A live band takes on an unlikely musical collision
What happens when Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” meets Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”?
In this case, it became a live-in-the-studio performance that gave every musician in the room something specific to hold onto.
“Thank You Super Sledgehammer” began as a mash-up concept. However, it only really became ours once the band started playing it together at Masterlink Productions. The challenge was not simply to combine two familiar songs. Instead, we needed to make the joins feel musical, natural and alive.
Greg Coulson was the ideal artist to bring into that world. He takes on the vocal demands of both songs while playing the Masterlink Hammond organ and a newly repaired Hohner Pianet. The Pianet adds a distinct sound to the arrangement. It also gives the performance another physical, rhythmic element alongside the Hammond.
A Funkestra session built from real connections
The horn arrangement came from saxophonist Tom Kleyn, who also played baritone saxophone in the session. Paul Jordanous joined him on trumpet. Together, they give the arrangement punch and shape without turning it into a routine horn feature.
The rhythm section also carried a particular history into the room.
Karl Vanden Bossche plays percussion, Mike Sturgis plays drums, Tony Remy plays guitar and I play bass. We had all worked together in The Staks Band, so there was already a shared understanding of how this type of groove needs to move. That history did not make the session automatic. However, it meant that the band could get quickly to the details that matter: pocket, dynamics, discipline and the space around Greg’s vocal.
Karl was especially important to the story. He first sent me the original Bill McClintock mash-up that sparked the idea. Therefore, it felt right that he should also be in the room when we turned it into a full-band performance.
Two songs, one live performance
This is not a track that works through careful studio assembly. It works because the musicians can hear the changes approaching and commit to them together.
Greg moves between voice, Hammond and Pianet. Meanwhile, the horns sharpen the transitions, and the rhythm section keeps the performance grounded. The result is deliberately playful, yet the band treats the groove seriously throughout.
Bill McClintock heard our version and enjoyed it, which meant a great deal to everyone involved. His original edit created the musical spark. Our session became a different response to that idea: a group of musicians taking the concept into a live room and finding out where it could go.
Watch the performance
Watch Greg Coulson and Redtenbacher’s Funkestra perform “Thank You Super Sledgehammer”:
Because the work combines songs by different rights holders, we cannot currently release the audio as a standard standalone single. The full live video is therefore the main way to experience the performance. Bandcamp listening is available on request.
For the complete Masterlink Sessions feature, including the full story behind the mash-up, visit:
Personnel
Greg Coulson — vocals, Hammond organ, Hohner Pianet
Tom Kleyn — baritone saxophone, horn arrangement
Paul Jordanous — trumpet
Karl Vanden Bossche — percussion
Mike Sturgis — drums
Tony Remy — guitar
Stefan Redtenbacher — bass
Inspired by Bill McClintock’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Your Sledgehammer)” mash-up
Recorded live at Masterlink Productions
Hohner Pianet supplied by Pete Billington
Produced as part of Masterlink Sessions