So, you know how you think all your favorite rap groups are geniuses, and then you find the song they sampled for some beat you like, and now that you see how little they did with it, they don’t really seem like geniuses at all? I hate that. But really, that’s not what I’m here to discuss. It just seemed like an interesting way to kick it all off. What I have for you today are two Organized Noize samples, and they’re both hot beans. One of these is so hot, I almost hate to give it up, since I rarely see the sample referenced anywhere (a few years back, I played it for my man Mr. Sayre, and even he hadn’t heard it…and his knowledge is deep). But information is to be shared, right? Sure, why not. So here’s your two famous samples, America. Now go cram ‘em.

OK, this first song comes to us from soul-titan Joe Simon, off his 1977 album Easy to Love. I’m betting a bunch of babies got made to this record…it’s that kind of thing. You can tell by the silky siren on the front, wearing a black camisole and cradling a single rose to her bosom, surrounded by sexy, slippery satin sheets. This song is one of the album’s highlights, as the tempo makes it perfect for, uh, seduction. Obviously, a certain rap group (rhymes with “Poutkast”) thought it was perfect for something else. Namely, making hits out of. So without further ado, here’s Joe Simon’s Before the Night Is Over.

Joe Simon–BEFORE THE NIGHT IS OVER

Usually, I post the sampler’s song after posting the samplee’s. There’s almost no point in doing that here. I’m pretty sure you all know this one by heart. Nonetheless, here’s Outkast’s So Fresh, So Clean.

Outkast–SO FRESH, SO CLEAN

Fantastic. Let’s hear it for music. And here’s some more!

Our next “rare groove” (yuck) is exceedingly hot, for any number of reasons. First, its sassy lady singer, Merry Clayton, is a real powerhouse whose credits include a stint as a Raylette, a duet with Mick Jagger on Let It Bleed’s seminal Gimme Shelter, and backing vocals on Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama. Second, this song may be one of the great cover songs of all time, flipping the shit out of the original (a dope song in its own right) and just killing it. Ironically (in light of her work with Skynyrd), the song covered here is Neil Young’s Southern Man…precisely the song that pissed Skynyrd off in the first place and made them call out Neil–by name!–in the lyrics to Sweet Home Alabama! Beef, son! Anyhow, obviously the song I’m talking about here is Merry Clayton’s Southern Man, from her self-titled album on Ode Records. If you ever see this one in the bins, cop it. It has a bunch of gems…all of which I sampled already, so hands off, jerk. And don’t think of looping the first four bars on Southern Man, either. All mine. Here’s the song.

Merry Clayton–SOUTHERN MAN

Nasty. As far as soul covers of rock songs go, that shit is bananas. For music in a similar vein, check out David Axelrod’s cover of Carly Simon’s You’re So Vain, with vocals by Stephanie Spruill. She murders it, and turns a relatively soft song (with biting lyrics) into a biting song that you wouldn’t wanna be on the receiving end of.

But back to Merry Clayton. When Organized Noize got their hands on her record, they turned it into the ridiculous posse cut Watch For The Hook. This beat is like the Dirty South version of Ante Up…a real bell-ringer. It’s off the Cool Breeze album East Point’s Greatest Hits, it features most of the classic-era Dungeon Family, and it’s fire. Here’s the song. No, wait, here’s the video!

Fresh mode. OK, that’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed yourself. I know I did.

Put it through the S950 then stretch it,
Grip