One of the hottest songs in America right now is "Timber," the latest smash from producer Dr. Luke.
Luke is behind a majority of every major hit from the past five years, including nearly every chart-topper by the singer Kesha.
"Timber" features Kesha and Pit Bull singing and rapping over a melody ripped from an obscure but great song by the harmonica player from the '70s group War, called "San Francisco Bay."
But it's been compared by many to a modern-day but far superior "Cotton Eye Joe," the crossover country hit from the '90s.
Here's the video for "Timber":
As you can tell, the song gets its country flavor — really its entire personality — from the live harmonica playing.
And the guy who played it only made $1,000 bucks on it, according to an interview with the Dallas Morning News' Michael Corcoran:
“When I heard the finished track, I was knocked out,” said Harrington. “Boy, did they turn me up loud.” Harrington received a flat fee of $1,000 for the session. He won’t get any royalties, but he’s hoping the exposure will get him more studio work.
You can read more about Harrington here. You should also check out his stellar rendition of "Ain't No Sunshine."
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