New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Wu-Tang Clan member GZA has teamed up with Rage Against the Machine's Tom
Morello to produce "The Mexican", a new single that was written in 1972 by SAE Nashville faculty member Alan Shacklock.
The fact that GZA and Tom
Morello consider 'The Mexican' a classic track that's worth covering adds even more cache to Alan's brand as an esteemed educator and a resource of invaluable industry and creative knowledge.
Wu-Tang Clan member GZA has teamed up with Rage Against the Machine's Tom
Morello to produce "The Mexican", a new, non-album single. Recently performed by GZA and
Morello on "The
Tonight Show", "The Mexican" is an updated cover of Babe Ruth's 1972 song of the same name that has been sampled numerous times, and was written and produced by Alan Shacklock, Audio Technology Department Chair at SAE
Institute Nashville.
"I discovered GZA and Tom's project online, and I'm truly looking forward to hearing it," says Shacklock. "My sons
Jesse aka DJ Kidsmeal, who's a SAE Nashville alumni, and Sam Shacklock aka DJ SOSA are big Wu-Tang fans, and
Morello is one of the most innovative guitarist of the new millennium. Their interpretation of 'The Mexican' is sure to be inventive and fantastic."
According to Shacklock, "The Mexican" was - and continues to be - a total enigma.
"I composed it while I was in my last year at the Royal Academy of
Music in London where I was studying classical guitar and orchestration, and I put Babe Ruth together to try out my compositions," says Shacklock. "Our sound was a combination of classical music, Motown, Western film scores, and progressive rock, and we eventually got signed to Harvest Records, which was also the label for
Pink Floyd and Electric Light Orchestra. The song's success has been very flattering, and it's been sampled legally and illegally more times that I know!"
Artists that have utilized "The Mexican" in their productions include Jellybean Benitez, Pete Rock, N.E.R.D., Sugar Ray, R. Kelly, The Prodigy, Helloween, Deekline, and
Ghostface Killah. The song is regarded by international music critics and historians as being the defining anthem of hip hop culture. It was an essential component of the late 70s and early 80s breakdance scene in the Bronx, New York as a result of its ubiquitous usage by legendary DJs Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and Kool Herc.
Babe Ruth reunited last summer for a performance at Milwaukee's Summerfest, which is billed as "the world's largest music festival". The band had a huge following in the Midwest in the 70s, and artists such as ZZ Top, Humble Pie, and Roxy
Music were their opening acts.
Along with his responsibilities at SAE Nashville, Shacklock is working on projects with legendary bluegrass artist and legend Tina Adair, Nashville-based rockers The Protomen, a Tex-Mex release by The Gringos, and a new Babe Ruth album that's slated for a summer '15 release - just in time for the band's concerts in Quebec in July.
"When our students learn of Alan's successful career with Babe Ruth as a band member, songwriter, engineer, and producer, they're always impressed," says Lynn Dorton, Campus
Director of SAE
Institute Nashville. "The fact that GZA and Tom
Morello consider 'The Mexican' a classic track that's worth covering adds even more cache to Alan's brand as an esteemed educator and a resource of invaluable industry and creative knowledge."
