The Soul Searchers - Blow Your Whistle / Ashley's Roachclip

Genre: Funk / Breakbeat
Year Released: 1974

Description:

This dual-sided Soul Searchers release is one of the most explosive 7″ funk singles in breakbeat history. While “Blow Your Whistle” brings the band’s signature go-go-tinged funk to the forefront, the B-side, “Ashley’s Roachclip,” contains one of the most iconic drum breaks ever recorded.

The break — appearing midway through the track — is clean, crisp, and impossibly funky. It helped power some of the most important tracks in Hip-Hop and beyond, such as:

Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid in Full”

Run-D.M.C. – “Run’s House”

L.L. Cool J – “Jack The Ripper”

“Ashley’s Roachclip” has also travelled beyond Hip-Hop, appearing in pop, dance, and electronic music, making it one of the most cross-genre breakbeats ever pressed to vinyl. Together, the two sides represent peak Washington D.C. funk — tight, disciplined, and irresistibly rhythmic