How a Failed Machine Became Acid House

In 1981, Roland made the TB-303, a machine that was supposed to replace your bass player. You programmed a bass line into it, and it played it back exactly as you wrote it. It didn't sell. A few years later, three friends in Chicago let one pattern run and kept turning the knobs while it played. The record they made was called Acid Tracks, and that's where acid got its name. This episode follows the 303 from Roland's catalogue to the UK charts. Tadao Kikumoto (in Japanese, with English subtitles), Charanjit Singh, Earl "Spanky" Smith, DJ Pierre, Marshall Jefferson and A Guy Called Gerald tell parts of it in their own words … Johnny Walker speaks in a 1988 episode of World in Action. Chapters: 0:00 – Acid Tracks 0:31 – The Bass Player in the Box 4:00 – The Music Box 6:14 – When Can I Get a Copy? 8:47 – Acid House 10:53 – Twelve Minutes