Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock

I was 14 years old when this was released in 1982. I first heard it a year later when one of my school mates got hold of a copy of “The perfect Beat” album. For me, this is a real landmark track from the early electro days. It starts off with what later turned out to be probably the most sampled hip hop vocal intro ever. With Arthur Baker’s high production values, stabbing orchestral riffs, driving bassline, haunting keyboards, sound effects and a relentless rap by The Soulsonic Force “Mr. Biggs Pow Wow & MC Globe” this track is without doubt a hip hop classic. There have been various remixes since its first release, but none for me have surpassed the original extended version. I still play it regularly to this day….

The main melody of "Planet Rock" is borrowed from the title track of Kraftwerk's influential album Trans Europe Express, while the drum pattern is based on the song "Numbers" from the Kraftwerk album Computer World.I will add myself that this style of music Electro/Techno was invented in Germany by Kraftwerk in the seventies they was so ahead of there time as this tune proves it,but this is an absolute classic and still sounds fantastic to this day!

Although the term "hip-hop" had been invented and used within the founding members of this scene (Keith Cowboy, Grandmaster Flash, The Sugar Hill Gang, etc.), Afrika Bambaataa is credited with using the term to describe the genre and subculture when this track hit the scene. A little ironic since I consider this track to be more electro than hip-hop, but maybe I'm splitting hairs. Both are very similar genres that greatly influenced each other somewhat equally.

Everyone cites the Kraftwerk melodies, but they seem to consistantly ignore that Bambaataa also had Robie replay a melody form Babe Ruth's, er, Ennio Morricone's "The Mexican" in this track too. Both Trans Europe Express and The Mexican were 70s breaks used by Bam, Flash, and other bronx breakbeat pioneers.

I was 15 1/2 years old when this record was released. I had just become friends with the local record store buyer and would go with him into Manhattan to I.D.R.C record pool to pick up his weekly lot of promos. Usually I would sit in his illegally parked car and waited but the week "Planet Rock" was released in early April 1982, I went up there with him and it was playing and everyone was listening in awe. Jellybean was there talking about how this was 'the one'. And it was. I don't recall there ever being such an instant response for any one record ever except for "Rappers Delight". The thing with "Planet Rock" is that they pressed enough copies to allow mega sales from day one. "Planet Rock" was the essential DJ track which had everyone in the clubs and the streets locked into its grooves. Kraftwerk should have gotten writers credits but since John Robie actually replayed the parts, no samples were used however we all know the real story. Without Kraftwerk? No "Planet Rock". The only flaw I can think of is in Trenton, New Jersey. Trenton did'nt really rock to the "Planet Rock". At least from what I have been told.

This is a total disgrace to the original "Planet Rock" masterpiece. Oakenfold sometimes has the tendency to turn a great track into trash whenever it comes to remixing anything that was never meant to be. This is a perfect example. The Litman & Cox remixes are even worse with a weak bassline and cheesy samples to top it off. "Planet Rock" should never be messed with and these ripoff remixes proves my point.

Planet Rock was first laid on vinyl during 1982 and uses heavily cut down samples & beats from Kraftwerk's Trans Europe Express. The bassline is taken from Captain Sky's Super Sporm, track 2 on his 'Adventures of Captain Sky' LP released in 1978 - itself a very rare LP as there are two releases, Super Sporm is only found on the first blue label copy which never got produced in large numbers. Found it? Keep it!!

Tom Silverman, Tommy Boy founder and co-producer of this classic said that Pow Wow, one of Soulsonic Force MC's, forgot the words and he went "Zuh-zuh-zuh, zuh-zuh-zuh". He said "keep it, that's great". Little things that made it a classic.

The copy I have was given to me by Donald Glaude, when he was known as "DJ Dominator." It was one of his extra copies and it was getting a bit worn out. At the time, it was a bit difficult to get ahold of. Later on, I was able to find it pretty easily on some re-releases. What can I say about this EP, it is an absolute classic - years ahead of it's time. A bit of oldschool rap heavily influenced by the new sound immerging - called Detroit techno.