NY State of Mind” to “Play On Playa,” I’ve been his straight up Stan.
You already know who Edwin Starr is from that hippie “War” song he did way back in 1970. I heard that damn song so many times, I’m starting to think it was written by the government or The Gap or some shit.
