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“Thief of Bagdad” is a song from Lee Erwin’s 1974 release “Sound of Silents - Music for Silent Film Classics.” 

Lee Erwin was a theater organist who revived the popularity of film accompaniment music for silent films in the 1960's and 70's, a music genre that had been completely abandoned in the 1920's.

Erwin’s emergence as a silent film composer resulted in his recording and releasing several albums.

This part of Lee Erwin’s “Thief of Bagdad” was sampled by DJ Premier to make Nas’ “Represent” on Illmatic.

DJ Premier is one of hip-hop’s most well-renowned and legendary producers, and has spearheaded many of hip hop’s characteristic production styles. He has produced for The Notorious B.I.G, JAY Z, and D’Angelo among many others, and regularly produces for Gang Starr and Royce Da 5’9”.

DJ Premier was also the producer of “N.Y. State of Mind” and “Memory Lane (Sittin’ In Da Park)” on Illmatic.

Some note “Represent” as the most clever sample found and used on Illmatic.  While most samples on this Nas album come from 1960's and 70's jazz records, DJ Premier for this record samples music accompaniment from silent film.

DJ Premier was one of the main producers of Illmatic alongside Large Professor.  He also sequenced the whole record, a fact that went some time unknown where Nas’ record label initially received credit.

Premier claims that “Represent” was the first song he and Nas made for Illmatic.

The original version of “Represent” did not make it onto Illmatic, since DJ Premier was motivated to change the beat after hearing Pete Rock’s production on “The World Is Yours” and Q-Tip’s production on “One Love.”  Premier decided to start clean with Lee Erwin's "Thief of Bagdad."

Lee Erwin was born in Huntsville, Alabama in 1908, where he was raised and heavily influenced by his mother who was a church orgnanist.

Erwin studied the organ and graduated from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. He also studied in Paris with Andre Marchal and Nadia Boulanger.

In the 1960's, Erwin released "Pipe Organ Favorites," and was hired by the American Theater Organ Society to write a score for a silent film called Queen Kelly.  This enabled him to build exposure and jump-start his career as a recording artist.

From this point, Lee Erwin began writing original music and releasing projects as their own records rather than for silent film.

Throughout the 1960's and 70's, his music rapidly grew in popularity and was ultimately distributed by Angel Records.

As a result, Lee Erwin’s records established new and rare popularity for soundtrack music, and he became the only film accompanist who has music experienced nation-wide recognition.

Erwin noted in an interview that he would score silent films by watching them on videotape several times, mapping out scenes by timestamping them using a stopwatch, and rigorously taking notes.  He explained “it’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.”

Lee Erwin’s “Thief of Bagdad” has also been sampled in songs by Isaiah Rashad and Fabolous.

1974

In 1974, Martin Luther King Jr.'s mother, Alberta Williams King, was shot while playing organ in the church where her husband was the pastor.

1974 in Law

The Supreme Court ruled that teacher cannot be forced to take long leaves if they do not wish to.

Philippe Petit walked a tightrope inbetween the Twin Towers.

1974