Wisdom: Robbin' The Hood

Waiting for Bud

Samples:

  • "I told y'all..." - The Cold Crush Bros. vs. The Fantastic Freaks, Basketball Throwdown, the song appears on the soundtrack for the movie Wild Style (1983)

References:

  • Bud (in song title) - The drummer for Sublime of course.

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Steady B Loop Dub

Samples:

  • Rhythm/Beat - Steady B, Bring the Beat Back, Bring the Beat Back (1986)
  • "When you grab ahold of me" - Sublime, Badfish, 40 oz to Freedom

References:

  • guitar riff - borrowed from Experience Unlimited (E.U.), Knock Him Out Sugar Ray, Knock Him Out Sugar Ray / E.U. Freeze (1980)
  • "look youthman, Jah Jah is coming" - phrase from Barrington Levy, Look Youthman, Englishman (1979)

Trivia:

  • "Music from Jamaica, all the love that I've found..." - This phrase was reused by Sublime, Garden Grove, Self Titled
  • Steady B is currently doing life in prison for the murder of a Philadelphia police officer.
  • In Steady B's song he warns against sampling his song, "this is my beat, don't try to steal it or you'll lay in defeat". Knowing Sublime's humor, this line may have actually prompted them to use the cut.
  • If you thought you may have heard the guitar riff from Experience Unlimited (listed above) elsewhere, it could be because the melody is basically the The chimes of Big Ben.

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Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. I

Samples:

  • Raleigh Theodore Sakers
  • classical background music - Sergei Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 in D Major, op. 25 II. Larghetto

References:

  • the definition of Soliloquy: 1) the act of talking to oneself 2) a dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections
  • Raleigh - a bizarre older gentleman, who's true identity is shrouded in myths and mystery...
  • There was a "complete" collection of Raleigh's rants created with lots of extra, extended clips of him going off. Only a handful of these tapes (around a dozen?) were given to friends of the band around 1994. In addition, at least a couple full Raleigh Tapes were custom made for other friends of the band. Like this one.

Trivia / Raleigh Rumors:

  • The best info given thus far from a credible source is from Dennis "Scummy" Elm (5/29/2014): "Eric made a copy of the Ralleigh tape without asking. We were going to use it for our Brotherhood of Anger(the band I was in at the time) recording. It's not Bud, and Mike Happoldt had nothing to do with it. Don't know what he looks like though. Your guess is as good as mine. Scummy"
  • Therefore any photo claiming to be of Raleigh, is almost certainly untrue as even the earliest people who had access to the recording never saw him
  • Additionally, Greg Odell(of the Falling Idols) stated (5/29/2014): "I remember the day Eric came in with that tape. I copied it to DAT and then those guys lost the original. Miguel had me dub him my copy."
  • More semi-solid evidence comes from Love Carlsson (perhaps the most serious Sublime collector in the world), that one of the very first generation copies was in the possession of Jason Westfall (Bud's brother), which may in fact been THE TAPE that all other Sublime-connected uses of Raleigh came from. Image of said tape:
    1st raleigh tape
  • There were supposedly a couple interviews where some "answers" were given:
    • from California's Humboldt University newspaper:
      "He's just a nut case who made tapes of himself and we decided to put him on our record," Wilson said.
      "We thought everyone should hear him," Bud added.
      It seems Sakers has disappeared, but the band would like to locate him and put him on a cross-country poetry circuit.
    • from Heckler Magazine(1994):
      Heckler: How did you guys hook up with Raleigh Theodore Sakers?
      Brad: Umm...our old drummer Kelly. His brother [Matt] had a friend that worked in a halfway home. He was in there one day and there was this fuckin' wierdo (Raleigh), and he was just going off. So our buddy just got his tape recorder and pressed record. Then Raleigh started hallucinating and thought that he was making a science fiction magazine. He was making such a scene that they tried to kick him into the psych ward. We have, thank God, about two or three hours of this guy just rambling. The whole thing is just, there is only a certain amount of time that you can put on a CD, and we like to fill it with not only good music, but some funny stuff too. It's just like stuff you can come across, alright, that is sooo fucking funny. I mean, that Raleigh shit is fucking hilarious. We just put as much as we could on this CD.
  • The info below goes more into the RUMOR territory:
    • Matt Vargas supposedly (had a friend who) met Raleigh at a halfway house where part/all of his rants were recorded (as stated in the Heckler Mag)
    • OR, Raleigh may have recorded himself and later given(?) the tape(s) to someone connected to Sublime
    • One account (by Al S.) circa 1995-6 has Randy Bradbury of Long Beach All Day stating that he had an original or early generation copy of the tape, and while at a party with the Sublime crew, Eric went to Randy's car and took the tape and dubbed it from him then. Where Randy got it from is not mentioned.
    • The authority figure speaking could be Brad [Ziggen] Conyers' college roommate, whom was interning at an old age home/hospital during college and ran a small punk label called Very Mean Man Recordings (based in Milwaukee, WI?).
    • Raleigh mentions a female he's bitter about, Christine Cantara / Gontara / Gontarek - "Christine Gontaroff" may have been a news reporter at Channel 7 in Milwaukee in 1991 when/where the tape might have been recorded
    • He mentions "12309 Ventura Street", but is is not known which US state / city this was in. If WI, as rumors above indicate, this may be a related address: "12309 Ventura Circle, Brookfield, WI". It should be considered that some audio editing may have taken place in an attempt to mask the names/addresses.
  • "Rollie" is likely the real spelling of his name, as it is a common US name from generations ago. One candidate found with that name was born on July 9 1926, (with this info, the below was supposedly discovered - cue Unsolved Mysteries theme...)
    • In 1930, at the age of 4, Rollie Sakers lived in St. Louis, MO
    • He may have participated in the Second World War
    • Rollie Theodore Saker was married to Welma Kadleck on August 18, 1950 in Randolph County, Arkansas
    • (various other VERY unsubstantiated rumours removed!)
  • Seeing as how all information on Raleigh is dubious at best, he may yet be alive and well...
  • More reading & speculation:

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Pool Shark (orig)

    Samples:

References:

  • plenty of heroin innuendo in this song

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Steppin' Razor

Samples:

  • The first few seconds sounds like it may be a sample from Steely Dan, Do It Again, Can't Buy a Thrill (1972)

References:

  • This is a cover of - The Wailers, Stepping Razor (written by Joe Higgs)
  • The term "Steppin' Razor" refers to a person who is dangerous and quick to fight.

Trivia:

  • The Wailers, Stepping Razor was also sung individually by Peter [MacIn]Tosh (on his own from The Wailers), Stepping Razor, Equal Rights (1977) where it had more popularity.
  • The writer, Joe Higgs, actually threatened (legally and physically) Sublime for the use of this song after Sublime gained popularity. It doesn�t appear he was ever compensated despite this harassment.

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Greatest-Hits

Samples:

References:

  • The Ziggens - Sublime's "brother" band
  • Bert Susanka - Lead singer for The Ziggens

Trivia:

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Free Loop Dub

Samples:

  • melody - Primal Scream, Loaded, Screamadelica (1991)
  • "Oh fuck, Chuck's on a killing spree" - Geto Boys, Chuckie, We Can't be Stopped

References:

  • Chuck - Chuckie from Child's Play 80's horror movie

Trivia:

  • The dubbed song Loaded contains samples of the movie The Wild Angels including the phrase, "We wanna be free." Which is where the song Free Loop Dub gets the name.

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Q-Ball

Samples:

References:

  • Q-Ball (and BadAzz) - rappers featured in this song.
    • BadAss is likely the same Bad Azz affiliated with Snopp Dogg's Tha Dogg Pound (within the extended D.P.G.C.)
    • In Bad Azz's (2011) freestyle song, "Numero Uno" @2:18 he mentions an associate: Q-Ball / Que Ball - solidifying his relation to Sublime's song
    • @BadAzzLBC on Twitter states (4/28/2015) he is indeed the same person

Trivia:

  • On 4/22/2015 Jack Maness weighed in with some related info on the two rappers: "One of the dudes rapping worked at McDonald's, he was walking by studio and was tripping on the jams. Brad played a beat , he and his homie rapped over it . Brad removed the beat and layered a different beat and different music under the bare vocals. Genius ! I was there, I know!" Furthermore, Jack implies it "happened right there" at "Anaheim and Ohio, Long Beach" - this was a location where some rehearsals and recording took place for that era and might have been where some of the Sublime guys actually lived for a time

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Saw Red

Samples:

References:

  • "Every day I love her just a little bit more..." - This phrase is covered from Barrington Levy, She's Mine, single (1988)

Trivia:

  • "Was that hard enough?" at very end of song - Gwen Stefani of No Doubt (she also sings half the song of course)

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Work That We Do

Samples:

References:

  • "false teeth prophets are the cards that we draw" (exact lyrics unclear) - a reference to Opie Ortiz and his missing front teeth; Sublime legend has it the line came from an intense acid trip, Brad thought Opie was a mind reader dealing his future through cards
  • elements of this song were used in Under My Voodoo, off the self-titled

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Lincoln Highway Dub

Samples:

References:

Trivia:

  • This is an early version of Santeria.

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Pool Shark (acoustic)

Samples:

  • see above version

References:

  • see above version

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Cisco Kid

Samples:

  • "That's chapter 1 ... I know the way" - Raleigh Theodore Sakers (featured on other parts of this album)
  • "Here's adventure ... the Cisco Kid!" - The Cisco Kid, radio show (1942-56)
  • Organ - Doors, When the Musics Over, Strange Days (1967)
  • Horns - Guru (Keith Elam of Gang Starr), Introduction, Jazzamataz Volume I
  • Odd background noise at 1:40 & 2:39 - sampled from Beastie Boys, Shake Your Rump, Paul's Boutique (1989)
  • Most other spoken word from The Cisco Kid radio show
  • "How am I gonna get a scar like that from eating pussy, man?" - Al Pachino, Scarface (movie - 1983)

References:

  • Cisco - Highly alcoholic, and cheap ghetto wine
  • dance called "Wubby-wubby" - this is a jokeing reference to some chick that was friends with the band at the time and she had a stuffed animal/blanket thing that she called her Wubby Wubby. And she kind of rubbed that thing in a funny way, and Brad used to do a dance that looked like her rubbing that blanket.
  • "She must have gone with the boss D.J." - phrase from Yellowman, Lost Mi Love, Mister Yellowman (1982)
  • Ital dish - Ital is food often celebrated by those in the Rastafari movement; in addtion, there is a song called Ital Dish by I Roy on The Magnificent Seven (1978)

Trivia:

  • Brad once indicated Cisco Kid was his favorite song on Robbin' the Hood.

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Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. II

Samples:

  • more Raleigh

References:

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STP

Samples:

References:

  • STP - Secret Tweaker Pad
  • Matt Vargas - Kelly Vargas' (did early drum work for Sublime and Slightly Stoopid) brother and Roadie for Sublime
  • Flava Flave - rapper from Public Enemy
  • I.C.E. - rapper: Just Ice
  • 808 - Roland TR-808 which is an old-school drum machine which rap music was arguably founded upon.
  • "Baby you wanna give me kisses ... but a taste of honey is worse than none at all" - phrase from Smokey Robinson & the Miracles, I Second That Emotion, single (1967) -- this song was also notably covered by The Temptations and the Supremes

Trivia:

  • "Flava Flav and I.C.E. once said something that made me want to burn my liquor store down to the ground.": - might be partially refering to the Public Enemy song 1 Million Bottlebags from Apocalypse 91 (1991) as it is very berating of liquor stores

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Boss D.J.

Samples:

References:

  • partially a cover of British reggae band Aswad, Roots Rockin'
  • "Its so nice, I wanna here the same song twice" - from Bob Marley's Do It Twice where Bob sings "You so nice, I wanna do the same thing twice."
  • "ain't got no time to waste, time to hate" - there is a (intentionally?) simmilar lyric within The Grateful Dead's Uncle John's Band, "Ain't no time to hate, barely time to wait"

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I Don't Care Too Much For Reggae Dub

Samples:

  • In this song you hear a taped conversation between a few members of Sublime as well as what appear to be 2-3 random people on the street. The dialogue appears to be recorded right outside or very near a liquor store as the guy with a deep voice is asking for change. The younger kid is offering his opinions on music when he states, "I really don't care too much for reggae", hence the title of the song.

References:

  • Opie - Opie Ortiz, Sublime's friend/artist, he's also the guy on the cover of Robbin' the Hood. (later, he went on to sing for the Long Beach Dub All Stars)

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Falling Idols

Samples:

  • none

References:

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All you Need

Samples:

References:

  • Half-Pint - prominent Jamaican dancehall and reggae singer mentioned on 40oz To Freedom
  • U-Roy - Jamaican musician, mentioned on 40oz To Freedom
  • "No one can tell you, you've got to be afraid." - from Red Hot Chili Pepper's Fight Like a Brave, The Uplift Mofo Party Plan (1987)

Trivia:

  • Brad's guitar riff at ~2:12 is taken from Smoke 2 Joints at ~0:30

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Freeway Time In LA County Jail

Samples:

References:

  • The main melody is straight from Led Zeppelin, Bring It on Home, Led Zeppelin II (1969) but this part is covered right from the old blues tune by Sonny Boy Williamson II, Bring It on Home, Bring It on Home / Down Child (1966)
  • Bati Man - Jamaican slang for crazy/fool
  • "I throw my net out into the sea" is from Jack Owens, The Hukilau Song single (1948)
  • "a hungry man is an angry man" - line originally appeared on Bob Marley & The Wailers Them Belly Full, Natty Dread (1974) - a song warning against allowing a nation's poor to go hungry, with the additional prophetic phrase "a hungry mob is an angry mob" which Brad seemed to convert to "a hungry dog is an angry dog".

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Mary

Samples:

References:

  • Hotter than a microwave - this phrase may have been inspired by Big Audio Dynamite II The Globe, The Globe (1991) which also contains the lyric

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Raleigh Soliloquy Pt. III

Samples:

  • yup, it's Raleigh again (see above)

References:

  • Raleigh sings, "You Don't Know What Love Is" - Originally written by Gene de Paul and Don Raye in 1941 and subsequently preformed by many, many artists. One exemplary version is by Chet Baker.

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...

Samples:

  • partial clip of Sublime's own Don't Push
  • also a little of Boss DJ (with Bob Marley cover, "it's so nice...")

References:

  • finishes with a cover of Mudhoney, Farther I Go, Mudhoney (1989) *only on the Skunk version of the album

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