This article needs additional citations for verification .(August 2010) |
"Buffalo Gals" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team | ||||
from the album Duck Rock | ||||
Released | 19 November 1982 [1] | |||
Genre | Hip hop, new wave, dance-rock | |||
Length | 3:40 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
Malcolm McLaren singles chronology | ||||
|
"Buffalo Gals" is a 1982 hip hop single released by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team, from McLaren's 1983 album Duck Rock . The song is composed of extensive scratching with calls from square dancing. The music video prominently features the Rock Steady Crew.
While in New York City looking for a support act for Bow Wow Wow, McLaren got the idea for the song when he went to an outdoor concert (known as a "Block Party") by Afrika Bambaataa and Universal Zulu Nation. This is where he was exposed to hip-hop for the first time and discovered the scratching technique he would use on this song. Most of the scratching and the beat of the song were composed by Trevor Horn.
Charisma Records were not initially keen on releasing the song, but relented after a strong positive response to the first broadcast of the track by DJ Kid Jensen.
In the liner notes for Duck Rock, McLaren wrote that this track was "recorded with the World's Famous Supreme Team and Zulu singers backing them up with the words 'she's looking like a hobo.' The performance by the Supreme Team may require some explaining, but suffice to say they are DJs from New York City who have developed a technique using record players like instruments, replacing the power chord of the guitar with the needle of a gramophone, moving it manually backwards and forwards across the surface of a record. We call it scratching." [2]
Trevor Horn recalled the recording: "By the time Malcolm McLaren arrived, I'd got a Fairlight ... By the time I did McLaren I'd bought an Oberheim sequencer and drum machine, a DMX and a DSX. I told the World's Famous Supreme Team to tell me their favourite drum beat. It took a couple of hours for them to actually communicate it to me, but once I'd got it, that was 'Buffalo Girls': 'du du — cha — du du — cha'. That was done on this DMX and DSX and they just scratched on top of that." [3]
McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team released a record based on the song that includes several remixes, released on September 25, 1998 by Virgin Records, entitled "Buffalo Gals Back to Skool". The record features artists such as KRS-One, Rakim, Henri Scars Struck and Stephen Hague, among others. [4]
The World's Famous Supreme Team sampled the line "First Buffalo Gal go 'round the outside" in their 1984 song "Hey DJ". Malcolm McLaren was not involved in creating the song; however, he received credits on the A-side. The line is also referenced by Eminem at the beginning of his 2002 single "Without Me", with the lyric being changed to "Two trailer park girls go 'round the outside".
Neneh Cherry's 1989 hit "Buffalo Stance" is loosely based on "Buffalo Gals", and samples the song. The song is also sampled in the Sublime single "Doin' Time and in "I Wish" by Skee-Lo.
Hip hip trio The Beatnuts sampled the song in their debut album Intoxicated Demons: The EP . The sample is used in the opening song, "World's Famous Intro", which is a nod to The World's Famous Supreme Team. The song was again featured on their 2005 Greatest Hits album, Classic Nuts, Vol. 1 .
"Buffalo Gals" was also sampled on the Public Enemy album Fear of a Black Planet , in a track called "Brothers Gonna Work It Out".
Elements from Malcolm McLaren's recording are sampled in the song "Powerless (Say What You Want)" by Nelly Furtado. It was also sampled in Kylie Minogue's KylieFever2002 world tour performance of "Cowboy Style". "Double Dutch" was also sampled in this performance.
During the 2023 British Grand Prix, Mercedes engineer Marcus Dudley used the phrase "Buffalo gals" over the boardradio to George Russell, after Russell overtook Charles Leclerc on the outside of a corner.
Chart (1982–1983) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report) [5] | 19 |
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [6] | 19 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [7] | 16 |
Germany (Official German Charts) [8] | 20 |
Ireland (IRMA) [9] | 16 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [10] | 3 |
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [11] | 13 |
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [12] | 9 |
UK Singles (OCC) [13] | 9 |
US Hot Dance Club Play [14] | 33 |
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English impresario, visual artist, musician, fashion designer, music manager and music businessman. He was promoter and manager for punk rock and new wave bands such as New York Dolls, Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and Bow Wow Wow, and was an early commercial architect of the punk subculture.
It's Dark and Hell Is Hot is the debut album by American rapper DMX. It was released on May 19, 1998, by Def Jam Recordings and Ruff Ryders Entertainment. It was supported by four singles—"Get at Me Dog", "Stop Being Greedy", "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" and "How's It Goin' Down", in order of release—and their accompanying music videos.
Duck Rock is an album released by British impresario Malcolm McLaren. It was originally issued in 1983 by Charisma Records, Virgin Records, and Chrysalis Records, and later re-released on CD in 1987. The album mixes up styles from South Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the United States, including hip hop. The album proved to be highly influential in bringing hip hop to a wider audience in the United Kingdom. Two of the singles from the album, "Buffalo Gals" and "Double Dutch", became major chart hits on both sides of the Atlantic. Duck Rock was dedicated to Harry McClintock, better known as Haywire Mac. The album artwork was designed by Dondi White and Nick Egan, with the illustration by Keith Haring.
Dah Shinin' is the debut studio album by American East Coast hip hop duo Smif-N-Wessun. It was released on January 10, 1995, via Wreck/Nervous Records. Recording sessions took place at D&D Studios in New York City. Production was handled by Da Beatminerz. It features a guest appearance from the Boot Camp Clik. The album peaked at number 59 on the Billboard 200. The production is the signature Beatminerz sound which is elevated from their work on Black Moon’s 1993 effort ‘Enta da Stage’. The album spawned 4 singles: Bucktown/Let’s Git It On, Wrekonize/Sound Bwoy Burriel, Wrekonize (Remix)/Sound Bwoy Burriel (edit) and Wontime. A track known as ‘Nothin’ Move but The Money’ was left of the release of the album due to sample clearance issues and was released on white label as a result.
"Powerless (Say What You Want)" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado from her second studio album, Folklore (2003). The song was written and produced by Furtado, Gerald Eaton, and Brian West. It contains a sample of Malcolm McLaren's "Buffalo Gals", which was written by Trevor Horn, Anne Dudley, and McLaren. The song was released as the album's lead single in October 2003.
Let's Get It Started is the second studio album, and first major-label debut, by American rapper MC Hammer. It was released via Capitol Records and EMI Records on September 28, 1988. The album was produced by Hammer and Felton Pilate.
Kima, Keisha, and Pam is the second and last to date studio album by American R&B girl group Total. It was released by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records on October 27, 1998, in the United States. The album debuted at number nine on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and peaked at number thirty-nine on the US Billboard 200. In 1999, the album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for excess of selling 500,000 copies. To date, it is their most recent album.
Based on a True Story is the second solo studio album by American rapper Mack 10. It was released on September 16, 1997, through Priority Records. Production was handled by Ant Banks, Binky Mack, DJ Bobcat, Young Tre, Ice Cube, Soopafly, and Mack 10 himself. It features guest appearances from Ice Cube, Allfrumtha I, E-40, Snoop Dogg, The Comrads and Too $hort. The album debuted at number 14 on the Billboard 200, number 5 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on October 21, 1997.
"Double Dutch" is a 1983 single by Malcolm McLaren. It is taken from his debut album Duck Rock. "Double Dutch" is the follow-up to his successful debut single, "Buffalo Gals", and reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, making it his highest-charting single release. The album version is a slight re-edit of the single, with part of the original middle eight moved to the end of the track. The song concerns the skipping game of the same name, with McLaren's narration mentioning several New York double Dutch troupes by name, notably the Ebonettes, whose name is also used as a chant in the chorus. The music video for the song features McLaren and troupes from the American Double Dutch League performing in a school gymnasium.
Buffalo Gals Back to Skool is a CD by Malcolm McLaren that was released on September 25, 1998. It is based on McLaren's 1982 single "Buffalo Gals".
Bad Newz Travels Fast is the only studio album by American rapper and record producer DJ Pooh. It was released July 15, 1997, through Big Beat/Atlantic Records. Recording sessions took place at Digital Shack Studios in Sherman Oaks and at the G-Spot Studio in El Monte, California. Production was handled by DJ Pooh himself, who also served as executive producer, with Rashad Coes, Stealth and Tony G. It features guest appearances from Threat, Mista Grimm, Kam, Bad Azz, Big Tray Deee, Charlie Wilson, Roger Troutman, Tha Low Life Gangstas and Tee Lee. The album peaked at number 116 on the Billboard 200 and number 34 on the Top R&B Albums charts in the United States. The album spawned two singles: "Nowhere to Hide" and "Whoop! Whoop!", with the latter made it to number 73 on the US R&B airplay charts.
Livin' in a Hoe House is the only studio album by American female rap group H.W.A. The album was released in 1990 via Drive-By Records and was produced by Dangerous D and Ronnie Vann. The record was mildly successful, reaching #38 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. No singles made it to the Billboard charts.
The Great Depression is the fourth studio album by American rapper DMX. It was released on October 23, 2001 by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Def Jam Recordings. The production on the album was handled by multiple producers including Just Blaze, Dame Grease, Black Key and DMX himself. The album also features guest appearances by Stephanie Mills, Faith Evans and Mashonda.
"Hey! DJ" is a song by The World's Famous Supreme Team. Writing is credited to Larry Price, Ronald Larkins Jr., and Malcolm McLaren and it was produced by Stephen Hague. Released on 12" in 1984 on Island Records, there were three mixes included. The song refers to McLaren's previous hit "Buffalo Gals", which the group featured on. "Hey DJ" peaked at number fifteen on the US soul chart.
The World's Famous Supreme Team was an American hip hop radio show duo and recording group active from 1979 to 1991. The original members were Sedivine the Mastermind and Just Allah the Superstar.
The discography of Malcolm McLaren, English performer, impresario, self-publicist and former manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls, consists of eight studio albums, one compilation, one remix album, two soundtracks, two extended plays and eighteen singles.
"Long Red" is a song recorded by Leslie West for his first solo album Mountain (1969). He performed it with his band Mountain at Woodstock in 1969, which was later included on Live: The Road Goes Ever On (1972). The drum break from this version is one of the most sampled in the history of hip hop music. In 2013, West re-recorded the song for his solo album, Still Climbing.
"Baknaffek" is a song co-written and performed by American hip hop group Das EFX, issued as the second single from their second studio album Straight Up Sewaside. The song samples "People" by Graham Central Station; "Buffalo Gals" by Malcolm McLaren and the World's Famous Supreme Team; and "Cummin' at Cha" by EPMD. It peaked at #44 on the Billboard rap chart in 1994.
h II is the second album by Japanese producer DJ Honda. It was released on November 12, 1997 via Sony Records in Japan and on March 24, 1998 via Relativity Records and Epic Records in North America and Europe. Audio production of the album was solely handled by DJ Honda, except for three tracks of its worldwide version produced by Mista Sinista, Roc Raida and V.I.C. respectively. It featured guest appearances from various hip hop artists, including Camp Lo, Cuban Link, De La Soul, KRS-One, Mos Def and The Beatnuts among others. With DJ HONDA'S production and scratching, other hip hop artists continue to drop verses.
Round the Outside! Round the Outside! is a studio album by English impresario Malcolm McLaren and American hip hop group the World's Famous Supreme Team. It was released in 1990 through Virgin Records.