Stem (song)
Encyclopedia
"Stem" is a song by DJ Shadow
from his 1996 debut album Endtroducing.....
.
The song reached #9 on the Ireland singles chart, DJ Shadow's only ever top 10 hit. The album Endtroducing.....
is listed in the Guinness World Records
as being the first ever album of entirely sampled
content
.
The album version of the song combines "Stem" with "Long Stem" and "Transmission 2".
DJ Shadow
Joshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
from his 1996 debut album Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing..... is the debut studio album by American hip hop artist DJ Shadow. It was released on November 19, 1996 by Mo' Wax Records. The album was conceived as an effort by Shadow to make an album completely based around sampling...
.
The song reached #9 on the Ireland singles chart, DJ Shadow's only ever top 10 hit. The album Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing.....
Endtroducing..... is the debut studio album by American hip hop artist DJ Shadow. It was released on November 19, 1996 by Mo' Wax Records. The album was conceived as an effort by Shadow to make an album completely based around sampling...
is listed in the Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
as being the first ever album of entirely sampled
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
content
Content (media and publishing)
In media production and publishing, content is information and experiences that may provide value for an end-user/audience in specific contexts. Content may be delivered via any medium such as the internet, television, and audio CDs, as well as live events such as conferences and stage performances...
.
The album version of the song combines "Stem" with "Long Stem" and "Transmission 2".
Samples used
Like all other tracks on the album, "Stem"/"Long Stem"/"Transmission 2" makes heavy use of sampling. Below are among the samples used for the track:- The first sampleSampling (music)In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
used in the track is sampled from the beginning of the 1969 song "Love Suite" by NirvanaNirvana (UK band)Nirvana were a United Kingdom-based progressive rock band active in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Though the band only achieved limited commercial success, they were acclaimed both by music industry professionals and critics...
. - The "...uicide...uicide..." vocal sample is taken from "Moshitup" by American hip-hop artist Just-IceJust-IceJust-Ice A former bouncer at punk clubs, Ice was one of the first of the New York MCs to embrace hardcore rap, and when he burst out of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, as Just-Ice, he gained instant notoriety. Muscle-bound, tattooed, aggressive—he resembled Mike Tyson in more than just looks—and with a...
featuring fellow American hip-hop artist KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
. - The high-pitched string samples are sampled from "Variazione III" by Italian psychedelic rockPsychedelic rockPsychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
band OsannaOsannaOsanna are an Italian psychedelic rock/progressive rock band.The group originated in the Vomero neighborhood of Naples with the union of Lino Vairetti , Danilo Rustici , Massimo Guarino , Lello Brandi , from the first line-up of the band Città Frontale, and Elio D'Anna , former member of the Showmen...
. - The recurring guitar and violin parts are sampled from "Linde Manor" by American singer-songwriter Dennis LindeDennis LindeDennis Linde was an American singer and songwriter whose work was primarily in country musicHe is best known for writing the 1972 Elvis Presley hit, "Burning Love"...
. - The organ sample that starts the "Long Stem" is taken from "Tears" by Italian musician Giorgio MoroderGiorgio MoroderHansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
; the same sample is used on another track on Endtroducing...., "Organ Donor". - The "I could just lay right down..." vocal sample is taken from "Blues So Bad" by American funk/soul group The Mystic Number National Bank.
- The "parking tickets" dialogue from that appears midway in the song is sampled from "Freedom" by American comedian Murray RomanMurray RomanMurray Roman was an American stand-up comedian whose career was cut short by a car crash. Many consider his style, and material, to be similar to Lenny Bruce.-Biography:He was Keith Moon's favorite comedian...
. - The synths that appear in the "Long Stem" section of the song are sampled from "Oleo Strut" by American electronic group Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece CompanyMother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece CompanyMother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Company, formed in 1969 by David Borden, was the world's first synthesizer ensemble, predating groups like Tonto's Expanding Head Band and Tangerine Dream. David Borden was in close contact with Dr. Robert Moog and was one of the first musicians to use his...
. - The "Transmission 3" section starts with a piano sample of "The Madness Subsides" by Finnish musician Pekka PohjolaPekka PohjolaJussi Pekka Pohjola was a Finnish multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer. Best known as a bass player, Pohjola was also a classically trained pianist and violinist...
; the same sample is used on another track on Endtroducing...., "Midnight in a Perfect World". - The final sample, "This is not a dream..." is sampled dialogue from the 1987 film Prince of DarknessPrince of Darkness (film)Prince of Darkness is a 1987 horror film directed, written, and scored by John Carpenter. The film is the second installment in what Carpenter calls his "Apocalypse Trilogy", which began with The Thing and concludes with In the Mouth of Madness .-Plot:The movie opens with a dying priest clutching...
.
Track listing
- "Stem" – 3:24
- "Long Stem" – 4:26
- "Red Bus Needs to Leave!" – 2:41
- "Soup" – 0:43
Use in popular culture
It has been featured in several films and on television, including:- The 1997 film Twin TownTwin TownTwin Town is a 1997 revenge comedy film made and set in South West Wales. It was directed by Kevin Allen and had a working title of Hot Dog; a hot dog van features in a number of scenes in the film. It stars real-life brothers Rhys Ifans and Llŷr Ifans and also features Dougray Scott...
- The 1997 film One Eight SevenOne Eight SevenMusic from the Motion Picture 187 is the soundtrack to the 1997 film, One Eight Seven. It was released on July 29, 1997 through Atlantic Records and unlike films like Dangerous Minds and The Substitute that dealt with similar subject matter, this soundtrack did not receive an Urban music...
- The 1999 film Wisconsin Death TripWisconsin Death TripWisconsin Death Trip is a non-fiction book by Michael Lesy, first published in 1973. It has been adapted into a film.The book is based on a collection of late 19th century photographs by Jackson County, Wisconsin photographer Charles Van Schaick, mostly in the city of Black River Falls, and local...
, originally broadcast in the UK as part of the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
's ArenaArena (TV series)Arena is a British television documentary series, made and broadcast by the BBC. It has run since 1 October 1975, and over five hundred episodes have been made. Arena covers all manner of subjects, from profiles of notable people such as Bob Dylan to the Ford Cortina car...
series - In Chris Morris' TV series JamJam (TV series)Jam was a postmodern British dark comedy series created, written and directed by Chris Morris, and broadcast on Channel 4 during March and April 2000...
which aired on Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
in 2000. - An advert for a BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television programme that aired in November 2006 called Lock Them Up or Let Them Out - Used in the background of the ITVITVITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
programme The X FactorThe X Factor (TV series)The X Factor is a television talent show franchise originating in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for Pop Idol. It is a singing competition, now held in various countries, which pits contestants against each other. These contestants are aspiring pop singers drawn from...
in Series 3. - A BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
documentary about Saint Nazaire that aired on 18 March 2007 called Jeremy Clarkson: Greatest Raid of All Time. The show was repeated on the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
on 29 June 2008. - UK TV adverts for O2O2 plcTelefónica Europe plc is a European broadband and telecommunications company that trades as O2 . The company originated as a collection of worldwide telecommunications companies, known in the later half of the 1990s as BT Wireless, and a global mobile data business known then as Genie Internet,...
and GuinnessGuinnessGuinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
. - A 2007 TV series that is airing on Bravo in the UK in May 2007 called Brits Behind Bars: America's Toughest Jail.
- A BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
PanoramaPanorama (TV series)Panorama is a BBC Television current affairs documentary programme, which was first broadcast in 1953, and is the longest-running public affairs television programme in the world. Panorama has been presented by many well known BBC presenters, including Richard Dimbleby, Robin Day, David Dimbleby...
programme in June 2007 - Football's Hardest Away Days on Bravo
- An episode of the BBC1 TV series Britain's Lost World that aired on June 26, 2008.
- The trailer for 2003 film GothikaGothika-Box office:Gothika was released on November 21, 2003 in North America, grossing $19,288,438 in the opening weekend and ranking at #2, behind The Cat in the Hat. It went on to gross $59,694,580 in the domestic market and $81,896,744 from foreign markets for a worldwide total of $141,591,324...
- First semi-final of season 1Britain's Got Talent (Series 1)The first series of Britain's Got Talent began on 9 June 2007 and ended on 17 June 2007. It was won by opera singer Paul Potts. The first five shows concerned the audition stages of the competition and the final four shows aired the live semi-finals and final. The show was hosted by Ant & Dec on...
of British TV series Britain's Got TalentBritain's Got TalentBritain's Got Talent is a British television talent show competition which started in June 2007 and originated from the Got Talent series. The show is produced by FremantleMedia's TalkbackThames and Simon Cowell's production company SYCOtv. The show is broadcast on ITV in Britain and TV3 in Ireland...
, during the flashback introduction for MD Productions - A 2009 French anti-drugs campaign.