Deep Gully

Recorded in 1969 at United and Western Studios in Hollywood, California, Deep Gully originated as an improvised studio performance featuring Phillip John Diaz on guitar, Joe Whiteman on tenor saxophone, Leon Rubenhold on harmonica, Lawrence Dickens on bass, Bob Levey on drums and Victor Alemán on vibraphone. Produced by Bob Thiele and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder, the recording also featured Thiele on vocals. Released on ABC's Bluesway label in 1969 as the closing track of The Outlaw Blues Band's second album Breaking In, Deep Gully showcased the Los Angeles group's experimental approach to instrumental arrangements. Developed spontaneously during a two-day recording session, the composition combined a prominent bassline, atmospheric instrumentation and improvisation, demonstrating the group's musical versatility. Deep Gully gained renewed recognition through hip-hop sampling, most notably in Cypress Hill's When the Shit Goes Down, De La Soul's Buhloone Mindstate recordings and Akinyele's Dear Diary. Its use in film soundtracks, including This Is the End, Freedom Writers and Judas and the Black Messiah, introduced the obscure 1969 recording to new audiences and helped establish The Outlaw Blues Band's reputation among hip-hop producers and record collectors.