I was trying to get some instrumentals of early hip-hop singles and realized a lot of them were never released.
As I understand it, the 12" started coming out in the mid-70s (I owned this one at one point), but when did 12"s start including instrumentals?
Was there one label that did it consistently in the beginning? I know Sugar Hill was doing some by 1982. The Message, for instance.
CONRAD
― Confounded, Monday, 2 March 2009 02:11 (sixteen years ago)
Dear CONRAD,
more instrumentals of hip hop started being released when hip hop became more popular -- circa 1987, 1988, etc. although instrumentals -- or backing tracks of the original single -- started around the same time as the popularity of extended singles i.e. when disco blew up. Instrumentals in general have been around since the beginning of the industry of music, although they were often done by different groups or, in earlier times, simply sold as sheet music.
MACKRO MACKRO
― System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 2 March 2009 02:26 (sixteen years ago)
I have some pete seeger instrumentals from the 60s with the words printed on the sleeve so you can sing along but I don't that's what you were thinking of.
― Ed, Monday, 2 March 2009 02:26 (sixteen years ago)
Ed, that's definitely interesting though -- I'm also interested in why the practice started...
― Confounded, Monday, 2 March 2009 02:41 (sixteen years ago)
Several pop singles from the 80s came with an instrumental version as the b-side. Now that was the most unimaginative acts, of course, those who had nothing unreleased to put on the b-side instead.
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 2 March 2009 09:42 (sixteen years ago)
Phil Spector started the 'totally pointless instrumental b-side' I believe.
― Mark G, Monday, 2 March 2009 09:45 (sixteen years ago)
more like totally awesome
― Judd Nelson (special guest stars mark bronson), Monday, 2 March 2009 09:45 (sixteen years ago)
New Order did this a couple times with 'Confusion' and 'Thieves Like Us', though the TLU instrumental appeared as a b-side to 'Murder'.
― Millsner, Monday, 2 March 2009 11:11 (sixteen years ago)
when they saw it would make a good deejay tool. i didnt mind when 12s had a b-side/remix as well as instrumentals but most hip hop 12s today only have the vocal/instrumental and accapella.
― Yellow Carded (titchyschneiderMk2), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:26 (sixteen years ago)
Reggae producers also did this in the 70s.
― zero learnt from nero (Neil S), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:27 (sixteen years ago)
And indeed ever since.
bring back 'Bonus Beats'
― tuomasters at work (blueski), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:28 (sixteen years ago)
Earlier than that, from 1967-68 or so.
― Queueing For Latchstrings (Tom D.), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:32 (sixteen years ago)
Aha I always associated this with the likes of Lee Perry and King Tubby's heydays in the 70s. Was it them doing this in the 60s, or other producers?
― zero learnt from nero (Neil S), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:35 (sixteen years ago)
More or less everyone did it - waste not want not!
― Queueing For Latchstrings (Tom D.), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:36 (sixteen years ago)
That makes sense!
― zero learnt from nero (Neil S), Monday, 2 March 2009 11:45 (sixteen years ago)
So whoever wondered who was to blame for Karaoke..... ;)
― Geir Hongro, Monday, 2 March 2009 11:57 (sixteen years ago)
No, the instrumentals bore no resemblance to the musical style on the a-side, let alone the artist or song!
(basically, cod jazz-band)
― Mark G, Monday, 2 March 2009 12:06 (sixteen years ago)