‘The whole thing, I think it’s sick’: The origin of Slipknot’s iconic sample

There are a handful of samples that are iconic in rock and metal, but few if any could ever match up to the one at the core of 742617000027, the intro track to Slipknot’s 1999 debut. The opener begins with a low rumble and unsettling whirr, which leads into a woman saying, ‘The whole thing, I think it’s sick.’ Then her voice begins speeding up and slowing down, its changes in pitch suggesting a descent into madness upon which the album quickly delivers.

But where did it come from? In interviews, late drummer Joey Jordison had previously claimed that the voice was that of Corey Taylor, manipulated to create the strange, unsettling vocals that launched the band’s musical career. In fact, the sample actually comes from a 1973 documentary called Manson, which focuses on the Charles Manson family killings and their cultural impact.

The line in question is spoken by one Corey Hurst, a former cellmate of Charles Manson ‘family’ member Susan Atkins. Though busted for mere marijuana possession, Corey found herself briefly locked up with the diabolical Susan – known within the Manson crew as ‘Sexy Sadie’ long before The Beatles’ tune came to prominence – who bragged about her participation in eight homicides, including the most infamous Tate murders. In her on-camera interview for the Manson doc, Corey is noticeably disgusted by the actions of Susan and the Manson family.

“Like they, they think it’s right to murder,” she says in the extended version of the clip. “They want to murder. Look at all the people – and they get a kick out of it, a sexual kick out of it. The whole thing, I think it’s sick. I mean, I don’t know…”

The completed track – as it’s heard on the album – was created by Craig Jones, Slipknot’s ‘pin-headed’ samples engineer. That Craig was fascinated by the Manson killings is unsurprising, given his reputation among the band; guitarist Jim Root once said of him, “He even scares me. I kind of feel I’m doing a service to the community by knowing where Craig is from day to day.”

Watch the footage of Corey Hurst’s now-iconic line below:

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