Yes We Can remix: Lee Dorsey's funk classic meets Obama speech
BB pal Tim Walker from The Ministry of Unkown Science and the Grilled Cheese Invitational shares a cool election-themed music remix with us:
One of our brethern of the MOUS, Tano Sokolow, did an amazing remix/mash-up of Barack Obama's Yes We Can with Lee Dorsey's Yes We Can Can song. It's totally fucking amazing and brings tears to my jaded eyes! Listen for yourself and see!Direct MP3 Link, web page with the music all up in it.
Tano Sokolow, who brewed up the remix, says:
Start your election night victory party off right with this track I put together. The original artist is Lee Dorsey, and I encourage you to go buy his music, it's wonderful stuff. The track Yes We Can was written by Allen Toussaint.
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Man, this is the first time I've smiled listening to something related to the American elections. Great remix!h
Effing Win!
Lks lk yr hds r t fr p bm's ss t llw nt-bm cmmnts t ppr n yr st.
Dre Dawg, I think it's more likely that you're unable to distinguish between polite and rude - at least when it comes to your words.
I forgot to ask - when's the cowbell version being posted?
Check out Z-Trip's Obama themed DJ-set on this week's Solid Steel radio show. Lots of "Yes We Can" action in there. http://www.ninjatune.net/solidsteel/playlist.php?id=558
Well, that was pretty good.
Somewhat related -- back in August I did a mashup of Dennis Kucinich's speech at the Democratic National Convention and the DJ Icey track "Bass Electrix". The mashup is titled "Bass Wakes Up America" and can be found on my blog (binarystatic.net):
http://www.binarystatic.net/blog/2008/08/kucinich_gets_high.html
Excellent. I've enjoyed hearing the Pointer Sisters sing a cover of "Yes We Can Can" and have been wishing for a Barack-themed take on the song for a while.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qHAZ25HYqU
God, election night is going to be SO exciting.
When we, in the UK, finally got rid of the Tories (= Republicans, kind of) a decade ago, it was an AMAZING night.
Get your bottles of champagne ready, all you beautiful "liberals" and "socialists" and "un-americans". Get ready to dance on the grave of the neo-con project!
This is WONDERFUL! Just the thing I need after a day of canvassing for Obama!
Quick, Call #3 an ambulance, he's having a SEIZURE !
#10:
How's that work out for you? Last I heard there are a dozen CCTV surveillance cameras within a block of George Orwell's old crash pad, and your government is thinking about banning kitchen knives with pointy tips.
Who is Alain Toussaint? You'd think they'd spell a legend's name right.
@#10 Man On Pink Corner
Yeah - things aren't perfect here. We had a Prime Minister who for some absurd reason decided to buy into Bush's absurdities. He's gone now. And we do have some civil liberties issues.
But still - we were glad to see the back of the Tories.
So - thanks for your interest. It's working out fine here.
This makes me want to make a playlist with this and "Chocolate City" just for Election night viewing.
Thanks Xeni, for this very uplifting post!
Allen Toussaint is one of the greatest song-witers that ever lived. Right after Katrina, he did an album with Elvis Costello (whom I would argue is another of the same) that features a slew of New Orleans musicians. Just before its release, Elvis debuted that song solo acoustic and I happened to be sitting 2nd row center (while the seat in front of me stayed vacant.) I was quite unprepared for how poignant the lyrics were, speaking to what has been going on in this country, and the song left my face streaming with tears, which Elvis could not help but notice. I can think of no better affirmation that at least this member of his target audience got it.
The song is called The River In Reverse and the Costello / Toussaint album bears the same title. Here is a link to the two of them performing it together on Letterman, and here are the lyrics:
How long does a promise last?
How long can a lie be told?
What would I take in exchange for my soul?
Would I notice when it was sold?
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up with a slap or a kiss
There must be something better than this
'Cos I don't see how it can get much worse
What do we have to do to send
The river in reverse
Every man a crawling kingsnake
Every girl a half a heartbreak
Every woman sold into shame
To any son without a name
Are your arms too weak to lift?
Another shovel on the graveyard shift
Here comes the flood if you catch my drift
Where the things that they promised are not a gift
If man falls through the mirror of a lake
They fish him out quick and they call him a fake
Give him all the temptations he can take
Tie him up high 'til his bones break
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up with a slap or a kiss
There must be something better than this
'Cos I don't see how it can get much worse
What do we have to do to send
The river in reverse
I thought I heard somebody laugh
Look out your window
They're chasing shadows in the dark
They're counting widows
I felt a sliver of glass
Saw a cross in splinters
I felt the truce of spring
Dig me out of the trench of winter
So count your blessings when they ask permission
To govern with money and superstition
They tell you it's all for your own protection
'Til you fear your own reflection
But the times are passing from illumination
Like bodies falling from a constellation
An uncivil war divides the nation
So erase the tape on that final ape running down creation
Running down creation
Wake me up
Wake me up
Wake me up with a slap or a kiss
There must be something better than this
Wake me up
Wake me up with a slap or a kiss
There must be something better than this
In the name of the father and the son
In the name of gasoline and a gun
Wake me up!
Can we make the river run in reverse? Yes we can!
SONG BOMB!!!!!!!!!!!
I posted my favorite pro-barack tune here... it's rock city over the M.I.A. (& diplo) "paper planes" beat. link to just the file here.
more obama tunes i posted here, here, and here.
two great ones from the elite dutty artz crew here and here.
My God, thats full of awesome.
Many of us down at the bottom of the world are watching your election with great interest (and not just a little glee, I must say).
Fingers crossed....
Oh, well he’s very popular.
The sportos, motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wasteoids, dweebies, dickheads… they all adore him.
They think he’s a righteous dude!
(Disclaimer: Please forgive me if this comes off as sounding spammy. Despite the fact that I [officially] host Z-Trip's mixes, I just want to get this great and relevant track out to as many ears as possible. I feel that music has a great capacity to change people.)
As a follow-up to Anoras' comment, I'd like to offer a note from Z-Trip himself, as well as an official link to the mix. Here's what he has to say about his mix and the election:
It's a very well-done mix; probably one of my favorites over the past few years.
And the mix is CC-licensed (Attribution only, but it's the best that could be done w/ the source material)!
The mix can be found here. Thanks for reading!
Everytime I hear the clear reasoned arguments of Obama played against the shrill bleating of the 1%-ers as they realise they are about to be crow barred away from the trough, I keep getting The Beatnigs/Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy song Television like an echo.
I am so worried that Sen.Obama may not live to see wednesday.
Beautiful song, Doffs his cap to both Mr Dorsey and Mr Obamaand Mr Walker.
esteemed company indeed.
Any working American who is in favour of the Republican same old same old is a serf caste peon.
In a similar vein to the Z-Trip mix is King Most's excellent Obamix: http://soul-sides.com/2008/09/king-most-obamix.html