August 14, 2009

Bumpin' with Ma Barker



When a female Depression-era outlaw becomes the inspiration for a hit 1977 disco single, which is then remade into an even funkier instrumental three decades later, only to become the backbone of the liveliest song on The Avalanches' 2001 classic Since I Left You, this person is worth knowing at least briefly.

Kate "Ma" Barker was left to raise four deliquents by herself, and later became an accomplice to her sons' spree of robberies, kidnappings and other crimes. Arthur was arrested for murder and Llyod for robbery, Herman committed suicide at a police roadblock, and Fred was gunned down with Mom in an FBI standoff in 1935. Without her shenanigans, though, we probably wouldn't have had Mama Fratelli from The Goonies, Ma Beagle from Ducktales, or the goggle-fogging beats below.








Boney M - Ma Bakes (Ma Baker re-edit)








The Avalanches - Live at Dominoes (from Since I Left You)

"Live at Dominoes" also includes a sample from Dimension 5ive by The 5th Dimension.

Thanks to Apache Cleo for the tip.

Related:
Fellows of the Royal Society (Lost Avalanches Vol. 1)
Since I Met You
Flight Tonight
Diners Only (Foam City Redux)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I like your beats Butterteam

Anonymous said...

I like your streampod at the bottom. Yay for Butterteam radio!

Anonymous said...

I was living in Iran in '77 when I first heard "Ma Baker"...believe it or not, Iranians went crazy for that song. They also dug Abba, Queen and Rush. Thanks for posting the tune...I love disco!