"LK (Carolina Carol Bela)", sometimes referred to as "It's the Way", is a 2002 drum and bass song by DJ Marky, XRS, and Stamina MC which reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart. It has been described as "seminal" by NME, and samples Toquinho & Jorge Ben's "Carolina Carol Bela". Piri & Tommy have performed it in concert.
| "LK (Carolina Carol Bela)" | |
|---|---|
| Single by DJ Marky & XRS ft. Stamina MC | |
| Released | 2002 |
| Songwriter(s) | DJ Marky, XRS, and Stamina MC |
| Producer(s) | DJ Marky and XRS |
DJ Marky version
edit"LK" was produced in 2002[1] in XRS's studio[2] after DJ Marky gave up on recreating the sound of Ed Rush and Optical's "Wormhole".[3] "LK" was originally an instrumental, and samples vocals and guitar from Toquinho and Jorge Ben's "Carolina Carol Bela",[2] the B-side[1] of "Que Maravilha".[4] The song's title, "LK", is a truncated form of "Liquid Kitchen", an epithet given to the song by DJ Marky after coming back from XRS's studio and walking in on his mother washing up.[2]
After a tour in Brazil, DJ Marky returned to the United Kingdom to find himself inundated with requests to play "It's the Way", a title based on what Stamina MC had been freestyling over the record.[2] Not knowing what they meant, he wondered whether they meant DJ Tactix's 1994 jungle track of the same name; after finding that crowds were singing Stamina MC's lyrics at performances, Stamina MC was brought into the studio to record an official vocal.[1] This version was playlisted by BBC Radio 1,[2] charted at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart,[5] and was performed on Top of the Pops.[6] The track was played in the United States, which caught the attention of Jorge Ben's son Gabriel; the question of paying royalties for sampling "Carolina Carol Bela" was resolved when Toquinho approved of the sample.[1] The track has been described as "seminal" by NME.[7]
Piri & Tommy version
editPiri & Tommy have performed the song in concert; NME thought their cover a particular highlight of their performance at Reading and Leeds Festival in 2022, describing their rendition as "bouncy", and noted that observing "a rabble of enthusiastic teens flailing to a drum'n'bass classic released years before they were born proves that the old can still very much be gold".[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "DJ Marky discusses the creation of drum 'n' bass classic 'LK'". 909originals.com. 16 July 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d e "MARKY & XRS 'LK'". DJ Mag. 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "DJ Marky: "The UK is my second home"". Lyte.com. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "Iconic | DJ Marky & XRS ft. Stamina MC - LK 'Carolina Carol Bela' [V Recordings]". Alataj.com.br. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ "DJ MARKY AND XRS FEAT. STAMINA MC". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
- ^ 19 July 2002. Top of the Pops. BBC1.
- ^ a b "The 10 best new acts we saw at Reading & Leeds 2022". NME. 30 August 2022. Retrieved 2 March 2023.