Today’s 80sObscurities artists is internationally acclaimed as one of the most innovative drummers of the modern musical era: the estimable Keith LeBlanc. Starting out in the early 80s as a session drummer with Sugarhill Records, LeBlanc formed the “Sugarhill House Band” with fellow Americans Doug Wimbish (bass) and Skip McDonald (guitar). While there, he would work with and appear on the recordings of the leading rap artists of the day: Sugarhill Gang ("Rapper’s Delight") and Grandmaster Flash ("The Message"). This led to the creation and release of the “No Sell Out” 12” on Tommy Boy in 1983, a underground dance track featuring music written by LeBlanc and samples from various speeches from the militant civil rights leader assassinated in 1965. The artist is best known, however, for his role with funk noise giants Tackhead, an influential and highly regarded collaboration that came about when LeBlanc and the Sugarhill Band met English dub master and On-U sound boss Adrian Sherwood in 1984. His writing and production skills have attracted the likes of Living Colour, Peter Gabriel, The Cure, Ministry, and Nine Inch Nails. As a drummer/programmer he has worked with everyone from James Brown to Trevor Horn, Seal to R.E.M., The Rolling Stones to The Stone Roses, Robert Palmer and Bomb The Bass. More recent work includes sessions for Annie Lennox, Tina Turner, Brian Ferry and Depeche Mode. Today’s tune is the title track from his landmark 1986 album “Major Malfunction”, considered by many to be the first “unofficial” Tackhead recording. A musical reaction to the Challenger disaster, the album was of critical importance to and a marked influence on the genre of industrial music. Loyal listeners, Keith LeBlanc.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:28:11 +0000
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