“Next To Nothing” by Fatboy Slim

Annie Oakley allegedly once said “Aim at a high mark and you'll hit it. No, not the first time, nor the second time. Maybe not the third. But keep on aiming and keep on shooting for only practice will make you perfect.” Such is the case with Norman Cook, a.k.a. Fatboy Slim.

In 1988, after the Housemartins broke up, bassist Norman Cook tried his hand at being a solo artist and released the single “Blame It On The Bassline.” This track was moderately successful in the UK and led to Cook forming Beats International. After several releases with them, the unauthorized use of the samples got Cook into financial trouble and they folded. Back to the drawing board again and Cook would form two more projects, Freak Power, and The Mighty Dub Katz, eventually settling on the moniker Fatboy Slim. Bullseye…
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“Next To Nothing” was originally released as the b side to the 1996 single “Going Out Of My Head.” It isn’t one of the many Big Beat dance hits that Fatboy Slim would be known for, but it is a very interesting electronic song that I'm sure made his techno-headed contemporaries jealous.  I especially love how at the six minute mark, he folded in Funkadelic's “Get Off Your Ass And Jam,” a sample that Public Enemy famously used in their song “Bring The Noise.” It's that subtle touch and attention to detail that Cook couldn't ignore.