Who has released records on all these labels: the legendary R&B label OKeh, the nu-blues stronghold Fat Possum, the key rap originators Sugar Hill, Tommy Boy, & 4th & Broadway, the innovative On-U Sound, & Real World Records?
Which musician has played on records by Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaata, Lee 'Scratch' Perry, James Brown, Robert Plant, Mark Stewart & The Mafia, Sinead O'Connor, & Megadeth?
The answer to both these questions is Skip McDonald. & Skip is Little Axe.
Skip, along with his cohorts Doug Wimbish & Keith LeBlanc, formed the core of the house band for Sugar Hill Records playing on some of the most influential early rap classics, such as "Rapper's Delight", "The Message", & "White Lines".
Keith met Adrian Sherwood in 1984 while working at Tommy Boy Records. Keith introduced the rest of the posse to Adrian & things blossomed from there. Soon after this meeting the three musicians crossed the pond & became part of Adrian Sherwood's On-U Sound crew, making some of the most adventurous highly praised UK music since that time. Fats Comet released Bop Bop in 1985. Tackhead followed the next year with Mind at the End of a Tether.
Little Axe's first release on On-U Sound was 1993s Never Look Back. Since that time, Skip has kept his dream & music alive & never looked back.
Little Axe - (Stand Up Next to a Mountain) Chop it Down with Little Axe, NØ Comps, 2021.decryption code in comments
Introlude
Call it What You Like
Back to the Crossroads
Chains
Rapper’s Delight
Song to Sing
On the Beat Sound
London Blues
London Blues Dub
Lift Off
Cosmic Slop
Out in the Rain & Cold (remix)
Black Diamond Rain
The Time Has Come
Hammerhead
Where from Here
Enjoy,
NØ
NØ,
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for all you post (and have posted, for yeeeeeeears)!! I have found a few things that I'd been searching desperately for here over the years, and also rolled the dice on some new discoveries that subsequently opened my ears. I've only become more curious about Mr. McDonald since finding out he was from Dayton also, as I'm a bit of a Dayton funk freak (the Wackies version of Skin Tight you posted was revelatory). I was actually going to put Little Axe as one of my 3 requests, but you beat me to it. So, instead I'll offer some other humble requests:
2. anything by Indigenous Resistance/IR
3. Larry Mullins + Mike Watt: 1969, 1970 record store day singles (Stooges covers)
4. Jai Alai Savant: Flight Of The Bass Delegate
but keep in mind you've just posted my #1 so thanks are due first and always. Congratulations on a cool 2 million. May you continue to fly high, while staying below "the Man's" radar.
-aboynamedstew
Thanks for the comment, aboynamedstew. You have been an inspiration for me in the past (Dayton funk, for sure), a loyal blog-brother & commenter. I will gladly gift you some of your requests in December. Stay tuned.
DeleteAlso, I have posted up some of the Jai-Alai Savants in April 2014 (Thunderstatement) on a post called 302km/h at
Deletehttps://nathannothinsez.blogspot.com/2014/04/302-kmh.html
Maybe that will tide you over until December.
Chop it Down with Little Axe
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Quite a resume! It's crazy how singers get all the attention and credit when it's the songwriters and musicians that make most of the magic. Skip is new to me despite hearing some of those hits countless times so thank you for shining a light and sharing this comp.
ReplyDeleteThis month I've been highlighting what I listen to for my own regular musickal enjoyment that I haven't really featured here. I've posted up plenty of Skip from Fats Comet onward with all his work at On-U Sound, but I've never really featured the man himself. A great musickian & songwriter. Thanks, brother.
ReplyDeleteMy ears get restless and I need something new (or at least new to me) every week or so, but there was a period of several months when I listened to almost nothing but Little Axe. Skip is one of the greats, and I love to turn people on to his music, just as you are doing here.
ReplyDeleteIt's always such a rush when someone says: "I never heard *** before, thanks for turning me on to their music." That makes this all so worthwhile.
DeleteLink says that the file is no longer available :(
ReplyDeleteFixed. Thanks.
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