The Best Use of Handclaps

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can be found in the intro to My Best Friend's Girl. (see also hey mickey.)

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

glad to have been able to clear that up.

Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Or Jay-Z's "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"--thin, cavernous, fat, fleshy...the whole range.

Andy, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Magic Dirt's "Dirty Jeans" has some ace handclaps, double-handedly making it by some fair distance the best song they've ever made.

Charlie (Charlie), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:30 (twenty-two years ago)

it has to be on Miles Davis' "On The Corner"

JasonD (JasonD), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:33 (twenty-two years ago)

polvo - "tiara fetish" aka "watch the nail"... it has 2 handclaps in the whole song placed several minutes apart.

either that or on the opposite end of the spectrum, steve reich "handclap music"...

gygax!, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:38 (twenty-two years ago)

kenickie "come out 2nite"

electric sound of jim (electricsound), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:44 (twenty-two years ago)

See also this thread.

Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 02:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Space Invaders Are Smoking Grass by I-F

Curtis Stephens, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

haha, i said the same thing then... oh boy.

gygax!, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:03 (twenty-two years ago)

two mentions of polvo handclaps.... spaced very far apart...

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The Angels - "My Boyfriend's Back" - (b/f's gonna kick the shit outta "Mickey" when he hears how he stole his handclaps.)
Human League - "Sound of the Crowd" (Might be a "handclap" synth preset.)

Curt (cgould), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:39 (twenty-two years ago)

Intro To "Hip Hop Be Bop" by Man Parrish. Also worthy of note for use of dog bark sounds. (and more fine claps on "Heatstroke")

Conor (Conor), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Star Guitar". Even if they're sampled/fake/whatever.

Nate Patrin (Nate Patrin), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Straight To Video "Project: Go!"

donut bitch (donut), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 04:32 (twenty-two years ago)

spoon's guestlist/execution

JOOLS, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 04:35 (twenty-two years ago)

The two bars of handclaps incongruously stuck right in the middle of that one Hella song. Also, the ending of Q And Not U's "A Line In The Sand".

Nick Mirov (nick), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Sleater-Kinney, "Turn it on"

Leee (Leee), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 06:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Go Maralee by The Science Fair

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 06:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Sorry. Actually "Go Marilee" by The Marbles.

Sterling Clover (s_clover), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 06:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Boy with the Arab Strap" by Belle and Sebastian
"La La La Song" - Low

weasel diesel (K1l14n), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 10:23 (twenty-two years ago)

'Ever' by Flipper.

rh, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

cosmos "take me with you"
metro area "miura"

michael wells (michael w.), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 10:34 (twenty-two years ago)

A second nomination for "The Boy With The Arab Strap", also take into consideration the claps at the end of "Denise" by Fountains of Wayne.

Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 10:39 (twenty-two years ago)

The last verse of 'Let's get it on': sex as revivalist gospel meeting.

jon (jon), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Steve Miller Band, "Take The Money and Run". Conversation over.

Dave Fischer, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 11:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Real: "New York Groove" by Hello (although they are combined with foot stomping)

Synthetic: Human League - Being Boiled (Travelogue version)

Baxter Wingnut (Baxter Wingnut), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

"Or Jay-Z's "It's Hot (Some Like It Hot)"--thin, cavernous, fat, fleshy...the whole range. "

YES!!!

Tim Finney (Tim Finney), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 11:54 (twenty-two years ago)

Worst use - Here Comes the Sun (Beatles)

Best Use - Love Life (Rutles)

dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 12:45 (twenty-two years ago)

no gabba track is complete without handclaps.

dog latin (dog latin), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 13:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Teenage Kicks" owns this thread.

Nick H, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 13:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire's "I Am The Fly."

Douglas, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

there's a track on grinning cat by susuma yokota that has some fairly impressive handclaps...

robin (robin), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 15:14 (twenty-two years ago)

Flamenco recs!!!

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 15:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Roxy Music, "Do The Strand"
Fugazi, "Life And Limb"
112, "Dance With Me"

Anthony Miccio, Wednesday, 13 November 2002 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I know it's a sample, and forgive me if it's been cited already, but I'm-a go with "Shadrach" by the Beastie Boys. Sue me.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, scratch that -- I'm chaging it to the intro to "Car Wash" by Rose Royce.

Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 16:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Alex in NYC is correct about "Car Wash." We all used to do that one on the school bus and get yelled at by Mrs. Servo. She hated disco; she hated fun.

Also: "The Locomotion," in both the Little Eva and Grand Funk Railroad editions, and (the real best one) the insanely funky break on Charles Mingus' "Better Git It in Your Soul," from Mingus Ah Um.

Matt C., Wednesday, 13 November 2002 16:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Amen to Car Wash!

This has simular beat of that where we started, but howsabout the Cure's Close To Me. ¥

christoff (christoff), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Redd Kross "Ms. Lady Evans"

Rahul Kamath (Rahul Kamath), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 17:14 (twenty-two years ago)

the whole Voodoo album by D'Angelo

the 2nd song on the Tok-Tok album

"Circus Bells (Hardfloor Remix)"

"No Fun"

Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 13 November 2002 18:44 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...
canadian content:
Stars and Sons- Broken Social Scene
Snowsuit Sound- Sloan

Leslie B, Saturday, 15 November 2003 21:24 (twenty-one years ago)

I see nothing wrong with the hand claps in "Here Comes the Sun," aside from how deceptively difficult the pattern is. Jeez, I had to rewind that bridge twice before I even got a handle on it, and I was in a drumline once.

Pretty obvious that disco rules this notion. Can't believe the opening of Santa Esmerelda's "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" hasn't been mentioned. Also, the switch in Kool & The Gang's "Ladies' Night" from backbeat clapping into double-time, on-the-one cements how fantastic is that key change.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 15 November 2003 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

But, yeah, "Car Wash" is as good an answer as any.

Eric H. (Eric H.), Saturday, 15 November 2003 22:49 (twenty-one years ago)

there's one really great human league track that uses handclaps. i think its 'being boiled'. i'll check and report tomorrow.

Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 15 November 2003 22:52 (twenty-one years ago)

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" forever.

Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Saturday, 15 November 2003 23:10 (twenty-one years ago)

The Travelogue non-bleepy-Richard-X'd version of Being Boiled has handclap-ish drums dudnit.

F. Anthony O'Reilly (Ferg), Sunday, 16 November 2003 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

"Everybody Dance" by Chic...

OH SHIT.

Prince - "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man"

ddrake, Sunday, 16 November 2003 01:32 (twenty-one years ago)

lazy line painter jane has the best handclaps ever.

DV (dirtyvicar), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Howabout "Let's Go" ?

Sean (Sean), Sunday, 16 November 2003 02:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Right now I'm thinking of a loop from an early Richie Hawtin track, the one that's a battery of snapping and cracking, an the track is just mounting waves of them. They could be hand-claps, but so regimented and oppressive they hardly sound like it anymore. Makes a change to the groovy ones that are in the right place

nick.K (nick.K), Sunday, 16 November 2003 23:53 (twenty-one years ago)

In Assembly.

Pete S, Sunday, 16 November 2003 23:58 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd say that convention wisdom prevails in this case with "Private Eyes".

Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Monday, 17 November 2003 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

aislers set 'hey lover!'

keith m (keithmcl), Monday, 17 November 2003 03:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Welcome Leslie B! I know you were wondering about 'evil' handclaps - search: Joey Beltram - "Energy Flash"

Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 17 November 2003 07:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Really, I think everyone is just trying to avoid the obvious and not mention "Jack and Diane"! Plus I sort of liked the handclaps on "One More Heartache" by the Butterfield Blues Band.

Gear! (Gear!), Monday, 17 November 2003 08:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Badfinger, "No Matter What," coming out of second bridge (I think).

dylan (dylan), Monday, 17 November 2003 08:28 (twenty-one years ago)

No mention of "B*tt* D*v*s *y*s"? I am so FUCKIN' old

dave q, Monday, 17 November 2003 09:55 (twenty-one years ago)

"A No No" by Danielson Famile, although it's only a short head better than all their other songs with handclaps in them.

aldo_cowpat (aldo_cowpat), Monday, 17 November 2003 10:00 (twenty-one years ago)

50+ posts and no mention of

Black Flag's 'TV PARTY'!!!!

Sasha (sgh), Monday, 17 November 2003 12:33 (twenty-one years ago)

The best handclaps, like, ever are on "Open My Eyes" by the Nazz (Todd Rundgren, etc). From a fairly sprightly verse they step the song up three full gears into a chorus that swings and bounces most righteously. Oh yes.

marco (marco), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Distorted handclaps in gabber rules.

Spinktor the Unmerciful (mawill5), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:31 (twenty-one years ago)

It's obviously Behave Yourself Baby by the Manic Street Preachers, innit?

Innit?

Sarah (starry), Monday, 17 November 2003 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

five months pass...
Stooges, "1969"
Little Eva, "Loco-motion"
Led Zeppelin, "Bron-yr-r Stomp"
Boney M, "Rasputin"
Neil Young, "Cinnamon Girl"

"Car Wash" only gets an honourable mention here because I've just never cared for it much.

Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 14 May 2004 07:14 (twenty-one years ago)

"Time is Running Out", Muse

Ian G., Friday, 14 May 2004 14:41 (twenty-one years ago)

* Numerous Danielson songs.
* Human League "Zero As A Limit" - maybe disqualified because they're synthesized claps

mike a, Friday, 14 May 2004 15:14 (twenty-one years ago)

"little sally tutorial" by the blow

Felonious Drunk (Felcher), Friday, 14 May 2004 16:11 (twenty-one years ago)

"A Line in the Sand", Q & Not U

PMK (PMK), Friday, 14 May 2004 17:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Nothing by the Blow should ever be referenced anywhere near a thread with the word "Best" in the title.

NA (Nick A.), Friday, 14 May 2004 17:43 (twenty-one years ago)

No "hey ya"? How quickly they forget.

Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Saturday, 15 May 2004 03:52 (twenty-one years ago)

AEROSMITH - "RAG DOLL"

cinniblount (James Blount), Saturday, 15 May 2004 08:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Supremes: Baby Love
Radiohead: that one about halfway into "Hail to the Thief"
Paul McCartney: Figure of Eight (Trevor Horn supplying them, and imbuing the song with some zest; it ain't a great song but a standout on "Flowers in the Dirt")

Oh and why-aye, Kenickie's "Come Out 2 Nite", definitely. Listening to both of their albums recently I was intensely puzzled about the second one. Very curious move, and not wise to divest themselves of that ramshackle mackem pop energy of the first. About half of the debut stands up magnificently. There is punctum in every inch of CO2N and a good few others too.

Tom May (Tom May), Sunday, 16 May 2004 01:22 (twenty-one years ago)

"Alex Chilton" - The Replacements

christhamrin (christhamrin), Sunday, 16 May 2004 02:06 (twenty-one years ago)

eight months pass...
"Absolutely Sweet Marie" - Bob Dylan (I don't think they're handclaps, but some other kind of percussion. They could be handclaps, though, and they sound so good.)

youn, Tuesday, 18 January 2005 02:20 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know which instrument is making the sound that could be replaced by handclaps in "Absolutely Sweet Marie"?

youn, Tuesday, 18 January 2005 03:55 (twenty years ago)

that Flipper track is great, it's so fucked up sounding but the handclaps add this absurd pop feel to it.

but my favorite would be "Tanzmusik" by Kraftwerk.

contribute, Tuesday, 18 January 2005 04:01 (twenty years ago)

Bearsuit - "Itsuko Got Married"

YOU KNOW IT.

Cameron (raygun), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 04:02 (twenty years ago)

The first three (or was it four?) Suede singles.

wombatX (wombatX), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 05:46 (twenty years ago)

In "Mother of Pearl" by Roxy Music when Ferry says "... only Zarathustra..." and those 2 claps just make it so much fucking gooderrer. Possibly making it the "coolest" song of ever-timez

Nic de Teardrop (Nicholas), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 07:01 (twenty years ago)

Does anyone know which instrument is making the sound that could be replaced by handclaps in "Absolutely Sweet Marie"?

it sounds to me like it could be an acoustic guitar with all the tone eq'd out or just buried in the mix. it sounds a lot like a pick hitting steel strings. but that's just a guess.

fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 07:54 (twenty years ago)

the basic beat of "always too late" by annie uses what sounds like it could be the handclap patch on an old, low-end drum machine, and it's pretty damn cool.

fact checking cuz (fcc), Tuesday, 18 January 2005 07:56 (twenty years ago)

nine months pass...
Gwen Guthrie - Seventh Heaven (& Larry Levan mix)

blunt (blunt), Monday, 7 November 2005 00:32 (twenty years ago)

now we're getting on track, cos... threads in neither mentions NYC Peech Boys - "Don't Make Me Wait" SHOCKA!

Paul (scifisoul), Monday, 7 November 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)


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