The Big Beat

The Zoo Crew is spinning "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier, a track from his 1980 debut solo album The Tale of the Tape, and it’s got the Zoo Freaks grooving! This song, while never charting, became a cultural juggernaut, sampled in nearly 300 hip-hop recordings by 2020. Its iconic drum break, created by drummer Bobby Chouinard and Squier himself banging on a snare case, caught the ears of artists like Run-D.M.C., Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, and Dizzee Rascal. Squier once shared in a 2005 Boston Globe interview that the beat came from him "beating on the side of a trap case" while searching for a unique sound in the studio. He’s called its hip-hop legacy "mindblowing," likening himself to the "Robert Johnson of hip-hop" in a chat on his official website, marveling at how a rock song became a cornerstone of a genre that barely existed when he wrote it.

Recording "The Big Beat" was a wild ride. Squier set up in Woodstock, NY, with producer Eddy Offord, working in Levon Helm’s house where the whole band shared one big room with Offord’s Midas console. In a post on his website, Squier described the "post-hippie vibe" of Woodstock, with local musicians like David Sancious dropping by to add keyboards and synthesizers. He envisioned the song as the ultimate album opener, demanding the "biggest drum beat the rock world had ever heard." That raw energy paid off, as @EddieTrunk noted in a 2020 X post, calling it the "most sampled rock song in hip hop/rap." Big Daddy Kane, in a 2013 New York Post piece, compared Squier’s influence to James Brown, saying he gave B-boys and B-girls a track to dance to.

Billy Squier, born William Haislip Squier on May 12, 1950, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, kicked off his musical journey early. As detailed on his official website, he started classical piano lessons at age eight, bribed by his grandfather to stick with it. By 12, he picked up an acoustic guitar, switching to electric after The Beatles hit the U.S. A classmate sold him a Danelectro guitar for $90, and by 14, he formed his first band, the Reltneys. His passion deepened after discovering John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers, as noted in his Facebook bio. Before going solo, Squier fronted the band Piper, managed by KISS’s Bill Aucoin, but left after two albums to pursue his own vision, leading to The Tale of the Tape with Capitol Records in 1980.

Stay connected with Billy Squier through his official website, where he’s been updating his catalog and sharing stories. Follow him on Facebook, Instagram, and X for the latest updates. Fans can dive deeper at the Official Billy Squier Fan Site, which offers cool archival content, though its activity status is unclear. Join fellow Zoo Freaks in the Billy Squier Fans Facebook group to share your love for his music and keep the big beat alive!