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various sections are largely differentiated by the presence or absence of the drum track. A breakdown of the
structure looks like this:
A: Intro: riff 1, one bar, no drums (x4)
A: riff 1, drums in (x8)
B: riff 2, one bar (x16)
C: synth figure (x16)
D: drum break, four bars
C: (x8)
E: drum break, vocal sample (x2)
C: (x8)
F: [E] drum break (x8)
C: (x8)
E: (x2)
C: (x8)
G: synth figure 2 (x7) + one bar drums
F: (x4)
C: with EQ effects (x16)
B: riff 2 (x16)
The rigidity is typical of 1990s dance music. Notice how the "tyranny of four" is in full operation, with section
lengths based on multiples of four, with the added reductive factor of individual sections usually consisting of a
single bar repeated. The tempo is unvarying and the drums simply enter and exit at the mixing stage, without any
warning fills.
Fat Boy Slim's 'Praise Him' is similar. It consists of two riffs: the first is bVII IV I in G over two bars; the second is I
IV bVII in D for one bar. The first riff is repeated something like 43 times and the second 32 times. Almost all the
sections repeat four times, occasionally eight. Only the abrupt addition or subtraction of percussion, or bass, or a
guitar phrase, varies the arrangement. The musical basis of the song is little more than three bars. Dreadzone's 'Little
Britain' takes a two-bar two chord phrase and repeats it over 70 times.
The singles charts have from time to time featured records that push percussion to the front of the mix. This includes
tracks such as 'Message Of Love', 'Waterfront', 'Sat In Your Lap' and the claps and foot-stomping of 'Baby Love' and
'Cecilia'. There have been chants like 'Neanderthal Man' (1970), recorded by members of the as-yet unformed 10cc.
In 1971, 'Burundi Black' brought the sound of African drumming to the UK chart, later used on Joni Mitchell's The
Hissing Of Summer Lawns and Adam Ant's 'Kings Of The Wild Frontier'. That same year also saw two hit singles by
the South African John Kongos, 'Tokoloshe Man' and 'He's Gonna Step On You Again' (covered as 'Step On' by the
Happy Mondays), both with an African rhythmic influence. Glam rock picked up on the "tribal" vibe, as heard on
records such as 'Rock And Roll', 'Devilgate Drive', 'We Will Rock You', 'New York Groove' (in a Bo Diddley style)
and 'Dance With The Devil'. Alan Stivell's electric folk on From Celtic Roots drew on unusual rhythms. Further on
in the 1970s there was 'Tusk'. Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins both pursued a different drum approach, temporarily
banning cymbals from their recordings. On Ju-Ju, Siouxsie & The Banshees imitated non-Western drumming
patterns. The influence of world music in the 1990s has increased the variety of rhythms heard in popular music, and
even heavy rockers like Page and Plant used Moroccan drum loops for the No Quarter project.