Progression - Tom-Tom Mp3

this was played at every hip hop party i attended back in those days....special mention to Mr Jay's Hip Hop & Go-Go Jams

  alan James, Groove Records on Greek St - that brings back some memories! :-)

Fabulous slice of Hip Hop and Rap history. Released back in 1986 this record was quite possibly the first of it's genre not to use a disco sample, scratch or loop in an era where every other Hip Hop or Rap track used James Brown or George Clinton etc The 'Tom Tom' refered to on this record is not the leading Sat Nav brand, but a SEQUENTIAL CIRCUITS TOM - 8-bit drum machine, that came out the year before(1985) making it affordable for aspiring Hip Hop DJ's and producers to program their own beats. The distinctive sound of the TOM TOM can be heard on the track. YOU HAD TO BE THERE TO HAVE THIS IN YOUR COLLECTION. (I picked this up from the lengendary Hip Hop record store 'GROOVE RECORDS' in Soho, London, back in 1986.

'Indeed, it didn't start to really rely on old funk loops 'till AFTER 1986'. your kidding me right???.....do your homework before you comment......

I think although you could say the drum machine was unique and possibly the first of its kind the fact is a lot of records didn't use Disco or Funk samples before this record, James Brown was yet to be sampled on record until 86, if you didn't mean to make it seem thats what your saying then it seems your comment needs an edit, or I'm sure it won't be the last time someone disagrees with you.Its interesting to know about the Sequential Circuits Tom, I had not heard that before! Cheers

Beagle.808 ... I wasn't refering to whether Hip Hop was drum machine based before this record. I referred to the fact that back in the mid-eighties the Tom Tom machine made it 'AFFORDABLE for aspiring (bedroom) Hip Hop DJ's and Producers to programme beats, it was a revolutionary piece of kit, an essential and often overlooked part of Hip Hop history'. This track was ahead of the game paying homage to that aspect. Prior to this record (Unless your refering to 'Electro' tracks) nearly all 'Hip Hop' records were disco/funk looped, sampled or scratched ON TOP of a basic drum programme.

Sorry Alan-James, that's just untrue. The "first of it's genre not to use a disco sample, scratch or loop in an era where every other Hip Hop or Rap track used James Brown or George Clinton"? Hip hip had been drum-machine based for years before this record. Indeed, it didn't start to really rely on old funk loops 'till AFTER 1986.

Awesome record that dropped in the summer of 1986. This was one of those records who, at first, I had no idea who made it. After hearing it on Red Alert's radio show a few times, I went to the record store only knowing it had "Tom Tom" in the title. I did find this at the Music Factory in Times Square that summer, but that was not the first record store I went to. In 1988, everybody and their grandma would sample a James Brown record or two, but it was James Brown himself who would sample this record on his track "Godfather Runnin' the Joint", which was a bonus cut on the single "Static". This record is very difficult to obtain, but if you find one, grag it! You won't regret it!