Back in the middle 80s, it was the wild, wild west when it came to this new thing called “sampling.” The legalities had yet to be sorted over who could sample what, how, and how much a sample was worth to the original creator.
It was in this environment that Mick Jones, ex of The Clash, conceived Big Audio Dynamite, a sample-heaving band that sounded nothing like his old band. BAD was a little punk, but influences also include reggae, funk, hip-hop, and dance. The group’s biggest album was its debut, This Is Big Audio Dynamite, and this single was a major hit in the UK, on the Billboard dance charts, and with the few commercial alt-rock radio stations that existed back then.
Ever wonder where all the dialogue samples came from? They’re taking from a 1970 film entitled Performance that featured some newbie actor named Mick Jagger. There are also references to Albert Einstein (of course), Marilyn Monroe, Joe DiMaggio (the baseball player who was once married to Marilyn), Red Scare senator Joseph McCarty, David Bowie, and Donald Sutherland.
© 2024 Corus Radio, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Ad Choices