Duck Rock
Encyclopedia
Duck Rock is an album released by British
impresario
Malcolm McLaren
In 1983. The album mixes up styles from South Africa
, Central
, and South America
, the Caribbean
, and the US
, including hip hop
. The album proved to be highly influential in bringing hip hop to a wider audience in the UK. Two of the singles from the album ("Buffalo Gals
" and "Double Dutch
") became major chart hits on both sides of the Atlantic
. Duck Rock was dedicated to Harry McClintock
, better known as Haywire Mac. The album artwork was designed by Dondi White and Nick Egan
, with the illustration by Keith Haring
.
Guest musicians featured on this album include Trevor Horn
, Anne Dudley
, J. J. Jeczalik, and Thomas Dolby
. Side recordings that Horn, Dudley and Jeczalik made in between takes of Duck Rock would eventually become the first album of the Art of Noise. Clips of the World's Famous Supreme Team
radio show appear between songs, which made the album one of the earliest recordings on which members of the Nation of Gods and Earths
appear.
Duck Rock ultimately became a critical favorite in many music critics' eyes, having garnered such accolades as BBC Two
's Critical Music label and others. However, Robert Christgau
criticized McLaren and Horn for failing to give credit to the South African musicians involved in the recording, such as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
. The Mbaqanga
group the Boyoyo Boys took legal action against Mclaren over the similarity of "Double Dutch" with its own hit "Puleng." After a lengthy legal battle in the UK, the matter was settled out of court, with payment made to the South African copyright holders, songwriter Petrus Maneli and publisher Gallo Music, but Horn and Mclaren retained their songwriting credits.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm McLaren
Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren was an English performer, impresario, self-publicist and manager of the Sex Pistols and the New York Dolls...
In 1983. The album mixes up styles from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, and the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including hip hop
Hip hop music
Hip 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...
. The album proved to be highly influential in bringing hip hop to a wider audience in the UK. Two of the singles from the album ("Buffalo Gals
Buffalo Gals (Malcolm McLaren song)
Buffalo Gals is a hip-hop single released by Malcolm McLaren & the World's Famous Supreme Team as a single in 1982 and on their 1983 album Duck Rock. The song is composed of extensive scratching with calls from square dancing...
" and "Double Dutch
Double Dutch (song)
"Double Dutch" is a 1983 single by Malcolm McLaren. It is taken from his debut album Duck Rock. "Double Dutch" is the follow-up to his successful debut single, "Buffalo Gals", and reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, making it his highest-charting single release...
") became major chart hits on both sides of the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. Duck Rock was dedicated to Harry McClintock
Harry McClintock
Harry Kirby McClintock , also known as "Haywire Mac," was an American singer and poet. Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, "the son of a railroad cabinetmaker and nephew of four boomer trainmen. His drifting began when he ran away from home as a boy to join a circus...
, better known as Haywire Mac. The album artwork was designed by Dondi White and Nick Egan
Nick Egan
Nick Egan is a visual design artist, and director of music videos, commercials and film. He graduated from the Watford College of Art and Design with a DGA in 1976...
, with the illustration by Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
.
Guest musicians featured on this album include Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
, Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
, J. J. Jeczalik, and Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
. Side recordings that Horn, Dudley and Jeczalik made in between takes of Duck Rock would eventually become the first album of the Art of Noise. Clips of the World's Famous Supreme Team
World's Famous Supreme Team
The World's Famous Supreme Team was an American hip hop group founded in the 1980s. Members included Larry Price and Ronald Larkins Jr., among others. The group joined forces with Malcolm McLaren on a number of early hit hip hop records. Among the group's most well-known works were the singles...
radio show appear between songs, which made the album one of the earliest recordings on which members of the Nation of Gods and Earths
The Nation of Gods and Earths
The Nation of Gods and Earths, sometimes referred to as NGE or NOGE, the Five-Percent Nation, or the Five Percenters is an American organization founded in 1964 in the Harlem section of the borough of Manhattan, New York City, by Clarence 13X, a former student of Malcolm X, who left his mosque...
appear.
Duck Rock ultimately became a critical favorite in many music critics' eyes, having garnered such accolades as BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
's Critical Music label and others. However, Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
criticized McLaren and Horn for failing to give credit to the South African musicians involved in the recording, such as Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens
Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens was a South African mbaqanga supergroup composed of:...
. The Mbaqanga
Mbaqanga
Mbaqanga is a style of South African music with rural Zulu roots that continues to influence musicians worldwide today. The style originated in the early 1960s.-History:...
group the Boyoyo Boys took legal action against Mclaren over the similarity of "Double Dutch" with its own hit "Puleng." After a lengthy legal battle in the UK, the matter was settled out of court, with payment made to the South African copyright holders, songwriter Petrus Maneli and publisher Gallo Music, but Horn and Mclaren retained their songwriting credits.
Track listing
More tracks
- "Buffalo Gals - Special Stereo Scratch Mix" (Horn, Dudley, McLaren)
- "Zulu's on a Time Bomb" (Horn, McLaren)
- "She's Looking Like a Hobo" (Horn, McLaren)
- "Double Dutch - New Dance Mix" (Horn, McLaren)
- "Roly Poly" (Horn, McLaren)
- "D'ya like Scratchin'? - with the Red River Gals" (Horn, Dudley, McLaren)
- "World's Famous - Radio ID" (Horn, Dudley, McLaren)
Personnel
- Malcolm Mclaren – figure caller, singer (known as Talcy Malcy)
- Se'Divine the Mastermind - DJ, rapper (known as See Divine the Mastermind, Divine)
- JazzyJust the Superstar - DJ, rapper (known as just Allah the Superstar, Just a Lot of Superstar, Justice)
- Trevor Horn – producer
- Anne Dudley – arranger, keyboards, string arrangements
- Thomas Dolby – keyboards
- Gary Langan - jew's harp, engineer
- J.J. Jeczalik – synthesizer
- David Birch – guitar
- Louis Jordan – percussion
- Keith Haring - illustration
- Dondi White - graffiti
- Nick Egan - cover design
- additional musicians uncredited - backing vocals, bass guitar
Releases
- Album release 1981-1982, Charisma Records, Virgin Records, Chrysalis Records
- CD release: 1987