The Amen Break – Why Is This 6- Second Dirty Drum Solo Used In 6,000 Other Songs?

You may not have heard OFF The Amen Break – but you’ve definitely heard it. But how did this 6-second drum solo become the world’s most used sample and show up in 6,000 other songs – from Slipknot the Futurama theme.

Alex shares the fascinating history behind The Amen Break, how it was discovered, what makes it so good and why copying other people’s stuff in your art is a good thing, actually.

In the moment of meta Katie talks about 2 new mottos that she believes are essential to enthusiasm:

• It’s OK to make mistakes
• Don’t blame others – or yourself

BTWs include:

• Famous B-side songs that became more popular than the A-side
• The Danish band that ALMOST became a hit in black dance clubs
• Paying artists for their work

Links

• Amen Brother by The Wilson Brothers
• Article: The most sampled song of all time
• How the NYC blackout stimulated DJ culture
• PBS documentary on the 1977 NYC blackout
• Documentary about The Amen Break
• Whosampled.com – look up any song to see its samples
• Grandmaster Flash explains DJ-ing

• Category: Episode
• Tag: celebrities, Dancing, Music