Shaft (rave)
Encyclopedia
Shaft was a UK
based dance music
act, that scored a Top 10 hit
in the UK Singles Chart
in December 1991, with a rave
track, "Roobarb and Custard". It featured vocal
samples
from the vintage children's television cartoon Roobarb
, as well as a variety of sound effects. The main contributor was the British
record producer
, Mark Pritchard.
Although the single reached the Top 10 in 1991, it climbed to its highest position of #7 in January 1992. The follow-up track was "Monkey", which peaked at #61 in July 1992.
The use of samples from children's television programmes was not unique to this hit within the genre, with Mark Summers
having sampled The Magic Roundabout
in his early 1991 hit "Summers Magic". However, Shaft was the first dance act to reach the Top 10 with a track using this type of formula. Other bands who went on later in 1992 to repeat this success were Urban Hype
, who reached the #7 with "A Trip to Trumpton", and Smart E's, who achieved #2 with "Sesame's Treet". The sdtring of similarly created records
were dubbed Toytown Techno
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
based dance music
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
act, that scored a Top 10 hit
Hit record
A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings...
in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
in December 1991, with a rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
track, "Roobarb and Custard". It featured vocal
Human voice
The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal folds for talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, etc. Its frequency ranges from about 60 to 7000 Hz. The human voice is specifically that part of human sound production in which the vocal folds are the primary...
samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
from the vintage children's television cartoon Roobarb
Roobarb
Roobarb is a British animated television programme for children, originally shown on BBC1 just before the evening news. Each cartoon, written by Grange Calveley and animated by Bob Godfrey, was about five minutes long. Thirty episodes were made, and the show was first shown on October 21, 1974...
, as well as a variety of sound effects. The main contributor was the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, Mark Pritchard.
Although the single reached the Top 10 in 1991, it climbed to its highest position of #7 in January 1992. The follow-up track was "Monkey", which peaked at #61 in July 1992.
The use of samples from children's television programmes was not unique to this hit within the genre, with Mark Summers
Mark Summers
Mark Summers is the CEO, Sample Replay Producer, Sound Engineer and Music Producer of Scorccio Sample Replays, a division of Scorccio Records, a dance music company founded in the UK in 1996.- First Recordings :...
having sampled The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout
The Magic Roundabout was a children's television programme created in France in 1963 by Serge Danot...
in his early 1991 hit "Summers Magic". However, Shaft was the first dance act to reach the Top 10 with a track using this type of formula. Other bands who went on later in 1992 to repeat this success were Urban Hype
Urban Hype
Urban Hype were a British early 1990s techno and acid house band, consisting of Bob Dibden and Mark Lewis . They are best known for their Toytown Techno single, "A Trip to Trumpton", which peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1992...
, who reached the #7 with "A Trip to Trumpton", and Smart E's, who achieved #2 with "Sesame's Treet". The sdtring of similarly created records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
were dubbed Toytown Techno
Toytown Techno
Toytown Techno was a sub-genre of early 1990s techno music, which included records such as "Sesame's Treet", "Charly" and "A Trip to Trumpton"....
.