On the record
By Susan Pugh on Apr. 02, 2008
Q: Has Danger Mouse’s “Grey Album” ever been released commercially?
A: In early 2004, prior to his days in Gnarls Barkley, American producer Danger Mouse combined the vocals from rapper Jay-Z’s “Black Album” with music from the Beatles’ “White Album” and called his creation the “Grey Album.” He produced a few thousand copies and began giving them to his friends. It wasn’t long before his little project became a musical sensation. While Jay-Z’s record company didn’t mind the use of his voice, EMI, which owns the rights to the “White Album,” was not quite so accommodating. They quickly issued a cease-and-desist order against Danger Mouse. With the media coverage that soon followed, it seemed that this action backfired on EMI. Soon, thousands of people were downloading the album. EMI threatened more legal action and the downloading stopped. Although copies of the album are floating around the Internet, the “Grey Album” has never been commercially released and is still classified as a bootleg.
Q: I really like the song “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa” by Vampire Weekend. Can you tell me what the title means?
A: Vampire Weekend is a New York-based indie-rock band, formed in 2006 by Columbia graduates, Ezra Koenig (vocalist/guitarist), Chris Baio (bassist), Rostam Batmanglij (keys/strings/guitarist) and Chris Tomson (drums). The group, which takes its name from a film Koenig made as a freshman, generated a buzz in the indie-rock underground almost since its inception. Dubbing their sound “Upper West Side Soweto,” the band blends Afro-pop rhythms reminiscent of those found on Paul Simon’s 1986 hit album, “Graceland,” with chamber music and indie-rock sensibilities. They layer their melodies on top of quirky lyrics that often make highbrow references. The term “Kwassa Kwassa” is believed to derive from the French term “quoi ça” (meaning, what is it?). It has come to refer to a Congolese dance rhythm popularized by Pepe Kalle in the 1980s that involves moving one’s hips back and forth while the hands follow the hip’s movements. Thus, when combined with lyrics that rhyme such words as “Louis Vuitton,” “reggaeton” and “Benetton,” it becomes somewhat amusing to think of anyone from Cape Cod doing the kwassa kwassa.
Q: Can you tell me if the lawsuit filed by Gordon Lightfoot regarding the song, “Greatest Love of All,” was ever resolved?
A: Gordon Lightfoot is a Canadian singer/songwriter, who had his first Top 10 hit in the U.S. in 1971 when “If You Could Read My Mind” reached No. 5. In April 1987, Lightfoot filed a lawsuit against songwriter Michael Masser, claiming that Masser’s song “Greatest Love of All,” a big hit for Whitney Houston in 1986, copied parts of “If You Could Read My Mind.” Masser, an accomplished songwriter, issued a public apology and the case was settled out of court.
u What’s the name of that song? Where are they now? What does that lyric mean? Send questions to or visit http://www.musicontherecord.com. Brady and Maron are freelance music writers based in Raleigh, N.C.
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