Basement Jaxx Romeo and Soft Cell Tainted Love.

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Long lost cousins or what? Right down to the "wow oh wow oh" bits. And the thump thump style. Yes?

― Ronan, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kinda.

But have you heard the bootleg which puts the Romeo vocal over the bassline to the clash's "magnificent seven"? Genius.

― jacob, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Interesting comparison. I might have to do a back to back listen here...

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

That clash/Jaxx b'leg sounds v. interesting. Has anyone heard the George Michael vs Missy Elliot Freak on/Faith? This guy my flatmate knows who goes by the name of the freelance hell raiser has knocked up this amazing cut'n'shut of Chirstine Aguilera (Genie in a bottle) and the Strokes. Has to be heard to be believed. It may be getting some radio play sometime soon.

― misterjones, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

It's already been getting radio play, and I've got it on MP3. It's very good and will be getting sussed play when I get my CD writer but I still think the chorus doesn't quite work.

― Tom, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

if that's the "Strokes of genie-us" thing, i for one think it sounds a bit cack-handed. it does come on like a failed attempt to repeat the eminem/britney thing which WAS spot on.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh I didnt think the Eminem/Britney thing worked at all. The best of these things get beyond the shock-factor of look it's X with Y and just turn into good remixes. There's a Right Said Fred-meets- Kraftwerk one on my hard drive which works pretty well.

― Tom, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The undisputed king of all these remains Evolution Control Committee's smashing of Public Enemy and Herb Alpert together. Just amazing.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

fair enough. but it wasn't the shock for me, i really do think it works well, both rhythmically and "thematically" (sorry). the aguilera/strokes record have a lot less in common -- there certainly isn't anything in the air, culturally, to suggest putting the two together, which suggests that in this case, there was only the shock value to prompt the idea, whether or not it works as a final product or not.

― Alan Trewartha, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Right down to the "wow oh wow oh" bits.

Romeo's "Whoah-oh-whoahs" put me more in mind of Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" than "Tainted Love."

― Nitsuh, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't know that song so I don't know. but I was listening to Romeo last night and I thought of Softcell. It could just me. Perhaps a shrink will one day explore how there is a link between them in my head.

― Ronan, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gloria Jones surely deserves some credit for the "whoa"s in Tainted Love.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Alan- but I think Tom's saying - and I agree with him - that the final product really DOES work, so well that it sounds as if it should have sounded like that all along. I swear, every time I hear the Stroke of Genius thing I think: "THAT's what pop should sound like!" Young smart kids playing guitar to R&B hits - no surprise, really. What's surprising is that most rock bands have given this formula up after 30 or 40 years of success.

― Tracer Hand, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

While we're talking about the Jaxx, what's the song that "My Name Iz Start" samples? In the break, they flat out play "If I eeeever want to seeee yoooooo".... I've heard it before on classic rock radio or something. This is also the song with the "MY MOM SMOKES MORE DOPE THAN I DO" dropin as well. They played this live, to my surprise, on their last tour.

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

hmmm. i've always thought "where's your head at" was incredibly semblant of pil's "this is not a love song". it actually samples "this wreckage" by gary numan though.

― marek, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

My first thought on "Romeo" was that it reminded me most of a Jaxx song on the previous long player -- "Yo Yo". Why wasn't that song made into a single? Or even praised by anyone? It was easily my favorite thing off "Remedy"... "Breakaway" is more similar to "Yo Yo" though.. but still, the song "Yo Yo" kinda forcasted the jumpiness I dig that's all over "Rooty".

― Brian MacDonald, Thursday, 10 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Um, if it's any consolation I have always loved "Yo Yo", Brian. Although I find its influence elsewhere: the relationship between "Yo Yo" and "Jump & Shout" seems to be fairly closely reproduced in the relationship between "Get Me Off" and "Where's Your Head At?".

― Tim, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I dont go quite as far as Tracer but I agree in principle - Casablancas is a better R&B stylist than Aguilera, is the main reason "Hard To Explain" still beats "A Stroke Of Genie-us" (and they fluff the chorus).

Another link - they were both played at the last CLUB SUSSED.

― Tom, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

markek: head at samples *both* this wreckage and M.E. i think.

― Alan Trewartha, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Brian is totally otm about Yo Yo. I think it may have been released because I hear it when I'm out quite a bit. fantastic.

― Ronan, Friday, 11 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

as well as sampling M.E. (most of where's your head at) and this wreckage (the nice synthy bits) basement jaxx also do a thing of are 'friends' electric and destinys child live. the girls on top reading of are 'friends' electric is, as 9 year olds in the west midlands say, bostin. also of particular note is his bootleg of No Scrubs over Being Boiled. brings a whole new level to either song. the whitney/kraftwerk thing (i wanna dance with numbers) is less impressive though.

does anyone know if it actually is kid606 and tigerbeat who put together the recent missy elliot bootleg cd?

― david, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

am i the last person in the world to here the billy jean/don't stop moving mix?

― Alan Trewartha, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Half awake the other morning I had this weird rmeix/thinggoing around my head: The verses to Blue Monday slowed slightly to the bass line of Where's You Head At? I need to make this.

― Graham, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I still want to slap Britney's vocals from "Baby One More Time" on top of the beat to Tricky's "Overcome".

― Dan Perry, Monday, 14 January 2002 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two years pass...

Romeo's "Whoah-oh-whoahs" put me more in mind of Baltimora's "Tarzan Boy" than "Tainted Love."

i think of the wizard of oz

― amateur!!st, Monday, 20 September 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

also which police song are the "yo-o-o"s in "all i know" ripped from? i'm afraid i don't know the police catalogue as well as i could.

― amateur!!st, Monday, 20 September 2004 19:42 (twenty-one years ago)

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