Take It There
by Massive Attack (featuring Tricky)

Album: Ritual Spirit (2016)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the lead single from Ritual Spirit, an EP containing four tracks that were previewed on the Fantom app. The song features Massive Attack's fellow trip hop musician Tricky. It was his first collaboration with the band since leaving them to pursue a solo career in the mid-1990s.
  • Tricky and Massive Attack's Robert "3D" Del Naja are the joint vocalists on the track. They recorded them at Tricky's Parisian home, sharing the one microphone.

    Del Naja told The Guardian how Tricky insisted he should rap his lyrics, something the Massive Attack vocalist shunned years ago. "It's always going to be slightly odd working with someone after so much time has passed," he recalled. "But after half a day, you revert to type, all the veneer's stripped, all the posturing's gone and you're just what you were back then, 20 years ago, whether you like it or not. You just realise: 'Oh, I haven't f--king changed at all, I've got all the same issues, he knows how to push my buttons, I know how to push his.'"

    "But that's the nature of it. It's kind of funny and difficult at the same time," Del Naja continued. "He literally forced me to rap – 'Chap, you'd better start bloody rapping again!' We did it in one take, and afterwards, Tricks goes, 'You'll never do that again', and I said, 'Let's hope not.'"

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Fire On The Stage

Fire On The StageSong Writing

When you have a song called "Fire," it's tempting to set one - these guys did.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.

Zakk Wylde

Zakk WyldeSongwriter Interviews

When he was playing Ozzfest with Black Label Society, a kid told Zakk he was the best Ozzy guitarist - Zakk had to correct him.

70s Music Quiz 1

70s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

The '70s gave us Muppets, disco and Van Halen, all which show up in this groovy quiz.

Dave Pirner of Soul Asylum

Dave Pirner of Soul AsylumSongwriter Interviews

Dave explains how the video appropriated the meaning of "Runaway Train," and what he thought of getting parodied by Weird Al.

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy Talent

Ben Kowalewicz of Billy TalentSongwriter Interviews

The frontman for one of Canada's most well-known punk rock bands talks about his Eddie Vedder encounter, Billy Talent's new album, and the importance of rock and roll.