MANUFACTURED POP ROCK
1967
125 BPM
G major
Mary, Mary
The ultimate example of hip-hop's democratic sampling philosophy
The Monkees
"Mary, Mary"
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Original Track
The Monkees - "Mary, Mary" (1967)
The original track containing the legendary 3.1-second drum break
Break occurs at 1:00 - 1:3.1000000000000014
The History
The ultimate example of hip-hop's democratic sampling philosophy. Run-DMC transformed a song from a manufactured TV band into an authentic hip-hop classic, proving that creativity lies in transformation rather than source material. This bold choice expanded hip-hop's palette and demonstrated the genre's power to find value in unexpected places.
Written by Mike Nesmith and recorded July 25, 1966, representing authentic creativity within a manufactured framework
Afrika Bambaataa used it in early DJ sets, proving audiences would dance to it without knowing the source
The Monkees were called the 'Pre-Fab Four' by critics who discovered session musicians played on their albums
Run-DMC's version reached #75 on Billboard Hot 100, becoming their most successful single from 'Tougher Than Leather'
Mike Nesmith enthusiastically endorsed Run-DMC's version, saying 'I just loved their take on it'
Demonstrated hip-hop's core principle that authenticity comes from creative transformation, not source material
Who Sampled It
Run-DMC
"Mary, Mary"
Tougher Than Leather
1988
Afrika Bambaataa
"DJ Sets"
Early Bronx Parties
1980
💡 This breakbeat has been sampled 2 times in our database
Tags
manufactured-pop
the-monkees
run-dmc-transformation
democratic-sampling
mike-nesmith
tv-band
pre-fab-four
hip-hop-philosophy