the adventures of grandmaster flash on the wheels of steel - grandmaster flash

7+ minutes of a mixed up scratched up medley of: random sound bites from various records of anything and everything, disco hits of the previous 2+ years, bits of the sugarhill catalog, and some scratches resembling those done for herbie hancocks rockit...a pretty cool track!!!

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0114424/timeline/19812.htm

"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" was first rap record to bring the real sounds of live Dj scratching to vinyl. Flash created a sonic collage that mixed fragments of tunes from groups like Chic, Queen and Blondie, using three decks. The result was a record that not only stunned the rap community of the time, but continues to resonate today.

flashback to 8 years earlier- 1973- the Bronx and DJ Kool Herc:

Born in Jamaica, Herc moved to the Bronx in 1967, when he was 13. With memories of Jamaican yard parties still fresh in his mind, Herc began spinning at parties and clubs. Not content with the disco music in fashion at the time, Herc instead focused his attention on classic funk, soul and R&B tunes, resurrecting hits by artists such as James Brown and Aretha Franklin. His technique of highlighting the instrumental "get-down" sections in songs brought people flocking to the dance floor, and Herc quickly became the most respected, sought-after DJ in the Bronx. These "get-down" sections - later known as breakbeats - went on to serve as the foundation for all hip-hop music to come. They also played an important role in the development of breakdancing, so named because it was during these kinds of high-energy breaks...

or so says:

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0114424/timeline/1973.htm

this sugarhill records 5 cd box set is filled with memories that I had long forgotten. Now everyone knew Rappers Delight by the Sugarhill Gang, but I remember "It's Nasty(Genius of Love)" because I loved Tom Tom Club and so when a radio station
was changing formats it started playing the long versions of songs-songs in which their 3.5 to 4 minute versions were formulaicly arranged on the other top 40 stations, often with the intros and the outros spoken over by disc jockeys not rappers or scratchin' and mixin' DJ's but those whom the local comedy club chased away...this station also had DJ's but they were younger maybe still in college- it was the last hurrah for radio before it would all be thrown into a big vat and reduced to a cube of tasteless colorless blah blah blah- this station threw out their late 70's 1980 yaht rock adult contempory programming and decided to play popular songs but also they played 12 inches and rap...still very new and not so known on radio in 1982-1983, which I think is when I heard it.

So after Rappers delight and its nasty genius of love I totally missed the message until I got cable and watched yo! mtv raps in 91-92 but I did catch rockit and thanks to the library and after seeing the video which is how I first experienced rockit and sad to say how I first came to know herbie hancock( knew miles davis bitches brew because my brother left his quadrophonic record and I played the quad record on my stereo and remembered looking and trippy pictures in a best of life magazine....wow.....that was some crazy shit to happen to a 10-11-12 year old still a virgin to drugs!!!! wow music can give you a trip without the aid of anything else just a free wandering mind....
so anyway I saw the king of rock and went to the library where I now work and checked out my first thing from its shelves -
run-dmcs king of rock and then along with that jimi hendrixs electric ladyland....wow music can give you a trip without the aid of anything else just a free wandering mind....but i digress, and so and so, this is the end yeah so my older brothers they had led zepplin 2 rolling stones with cant get no satisfaction beatles white album rubber soul and beatles '65 which turns out to be beatles for sale bob dylans album with maggies farm and subterranian homesick blues creedence clearwater revival with i put a spell on you because you are mine on it and the first doors album 2 45s stick out in my memory: david bowies space oddity with man who sold the world on the back and tiptoe through the tulips oh and yes fabians hound dog man(but that was my older sisters).....the soundtrack to the shaft was one which my brother had mistakenly left outside and grabbed back, but thats okay because I went into his room when he was listening to this on the record player and with his permission I listened to this along with early chicago chase blood sweat and tears and other stuff of that style...music and memories what a strange trip it has been but i only went to one greatful dead show, and I just loved one of the opening acts, jimmy cliff!!!!