One Song

This week, we’re revisiting an important question: How much do Diallo and LUXXURY love Depeche Mode? Answer – so much that they couldn’t pack it all into one episode. So get ready for a thorough two-part deep dive on these pioneers who defined the sound of electronic music! In Part One, the guys discuss Depeche Mode’s early years and their dynamic approach to using synthesizers and drum machines to make their music. Plus, they break down how “People Are People” was made—the song that took them global.

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Hey One Song Nation, we’re excited to announce a whole spate of new episodes coming your way starting October 15! We’ve got a new partner and a bunch of new songs to break down. But first, we’re opening the Patreon to share the full version of an instant classic: our contentious (but not really) interview with Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak>, Ex Machina) where we tried to answer the question: Does breaking down music ruin it? 

This feud began in the comments of our Pharcyde "Runnin'" episode where Barrow commented, “Why does everyone need to break everything down to weird maths?” Thus sparking a DM convo with LUXXURY which led to this, the debate of the century! (which is actually a very polite conversation by very nice men!) We also get into the hip-hop origins of Portishead, a few of Geoff’s wonderfully hot takes, and the process of composing music for film vs. a band.

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Produced by Demian Kendall

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We’re revisiting an episode that goes beyond music’s cultural impact to talk about its meteorological impact. When Rihanna's Umbrella topped the charts in the UK, it coincided with a period of heavy rain and flooding. The same thing happened in Romania and New Zealand. Coincidence, or did Rihanna's hit change the weather?

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This episode is made in partnership with Spotify. SongDNA beta is available on Spotify Premium. Check out “Funky Drummer” on SongDNA via the Spotify mobile app.

Why did the drum beat that birthed hip hop only cost 50 bucks? In Part 2 of our “Funky Drummer” breakdown, Diallo & LUXXURY devote an entire episode to the genius and legacy of the funky drummer himself: Clyde Stubblefield. It’s our “Oops! All Drummers!” episode, so strap in for some syncopations, paradiddles, breaks, ghost notes, backbeats, ostinados, tresillos, and the eight simple bars of hi-hat, snare, and kick that birthed decades of great (and not-so-great) samples. 

We start in the stems, deep diving on what makes this iconic beat so damn good, including the four ideas that Stubblefield abandons along the road to the titular funk. Then, we get into the song’s legacy and the decades of samples that Stubblefield’s beat created, from 80s hip hop to 90s rock to 2000s cartoons. 

We’re giving Stubblefield his due. Because after all—the name of the tune is Funky Drummer. 

Songs Discussed:

“Cold Sweat” (1967) – James Brown

“Give It Up or Turnit a Loose” (1970) – James Brown

“Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968) – James Brown

“Mother Popcorn” (1969) – James Brown

“The Classy M.C.'s” (1985) – MC Quick Quintin and MC Mello J.

“It’s A Demo” (1986) – Kool G Rap & DJ Polo

“South Bronx” (1987) – Boogie Down Productions

“Jack the Ripper” (1989) – LL Cool J

“Mama Said Knock You Out” (1990) – LL Cool J

“Rock the Bells” (1985) – LL Cool J

“Rebel Without A Pause” (1987) – Public Enemy

“Bring the Noise” (1987) – Public Enemy

“Fuck Tha Police” (1989) – N.W.A.

“Run’s House” (1988) – Run-D.M.C. 

“Let Me Ride” (1992) – Dr. Dre

“Justify My Love” (1990) – Madonna

“To My Donna” (1991) – Young Black Teenagers

“Where I’m From” (1993) – Digable Planets

“The Next Movement” (1999) – The Roots

“The Magic Number” (1989) – De La Soul

“Freedom! '90” (1990) – George Michael

“2001” (1992) – Melissa Etheridge

“G-Bop” (1992) – Kenny G

“The Powerpuff Girls Theme” (1998) – James L. Venable, Thomas Chase, and Stephen Rucker

“In Effect” (1995) – DJ Red Alert & Mike Slammer

“Officer” (1992) – The Pharcyde

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Engineering by Katie Gilchrist

Produced, edited, and mixed by Eric Hicks

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Was James Brown the inventor of funk? Diallo & LUXXURY dive into “Funky Drummer (Part 1)” the first half of the nine-minute funk epic that cemented James Brown as a true master of the genre. They get into the song’s legacy as a treasure trove for hip hop samples, James Brown’s unique presence as a bandleader, and what makes the song fit in the pantheon of perfect wedding DJ songs. Then, they bust out the stems to discuss the percussive nature of every instrument in the ensemble, including the greasy guitar licks, trumpet blasts, legendary sax and organ solos, a rarely heard set of James Brown vocals, and the titular funky drumming that combine to make a colossal 70s classic. 

Songs Discussed:

“Living in America” (1985) – James Brown

“Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud” (1968) – James Brown

“Please Please Please” (1958) – James Brown and the Famous Flames

“Try Me” (1958) – James Brown and the Famous Flames

“Buddy Bolden’s Blues” (1939) - Jelly Roll Morton

“Out Of Sight” (1964) - James Brown

“Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag” (1965) - James Brown

“Cold Sweat” (1967) - James Brown

“Fun House” (1970) - The Stooges

“So What” (1959) - Miles Davis

“Mahna Mahna” (1977) - Mahna Mahna and The Snowths

“I Be Blowin’” (1993) - De La Soul ft. Maceo Parker

“The Grunt (Pts 1 & 2)” (1972) - The J.B.’s

“Protect Ya Neck” (1993) - Wu-Tang Clan

“Doing It To Death (Pts. 1 & 2)” (1973) - The J.B.’s

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Episode produced, edited, and mixed by Eric Hicks.

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Geoff Barrow (Portishead, Beak>, Ex Machina) defends his claim that breaking down music ruins it. We brought Geoff and LUXXURY’s social media argument to One Song to get into it.

Here’s a short preview of our conversation with Geoff from our Patreon episode.

You can listen to the full interview (for free) by joining our Patreon, where you can hear Geoff go deep on Portishead’s influences, get real about a beloved band he does not like, and break down his classic post-Portishead albums by Beak and Anika in ways you’ve never heard before. 

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Episode produced by Demian Kendall.

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In memory of Dolly Parton, we’re revisiting our episode about her seminal 1973 track “Jolene.” In the years that have followed, the song has been reinterpreted and reimagined by many artists including Olivia Newton John, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X, the White Stripes, and, of course, Beyonce. On this episode of One Song, LUXXURY and Diallo Riddle are joined by comedy legend Andy Richter to talk through the history and impact of this singular anthem, and the many Jolenes.

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Hey One Song Nation, we hope you enjoy this snippet of our conversation with comedian, musician, and internet sensation Kyle Gordon. You can find the full interview free on our Patreon at patreon.com/onesong.

And if you haven’t joined our Patreon yet…please do, its free! At patreon.com/onesong we post bonus episodes of the show, interviews, new music reactions and so much more. Join to get our full hour-long interview with Kyle Gordon (“Mr. Jambo”, “Planet of the Bass”), where we discuss the fine line between music and comedy (and getting both right), the difference between parody and satire, and the delicate process of composing “Mr. Jambo” (spoiler: it involves actually learning Zulu). In addition to bonus content, our Patreon gives you access to perks like our Discord, early access to episodes, and much more coming soon! 

Subscribe to the One Song Patreon at patreon.com/onesong

Check out the One Song Spotify playlist

Episode produced, edited, and mixed by Demian Kendall.

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This week, we’re revisiting a One Song favorite. Bob Marley’s music is everywhere. And, in a sense, so is Bob Marley: His image appears in murals around the world, on college dorm-room posters, and in a recent Hollywood biopic. But has that ubiquity changed the way we hear his music? On this encore episode of One Song, revisit Bob Marley’s “Jamming” as you’ve never heard it before. LUXXURY breaks out the stems, interpolations, and contrafacts, while Diallo Riddle delivers the Bob backstory—and some hot takes on music biopics.

One Song LIVE 9/6 @ Skirball Museum 🎟️ https://www.skirball.org/programs/blitzkrieg-bop-one-song-podcast-live-skirball

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We revisit this classic episode where Diallo and LUXXURY break down “7 Rings,” Ariana Grande’s smash hit that puts a modern twist on the classic Broadway tune “My Favorite Things.” Grande has since become one of pop’s most reliable chart-toppers, tying the record for the most songs by a woman to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. They discuss how Ariana was inspired to write “7 Rings” after a post-breakup shopping spree, and how she and her songwriting team worked in cadences and flows inspired by several different rappers. Plus, the guys peel back the layers of how the famous melody went from the stage and screen to a pop banger several decades later.

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