Bra

Album: Cymande (1972)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Cymande released "Bra" as the second single from their self-titled debut studio album. Written by guitarist Patrick Patterson and bassist Steve Scipio, it was recorded at De Lane Lea Studios in London, and produced by British R&B producer John Schroeder.
  • The creation of "Bra" started with the bass. "How we were writing at the time is that the bass was used melodically," Scipio told Uncut magazine. "I'd go to Patrick with an idea and often he'd start putting stuff on top of that. In some songs, the vocals were the last thing to be developed. Normally it's the other way round."

    "When I was laying things on top, I was just thinking about patterns to fit," Patterson added. "I'm a touch player, not a heavyweight player, so I'm bouncing off Steve rather than setting a thing myself."
  • The band had written most of the album before they entered the studio because those were the songs they were using on the road. They honed them while they were gigging.

    "Bra" was one of their most popular songs at gigs, and fans especially loved the middle break with just bass and drums. "I'm playing four-to-the-bar on a bass drum," drummer Sam Kelly told Uncut. "We were just trying to think how we could join the middle of this song to the end."
  • The song is a celebration of brotherhood and friendship. "'Bra' is slang for brother," Scipio explained to Uncut. "Within our community, everybody knew what it meant. It was only when we went to the States that you might have people saying, why are they singing about brasseries?"
  • The track became a foundation stone of early hip-hop, sampled by a string of artists. They include:

    Sugarhill Gang in their single "Work, Work, the Body," released in 1985
    Gang Starr in their song, "Movin' On," from the 1989 album No More Mr. Nice Guy
    De La Soul in their song "Change in Speak," from their 1989 album 3 Feet High and Rising

    Raze also sampled "Bra" in their early house hit "Jack the Groove," which reached #20 on the UK Singles chart in 1985.
  • "Bra" features in these movies:

    1994 Spike Lee's Crooklyn
    1998 John Jacobsen's Around the Fire
    2002 Spike Lee's 25th Hour
    2007 Martin Gero's Young People F---ing
    2021 Joachim Trier's The Worst Person in the World

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.

TV Theme Songs

TV Theme SongsFact or Fiction

Was a Beatles song a TV theme? And who came up with those Fresh Prince and Sopranos songs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?

Which Songs are About Drugs?Fact or Fiction

"25 or 6 to 4" to "Semi-Charmed Life" - see if you can spot the songs that are really about drugs.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Trucking Songs That Were #1 Hits

Trucking Songs That Were #1 HitsSong Writing

The stories behind the biggest hit songs about trucking.