"Synthetic Substitution" is a 1973 song by

Melvin Bliss Melvin McClelland (June 1, 1945-July 26, 2010) was a rhythm and blues singer known for his 1973 song " Reward/Synthetic Substitution", the B-side of which was heavily sampled

. Originally starting life as a throwaway B-side, with "Reward" as the

A-Side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

, the song failed to chart anywhere on its initial release because of the collapse of

Opal Productions Opal is a hydrated amorphous form of silica (SiO2·''n''H2O); its water content may range from 3 to 21% by weight, but is usually between 6 and 10%. Due to its amorphous property, it is classified as a mineraloid, unlike crystalline forms ...

, the parent company of Sunburst Records. However, after the song was sampled by

Ultramagnetic MCs The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in The Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as ...

, many other artists followed suit, and eventually the song became one of the most sampled songs of all time.

Background

With

the Exciters ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

disbanded in 1971, Herb Rooney was out of a record deal. Having previously written for other artists, Rooney decided to continue down this path. Meanwhile, Melvin Bliss had drifted from stage to stage since leaving the Army in 1957. Looking to boost his career prospects he visited a

Queens Queens is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located on Long Island, it is the largest New York City borough by area. It is bordered by the borough of Brooklyn at the western tip of Long ...

concert hall intending to use it for self-promotion. While awaiting a meeting with the hall's owner, he encountered the mother of

Herb Rooney Herbert Louis Rooney (born 1940 - c. early 1990s) was an American record producer who was responsible for writing, producing and singing bass on songs by the Exciters and for writing and producing the sample staple Synthetic Substitution by Melvin ...

and it emerged that he wanted a singer to record one of his compositions. After an informal discussion with Rooney himself, Bliss hit the studio to record it. Rooney had intended the

to be " Reward" and thus presented it to Bliss first.

Subject matter

"Synthetic Substitution" is a scathing critique of what society would be like if it was entirely computerised,Melvin Bliss, R.I.P.
Hua Hsu. The Atlantic. Jul 27 2010 which towards the end of the song features the wailing of Bliss clinging onto the final few authentic remnants of his daily life. In 1986 the song's drums, provided by Bernard Purdie - were sampled in " Ego Trippin'" by

, spawning numerous other uses. It has since been sampled in over 94 songs, with

WhoSampled WhoSampled is a website and app database of information about sampled music or sample-based music, cover songs and remixes. History Nadav Poraz founded the site in London, England in 2008, as a way to track musical samples and cover songs. ...

.com claiming that that number is 826. "Synthetic Substitution" lends its name to a 2011

Earl Holder Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form '' jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particula ...

-produced documentary about

Melvin Bliss Melvin McClelland (June 1, 1945-July 26, 2010) was a rhythm and blues singer known for his 1973 song " Reward/Synthetic Substitution", the B-side of which was heavily sampled

, Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss, which was released by

Peripheral Enterprises A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get information out of a computer. The term ''peripheral device'' refers to all hardware components that are attached to a computer and are controlled by th ...

. In a 2010 interview produced exclusively for its trailer, Bliss said that "[

and I] had no idea what the song was about; we just needed a B-side".

Select list of samples

* "Nigga Bridges", "Getdafucout" and " Throw Ya Gunz" by

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*" God Made Me Funky" by Too Poetic * "24 Deep" and "Back Fade" by

Brotha Lynch Hung Kevin Danell Mann (born January 10, 1970), better known by his stage name Brotha Lynch Hung, is an American rapper, songwriter and record producer from Sacramento, California who has been described as "the creator of horrorcore rap." He is al ...

*" Come Baby Come" and " Zunga Zeng" by K7 *"

Alwayz into Somethin' "Alwayz Into Somethin'" is a song by American hip hop group N.W.A, performed by Dr. Dre and MC Ren featuring Admiral D. It is the lead single from their second studio album, ''Niggaz4Life''. The song also appeared on the '' N.W.A's Greatest Hits ...

" and " Real Niggaz Don't Die" by

N.W.A N.W.A (an abbreviation for Niggaz Wit Attitudes) was an American hip hop group whose members were among the earliest and most significant popularizers and controversial figures of the gangsta rap subgenre, and the group is widely considered ...

*" Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide" and " Bang Your Head" by Gravediggaz *" O.P.P." and " Yoke the Joker" by Naughty by Nature * "Transit Ride" and "Trust Me" by

Guru Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverential ...

*" How U Get a Record Deal?", " Looks Like a Job For..." and "Somethin' Funky" by Big Daddy Kane * "For Pete's Sake", "Anger in the Nation" and "Can't Front on Me" by

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* "Jam 4 U" and "I'm a Bad" by Redman *"

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" by

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*"Clan In Da Front", "Bring Da Ruckus" and "

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(Skunk Mix)" by

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close aff ...

*" Die in Your Arms" by

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*" New God Flow" by

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and

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*" My Life" by 50 Cent *"Ego Trippin'" and "Watch Me Now" by

Ultramagnetic MC's The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in The Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as ...

*"The Champ" and "Mighty Healthy" by Ghostface Killah *"DWYCK", "Code of the Streets" and "ALONGWAYTOGO" by

Gang Starr Gang Starr was an American hip hop duo, consisting of Texas record producer DJ Premier and Massachusetts rapper Guru. For the entirety of their association, they were based out of Brooklyn, New York. Gang Starr was at its height from 1989 to 2 ...

*"Land of Lords" by

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*" Don't Believe the Hype", "Miuzi Weighs a Ton" and "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" by

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*"All I Need" by

*"Step to My Girl" and "A Name I Call Myself" by

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*"Middle of the Summer" by

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*"Die Like a Rockstar" by

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*"Miller Time" by

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*"Animal Instinct" by Mobb Deep *"Chillin" by Audio Two *"Deadly Venoms (Vocals Up)" by Prince Rakeem *" Run On" and "

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" by Moby *"So Called Friends" by

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*" Potholes in My Lawn", " Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa" and "Stone Age" by De La Soul * Beats International - Won't Talk About It *"Cuttin' Headz" by

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*"Street Dreamin" by Bridget Kelly *"The 4th Branch" by

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*"Funky Dividends" by Three Times Dope *"The Streetz R Deathrow", "When I Get Free II", "Part Time Mutha" and "Soulja's Story" by

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*"Grown Man Sport" by InI *"

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Dope Bitch "Dope Bitch" (clean version titled "Dope Chick") is a song by American singer-songwriter and record producer The-Dream, featuring American rapper Pusha T Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, ...

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*" MMMBop" by

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*"Ya Mama" by

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*"Saturday Night" by

Schoolly D Jesse Bonds Weaver Jr. (born June 22, 1962), better known by the stage name Schoolly D (sometimes spelled Schooly D), is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Career Schoolly D teamed up with DJ Code Money in the mid-1980s. His ...

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(Clark Kent's Strictly Hip-Hop Remix)" by Hi-Five *"Pockets Full" by Skyzoo *"Love Me Now" by Beenie Man *"Burnt" by

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*" O.G. Original Gangster" by Ice-T *"Yasawas" by

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*"Supernova at the End of the Universe" by

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*"Eazy Street" by Eazy-E *"

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" by

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*"I've Been Thinking About You" by Mariah Carey *"Saturday Nite Live" by

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*"We Go Where Ever We Want" by French Montana *"Wild and Crazy" and "A Visit to the Gynecologyst" by

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*"The Anthem" by

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*"Supa Jean" by

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and

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*"Meanwhile, Rick James..." by

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*"Step to My Girl" by

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*"Home of the Greats" by Black Milk *"All in Together Now" by

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and

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*"Runway" by

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*"On a Clear Day" by

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References

{{reflist 1973 singles 1973 songs Sampled drum breaks