First Step
DJ Day
Got To Get It Right 12″, 2007 (This EP is available on iTunes)
This is the second post in an oh-so-loosely election-themed series. This song is really subtle and beautiful to me.
The song is mostly instrumental but there are a few really well chosen vocal samples sprinkled throughout. It opens with a voice saying “What are you doing to make things better?” to set the tone of the song and the next samples don’t appear until 1:47 when a man’s voice says “we need peace” which is quickly followed by a soaring singing voice (is that Donny Hathaway?? If so, from what song?) saying “Ooooh that used to mean so much!…In my heart I pray!” And then after some muted trumpet the original voice comes back, saying “What could I do?” There’s not much to it, lyrically, but there doesn’t need to be anything more. It’s definitely one of those less is more moments.
Here’s a youtube video where he shows how he made the song:
This 12″ came out on Melting Pot Music in Cologne, Germany but DJ Day is actually based in Palm Springs, California.
Songs are available for two weeks.
May 28th, 2009 at 2:07 pm
[...] featured DJ Day on this site before. Last month he posted two great covers of songs from Instant Vintage, Raphael Saadiq’s solo [...]
April 18th, 2010 at 1:09 am
The meat & potatoes of this one is Kool & The Gang’s “Heaven At Once.” That’s where the “what are you doing to make things better” bit is from also. Giles Peterson uses it in his show ID intro. Can’t place the Donny sample, but that’s definitely his voice.
April 18th, 2010 at 3:35 am
thanks for follow up holmes. i actually found both samples after i did the post; and actually just by listening to my records, i didn’t even research them, how’s that for luck?. the donny is “giving up” from his self titled album.
what’s that line from heaven at once? “we’re scientists of sound – we’re mathematically putting it down” love that ish.