Groove Is In The Heart/Deee-Lite (Circuit Tracks Version)

video upload by Guinan

"I watched ‪@smallplatesmusic‬ excellent video detailing the story behind the samples used in the very excellent 1990 track 'Groove Is In The Heart' by Deee-Lite and thought it warranted a Circuit Tracks version.

I cleared the decks this afternoon and got to work!

(Check out the highly recommended original video below)

James recreates many of his tracks using Koala software and I've taken some of his edits, sprinkled a few extra ones from the original sources and have shoehorned them into a Circuit Tracks arrangement.

Everything you hear was programmed into and played on a single Circuit Tracks with no additional effects or synths. Hopefully it shows what a great sample player/drum machine it can be! (probably not quite how Novation thought this machine would be used - but it kinda works!)

The only non-original sources are a couple of Linn drum samples to beef up the rhythm, some General MIDI 'scratching' samples and some finger clicking and verbal gymnastics from the man himself, ‪@smallplatesmusic‬

More details for synths nerds
BPM=122
No synths on this mate! Only samples!!
No 'butter' notes either..."

"Groove Is in the Heart": Sample Breakdown, stories, recreating Deee-Lite track in Koala Sampler

video upload by small plates music

"Built on Herbie Hancock’s "Bring Down the Birds" and Vernon Burch’s 'Get Up' but including some very unexpected, sound effects, sitcom snippets, and belly‑dancing records, Groove Is In The Heart has big hidden depths.

I'll dig into the samples and tell you the stories behind each one:

Miles Davis’s 'butter notes,'
How an innocent sounding sample is hiding one of the dirtiest of house divas
A tenuous link with Donald Trump
Is belly dancing Greek? And why do we care?

In the end I will drop the samples into Koala Sampler (on my iPhone) and try to recreate the track. Because yes, we have Deee Lite at home.

Perfect for fans of sample culture, music history, and anyone curious about how one of the most joyful dance tracks ever was crafted.

0:00 - Introduction Overview of 'Groove Is in the Heart'

0:42 - Herbie Hancock 'Bring Down The Birds'
Origins of the melodic bassline and guitar and the Blow-Up soundtrack. Why Miles Davis did (not) tell Herbie to lay off the butter

2:17 - Vernon Burch 'Get Up'.
Burch’s career and gospel recordings, with surprising Stevie Wonder cameo.

3:08 - Combining the Hancock and Burch samples using the Koala sampler.

3:39 - Imagine my surprise when this “Trumpet” is actually supposed to be a woman’s scream?

4:30 - Hateful Head Helen / Sweet Pssy Pauline, HIDDEN FILTH. This is the original sample btw- • Hateful head helen ACAPELLA

5:35 - Sitcom Sample (Green Acres) The “I-I-I-I” vocal clip comes from a 1960s sitcom theme tune. Watch Donald Trump at the 2005 Emmys performing the same theme tune.

7:33 – Belly Dance Record Sample Intro chant “We’re going to dance and have some fun” from Tomee and the Grecian Knights. Discussion of belly dancing trend and what the hell a Bosonk is meant to be.

9:22 – Latin Percussion by Ray Barretto, plus studio-made finger clicks.

9:49 – Rebuilding the Track in Koala- Live attempt.

11:07 – Closing Performance Final recreation of the track showing how the samples are layered together.'