Bob James - Take Me To The Mardi Gras (audio)

Bob James is back with his most eclectic album yet, “Jazz Hands” - out September 15th 2023. For more information, visit: bio.to/BobJamesJazzHandsFB
‘Take Me To The Mardi Gras’ is a gem from Bob James’ second album ‘Two’. The album is widely regarded as a jazz-funk classic (along with One, Three and BJ4). Released in 1975, the album charted at number two on the US Jazz Album Charts. The track, written by Paul Simon, emerged as an essential hip-hop breakbeat and has become of the most widely used samples of all-time, appearing in:
Run-DMC's Peter Piper,
Chemical Brothers's Dig Your Own Hole
Beastie Boys's Hold it Now, Hit It
Biz Markie's Cool V's Tribute to Scratching
Ghostface Killah ft Method Man, Raekwon & Superb's Flowers
Massive Attack's Unfinished Sympathy
DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince's Hip Hop Dancer's Theme
PM Dawn's Set Adrift on Memory Bliss
Public Enemy's 1 Million Bottlebags
Salt 'N' Pepa's Expression
Eric B and Rakim's Don't Sweat the Technique
Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five's Freelance
LL Cool J's Rock the Bells
Heavy D's Nuttin' But Love
Ice Cube's I Wanna Kill Sam
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's Deathwish
Kwame's Itz Oh Kay
2 Live Crew's Megamixx II
Mantronix's Get Stupid
Naughty by Nature's Let the Ho's Go
Nightmares on Wax's Coming Down
Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Lots of Lovin'
Slick Rick's The Moment I Feared Succuss
Terminator X's Ain't Got Nuttin'
World Class Wreckin' Cru's Cabbage Patch
Gravediggaz's Pass the Shovel
This track was featured in the 2018 Matthew Mcconaughey film “White Boy Rick”.
Subscribe to BobJamesVEVO channel: / bobjamesvevo
Check out Bob James on Best of Smooth Jazz: • Best of Smooth Jazz
Stream / Download: smarturl.it/BobJames_Two
connect with Bob James Website: www.bobjames.com/
Facebook: / bobjamesjazz
connect with evosound Website: www.evosound.com/
Facebook: / evosound-113905148685817
#BobJames #TakeMeToTheMardiGras
© 1975 Tappan Zee Records under license to Evolution Ltd.
vevo.ly/FhxtAp

[@G33KST4R]

"Guess you guys didn't like that, but your kids are gonna love it." - Bob James

[@shanesedwilliams]

Bob James most assuredly rocks!

[@jpay37]

Hahaha...clever!

[@digitalrazorbladez]

right! he Marty Mcfly'd this shit

[@davecoalwood9487]

Nice one Grumpy. 😁👍

[@greedokenobi3855]

Great comment! This is heavy!

[@Breakbeats92.5]

There are fans of Bob James that have absolutely NO IDEA that his music is one of the pillars of Hip Hop.

[@sergiorivera4973]

I was a d.j back in the 80s. Played, scratched to this and that, but you're absolutely correct about it being one big hit for Run D.M.C. Hearing this just gives goosebumps. So good.

[@dirtlevel]

Unfortunately, they probably don’t even care

[@tartgreenapple]

Bob James was not even aware during the time he was being sampled in the 80's.

[@grawakendream8980]

nah i think they all know by now

[@obriantucker2256]

"NO" jazz is one of the pillars of Hiphop

[@Niners4Lyphe]

I'm almost 58 and just discovering where Run DMc got the sample

[@davidrp1561]

51 here and just found out!🤦🏻‍♂️

[@myrickmcrae2904]

Bob James needs to be acknowledged by Hip Hop. Hands down his music helped influence a number producers and gave birth to a plethora of songs…

[@toddbeasley3709]

He does ! Those royalties he gets from rappers, are acknowledgement enough

[@rezilla1]

with respect, i do think this has happened.

[@almightyshux303]

LOL ur a bit late to the program

[@rodeliot]

He has been, numerous ,times, he has toured with hip hop DJs and groups.

[@zekefister8294]

Raise hands those who knew Bob James as a jazz fusion artist and not as some godfather of hip-hop! 🙌🏻 🙌🏻 🙌🏻

[@fiskodrools5769]

I was born in 74 and Daddy had Bob on the turntable almost constantly. I didn't discovere hip-hop until 1983 and my attraction to it was, the parties were just cut up jazz-fusion, soul, disco and even some rock. Samples didn't happen until later and THATS when I was sold.

[@tbird77]

Bob James is from the future....

[@theoriginalbrooklyn9566]

❤✌🏿😷

[@SIELband]

true! theyve been doing it since 70s...? nothing is new just recycled! but all good at least the new ones keep doing it... brilliant minds

[@valeriofyrajmusic8964]

He is the feature

[@aldub3848]

From out of THIS world

[@angelfigueroa6539]

Word

[@FAMCHAMP]

_Bob's like King Midas as I was told_ _Everything that he touch turns to gold..._

[@3sidesinasquare]

Not only is this song one of the most sampled songs in history and arguably changed the trajectory of modern music indefinitely, it is also a truly beautiful arrangement that hits an emotional resonance that I can't quite describe in words. There's something bittersweet about the way the strings play off of Bob's luscious rhodes piano work. It just all works together so well. It's a masterpiece through and through.

[@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee]

Nautilus song I think more than this

[@primeminister66]

@@MyDogSteppedOnaBeee Nautilus is Super ILL

[@BK2dafullist]

One of the greatest NYC break beats ever, those first 30 seconds! Years before Peter Piper

[@antoinecampbell7473]

Bob James is one of the backbones of hip-hop.

[@kareemsupremet.v.5189]

My shell toe Adidas just started dancing for no reason.

[@DjNRaider]

Hahaha 😂

[@jayebogar]

Lol

[@patrickvincent2477]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@sirjer73]

And yo Black Fedora Brim!!!!

[@kareemsupremet.v.5189]

@@sirjer73 nah ...just da shell toes dude!

[@lionrockr]

So many samples in one song.

[@Wonderhussy]

This is just so f*cking sick!!!! I could listen to this all day, no joke! Don't know how it stumbled into my feed...but I'm addicted to Bob James now. What a boss!

[@omostim2385]

Had no idea that break that I’ve heard a million times was a Bob James sample. Cant wait to play this on the way to New Orleans for Mardi Gras some day when the world is normal again

[@clarkclarke]

I always look up jacket notes.... that's why I used to love CD and albums ..to read all this stuff

[@LoRiderish]

Before RunDMC, DJs in NYC parks gave this so song so much love... the beginning of Hip Hop was the break beat. Great memories!

[@Wally-H]

Flash loved mixing this and was much copied. Didn't he do it in Wild Style? That kicked a lot of stuff off.

[@jayceeo673]

"Not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good!"

[@rickram4]

hahahaha, I yelled that as well LOL

[@norakat]

That is

[@jasonseaton466]

God damn that DJ made my day

[@MrBenHaynes]

Not lyin' y'all, he's the best I know!

[@dr.rhythm2886]

Not bad meaning but bad meaning Good!

[@arushilovesmusic]

Which DJ? DJ Kool Herc?

[@jasonseaton466]

@aarushisingh jam master Jay

[@whyyoulidl]

Guess what - last night, a day DJ saved my life from a broken heart!

[@arempy5836]

The intro is legendary but this is a jam in its own right.

[@gabrielguerra2935]

i love that it starts super menacing and them suddenly gets cute

[@KentGoSuzuki]

You know this intro even though you don’t

[@jackadiamond8614]

Intro used by Timbaland in Work It by Missy Elliot

[@mrmustard-mp6ij]

You know 2:00 as well =)

[@RhFacter]

Run DMC - Peter Piper

[@winkywinky4134]

2

[@StylistecS]

Jacka Diamond also Gina Thompson the things you do

[@anthonyakiwumi1974]

Hallmarked my childhood as a kid growing up in West Africa in the 70's. Saturday mornings without fail, my old man would put tge "soundz" on and we'd all be playing air instruments to this and many other Bob James tracks. A legend!

[@NJbakintheday]

Protect this man at all cost! Thank you, Bob... for all the great music through the years and your contribution to hip hop. I bought a copy of Double Vision back in the 80s and have been a huge fan ever since.

[@4jsandag211]

If there was an album to get, double vision has to be one of the best...

[@zshakur]

I gotta say it...In the pantheon of Hip Hop samples, there's James Brown then Bob James....Shout out to ALL the brilliant beat makers that recognized their genius and gave us so many Hip Hop classics to rock to. Timeless music all around!

[@primeminister66]

James Brown….Parliament/Funkadelic

[@jazzfunkyman6962]

The most sampled song from the great Bob James in Hip-hop history,thanks

[@larrybass370]

Nautilus is up there too

[@forcedtohaveahandle]

@@larrybass370 Shook Ones Part II by Mobb Deep too

[@wachutalmbout6985]

Google the amen beat

[@NullCreativityMusic]

@@wachutalmbout6985 Amen!!

[@MoMo-gk8xt]

Keni Burke "keep rising to the top*

[@mgmx2099]

Been a Bob James fan for almost 40 years and didn't know it.

[@diepiriye]

Not just Run DMC, but this song has been sampled nearly 500 times! And yes, I'm 48 and JUST now discovering it. My aunt playing Bob James in one room and the kids playing Hip-Hop in another! LOL!

[@user-ce5re6so8v]

Breakbeat and Rockin the bells❤🎉

[@tomfoolery342]

How am I JUST now realizing that Bob James was so prolific in Hip Hop sampled music. He's "The Reluctant Hip-Hop Legend"!!

[@Mr_DPZ]

He's come around to embrace it as of late.

[@illuminatigbeats1397]

@@Mr_DPZ a whole lot now. he even started sampling his own music so he could partake in the art. he was so curious as to how we take small parts and convert it into whole songs of a different genre. if more older artist did this we’d have a musical renaissance. sharing old music with the youngins. using new techniques by the youngins

[@Freewarrior2]

@@illuminatigbeats1397 and many detractors of sampling wouldn't know that some songs are sampled until you tell them where the sample is. Some are hard to identify because it blends so well. I'm not mentioning this song because it's so identifiable.

[@eddiewilliams8673]

The immortal music of the incredible Bob James: MAESTRO.

[@florenloreng]

This song makes me happy.

[@kabe138]

Biz markie , just a friend , so many samples from this song..

[@KarzenX]

One thing I can say about the sampling era of the 80’s is that it almost always brought/brings me back to incredible music. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽♥️

[@jrjefferson01]

Man ....all hail Bob James. His contribution to hiphop really needs to be acknowledged. After hearing the samples in all the hip-hop classics I got into Jazz. And to him I thank him

[@50--11]

This song made the world better. Thank you!

[@vincentthomas9817]

Thanks Grand Master Flash for introducing me and the whole hip hop community on Take Me To the Mardi Gras in WYLD Style years before RUNDMC. You made it a DJ break that Jay and all the other DJs would cut. You were the first to do it. No disrespect to Jay, Jeff , Scratch. I love you all.

[@redimade]

And wow.. massive attacks unfinished sympathy used samples from this.m one of my all time favez

[@SoënChenSoänChan]

Kool G Rap Death Wish

[@Nori897]

The lack of lyrics made it more universal. Will take everyone to heaven.

[@craigstrachan]

Remember this from Run DMC Peter Piper and so many other hip hop classics . Good to know where it comes from . Gotta give this its due .

[@onemorescout]

I’ve listened to hip-hop my whole life and I just now discovered this large part of the genre’s foundation, that and UFO of course.

[@giselleperez7339]

"Now, Dr. Sues and Mother Goose both did their thing..." Run DMC "Peter Piper" 1986!

[@aldub3848]

This guy is literally a genius!!! Imagine a world where we care less about a persons skin tone but their achievements in the evolution of society. This is one of the most influential people of hip hop. Before computer generated beats and all that, here is a gold mine of samples in one groove. Give this man and other legends their flowers while they are amongst us!! Groove on!!!

[@ekesa07632]

The fact that I first heard the intro used here at the end of Missy Elliot’s “work it”. Wonderful discovery I say. Thanks Missy 😀

[@kab9706]

Same, I love appreciating the older music that inspired the new music

[@ezsmith3765]

I first heard it on RUN DMC’s “Peter Piper”

[@vanndiesel1]

Grew up on Bob James🔥👍✌️

[@ezsmith3765]

you ain’t not

[@facekickr]

Thanks Bob James, Paul Simon and Run DMC! Love this song!

[@brennocalderan2201]

1975 is my favorite 70s year when it comes to music.

[@calebproductions5970]

The middle of the 70s. It was great.i was there.

[@Vendzor]

@@calebproductions5970 The heart of the '70s, when it wasn't too close to the '60s or '80s. It was just pure '70s goodness. What a time to be alive!

[@kalelc1996]

That wah-wah & chorus pedal used on the Fender Rhodes is LEGENDARY!!!!

[@user-py4zl4fd4o]

This song makes me want to go to Mardi Gras.

[@chrisv73]

This is REAL music!! 👍👍

[@whyyoulidl]

Without this, there's no "Peter Piper picks peppers and Run raps rhymes..."

[@darrellmorris8999]

.....there are other songs that could've been sampled for "Peter Piper"... Bob James is nice with Mardi Gras, Nautilus .. others...but, based on the creativity of Hip Hop, breakbeats, etc...the artists' sample choices are innumerable, like the stars in the sky

[@misterwallce9532]

Or LL cool j rock the 🔔's

[@mikeoverbaugh4686]

@@darrellmorris8999 not as funky though

[@mollynash1896]

Humpty Dumpty fell down that’s his hard times

[@bronxkies]

Such timeless music. Bob James is one of the greats.

[@jaylouis8227]

"Now Little Bo Peep cold lost her sheep. And Rip Van Winkle fell the hell asleep!"

[@virenparmar919]

Bob, The ‘Culture’ thanks you....

[@jewelreynolds6612]

This is soooo cool. Two art forms formed from this mastery!

[@seanmayoaguirre1316]

Literally Perfect ❤️

[@dmqdagreat]

So many dope tracks were sampled of this joint. Salute to you Mr. James

[@freedommgtow4996]

Hip Hop wouldn't be the same without this Genius. Bob James helped build Hip Hop. Salute to you' Mr. James.

[@kar5431]

So true. Damn near everyone sampled -Nautilus

[@rafierafie]

This is incredible! I can see why it was sampled. It has such a smooth groove and flow to it. Pay Bob and give him the credit he deserves for his work!

[@catboyzee]

Great music is truly timeless, regardless of genre. Respect to the musical genius of Bob James and those early Hip Hop DJs, MCs, and producers for hearing and expanding on Mr. James artistic vision.

[@MelodicalJazzyphile723]

Wooooow! I had NO! idea that the spectacular Bob James was responsible for contributing diversified sounds that help catapult the Hip-Hop culture. That's peace! Yes indeed

[@slikkrikk9487]

The beginning of hip hop! New York City stand up 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[@junqone]

Thanks and Love to You, Bob James!

[@andrear.berndt9504]

Makes me feel good. Great music!

[@Pauloienczak]

Thanks to all DJs who's since the 70's bangin the breaks of this classic, bringing this gem to my generation!

[@osiris460131]

Was introduced to this by now deceased sister over 40 years ago and it is still a pleasure.

[@chilldaddy3663]

Ah the days in the Bronx in the 70’s

[@somedude626]

Just hearing about Bob James..appreciate the man thank you sir

[@josephbertie2584]

Such an amazing track.

[@ritchcraft1]

man practically invented hip hop with his grooves

[@mackinshizzaveli4202]

He contributed greatly to 80s hip hop but no. James Brown was the biggest influence on hip hop.

[@ritchcraft1]

You're right, they both have undeniably recognizable breaks

[@hagnuj1070]

Idris Muhammad

[@hagnuj1070]

Steve Gadd

[@hagnuj1070]

Billy Cobham

[@Mr.mister.J]

Bob has considerable and intimidating skill.

[@esjel9804]

This has always been my number one favorite sample. That bell clave pattern adds so much and has greatly influenced my drum programming.

[@greghampton5214]

I listened to Run DMC song so much, it sounds like Bob James took this and mixed Peter Piper in it!

[@channel1859]

If "the Most Sampled Track in The 80's" was a track...this was it!!!

[@Wally-H]

Nope

[@mikeoverbaugh4686]

Just goes to show that no genre can claim to stand alone, every single one was touched by another in some way. Damn I love music!!!!

[@tommysmalls2198]

Needle dropping this on the 1200’s the most revered break beat in the history of park jams NYC💯🔥

[@clarencejones834]

Even till this day. Classic.. great job 💯

[@usbreaksnyc]

Thank you Bob James for all ur music. I have every thing U made + what u produced....almost.

[@chrisnorwood8525]

Wow! Peter Piper RUN DMC and so many others cut this up and made hits Salute to you Bob James

[@williamchappell9858]

So many rappers including Run DMC have sampled this song Mr James should be filthy stinking rich of this sample

[@njrra5033]

Bob James is a legend GODBLESS HIM 🙏🏼 been listening to his music since I was 12 amazing composer

[@holliscrew11412]

We in the building! Holliscrew11412... Queens 👑

[@ramondobrown1162]

Man 1st time hearing this jawn! So many samples from the Hip Hop world that I've heard.

[@andiep3854]

Thx for this Robert.

[@dsw8077]

Love when the organ plays, can not help but groove. Thanks man.

[@THECLARENCES]

Bob James for the win! xoxo The Clarences

[@watewashi]

cute... . middle aged fusion guy created such a cute song... . unbelievable!

[@ezsmith3765]

This is as awesome as the time I accidentally discovered Jimi Hendrix with Curtis Knight “Happy Birthday” Sampled on “Jimmy James” by the B.Boys

[@charlesbarry6730]

The king of smooth jazz.

[@theoriginalbrooklyn9566]

Thank you Bob James ❤😷

[@seanmayoaguirre1316]

Brilliant. Beautiful. Perfect. Bob James.

[@trappenweisseguy27]

Those first 30 seconds, what an intro 🔥 !.

[@JoseHernandez-yj7zm]

Run Dmc brought me here

[@mallaes2006]

GENIUS

[@gregjohnson3316]

Masters at Work!!!

[@patrickvincent2477]

The Reason for classic hip hop sound Bob James King of the Hip hop groove !

[@user-ki6qc2ot2p]

Lo mejor de lo mejor Bob James❤

[@p.o.p.presents]

L.L. Cool J Rock the bells would've been perfect to this. The opening.

[@benlauden445]

This man is responsible for so much!!! And so few poeple know it!!!

[@Marcorod4Videos]

Could have also been the opening theme song to a 70’s sitcom

[@JerGer918]

Interestingly, Bob James did create the "Taxi" theme song

[@AriesA1i]

Run DMC & Gina Thompson brought me here 🔥🔥🔥

[@sherylsimmons8111]

I never new that Run DMC sampled this. Lovely music! ❤😊

[@mjmatteo]

The intro had me, hypnotically, pulling a flattened cardboard box outta a dumpster: suddenly I’m up rockin and spinning on my back!