Own the record
Babe Ruth First Base LP Record Album Harvest SW-11151 1973 Stereo ProgUsed · 0 bids$25.00
CD Babe Ruth, First Base/Amar Caballero, BGO, England 14 Tracks 2 on1 CD SEALEDBrand New · Buy It Now$73.99
Sealed Ruth Babe - First Base / Amar Caballero CD AudioBrand New · Buy It Now$40.00
Babe Ruth - First Base (Vinyl LP, 1972) 1st UK Pressing Harvest RecordsUsed · Buy It Now$45.99
First Base is the 1972 debut album by Babe Ruth, an English rock band fronted by singer Janita Haan with guitarist and songwriter Alan Shacklock. It is one of the unlikeliest records in the hip hop canon.
The break
“The Mexican,” written by Shacklock around Ennio Morricone’s theme from For a Few Dollars More, has a drum and percussion break that Kool Herc and Afrika Bambaataa played in the Bronx. A British prog-rock band ended up soundtracking some of hip hop’s first parties.
Sound and production
The album mixes hard rock, prog and Latin-flavored grooves, with “The Mexican” as its heavy, cinematic centerpiece.
Legacy
“The Mexican” was remade by Jellybean Benitez in 1984 and remains one of the classic breaks on b-boy compilations.
Tracklist & credits
Produced by Alan Shacklock, Nick Mobbs
- A1Wells Fargo6:14
- A2The Runaways7:12
- A3King Kong6:40
- B1Black Dog8:03
- B2The Mexican5:45
- B2.aPer Qualche Dollaro In Piu (Interpolating)
- B3Joker7:42
Tracklist and producer credits: Discogs. Gear credits: Breakbeat Archive, sourced on each credit.
Made with
The gear behind this record, sourced and for sale.
Know the mic, board or other gear?
Add a credit with a source link. Every submission is reviewed before it goes live.
More from hip hop in 1972.