Liquid Liquid and Melle Mel – “Cavern” and “White Lines”

I’ve loved Grandmaster Flash/Melle Mel’s “White Lines (Don’t Do It)” since it was released in the fall of 1983. I was an 8th grader in Racine, Wisconsin. It only took me 37 more years to find out that the funky bass line and some of the recurring vocal styles come from another early 80’s track called “Cavern”by NYC band Liquid Liquid. Who knew? Probably a lot of you. Me? I live in a bubble, and yeah, quality #musicnerd information like this often takes a while to reach me.

I discovered this listening to Questlove’s great new interview with Rick Rubin. It’s on his latest podcast episode of Questlove Supreme – two and a half hours of Rubin brain picking. It’s staggering the amount of great artists he’s produced since starting off in his NYU dorm room 35+ years ago. Beastie Boys to Slayer to Tom Petty to Johnny Cash to Red Hot Chili Peppers and on and on…

Check this stuff out..