Smackwater Jack

Quincy Jones, Smackwater Jack, 1971. It’s one of the most recognisable album covers of all time. Quincy in his green-trees-superimposed era.

Quincy produced the album with Phil Ramone and Ray Brown. It’s jazz, soul and funk. There are covers of Carole King’s Smackwater Jack and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, which runs to nearly ten minutes with Valerie Simpson singing. And the players are serious. Freddie Hubbard on flugelhorn. Hubert Laws on flute. Milt Jackson on vibes. Toots Thielemans on harmonica. Ray Brown on bass. Jazz royalty of the time.

Then there’s Ironside. It opens with that siren. Then it rolls out into such a solid funk jazzy break with the wah guitars and mad horns. You know the one.

Tarantino used it in Kill Bill Vol. 1. It goes off when The Bride sees Vernita Green. RZA worked on the music for the film. Fire soundtrack.

After that, everyone wanted the siren. Take a look at who sampled Ironside on WhoSampled. The list is long.

Quincy wrote the tune as the theme for Ironside, an American cop show from the late 60s starring Raymond Burr. Got that 70s US cop vibe down pat.

Don’t stop at the siren. Play the whole record. Listen here: Smackwater Jack on Apple Music.