"
Think" is a
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
song recorded by
Lyn CollinsLyn Collins was an African American soul singer best known for working with James Brown in the 1970s. Contrary to some reports, she is not related to Bootsy Collins, nor Catfish Collins....
and released as a
singleIn music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
on
James BrownJames Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
's People Records in 1972. The recording was produced by Brown (who also co-wrote the song) and featured instrumental backing from his band
The J.B.'sThe J.B.'s were James Brown's band during the first half of the 1970s. On record the J.B.'s were sometimes billed under various alternate names such as The James Brown Soul Train, Maceo and the Macks, A.A.B.B., The First Family and The Last Word...
. It was the title track of her first
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
.
Sampling
Along with "
Funky Drummer"Funky Drummer" is a funk song recorded by James Brown and his band. The recording's drum break, performed by drummer Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music; indeed, it lays a strong claim to being the most sampled recording ever,...
" and "
Funky President"Funky President " is a funk song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1974, it charted #4 R&B. It also appeared on the album Reality. According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S...
", "Think (About It)" is one of the most frequently
sampledIn 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...
James Brown-produced recordings, having been used on tracks by dozens of
hip hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
,
drum and bassDrum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
, and
Baltimore clubBaltimore club, also called "Bmore Club" or "Club Music" is a breakbeat genre. As blend with hip hop and chopped, staccato house music, it was created in Baltimore, Maryland, United States in the late 1980s by 2 Live Crew's Luther Campbell, Frank Ski, Big Tony , Scottie B...
artists. The song appeared on the 16th volume of the
Ultimate Breaks and BeatsUltimate Breaks and Beats was a series of 25 compilation albums released from 1986 to 1991 by Street Beat Records...
compilation series in 1986, shortly before the release of the
E-mu SP-1200E-mu SP-1200 is a classic drum machine and sampler released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems, Inc. as an update of the SP-12, which was originally created for dance music producers...
samplerA sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
in 1987. This resulted in "Think" being sampled heavily in the ensuing years. Both the song's main rhythmic groove and a vocal passage known as the
Woo! Yeah!Woo! Yeah! is a drum break which includes James Brown's voice which has been repeatedly used in popular music, often in the form of a loop. It originates from the 1972 Lyn Collins recording "Think ", a song written and produced by Brown, and is one of 5 breaks contained in the recording...
break have been used as samples.
Perhaps the first song to sample "Think" was "Go On Girl" by
Roxanne ShanteRoxanne Shanté is an American hip-hop pioneer. Born and raised in the Queensbridge Projects, Shanté first gained attention through the Roxanne Wars and her association with the Juice Crew....
in 1987 (produced by
Marley MarlMarlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
) followed by "My groove gets better" from her album "Bad Sister". A few months later the same 4-
barIn musical notation, a bar is a segment of time defined by a given number of beats of a given duration. Typically, a piece consists of several bars of the same length, and in modern musical notation the number of beats in each bar is specified at the beginning of the score by the top number of a...
loopIn electroacoustic music, a loop is a repeating section of sound material. Short sections of material can be repeated to create ostinato patterns...
of "Woo! Yeah!" appeared as the basis for Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock's "
It Takes Two"It Takes Two" is a 1988 hip hop song by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock and produced by Teddy Riley that was later certified platinum. The song samples heavily from Lyn Collins' 1972 song "Think ", using multiple drum breaks, the well known "Woo! Yeah!" sample, as well as the lyric sung by Collins which...
". In 1988, DJ
Slick RickRichard Walters , better known by his stage name Slick Rick is a Grammy-nominated English-American rapper...
used it at the end of "
Children's Story"Children's Story" is a single by British-born American hip hop artist Slick Rick, from his album The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.-Reception:It's on the list of the top 100 rap songs, and is ranked #61 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop....
" and
Janet JacksonJanet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
sampled the song in her 1990 hit "
Alright"Alright" is the fourth single from American R&B and pop singer Janet Jackson's fourth studio album, Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 .-Song information:...
". Much later,
Fatman ScoopIsaac Freeman III, better known by his stage name Fatman Scoop is a hip hop promoter and radio personality famed for his on-stage rough, raw, loud voice....
sampled "Think" for his own version of "It Takes Two". Other recordings that sample the song include
Kardinal OffishallJason D. Harrow , better known by his stage name Kardinal Offishall , is a Canadian rapper and record producer. He is often credited as Canada's "hip-hop ambassador", and is best known for his distinctive reggae and dancehall-influenced style of hip-hop.-Life and career:Harrow was born in...
's "
Clear!"Clear!" is the first single from Kardinal Offishall's upcoming fifth studio album Mr. International. The song was produced by Supa Dups and Kardinal Offishall himself...
", Lil' Romeo's "2Way [dub]",
Dizzee RascalDylan Kwabena Mills , better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a Ghanaian British rapper, songwriter and record producer. His music is a blend of garage, hip hop, grime, ragga, pop and electronic music, with eclectic samples and more exotic styles...
's "Pussy'ole (Old Skool)",
De La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
's "Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)",
EPMDEPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
's "Gold Digger",
Dream WarriorsDream Warriors were a Canadian hip hop duo from Toronto, Ontario, comprising King Lou and Capital Q. Described as "a pair of deft, intelligent rappers" by Allmusic, they were major contributors to the jazz rap movement of the early 1990s. Their 1991 debut album, And Now the Legacy Begins, is...
' "Face in the Basin",
Chubb RockChubb Rock is a New York-based rapper who released several commercially successful hip hop albums in the early 1990s...
's "Ya Bad Chubbs" and
The Real RoxanneThe Real Roxanne was an American female hip hop emcee who recorded for Select Records. In the 1980s she, Roxanne Shanté, and others were engaged in the Roxanne Wars, a series of answer records inspired by UTFO's hit song "Roxanne, Roxanne," being the officially sanctioned artist in response to all...
's "Roxanne's On A Roll." At least one
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician has sampled the song,
Vinnie ColaiutaVincent Colaiuta is an American drummer based in Los Angeles. Originally from Republic, Pennsylvania, he began playing drums as a child and received his first full drum kit from his parents at the age of 14...
, 1994, in the opening track of his self titled album. Today's song "
I Got the FeelingI Got the Feeling is a Hip hop song released as a single by the Motown artists Today. Released in 1990 as the first track on Today's album titled "New Formula", the single was released on August 17, 1990 on both vinyl and cassette. The song peaked at #12 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart...
" samples a vocal from the song.
Mariah CareyMariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
's remix of "
Heartbreaker"Heartbreaker" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey. It was released on September 21, 1999 by Columbia Records as the lead single from Carey's seventh studio album, Rainbow . The song was written by Carey and Jay-Z and produced by the former and DJ Clue...
" featuring
Da BratShawntae Harris , better known as Da Brat, is an American rapper and actress. Her debut album, Funkdafied, sold one million copies, making her the first female rapper to have a platinum-selling album.-Early life:...
and
Missy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
sampled the song and
Snoop DoggCalvin Cordozar Broadus, Jr. , better known by his stage name Snoop Dogg, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Snoop is best known as a rapper in the West Coast hip hop scene, and for being one of Dr. Dre's most notable protégés. Snoop Dogg was a Crip gang member while in high school...
's "Ain't No Fun (If the Homies Can't Have None)" on Carey's album,
RainbowRainbow is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, released on November 2, 1999, by Columbia Records. The album followed the same pattern as Carey's previous album, Butterfly , in which she began her transition into the R&B market. Rainbow contains a mix of...
in 1999, and from Snoop's 1993 classic influential debut album
DoggystyleDoggystyle is the debut album from American rapper Snoop Dogg; released by Death Row Records on November 23, 1993. The album was recorded soon following the release of Dr. Dre's landmark debut album The Chronic , to which Snoop Dogg contributed significantly. His musical stylizations for the album...
.
Cover versions
"Think (About It)" was
coveredIn popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
by the
reggae fusionReggae fusion is a fusion genre of reggae that mixes reggae or dancehall with other genres, such as pop, rock, hip hop, R&B, house, jazz & drum and bass....
singer
PatraPatra is a reggae singer. In her beginnings as a Female Dancehall deejay in the late 1980s, she used the stage name, Lady Patra...
in 1993. Lyn Collins made an appearance on a
remixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
of Patra's recording of the song, as well as appearing in its
music videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
.
British soul singer
Beverley KnightBeverley Knight MBE is a British soul and R&B singer, songwriter, and record producer who released her debut album in 1995. Heavily influenced by soul greats such as Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, Knight has released six studio albums to date...
also covered the song, which was released as a B-side to her 1999 single "Made It Back 99".
Sy SmithSy Olivia Smith is an American Emmy nominated singer-songwriter. Born in New York, New York, Smith rose to fame in the late 1990s when she signed a recording contract with Hollywood Records. Smith released her first studio album Psykosoul in 2000, which spawned the singles "Gladly" and "Good N...
covered the song on her DVD
Sy Smith Live: Worship at the TempleSy Smith Live: Worship At The Temple is a live DVD by American R&B singer Sy Smith that was released in the US in 2007.-About the Show:On December 30, 2006, Sy Smith performed a live show at Santa Monica, California's Temple Bar. Accompanied by a 9-piece band, Smith performed a total of 9 songs...
.
Appearances in other media
"Think (About It)" appears on the
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas soundtrackThe soundtrack of the computer and video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, which is set in 1992 in the fictional U.S. West Coast state of San Andreas, required that the game's radio stations reflect the music tastes of the time and area, in addition to covering current events in the state of San...
on the Master Sounds 98.3 station. It is also used in two stage themes of the 1997 video game
Street Fighter III: New Generation.
External links