Skull Snaps
Encyclopedia
Skull Snaps was a funk
group that released one eponymous album on the small GSF label in 1973 before disappearing. It was, in fact, the group originally known as the Diplomats, which released numerous singles between 1963 and 1970 with some success.
The Skull Snaps album contains drum breaks
that have been sampled numerous times on various hip hop
records: The familiar opening drum pattern of It's A New Day can be heard in songs by well-known acts such as Ol' Dirty Bastard
, Das EFX
, Eric B. & Rakim
, Digable Planets
, DJ Shadow
, Rob Dougan
, Black Moon
, Guru
and The Prodigy
.
Ten12 Records
re-united all the original members of the Skull Snaps (Erv Littleton Waters, Sam O. Culley, and George Bragg) in 2005 in tandem with the band's first official release, Snapped/I'm Your Pimp
, since its 1975 single. Under the direction of Skull Snaps frontman Erv Waters, Ten12 Records
planned to release the entire Skull Snaps catalog on CD and DVD, with recordings from the original album plus five bonus tracks: "Al's Razor Blade," "Ain't That Lovin' You," "On Top of It," "Soul Makossa," and "She's the One."
Skull Snaps meet the Audible Doctor
Snapped (a-side), I'm Your Pimp (b-side)
(2005 ten12 records-12-inch release)
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
group that released one eponymous album on the small GSF label in 1973 before disappearing. It was, in fact, the group originally known as the Diplomats, which released numerous singles between 1963 and 1970 with some success.
The Skull Snaps album contains drum breaks
Break (music)
In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion section or interlude during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main parts of the song or piece....
that have been sampled numerous times on various hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
records: The familiar opening drum pattern of It's A New Day can be heard in songs by well-known acts such as Ol' Dirty Bastard
Ol' Dirty Bastard
Russell Tyrone Jones was an American rapper and occasional producer, who went by the stage name Ol' Dirty Bastard or simply ODB...
, Das EFX
Das EFX
Das EFX is an American hip hop duo. It consists of emcees Skoob and Dray...
, Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
, Digable Planets
Digable Planets
Digable Planets is an American alternative hip hop trio based in New York City, composed of Ishmael "Butterfly" Butler , Mary Ann "Ladybug Mecca" Vieira and Craig "Doodlebug" Irving . They released their debut album Reachin' in 1993, and their follow-up album Blowout Comb in 1994...
, DJ Shadow
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
, Rob Dougan
Rob Dougan
Rob Dougan, also known as Rob D , is a genre-blending music composer. Mixing elements of orchestral music, trip hop, and bluesy vocals, his work is tangentially relatable to electronic music. He was known primarily for his breakthrough 1995 single "Clubbed to Death ", further popularised by 1999's...
, Black Moon
Black Moon
Black Moon is a studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer released in 1992. The first studio album under the band's original lineup since 1978, it was regarded by fans as a strong comeback, although the band's subsequent career did not fulfill its promise.-Track listing:#"Black...
, Guru
Guru
A guru is one who is regarded as having great knowledge, wisdom, and authority in a certain area, and who uses it to guide others . Other forms of manifestation of this principle can include parents, school teachers, non-human objects and even one's own intellectual discipline, if the...
and The Prodigy
The Prodigy
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
.
Ten12 Records
Ten12 Records
Ten12 Records is a Brooklyn-based outsider electronic, breakbeat, and experimental record label.]Ten12 is noted for its focus on facilitating collaboration between new experimental recording artists and the few remaining early–stage funk and soul pioneers to foster unique recordings that identify...
re-united all the original members of the Skull Snaps (Erv Littleton Waters, Sam O. Culley, and George Bragg) in 2005 in tandem with the band's first official release, Snapped/I'm Your Pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
, since its 1975 single. Under the direction of Skull Snaps frontman Erv Waters, Ten12 Records
Ten12 Records
Ten12 Records is a Brooklyn-based outsider electronic, breakbeat, and experimental record label.]Ten12 is noted for its focus on facilitating collaboration between new experimental recording artists and the few remaining early–stage funk and soul pioneers to foster unique recordings that identify...
planned to release the entire Skull Snaps catalog on CD and DVD, with recordings from the original album plus five bonus tracks: "Al's Razor Blade," "Ain't That Lovin' You," "On Top of It," "Soul Makossa," and "She's the One."
Skull Snaps meet the Audible Doctor
Snapped (a-side), I'm Your Pimp (b-side)
(2005 ten12 records-12-inch release)
- "Snapped" – 5:05
- "I'm Your Pimp (original take)" – 4:07
External links
- [ AllMusic Guide entry] on Skull Snaps (group)
- Ten12 Records on 2005 release Skull Snaps (album)
- http://www.the-breaks.com/search.php?term=skull+snaps&type=0