Synthetic Substitution

"Synthetic Substitution" is a 1973 song by Melvin Bliss. Originally starting life as a throwaway B-side, with "Reward" as the A-Side, the song failed to chart anywhere on its initial release because of the collapse of Opal Productions, the parent company of Sunburst Records.^[1] However, after the song was sampled by Ultramagnetic MCs, many other artists followed suit, and eventually the song became one of the most sampled songs of all time.^[1]

"Synthetic Substitution"
Song by Melvin Bliss
A-side	"Reward"
Released	1973
Genre	Funk, soul
Label	Sunburst Records
Songwriter(s)	Herb Rooney
Producer(s)	Herb Rooney

Background

With the Exciters disbanded in 1971, Herb Rooney was out of a record deal. Having previously written for other artists,^[2] 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 concert hall intending to use it for self-promotion.^[1] While awaiting a meeting with the hall's owner, he encountered the mother of Herb Rooney and it emerged that he wanted a singer to record one of his compositions.^[1] After an informal discussion with Rooney himself, Bliss hit the studio to record it.^[1] Rooney had intended the A-Side to be "Reward" and thus presented it to Bliss first.^[3]

Subject matter

"Synthetic Substitution" is a scathing critique of what society would be like if it was entirely computerised,^[4] which towards the end of the song features the wailing of Bliss clinging onto the final few authentic remnants of his daily life.^[1] In 1986 the song's drums, provided by Bernard Purdie^[5] - were sampled in "Ego Trippin'" by Ultramagnetic MCs, spawning numerous other uses. It has since been sampled in over 800 songs.^[6]

"Synthetic Substitution" lends its name to a 2011 Earl Holder-produced documentary about Melvin Bliss, Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss, which was released by Peripheral Enterprises.^[5] In a 2010 interview produced exclusively for its trailer, Bliss said that "[Herb Rooney and I] had no idea what the song was about; we just needed a B-side".^[7]

Select list of samples

• "Nigga Bridges", "Getdafucout" and "Throw Ya Gunz" by Onyx
• "God Made Me Funky" by Too Poetic
• "24 Deep" and "Back Fade" by Brotha Lynch Hung
• "Come Baby Come" and "Zunga Zeng" by K7
• "Alwayz into Somethin'" and "Real Niggaz Don't Die" by N.W.A
• "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
• "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 Pete Rock & CL Smooth
• "Jam 4 U" and "I'm a Bad" by Redman
• "Smile" by Vitamin C^[8]
• "Clan In Da Front", "Bring Da Ruckus" and "Method Man (Skunk Mix)" by Wu-Tang Clan
• "Die in Your Arms" by Justin Bieber
• "New God Flow" by Pusha T and Kanye West
• "My Life" by 50 Cent
• "Ego Trippin'" and "Watch Me Now" by Ultramagnetic MC's
• "The Champ" and "Mighty Healthy" by Ghostface Killah
• "DWYCK", "Code of the Streets" and "ALONGWAYTOGO" by Gang Starr
• "Land of Lords" by The Underachievers
• "Don't Believe the Hype", "Miuzi Weighs a Ton" and "Brothers Gonna Work It Out" by Public Enemy
• "All I Need" by Method Man
• "Step to My Girl" and "A Name I Call Myself" by Souls of Mischief
• "Middle of the Summer" by Meek Mill
• "Die Like a Rockstar" by Danny Brown
• "Miller Time" by Plastic Little
• "Animal Instinct" by Mobb Deep
• "Chillin" by Audio Two
• "Deadly Venoms (Vocals Up)" by Prince Rakeem
• "Run On" and "Extreme Ways" by Moby
• "So Called Friends" by Group Home
• "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 Ol' Dirty Bastard
• "Street Dreamin" by Bridget Kelly
• "The 4th Branch" by Immortal Technique
• "Funky Dividends" by Three Times Dope
• "The Streetz R Deathrow", "When I Get Free II", "Part Time Mutha" and "Soulja's Story" by 2Pac
• "Grown Man Sport" by InI
• "Just Be Good to Green" by Professor Green
• "Dope Bitch by The-Dream
• "MMMBop" by Hanson
• "Ya Mama" by The Pharcyde
• "Saturday Night" by Schoolly D
• "She's Playing Hard to Get (Clark Kent's Strictly Hip-Hop Remix)" by Hi-Five
• "Pockets Full" by Skyzoo
• "Love Me Now" by Beenie Man
• "Burnt" by Del tha Funkee Homosapien
• "O.G. Original Gangster" by Ice-T
• "Yasawas" by Amon Tobin
• "Supernova at the End of the Universe" by The Orb
• "Eazy Street" by Eazy-E
• "What U See Is What U Get" by Xzibit
• "I've Been Thinking About You" by Mariah Carey
• "Saturday Nite Live" by Masta Ace Incorporated
• "We Go Where Ever We Want" by French Montana
• "Wild and Crazy" and "A Visit to the Gynecologyst" by Dr. Octagon
• "The Anthem" by Lootpack
• "Supa Jean" by DJ Jazzy Jeff
• "Sun Used to Shine" by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist
• "Crossroads" by LL Cool J
• "Meanwhile, Rick James..." by Cake
• "Step to My Girl" by Hieroglyphics
• "One in the Chamba" by The Almighty RSO
• "Ice Cube Killa" by Cypress Hill
• "Home of the Greats" by Black Milk
• "All in Together Now" by DJ Muggs and Gza
• "Runway" by Snow
• "On a Clear Day" by P.M. Dawn
• "Cool V's Tribute to Scratching" by Biz Markie
• "Murder by Reason of Insanity" by Scarface
• "Great Pretender" by Choice
• "Cat People" by Cujo
• "Droppin' the Bomb" by The New Style
• "The Movement" by Common
• "Scarface Groove" by Paris
• "Knock The Hustle" by Cozz

References

1. Holder, Earl (2011). Synthetic Substitution: The Life Story of Melvin Bliss (Motion picture). Peripheral Enterprises.
2. "Melvin Bliss - Reward / Synthetic Substitution". Discogs. 1973.
3. "Melvin Bliss". Wax Poetics. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
4. Melvin Bliss, R.I.P. Hua Hsu. The Atlantic. Jul 27 2010
5. ""Synthetic Substitution" Singer / Sample Icon Melvin Bliss Dies". Hiphopdx.com. 27 July 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
6. "Synthetic Substitution - Melvin Bliss". WhoSampled. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
7. "Melvin Bliss Documentary Trailer 1". YouTube. 23 April 2010. Retrieved 14 May 2013.
8. "Vitamin C feat. Lady Saw's 'Smile' sample of Melvin Bliss's 'Synthetic Substitution'". WhoSampled. Retrieved 2016-10-08.