Cuban Boys
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The Cuban Boys were a production team responsible for the hit single "Cognoscenti Vs. Intelligentsia", which achieved success on John Peel's Radio 1 show with sample-heavy dance tracks and cut-ups. The group signined to EMI and released their one and only hit record. Little was heard of the band itself after this although they have scored further top 40 successes under various pseudonyms — notably with Glen Campbell on "Rhinestone Cowboy"; kids band the Barndance Boys, and also as the synth duo Spray.
The main sample used in Cognoscenti Vs. Intelligentsia comes from "Whistle Stop" by Roger Miller which was featured in the Disney movie Robin Hood. It was first featured on the Internet as part of The Hampster Dance song on the website of the same name. The same sample was later used as the basis for the song "Irritating Hamster" by the artist DJ Mavica (http://www.modarchive.com/artists/mavica), and later as part of the Cuban Boys' hit.
"Cognoscenti Vs. Intelligentsia" became a huge hit in the UK in December 1999, following months of speculation and rumours - all of which turned out to be false - that the men behind the Cuban Boys project were in fact Paul Weller and Noel Gallagher of Oasis. Either way, the track received many requests for play at radio, and was heavily hyped as a contender for the Christmas number one spot. Upon release, the single peaked at #4 on the survey, outsold only by Westlife at the height of their popularity, UK chart legend Cliff Richard, and a re-release of John Lennon's Imagine.
External link
- Spray website (http://www.spraynet.co.uk/)