Lyn Collins – Think (About It)

I've seen this version once before and I'm not sure if the label had weathered somehow, but the hue of the purple was different to the iconic version of the Think label sticker.

All the writing / font on the label looks un-aesthetic

I prefer the look of People (8) – PE 608, People (8) – 2066 215, which is the typical version.

I can not concentrate, there's just something slightly beguiling about that weathered purple label.

My intention was to author an in depth review upon this supercilious cultural artifact.

But... As I write this, my aging hand caressing the discoloured buttons of my arcane Akai S950... I feel an insatiable urge!

COME ON SIS!

She's singing in German, WTH...

Only joking, it's all good (it's in English).

It's an early 70s Polydor press, so you probably knkw what to expect, pretty sweet, more than adequate for sampling. Pretty standard 7" funk single quality for the time.

The break beat on this one is as I'm sure you are aware is far above average, possibly they best break ever? Sonically the James Brown breaks (although this is Lyn Collins, its definitely a JB break) are always recorded superbly for the time and the session drummers have super pronounced groove (obviously that's the way Mr Brown liked it).

Session drummer Jabo Starks did an absolutely marvellous job here, he's doing they old muting the snare thing that fellow JB session drummers did, obviously he took notes.

Sonically the JB breaks are a step above Amen and pattern/groove wise they are a step above the more basic breaks like Skull Snaps New Day.

Obviously people mostly recognise this break by the vocal sped/pitched up of James Brown Yelling "Come on Sis" in the background. But this break is so used because its genuinely a quality break also, this break is not a gimmick or a novelty. An entire genre (liquid drum and bass) was built around this break.

Tight, not to flabby kick drum, you can get a sub 808 bass rite underneath that sonically without to much EQing. Nice snappy snare that hits at about 2100 hz on the higher end letting that tambourine come in just above it and rite at the highest end of the eq spectrum after about 11500 it tapers off to nothing (at least this is how the record it is from the vinyl on my Technics 1210, Rega pre) which is absolutely perfect for sampling because on an S950 you going to sampler at a lower rate, because, grit, which would roll that top end off. This break from this vinyl press sounds dam good. If your into 12bit sampling this break is essential. It's a really clean well recorded break so it takes well to a bit of crunch. There's a wopping four break samples on here and a slew of other samplers.

Overall its great, the amazing break samples aside it's an absolutely awesome record, everyone goes full funk mode and Lyn absolutely shells down the vocals with everything from spoken word to funky catchy chants to full on soul vocals. Aestheticly Lyn looks like an absolute funk icon on the sleeve
for this version in the blinged out funk robe like some kind of pastor of funk. The mad and random red and purple font actually kind of works, bog up to the German intern on shrooms for thst one, the term Discotheque is cool and legible to us, it's a cool foreign release and I find it more aesthetic than a Japanese cover that's just unreadable.

Overall this is pretty dam cool and a perfectly fine pick up if you find yourself priced out of the typical standard OG release. I'd definitely take this over the Ultimate Breaks version which goes changes speed on the break segments, pitch is important with this one so this version is a real gem!

If the original is a 4.7 out of 5 I'd give this a strong 4.5 just because the typical version we usually see here is so iconic with that purple inner tab and the head shot sleeve art. But this version is cool to imho.

Leaving an extra .3 rating on the standard version in case a repress from the gods arises in the future like the Soul Jazz Records Amen press that has less noise floor and is better quality vinyl, but tbh Think isnt bad in its original form at all.

👍

This is it ladies and gents. The ambassador of Quan, the sample-city überlord, the one and only.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=140872551372373&set=a.132523725540589

James Brown's Most Sampled Song! Multiple excerpts from Think (About It) have been used in almost 3,000 songs! Someone even commented “Most legendary song in the world of sampling”. But it should be noted that it is undoubtedly the song of "The Winstons" (Amen, Brother) which beats them all, all categories combined, with a "drum break" used in more than 4,500 songs!

Written, directed, arranged by and recorded on the James Brown label (People), the piece performed by Texan singer Lyn Collins did no better on the charts than the 66th position on the Hot 100 but still climbed in the Top 10 on the American "Soul" singles charts. But it made history in the late 1980s when "sampling" became a common practice that has never ceased. Many elements were used, whether it was the drums or the inimitable vocal interjections of James Brown. Perhaps one of the most popular songs that made such borrowings was "It Takes Two" by Rob Base and DJ E-Z Rock, in 1988.

Note that James Brown himself makes use in this song (at the end) of a couple of lines borrowed from Think from The "5" Royales.

Listen, you will see!

Lyn Collins (The Female Preacher) - Think (About It) / Ain’t No Sunshine
People PE-608 (Canada - 1972)

https://youtu.be/HKix_06L5AY

My copy sounds like shit. There are A LOT of pops EVERYWHERE

yeah WOO! yeah WOO! yeah WOO! yeah WOO! yeah WOO! yeah WOO!

What more can I say? It's a classic funk record.