M / A / R / R / S
M | A | R | R | S (as it says on the record covers) or M / A / R / R / S (a graphic variant) was a British house music project from 1987 that only had one single, Pump Up the Volume , published. This piece reached number 1 in the English charts as well as top 10 placements in the sales hit parades of other European countries and is considered to be groundbreaking in that it was the first commercially successful sampling record. It was the first of its kind to open litigation over the legality of sampling.
Band history
M | A | R | R | S was a one-time collaboration between the indie group AR Kane (also written as AR Kane) (Alex Ayuli and Rudi Tambala) and the electronic band Colourbox (Martyn Young, Steve Young and Lorita Grahame), who worked on the same Record company ( 4AD ) were under contract. They were supplemented by the two DJs CJ Mackintosh and Dave Dorrell, who were responsible for the scratching passages, and John Fryer for the sampling . In the final version of the record, however, the soundtracks of AR Kane were not mixed with, which minimized the willingness of the band to continue the project. Afterwards, Colourbox wanted to publish under the name M | A | R | R | S alone. However, since they were unwilling to acquire AR Kane's naming rights to M | A | R | R | S for £ 100,000, Pump Up the Volume was the only work.
Band name
The name M | A | R | R | S is composed of the first letters of five of its members: M artyn Young (Colourbox), A lex Ayuli (AR Kane), R udi Tambala (AR Kane), R ussel (from the AR Kane circle), S teven Young (Colourbox).
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Single pump up the volume
The collaboration between the two bands resulted in two pieces: Pump Up the Volume , originally recorded as an instrumental by Colourbox and then supplemented by AR Kane with (later deleted) guitar riffs, and Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance) by AR Kane, which Colourbox with drum machine rhythms. Although the single was officially a double A-side in the UK, only Pump Up the Volume caught the attention of clubs, media and buyers thanks in no small part to the accompanying video clip.
Pump Up the Volume was enriched by the participating DJs with samples of various other pieces of music. The sample "Put the Needle on the Record" from the piece Put the Needle to the Record by the Criminal Element Orchestra (No. 63 in the British charts of the same year) and the sample "You're Gonna Get Yours" from one should be emphasized Piece by Public Enemy , samples from Holy Ghost by the Bar-Kays and a faster sample by Dunya Yusin. The sample "Pump Up the Volume" itself was borrowed from Eric B. and Rakim . In particular, “Put the Needle on the Record” subsequently became a sample that other artists liked to use.
Another sample from the track Roadblock by the producer trio Stock Aitken Waterman caused legal disputes because Stock Aitken Waterman did not want to tolerate the unauthorized use of their intellectual property. Since sampling was not a common practice at the time, the legal situation was unclear. Deliveries to UK record stores were halted during negotiations to settle the dispute, which for a week prevented Pump Up the Volume from climbing to the number one position occupied by Stock Aitken Waterman's performer Rick Astley . Critics suspected that the threat of legal action should enable Astley's hit Never Gonna Give You Up to stay at the top of the charts for another week. The compromise between M | A | R | R | S and Stock Aitken Waterman was that in all countries outside the UK, Pump Up the Volume appeared without the Roadblock sample. Stock Aitken Waterman later released a remix of one of their own songs using the full instrumental track from Pump Up the Volume .
Music historical context
While Pump Up the Volume was n't the first record to use edited or unedited clips from other pieces of music, it was the first such release to hit the top 10 sales charts, bringing the sampling technique to a mainstream audience . At the same time, it was the first record to address the legal significance of sampling. Earlier sampling records such as All You Need Is Love by the Justified Ancients of Mu Mu (later successful as The KLF ) or Say Kids, What Time Is It? by Coldcut were well received by record critics, but were not commercially successful enough to jump into the British charts.
Aside from sampling, Pump Up the Volume's instrumental track continues a number of successful house hits from 1986 and 1987, most notably Love Can't Turn Around by Farley "Jackmaster" Funk (# 10 in the UK charts in the fall of 1986) ) and Jack Your Body by Steve “Silk” Hurley (No. 1 in early 1987).
Pump Up the Volume paved the way for further sampling records in the following years, some of which were very successful: Beat Dis by Bomb the Bass (No. 2 in February 1988), Doctorin 'the House by Coldcut (No. 6 in March 1988), Theme from S'Express by S'Express (No. 1 in April 1988).
The title found its way into the musical framework of the film My Stepmother is an Alien with Dan Aykroyd and Kim Basinger from 1988.
The music video was compiled from various sequences of film recordings related to space travel.
Discography
single
- Pump Up the Volume / Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance) , 1987, 4AD Records AD 707 (single)
- Pump Up the Volume / Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance) , 1987, 4AD Records BAD 707 (maxi single)
- Pump Up the Volume (Remix) / Anitina (The First Time I See She Dance) (Remix) , 1987, 4AD Records BAD 707R (maxi-single)
- Pump Up the Volume (US Remix) , 1987, 4th & Broadway Records BWAY 452
Cover versions
- Greed feat. Ricardo Da Force, Pump Up the Volume , 1995 (UK # 51)
Parodies
- Star Turn, Pump Up the Bitter , 1988, Pacific Records
- Harry Enfield, Loadsamoney (Doin 'Up the House) , 1988, Mercury Records (UK # 4)
swell
- ↑ Chart sources: DE, AT, CH, US UK
- ↑ Music Sales Awards: UK
Web links
- M / A / R / R / S at Allmusic (English)
- M / A / R / R / S at Discogs (English)