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Before The Grey Album blew up on the internet he had some ideas of releasing it. Due to all the Beatles samples I don’t think he was expecting it to be sold in stores was more likely to be a free promo kind of thing. Anyway I got a review copy and press release in the mail one day. I liked it and shortly after I talked to him and we went over track by track on the album. I wrote up a little thing and this was published in Tablist magazine (issue #4).

Lawyers got involved pretty fast and Danger Mouse was given a cease and desist and never had a chance to put out the album. It did make it’s way online and was downloaded over a million times on its first day. It quickly spread around the web and really put Danger Mouse on the map. Since Tablist has long since been out of business and the info is no where to be found on the web I thought it would be a good idea to republish it here.

In November of 1968 The Beatles released The White Album. 35 years later, Jay-Z dropped The Black Album. After more then 200 hours of work Danger Mouse created The Grey Album; acapellas from The Black Album over beats that were made from samples from The White Album. Danger Mouse sat down with charlie bucket to explain the method to his madness.

PSA – I sampled “Long, Long, Long.” This was hard because the loop wasn’t in 4/4 time. It was in 3/4 time so I had to count it out.

What More Can I Say – I sampled “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The baseline wasn’t clean. I had to go back and edit out the notes before I could use it.

Encore – I sampled “Glass Onion” for the first part and “Savoy Truffle” for when it switches up. “Encore” was one of the last songs I did. I wanted to do something simple. It’s basically just two loops. The only thing I really did was play with space and drop instruments in and out.

December 4th – I used “Mother Nature’s Son.” It works good and I like that on this song. It has his mother talking to him and the Beatles song is “Mothers Nature’s Son.” On this song I started going crazy with a lot of different drum patterns.

99 Problems – I sampled “Helter Skelter.” This one actually took me the longest to do. I wanted to match the feel of Rick Rubin’s original. I couldn’t get the rhythm right. I kept trying to fit the drums but they didn’t work. So basically I did the bassline instead. If you listen to it the drums are just kind of there and it’s the baseline that’s rolling. It’s what moves the song.

Dirt Off Your Shoulder – I sampled “Julia.” I set it up so people could see what I used to make it. It sounds Eastern. I wanted to keep the feel of Timbaland’s original.

Moment of Clarity – The sampled “Happiness is a Warm Gun.” It made it kind of a darker song.

Change Clothes – I sample “Piggies.” That song is crazy on its own. I don’t think most Beatles fans like that song. I had fun combining the two. I sampled the bassline from “Dear Prudence.”

Allure – I sampled “Dear Prudence.” It completely changed the feel of the song.

Justify My Thug – I sampled “Rocky Raccoon.” I wanted to change the feel of the song a little bit.

Lucifer – I sampled “Revolutin 9″ and “I’m So Tired.” It’s kind of a play on the records back then when they said there were messages hidden in Beatles records. If you play it backwards there are some surprises in there. It was just for fun.

My First Song – I sampled “Cry Baby Cry.” I wanted to make a beat that would be insane but still somewhat work with the accapella. A lot of people don’t like this one, but I do.

Related Links
The Beatles – Website
Danger Mouse – Website
Jay-Z – Myspace / Website
The Grey Video download

This weeks Vs. is a battle between Just Blaze and Dave 1. Both use the same Jackson 5 sample to create their songs. Just Blaze produced the original “P.S.A.” on The Black Album but this is a remix he also did that appeared on S.Carter The Re-Mix (2004) album. S Carter The Re-Mix was a promo album given away when you bought some of Jay-Z’s Reebox shoes a few years ago. The Dave 1 version is on the song “Cult Leader” by Non Phixion it appears on their album The Future is Now (2002). Dave 1 is also 1/2 of the group Chromeo and is DJ A-Trak’s older brother. As I mentioned it’s a Jackson 5 sample from the song “Walk On” from their Goin’ Back to Indiana album. The Jackson 5 song “Walk On” is actually their take on an Isaac Hayes song called “Walk On By” that will be focus of next weeks Vs.

Jay-Z “PSA Remix”

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Non Phixion “Cult Leader”

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