How Has “Backpack Rap” Aged Two Decades Later? "[20] Brian Chin of Billboard would later say that Melle Mel and Duke Bootee's late 1982 track "The Message II" was influenced by "Planet Rock". One person even offered him $200 for his acetate copy. Before the Planet Rock single, Arthur Baker studied the musical preferences of young people with interest, who moved with Trans-Europe Express and the new album by Kraftwerk, Computer World — it just came out in May 1981: “Working in a record warehouse, I was really educated as to what people on the streets were buying, and whenever I heard Numbers being played at the ‘Music Factory’ in Brooklyn I saw black guys in their twenties and thirties asking, ‘What’s that beat?’ So I knew that if we used that beat and added an element of the street, it was going to work.”, To say they were furious is to say nothing. Miriam Makeba, Manu Dibango, Salsa, Falco —you name it. [4] The record was successful; Baker estimated it sold 30,000 records. And I hear this shit, and I said, 'If that shit is a hit, I know "Computer Age" is a hit'. [5], The group lacked a Roland TR-808 drum machine they could use but found one advertised in The Village Voice—"Man with drum machine, 20 dollars a session. Certainly, today's music owes a debt to the music Kraftwerk -- and Kraftwerk alone -- was making back in the 1970s and early '80s. (To say nothing of hip-hop: “Trans-Europe Express” alone was sampled by Afrika Bambaataa, Dr. Dre and countless others.) The newer version lacks bite. The song was released in 1982 and became popular, eventually earning a Gold record certification in the United States, the first for the group and label. [10] Baker later commented that if he could change anything in the song it would have been that verse. Afrika Bambaataa in New York, early 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa And Kraftwerk Land On Planet Rock Watch the Zulu Nation potentate, his Soulsonic Force and loads of b-boys and girls explode into space. sets of Afrika Bambaataa in the South Bronx, and in 1982 he and the producer Arthur Baker decided to … [30] The followup single to "Planet Rock", "Looking for the Perfect Beat" was released in December 1982. "[5], John Robie was a guitarist and synthesizer player who lived in New York. The next night they worked on the rapping, and the final night mixed the record.[1]. [1] Prior to going into the studio, Bambaataa recalled working at Silverman's father's house in White Plains, New York, working on a bassline taken from BT Express that was not used. Whether it be breakbeat, whether it be the groove and grunt of James Brown or the pickle-pop sounds of Kraftwerk or Yellow Magic Orchestra, hip hop is also part of what they call hip-house now, or trip hop, or even parts of drum n' bass. But this stuff – you know exactly where the beat's gonna come, so dancing-wise you can experiment a bit more. [14] When they came in to perform the vocals, Baker said that they "hated the music. [47][48][49] Stationed in the UK during 1980s, Mr. Mixx of 2 Live Crew said: "I thought, at the time, that it was the most profound record I'd ever heard. But by the time he did that, the record was so hot, people just went for it. [1], Afrika Bambaataa had worked as a disc jockey in the mid-1970s working block parties in the south east Bronx. [23] In an interview with Billboard, Baker said: "Ninety percent of the people [I] asked wanted to buy it right away." Kraftwerk had long been a staple of the D.J. [1] Silverman suggested a two-record a follow-up which led to Bambaataa and Baker creating a record based on their love of the band Kraftwerk. wrote all of the song's lyrics except the chorus that Baker wrote. Bam: “This is [Kraftwerk] … "Planet Rock" later was released on the album titled Planet Rock: The Album in 1986. "[3], When asked about how much Bambaataa contributed to the record, Baker felt that he was "more of an inspiration" and "definitely had [an] influence" but was unfamiliar with studio equipment. That blew us away back then – dancing-wise it was perfect. [3] Bambaataa would play a variety of eclectic music and searched throughout New York to find new records. Anyone can create something like this and even call it electrofunk. "[29] Kraftwerk approached Tommy Boy and Silverman decided to give the group a dollar for each record sold. [3] "[29], After "Planet Rock" had been released Silverman said he wanted a 7-inch edit of the song. Arthur Baker had moved from Boston to New York in 1981 where he had been DJing, producing and mixing records and working as a music journalist as early as 1976. [15] The single peaked on Billboard's Hot 100 on September 11, 1982, at number 48 and spent 11 weeks on the chart. It blew up their speakers because of the track's excessive low-end. [46], ^shipments figures based on certification alone, A sample of "Planet Rock" featuring the melody of ", sfn error: multiple targets (2×): CITEREFChin1982 (, "The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time", "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Albums", "American single certifications – A. BAMBAATTA / SOUL SONIC FORCE – Planet Rock", Recording Industry Association of America, "Key Tracks: Arthur Baker on 'Planet Rock, "Making Musical History: Arthur Baker and Electro in 1980s New York", "Planet Rock: The Album - Afrika Bambaataa, Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force", "Planet Rock – Afrika Bambaataa : Song Info", "Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force: 'Planet Rock, "Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five: 'The Message' (Sugarhill import); Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force: 'Planet Rock' (Tommy Boy import)", "2 Live Crew's DJ and Producer Mr. Mixx On the Roots of Miami Bass", "How Tommy Boy Music helped shape the history of hip-hop", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Planet_Rock_(song)&oldid=992892707, Song recordings produced by Arthur Baker (musician), Pages using infobox song with unknown parameters, Certification Table Entry usages for United States, Certification Table Entry usages of salesamount without salesref, Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with shipments footnote, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 7 December 2020, at 17:38. [22] The song contains positive messages about "chasing your dreams", and to "live it up" because "our world is free. What we do now with just a few strokes of the keyboard. They both just listened to the same music and got their inspiration for there: German robots Kraftwerk and their Japanese reflection from Yellow Magic Orchestra (Ryuichi Sakamoto in particular). He talked to Baker, the only producer he knew, about producing a record. Maybe he was thinking, ‘Oh, they are German, they will never follow it up’…”, However, according to Arthur Baker, who didn’t sample the tune from Trans-Europe Express and didn’t use the rhythm from Numbers (where would you find a sampler in 1982!) [13] The first included performers Mr. Biggs, Queen Kenya, and DJ Cowboy while the second variation of the group included Mr. Biggs, Pow Wow, G.L.O.B.E. Afrika Bambaataa & Soul Sonic Force – Planet Rock 2. [14] Baker said he was certain of this and admitted to stealing the "Rock rock to the Planet Rock, don't stop." He said "I wanted to make dance music, not white pop music". [10], Prior to releasing "Planet Rock", Baker played the song in various record stores in Brooklyn and Manhattan asking listeners what they thought of it. "[45] In the United Kingdom, DJ Gerald Simpson (A Guy Called Gerald) said that going out dancing he started to hear "electro-ey stuff – "Planet Rock" and Newcleus, that kind of vibe. Afrika Bambaataa is an American disc jockey, rapper, songwriter and producer from the South Bronx, New York. [3] Robie, Bambaataa and Baker recorded "Planet Rock" at Intergalactic Studio. "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force sampled Kraftwerk's "Numbers". During the first they developed the music and a bit of the rap. According to one legend, Arthur Baker figured out what the next single should be while having lunch on the terrace or in the park. [19] He expanded on this, comparing the use of Kraftwerk's songs to cover songs, noting that "Black music has always had cover records. "[46] Norman Cook of The Housemartins began DJing at the age of 18 after hearing "Planet Rock". Baker followed these up in the late 1970s … The 808 was programmed through the Neve console, which Baker described as an "amazing mixing board". That came through a really, really tight delay, almost like a tight electronic phasing, and then there was the state–of–the–art Sony reverb. as the genius of the group. It hurt us because it ripped everything into a different dimension. Instead of being on the beat, being off the beat. From Afrika Bambaataa and DJ Shadow to Sir Mix-A … The studio's equipment included a Neve console, Studer 24–track tape machine and Urei monitors, a Lexicon PCM41 digital delay, Sony reverb and a Fairlight CMI digital synthesizer. If so, one of the inscribed languages is … Bambaataa was heavily inspired by the band’s futuristic sounding electronic music, and interpolated portions of Kraftwerk’s songs, including “Numbers” and “Trans-Europe Express”. "Planet Rock" is a song by the American hip hop artists Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. And there was nothing written down saying that its source was Trans-Europe Express and Numbers.” Maxime Schmitt, who promoted the robots in France, echoes the band’s drummer. He increased the price of the single to make a return on the record. Attempts to get a full-length album for Bambaataa were not possible with Tommy Boy initially as Silverman's contract with him was strictly for singles and re-negotiating it proved difficult. [1] Baker recalled that when he heard Kraftwerk's song "Numbers" being played at the Music Factory in Brooklyn, he saw "black guys in their twenties and thirties asking, 'What's that beat?' "[22] Baker described the Soul Sonic Force's rapper G.L.O.B.E. Bam: “I don’t think they even knew how big they were among the black masses back in ’77 when they came out with Trans-Europe Express. Afrika Bambaataa began branching out in 1984, recording “Unity” with help James Brown and “World Destruction” with John Lydon. [5] The liner notes to Planet Rock: The Album state the release was in April 1982. The song has been remixed and re-released several times, has been described as one of the definitive electro songs by AllMusic, and has been voted the third greatest hip hop song by Rolling Stone. "[5] Jay Burnett, who engineered the song, performed the "rock rock to the planet rock, don't stop" vocal. [2] Along with working in the studio, Baker was also writing reviews for the magazine Dance Music Report, which was owned by Tom Silverman who was starting up the label Tommy Boy Records. If you read a book and you copy something out of it, you do it like a scientist, you have to quote where you took it from, what is the source of it. "[38] The NME placed "Planet Rock" at 16th on their 1982 best of the year ranking. Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force. [23][24] Baker took the acetate into the Music Factory record shop in Brooklyn. Several musicians and groups noted how the track influenced them including Run-DMC, 2 Live Crew, A Guy Called Gerald, Fatboy Slim and Newcleus. [39] Nelson George of Billboard referred to the track as "one of the summer's biggest singles" in 1982. Of course, I was listening to a lot of Yellow Magic Orchestra and Gary Numan, as well as Dick Hyman’s Moog sound, and music from John Carpenter’s Halloween. He is probably best known for his classic 1982 hit "Planet Rock", which blended hip-hop beats with the metronomic melody of "Trans-Europe Express" by … [25] In an interview in the July 24, 1982, issue of Billboard Silverman says that "Planet Rock" had only been available for 90 days. Techno in the early eighties meant the definition of the sound, it was an epithet. [11] Baker recalled that G.L.O.B.E. [10] The group had previously recorded "Jazzy Sensation" at the same studio. There hasn't been a song like it in hip-hop since. [11] Karl Bartos, the co-writer of "Numbers", said that "in the beginning we were very angry, because they didn't credit the authors [...] [so] we felt pissed off [...] there was nothing written down saying that its source was "Trans-Europe Express" and "Numbers". By his own admission, Baker described himself as a "shit dj" and was more interested in making music despite not being a musician. Baker claims that he foresaw the future of the single during the first session: “Sweetheart, we’ve just made musical history”. This led to him discovering music by Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Gary Numan. Photo: Janette Beckman/Redferns "We played him 'Numbers' and asked him to copy the beat, and then Bambaataa asked him to copy the beat from 'Super Sperm', so that's what we did first. When that came out, I thought that was one of the best and weirdest records I ever heard in my life.”. [11] Baker later praised Robie's studio work, saying he "could play. "[11] Pow Wow performed the wordless vocal of "zz-zz-zz" when he could not remember his lines in the song. Baker realised that he could get a lawsuit from Dusseldorf and even asked to write an extra tune instead of the German one, but the owner of the label, after hearing the draft, dispelled doubts: “Oh just use the Kraftwerk melody on it.” Almost all the authors of the greatest hits later acknowledged that they didn’t believe in success, didn’t think about the future of their records; they didn’t hope for anything. [41], Robert Palmer of The New York Times called "Planet Rock" "perhaps the most influential black pop record of 1982", noting its influence on "both the black pop mainstream and several leading white new-wave rockers". [5] G.L.O.B.E. Aerosmith – Walk This Way 4. He increased the price of the single to make a return on the record. "[52] François K, a musician, studio producer and engineer who has worked with Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode, Diana Ross and The Cure declared that "Planet Rock" was the song he most associated with New York in the early 1980s, adding that "there was nothing else that could touch that record [...] There was nothing that year that could top what "Planet Rock" did. Bambaataa was the one who gave birth to the Electro-Funkaspect of Hip Hop when he dropped his uptempo landmark record ‘Planet Rock’ in 1982. [51] Owen noted that the influence of "Planet Rock" declined in New York where he believed that what was once was a "radical listening experience" had become "lost under the weight of endless imitations that followed in its wake. — We felt pissed off. Afrika Bambaataa on Kraftwerk It’s always interesting for me to see a crowd dancing to music that’s ‘foreign’, especially if the lyrics are in a foreign language. The South Bronx DJ pioneer, Afrika Bambaataa, release “Planet Rock” in 1982 on Tommy Boy records. (The 1982 hip-hop smash “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force stole from both, which was later resolved in a settlement.) Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider lost his battle with cancer last week at the age of 73. And in fact this happened. [13] The personnel used within the Soul Sonic Force whom Bambaataa performed and recorded with was smaller and contained two separate groups with the same name. So I knew that if we used that beat and added an element of the street, it was going to work. Afrika Bambaataa (born Kevin Donovan, April 17, 1957) is a Jamaican-American disc jockey from the South Bronx, New York. Downtown Records in New York was one of many spots where Afrika Bambaataa would pick up the records he played in his legendary freeform sets … "[6] Although Robie described himself as starting out as a die-hard rock musician, he was a fan of early hip hop music, discussing in 1991 that the genre was "a great form of expression [...] What was great about those early rap records was that there was a melodic content to them, they were music at the same time. "[11] The rappers wanted to perform something closer to "Jazzy Sensation" and other tracks that were on the R&B charts. His musical work included co-producing a few records under the name Northend with singer Tony Carbone and drummer Russell Presto for West End Records. Afrika Bambaataa Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force – Planet Rock. line from the record "Body Music" by The Strikers, which had the line "Punk rock to the punk rock, don't stop. The use of Kraftwerk’s music on the song was done without permission. and DJ Jazzy Jay. No one knew that techno of this time wasn’t the last metamorphosis of the style; techno as a genre branch was shaped only in the late 1980s and it was at the junction of electrostatic disco, synthpop and boogie. Kraftwerk – Trans Europe Express 3. It was a conscious thing. "[6], Baker is not sure when "Planet Rock" was recorded, stating it was either 1980 or 1981. [1][11] Bambaataa was concerned that people would feel they were copying Kraftwerk, so he proposed adding the beat. [16] The Soul Sonic Force's look and stage wear—carved African walking sticks, Mardi Gras style headdresses and Zulu beads, a fashion that Bambaataa called the "wildstyle"—was compared to those of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic. [1] Silverman eventually stepped in and had the group use the "Trans-Europe Express" melody. The 1982 hip-hop classic that blended the beats of hip-hop with techno-pop futurism inspired by German group, Kraftwerk. [3] The group was nervous about how Kraftwerk would react to "Planet Rock" and developed a separate melody line for it. The song was produced by Arthur Baker and released by Tommy Boy Records in 1982. G.L.O.B.E. [31] A full-length album titled Planet Rock: The Album was released in 1986, which contained the three other singles "Looking for the Perfect Beat", "Renegades of Funk", "Frantic Situation", and three previously unreleased tracks. True to his moniker ‘Master of Records’, Bambaataa used a sped up riff from the German dance group … Sublime Played Their Most Powerful Song at Their Final Performance, Kendrick Lamar’s Pulitzer Win: Overcoming the Uptown/Downtown Divide, The Ballad(s) of Justin and Britney, Vol. [15] Jay was in shock. Hatched out of the Bronx, Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" has been described as "the Rosetta Stone of electro" by disco historian Peter Shapiro. 2: ‘Everytime’. Afrika Bambaataa, who, together with Arthur Baker, a DJ from Boston, created an electrofunk which was similar to techno, was into the same things as Atkins. [10], Influenced by George Clinton, who had many separate music groups that contained the same band members, Bambaataa formed his groups such as the Soul Sonic Force, which in its original form consisted of about twenty members of the Universal Zulu Nation. Afrika Bambaataa, who, together with Arthur Baker, a DJ from Boston, created an electrofunk which was similar to techno, was into the same things as Atkins. I bring this up because Kraftwerk was one of my picks from way back in 2015, an album I chose to review based on how influential they were. "[34] Paul Oakenfold created a remix of "Planet Rock" for the soundtrack to the film Swordfish in 2001 which became Oakenfold's first charting single in the United Kingdom. "Planet Rock" by Afrika Bambaataa and Soulsonic Force sampled Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express". [43] Baker referred to the "mc popping" style that G.L.O.B.E. [27] It went Gold in the United States by October 1982. [1] By his own admission, Baker described himself as a "shit dj" and was more interested in making music despite not being a musician. [26] Shortly after the production, Jazzy Jay was driving on a freeway and heard "Planet Rock" on the radio and rushed off to phone Bambaataa to tell him about it. [16] On its release, the genre of the song was not clear. Listen to both songs on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes. When you put all that together, then you get electrofunk, which is what we were doing.”, In 1981, the label owner Tommy Boy introduced Baker to Bambaataa who then was a musician and a DJ, leader of the Zulu Nation group, who took away talented boys from the hands of the street and taught them scratching, breakdance, graffiti and rapping — everything that would later become hip-hop. The band approached the label and Tommy Boy’s manager, Tom Silverman, eventually agreed to give Kraftwerk one dollar for every record sold. [3] Bambaataa met Silverman at one of his DJ sets, which led to working on releases for Tommy Boy including "Let's Vote" by Nuri and other tracks for a girl group called Cotton Candy. [15] He recalled Baker being there during the whole editing process: "splicing, cutting tape with a razor blade. Trans-Europe Express, even four years later was all around buildings, constantly played in this area. described himself as an "MC popper" a style Baker summarized as rapping "sort of half-time thing. My definition of hip hop is taking elements from many other spheres of music to make hip hop. [40] Lynden Barber of Melody Maker wrote in 1984 that the song was "probably the single most influential record of the Eighties" noting it spawned the electro-funk genre and that lead indirectly to a new "revolution" in how mainstream soul is conceived, recorded and mixed. Baker found an announcement in a newspaper: “TR-808 to rent, Joe.” They gave a twenty to Joe, played Numbers and tried to imitate the rhythm pattern. "[44] Before hearing "Planet Rock", Cosmo D of Newcleus who had recorded songs such as "Jam On's Revenge" and "Computer Age (Push the Button)"[45] said after completing the track "Computer Age (Push the Button)" that he "started hearing this shit on the air, 'Planet Rock'. [54] Robie is credited on the record as Planet Patrol. Listen to both songs on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes. Bam: “This is [Kraftwerk] the music for the future and for space travels — along with the funk of what was happening with James Brown and Sly Stone and George Clinton. Baker and Bambaataa had worked together previously on the song "Jazzy Sensation," and decided to compose a more electronic based version of the hip hop song, as opposed to the more disco-oriented work popular at the time. Before that we were listening to jazz, funk and soul, where the music was all played live. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of hip hop culture. Considering that the sales of Planet Rock reached 700 000, the band had something to worry about :), Soprano and Conductor Barbara Hannigan on Conducting, Equilibrium Project, and Ojai Festival, Hip Hop Landmarks All New Yorkers Should See Post-Coronavirus. Due to the explosive growth of the gang, it later became known as the Black Spades, and he rose to the position of Division Leader. Along with musician John Robie, the group recorded the single at Intergalactic Studios in New York. "[11] Baker said it took about eight hours to get the track in working order and develop it first without any rappers. [11][5] Baker says he cannot remember where the title "Planet Rock" came from, but that G.L.O.B.E. [47] Cook would later find success under the alias of Fatboy Slim releasing albums such as You've Come a Long Way, Baby and platinum albums around the world. "[12] Among Bambaataa's suggestions, was using a beat from Captain Sky's "Super Sporm". Producer Rick Rubin said that "at the time we barely considered it a rap record". [33][34] Ron Wynn of AllMusic felt the remixes were unsuccessful, noting that "Planet Rock"'s "hook was old-school, as was its charm. "[50], Frank Owen commented on "Planet Rock" in 1990 in Spin, referring to it as "year zero of the new dance music", noting that it was still a strong influence on American regional scenes with Miami bass, Detroit techno and Los Angeles hip hop. [1] The unused melody would end up being used on "Play At Your Own Risk" by Planet Patrol. Robert Christgau, the poll's supervisor, called it the year's "most influential dance record" and "potentially as influential as 'Rapper's Delight'". The tune from Express was played from start to finish by a keyboardist they knew. What I was trying to do was mix in the DJ bits of other records. [9] Bambaataa contacted Silverman about Robie's talents, which led to him meeting with Baker to work on "Planet Rock". [17] while DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill said that on the West Coast, hip hop had not hit until around 1984 and people listening to "Planet Rock" called it funk. [6] Robie later recalled on their work together as an "unlikely mix of talents was as much of a phenomenon as their record itself. but instead recreated them by using the tools that he had and the rented Roland 808, they managed to reach an agreement with the Germans — quote — “for big money”. “He knew perfectly what he was using, he had not to put the names of the authors and had not declared anything. [1] When asked in 1985 about his contributions to his records, Bambaataa said he did not do "much rapping" but helped develop the records, stating that: "They may be written or produced by whomever, but you can be sure I had something to do with getting the sound I want, whether it's a certain chant, keyboard riff, drum pattern or a speed-up on the synthesizers. Bambaataa was a founding member of the Bronx River Projects-area street gang, The Savage Seven. Kraftwerk’s debut album barely exists – it’s been quietly ushered out of the official records by de facto leader Hütter. Two Kraftwerk songs alone, “Numbers” and “Trans Europe Express,” set the rhythmic template for much of hip-hop. An article in Sound on Sound states it was released in June 1982. Quotations by Afrika Bambaataa, American Musician, Born April 10, 1960. You'd tell him to play something and he'd play it and add something to it. "Planet Rock" was placed at number three on the list, with Chuck D of Public Enemy proclaiming it "as important as Willie Mitchell or Booker T. were to the Memphis scene. [13] The Soul Sonic Force members that contributed to "Planet Rock" consisted of rappers Mr.Biggs, Pow Wow, and G.L.O.B.E. Whether it be breakbeat, whether it be the groove and grunt of James Brown or the pickle-pop sounds of Kraftwerk or Yellow Magic Orchestra, hip hop is also part of what they call hip-house now, or trip hop, or even parts of drum n' bass. He noted the influence of James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, George Clinton and his bands Parliament and Funkadelic. [28], The group was concerned that Kraftwerk would be angry with them for using the "Trans-Europe Express" melody. "[17], Credits adapted from the liner notes and expanded with information in the article. That was very different at the time. "[53] In 2012, Rolling Stone polled 33 music journalists, executives and hip hop producers and rappers to create a list of the 50 greatest hip hop songs of all time. Share with your friends. [16] Describing the song's sound as "electro funk",[20] Bambaataa said his idea for the song's sound was for it to be electronic but with "a lot of funk and heavy bass". Through his co-opting of the street gang the Black Spades into the music and Who would know that the roots of techno — yes, the techno that we all like so much and that everyone’s playing now — come from such an interesting thing as electrofunk, invented by Afrika Bambaataa and Arthur Baker in New York and Juan Atkins in Detroit, independently of each other. Not even hated it. At the same time, Baker went to a music shop for something new — his friends who worked there pointed to the Numbers single, for some reason released only in North America; the yellow 45’ with a throbbing rhythm sold in the Bronx like hotcakes. [1] He had Baker produce "Jazzy Sensation" for Afrika Bambaataa and the Jazzy 5 which was released by Tommy Boy in 1982. "[8] Robie began meeting with Bambaataa, who showed off his abilities on keyboards after Bambaataa had asked him if he could play music similar to Kraftwerk. [11] As a result, Silverman raised the list price of the record stating that the single became "$5.98 list 12-inch, as opposed to a $4.98. "[1], Robie provided the group with a Micromoog and Prophet-5 synthesizers. Shattering the world of music and transcended Hip Hop into a multitude of new artists and songs. [1] [5] Bob Rosa provided some overdubbing for the record and approximately 30 hours were spent recording and mixing "Planet Rock" before the single was mastered and then remastered. Robie duplicated the sound on the record and had Bambaataa's rappers in the Soul Sonic Force rap over it. The song was listed as one of the best singles of 1982 by the NME and was described by Robert Palmer of The New York Times as "perhaps the most influential black pop record of 1982", noting its influence on "both the black pop mainstream and several leading white new-wave rockers". [5] Sources vary on the release date of "Planet Rock". [5][11] In the studio, Baker experimented with the Fairlight CMI and found a few sounds on it, including one of an explosion, which would be used later on "Planet Rock". Who: Afrika Bambaataa, plus other DJs, including Ren the Vinyl Archaeologist, Psychokinetics, Felonious and Raashan Ahmad (Crown City Rockers) Has worked with German electronic group Kraftwerk, godfather of soul James Brown, ex-Sex Pistol John Lydon, funkmaster George Clinton, funk/R & B artist Bootsy Collins, Sting, progressive rock artist Bill Laswell, pop-reggae band UB40 and Boy George, …