Head over heels I've fit in before
Now, I don't want to do it no more
I've held it all in with blood on my face
Built it up man so bad you can taste
I don't slag no one
I don't even judge
Don't give a shit cause I'm not gonna budge
I just want to be who I want to be
Guess that's hard for others to see
I'm not a trendy asshole
I do what I want
I do what I feel like
I'm not a trendy asshole
I don't give a fuck if it's good enough for you
Cause I'm alive
Smash is the way you feel all alone
Like an outcast you're out on your own
Smash is the way you deal with your life
Like an outcast you're smashing your strife
Head over heels I've fit in before
Now I don't want to do it no more
I just want to be who I want to be
Guess that's hard for the others to see
― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 00:26 (twenty years ago)
This is the home of the first Mash-up Supergroup - "Fleetwood Mash" - which is a "mash-up band" or "virtual band" - a virtual supergroup consisting of four legendary members. Wait till you hear them jamming together!
What is a mash up supergroup? Well, it is artists or members of different bands mashed together to form a virtual band. Samples of the musicians or vocalists are taken from existing songs, or sample cds that the musicians have made, and mashed together to create new songs.
In this case, Fleetwood Mash is a mash-up band with the members:
* Mick Fleetwood - drums & percussion
The legendary drummer and founder of "Fleetwood Mac."
His passionate style drove the British Invasion's bold incarnation of the blues, rocked through the golden age of FM, and made inroads to new world music hybrids. Then, it happened: the ultimate Fleetwood Mac, and some of the most innovative and popular music ever created.
* Rudy Sarzo - bass guitar
Sarzo's thundering bass metal punch has worked like a charm for big rock and metal contractors like Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, and Whitesnake.
* Bill Laswell - guitars, basses, sythisizers, FX, beats, ambience
As a producer of albums for Bob Marley, Miles Davis, Grace Jones, Mick Jagger, Public Image, Ltd., Herbi Handcock, and Motorhead, Bill Laswell has demonstrated an unbelievable, genre-crushing production genius. The sounds themselves drift through virtual space in mutations of rock, jazz, techno, funk, hip-hop, electronica, world music, and ambient/cinematic forms. Check out the Bill Laswell Discography.
* ILONA! - Vocals
Singer and songwriter ILONA! (pronounced "EE-low-nah") has some of the newest and freshest music on the pop/dance scene. With deep, sonorous lows and wildly high notes covering over a three octave range, ILONA! has a fresh and identifiable style of music, all her own.
Hear and download ALL of Fleetwood Mash's first album.
(free mp3 music downloads)
Q: What are Mash-ups anyway?
A: Mash-up or "mash up" or mashup, however you want to spell it, or "bastard-pop" is an emerging art form of combining two or more existing songs to create a new song. Usually the songs are from completely different genres to create the most interesting juxtapositions. Mash up artists use computer software to cut and paste together different parts of the songs to create the most fluid or jarring combinations. Here is a decent perspective on the history of Mash-up.
Mash up exploded in the U.S. when the DJ Danger Mouse decided he would mash up the Beatles White Album and Jay-Z's the Black Album. The mash-up album is consequently entitled "The Grey Album." Read more about "The Grey Album" Mashing had been going on on the DJ underground scene for sometime, but it took Danger Mouse's idea to bring it to the mainstream media in the States.
Q: Is Mash up legal?
A: Hell no...Not in many cases anyway. When you mash existing songs, you are infringing on the master rights of who ever paid for that specific recording, and you are infringing on the rights of the owner of the publishing rights - the songwriters themselves and the record company may own a percentage of the publishing too. Not to mention you don't have permission from the artists to screw around with their songs in ways that may make them vomit if they heard them, or if they have passed on, make them roll over in their graves.
Q: Will Mash up continue to evolve anyway?
A: Hell Yes!!! Sampling music was just as controvesial when it started, because people were using samples without clearing them first. But if the art of sampling was squashed in it's early days, Hip-Hop, and many forms of electronica music would not be what they are today. Can you imagine the first time Jimmy Page heard the Beastie Boys talking smack over his riff, he probably shit himself. But now in retrospect most everyone can appreciate the Beasties' unique style of innovation.
Also, as mash-up artists there are some laws that protect some mutations of theivery. The Fair Use Doctrine is used to protect news, non-profit, educational, and parody and satire uses of copyrighted works. But you should consult a lawyer or your family pet before distributing any of your mashed material for profit.
Q: Is there such a thing as legal mash-ups?
A: Sure...David Bowie had a contest where somebody won a car for doing the sickest mash up of his music! Check it out at www.DavidBowie.com.
In May 2002 Island Records released a legal mash-up that combines songs from Gary Numan, Adina Howard, the Sugababes.
And I'm not sure if MTV Mash clears things they promote or not.
Q: Is Fleetwood Mash Legal?
A: Yes, because I used sample CDs that the artists had created for music production, and not pre-existing Fleetwood Mac songs or any of the members' commercially released albums.
Q: So it's not really a Mash up album?
A: Well, Fleetwood Mash is one of the first Mash-up bands. I am mashing the performances of four famous artists, that have never been in a band together, into a virtual band as if their were writing, jamming & recording together - but with me as a producer/compiler. All the music on every track was performed by the members of Fleetwood Mash: Mick Fleetwood, Bill Laswell, Rudy Sarzo, and ILONA!. I am the producer or compiler if you will, that decided how their riffs, licks, beats, vocals, etc. would fit together to create new songs. And if I must say so myself they are a SICK band, a virtual supergroup really.
An illegal mash-up band could easily be put together with the isolated performances from pre-existing songs. I'm not condoning this practice, I'm just saying it's probably been done before...Also, I think it would be important to find isolated samples of the musicians playing their instruments by themselves, so not to mix in the members of their "real life" bands. You know to keep the Mash-up band pure.
Q: Who are you, and why did you do this?
A: Becasue I'm Mashine-Gun Kelly, and I do what I want. I'm a keyboard killa!
I was hardened by what I've seen on the Battlefield in 1942.
Some things just have to be done. I like the idea of putting people in bands that they don't know they are in. Or better yet putting people in bands against their will.
The idea of the virtual band is in such an infant state it really needs to be expanded on.
― scott seward (scott seward), Tuesday, 5 July 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)