Melvin Bliss: Difference between revisions

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| background = solo_singer
| background = solo_singer
| birth_name = Melvin McClelland
| birth_name = Melvin McClelland
| alias =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|06|01}}<ref name="b&s"/>
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|06|01}}
| origin = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]<ref name="hiphopdx">{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11795/title.synthetic-substitution-singer--sample-icon-melvin-bliss-dies|title="Synthetic Substitution" Singer / Sample Icon Melvin Bliss Dies|publisher=Hiphopdx.com|accessdate=13 May 2013}}</ref>
| origin = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]]<ref name="hiphopdx">{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.11795/title.synthetic-substitution-singer--sample-icon-melvin-bliss-dies|title="Synthetic Substitution" Singer / Sample Icon Melvin Bliss Dies|publisher=Hiphopdx.com|accessdate=13 May 2013}}</ref>
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|07|07|1945|06|01}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|07|07|1945|06|01}}
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| years_active = {{Start date|1973}}<ref name="b&s"/>–{{end date|2010}}<ref name="theatlantic"/>
| years_active = {{Start date|1973}}<ref name="b&s"/>–{{end date|2010}}<ref name="theatlantic"/>
| label = Sunburst Records<ref name="b&s"/>
| label = Sunburst Records<ref name="b&s"/>
| alias =
| associated_acts = [[Herb Rooney]], [[Bernard Purdie]]
| associated_acts = [[Herb Rooney]], [[Bernard Purdie]]
}}
}}

Revision as of 07:26, 15 December 2016

Melvin Bliss
Birth nameMelvin McClelland
Born(1945-06-01)June 1, 1945
OriginChicago, Illinois[1]
DiedJuly 7, 2010(2010-07-07) (aged 65)
GenresSoul[2]
Years active1973 (1973)[2]–2010 (2010)[3]
LabelsSunburst Records[2]

Melvin McClelland[4] (June 1, 1945[2]-July 26, 2010[3]) was a rhythm and blues singer known for his 1973 song "Reward/Synthetic Substitution",[5] the B-Side of which was heavily sampled[3] in at least 94 hip hop songs such as "Real Niggaz Don't Die" and Alwayz into Somethin' by N.W.A, O.G. Original Gangster by Ice-T, O.P.P. by Naughty by Nature and more recently "My Life" by 50 Cent, Eminem and Adam Levine.[6]

Born in 1945[2] in Chicago[1] as Melvin McClelland,[4] his career didn't begin with music; rather, in the Armed Forces.[7] After spending a few years singing in Naval bands, he departed the Navy in the mid-1950s. From there, he went from stage to stage until the early 1970s, when in an attempt to boost his career prospects he visited a Queensbridge concert hall intending to use it for self-promotion.[7] Whilst awaiting a meeting with the hall's owner, he encountered the mother of Herb Rooney and it emerged that he wanted a singer to record one of his compositions.[7] After an informal discussion with Rooney himself, Bliss hit the studio to record it;[7] the result was Reward. That song's B-Side, "Synthetic Substitution", became one of the most sampled songs of all time.[8] Unfortunately, Bliss' label, Sunburst Records, was a sister company of Opal Productions, and in 1974 it went bankrupt, taking Sunburst Records with it;[7] in doing so rendering Bliss a one-hit wonder.

In 2011, a documentary about him, Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss, was released by Peripheral Enterprises. It was produced by Earl Holder.[1]

Death

On July 17, 2010, it was announced by Melvin Bliss, Jr. that Bliss had suffered a heart attack and had been rushed to NewYork–Presbyterian Hospital.[9] Just over a week later, on July 26, 2010, it was announced that Bliss had died.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c ""Synthetic Substitution" Singer / Sample Icon Melvin Bliss Dies". Hiphopdx.com. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Introducing Melvin Bliss". Blues & Soul. Retrieved 8 June 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Melvin Bliss, R.I.P. Hua Hsu. The Atlantic. Jul 27 2010
  4. ^ a b Batey, Angus (23 June 2011). "Recycled riffs:samples of music biz justice". London: The Guardian. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  5. ^ "Melvin Bliss". Wax Poetics. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  6. ^ "RIP Melvin Bliss". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e Holder, Earl (2011). Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss (Motion picture). Peripheral Enterprises.
  8. ^ "Melvin Bliss - Synthetic Substitution (Documentary)". Cratekings.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  9. ^ "MELLE MEL (LAMBSTAR)". Twitter. Retrieved 14 May 2013.