This is one of the first beats produced by Earl-E and Prose. This mp3 was ripped from the only existing copy that was recorded on a cassette tape sometime in 1993.
Since we didn't have a computer, a sampler, or any recording equipment, we used the studios at KRUI (University of Iowa) where we hosted a radio show at the time. The list of equipment and tools goes like this:
2 turntables
4 records (for samples)
1 Alesis S-20 drum machine
2 Reel-to-reel tape machines
1 cassette recorder
The Procedure of making the beat:
First, we created a drum pattern on the drum machine. The song had A and B patterns (8 counts each) with an C part(4 counts) programmed as well. That makes 3 separate parts.
Next, we determined which samples we would play over each of these 3 parts. We picked two bass lines to go over the two A and B parts, which would become the verse (A), and chorus (B). We then picked two samples to mix into the A and B parts- a horn for the verse, and a vocal sample for the chorus. Then we added thirdsample for the C part. The intro is the bass line from part A alone.
This is where it gets messy.
First, we played the drum machine, pattern A. Then mixed the bassline and horn sample live, recording the live mix, with drum loop, bassline, and horn onto a reel-to-reel tape.
We repeated this process for the 2 other patterns like this:
Drum machine pattern B, bassline #2, and vocal sample (MMM, MMM from Big Daddy Kane).
Drum machine pattern C, bass line #2 (Sly Stone).
From here we took the tape from the reel to reel machine and isolated loops with our different parts. When we were done, we had four separate tape loops that were about 8-10 feet of tape long, spliced together at the ends.
Loop 1: Bass line #1
Loop 2: Drum A, Bass line #1, Horn
Loop 3: Drum B, Bass line #2, vocal
Loop 4: Drum C, Bass line #3
Next, we played each loop on Reel-to-reel #1, looping the tape around a bottle of spray cleaner, and recorded several minutes of each loop onto tape on Reel-to-reel #2. We mapped out the song according to how many measures of each we would need, and then cut and spliced the tape from R-to-R #2 until we had a song structured with an intro, verse, chorus, verse, chorus, outro
Lastly, this final mix was recorded onto a cassette tape, which is the only copy ever made.
Earl-E
