The Most Sampled Loop in Music History
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- Опубліковано 23 січ 2019
- What do Skrillex, David Bowie, Salt-N-Pepa and basically every drum and bass track have in common? They've all used the Amen break, a four-bar drum solo that has become the most sampled loop in music history. Recorded in 1969, the six second sample originates from the song “Amen, Brother” by The Winstons, a funk and soul group from Washington, D.C. For many years, the solo was buried deep in musical archives-that is until hip-hop pioneer Lou Flores, aka “Breakbeat Lou,” featured it on his compilation, “The Ultimate Breaks and Beats.” Once producers caught wind of the solo, it took off, going on to change music forever.
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and the drummer who created it received no royalties and died homeless on the streets
Yeh, poor dude.
I don't think that's true.
@@a.b17 It is true, i thought at first this was bs but i looked at the wiki and it is true.
@@gearupmr917 what's his name?
Abdi Gregory Coleman
The actual drummer- Gregory C Coleman, is mentioned only once in this video. From his Wikipedia page, "... Apart from sales of the original recording, Coleman never received any royalties from the widespread use of the sample.... Gregory S. Coleman died in Atlanta, Georgia, in April 2006. He was homeless, twice married and is survived by a daughter and step daughter. "
Ripped off man.
That's a real bummer mate :(
How do you know?
Like bb king, muddy waters and more. Nothing personal but they didn't make any money back then
@@oscarvaughan5251 umm......google?
Big bummer for a great drummer...ta da!
This is heavily used in Powerpuff Girls
i see ur a man of culture as well
You sure? This sounds alot like powerpuff girls battle music
Helladamnleet dnb
Once again Powerpuff Girls sampled another song!
yes but have you heard drum n bass? amen break runs rampant. amen break in drum n bass music is what the dem bow rhythm is to reggaeton
Due to it being sampled so many times, the Amen Break is pretty much in the public domain. Had the Winstons defended the copyright they could have pocketed millions. However, this might have been at the expense of killing new geners of music.
Why, because they couldn't come up with their own beat? 😂
@@aaronpollard7207 sampling is apart of hip hop. it’s not because they can’t, it’s because sampling the beats of older songs gives it a better sound. but anyone who has listened to hip hop would already know that. sampling is “illegal” yet using someone’s else’s song quite literally inside of your ad or piece of media isn’t. How convenient
@@aaronpollard7207 getting mad at an artist for sampling a drum beat is like gettin upset at a guitarist for not building his own guitar. Musicians should be able to use any tools they want to create the art they want, it’s not some kind of competition. Music is not a sport, as much as you may want it to be.
@@KnzoVortex Have you ever read the USA copywriter infringement laws? Can I copy passages from a published book, put it in my book, and publish it without being sued? Alex Haley tried to pull that off in his book Roots, by copying passages from the book the Africans, he got sued, and had to pay more than $600,000 to the author.
Ok, but listen back to the drum track. If everyone copyrighted their own random 2 bars of drumming music would be an impassable minefield for drum tracks
Just like many artists, only recognized after death.
It's sad that he was homeless and received no credit, like tf
XXX
Recognition post mortem in a positive light is probably the most flattering thing that one person can do to another. Just think, they could you could be treated like MJ is getting treated and you can't even defend yourself because you're dead.
Yea most artists music or art are only recognized after death. It’s really sad
Pretty much Nick Drake.
It's crazy how a small snippet can spark an entire genre and culture.
I always hear old ppl say "big things come in small packages". Must be true.
@@onlyplayaseattacoswiththei9433 espicially at christmas :p
@@ClareAbove hey, a 10k$ diamond ring wouldn't require that big of a box 😊
That's how most memes start.
@@jonathanharoun5245 - I've thought about this a lot actually. Digital sampling and Hip Hop in 1980s was a precursor to internet culture. An entire artform based on remixing and recycling pieces of pop culture, no matter how random or mundane. Also reminds me of Andy Warhol.
This sample is the Wilhelm Scream of music.
yup
I'll recap all the comments below this one. "Guy didnt get paid." "Powerpuff girls." Done. Now you dont have to bother reading the rest of the comments.
Puffs
You're a good man
Thanks
You just sampled all of those comments to write your comment. omg
Powerpuff Girls never sampled this.
3:08 Let Me In
LET ME IIIIINN!
Random Gaming Channel what
@@djed7235 you don't have meme knowledge.
@@tinytreehugger1 true!
i was gonna clown on you for this joke and how it’s not funny but this comment is 4 months old so never mind.
@@FAUXCUSpd you have no sense of humor.
Every time I hear this loop it reminds me of late 80s-early 90s skateboarding videos home videos. Or Tony Hawk Pro skater games.
SSX
reminds me of the track Redial from Bomberman Hero
ok
That's interesting! For me, when I listen to that loop, I always think of a funny-serious hybrid scene.
Holy Shit! Your Right!
I actually owned this record on a 45rpm. Used to listen to it all the time as a young kid. Loved the song! Too bad my youngest child(18) recently found it again in some boxes and now it's missing....
I just bought a nice copy of Color Him Father b/w Amen, Brother at a thrift store for 50¢ with the blue mmmmmm sleeve. Don't give up. There's copies out there. You gotta visit thrift stores literally everyday.
no way theyre 18 and managed to fuck up a vintage thing
@@jacobfredman9442 autism at its best
nahhhh you just did your son dirty 💀 (they said smth abt them being autistic in a deleted reply)
@@jacobfredman9442 LOL nah I blame his mom
“YOU CANT SEE CALIFORNIA WITHOUT MARLON BRANDO’S EYES”
now that makes sense
Eyyy another maggot
\m/
ITS ALL IN YOUR HEAD!
Cash Money *LOOK ME IN MY BRAND NEW EYE*
i would always tap this beat on my desk during school but never knew where it came from
OlliePop bro same
26 years for me. This beat is engraved in my memory. Now I finally know what it's called...
Programmed
You were one of the worst people in highschool
What if you created the sample? Maybe a producer heard you tapping. Get your royalties man
The beat Sampled in more than 3000 songs but Gregory c Coleman never received any royalties the guy should be a millionaire but sadly died broke
Died in 2006 too. So not like it was 80+ years ago.
Poor guy.
If people had to pay for it, they would sample something else and he still would have died poor. Get off the soapbox.
Andrew Davis No people pay for samples all the time. When 3000 people sample the SAME beat, it’s something special. I’m sure at least a few hundred of them would have paid for it. he could have made some money and not died broke.
Every artist modified it enough to not warrant any fees. You genuinely think it’s unfair that playing a 10 second drum solo didn’t make him a rich millionaire and instead he’d have to do something more with his life?
good kisser nice simplified strawman you got there mate!
Today, I learned about this loop and suddenly recognized it everywhere! It even played in the backround music in a mall I visited today.
Its awesome how music can bring people together like that. Through one simple beat its has created love in almost all generes.
Yeah man especially modern day dnb
Drummer probably hasn’t seen ONE CHECK.
Akira.MadeThat It’s perfectly legal to sound like the original composition. That’s why everyone who uses the sample, it’s “different” than the original.
That’s not how you spell it!
brizzle711 .. lol
He died homeless
@@gr0gggg That's pretty sad
Alex play the most Iconic drum solo
*plays porn hub community opening*
Alex?
@@nothingisreal6816 sex change bro
Roelof Oh, gotcha
This is how I proved to my online friends that I have a drumset
True 😂
this loop has been in my head for my entire life
The ultimate meme.
I am a big electronic music listener, and I have heard so MANY songs with those drums on there. So glad I finally found it after countless hours of searching. Thank you @GreatBigStory
Could you do one about the Wilhelm scream?
Yes! 😊 Insider did one a few months ago. I'd love to see this channel's take. Insider is great for a quick overview, but Great Big Story tends to tell a story better.
Aaaaargggh!
@@CynBH true
Aghhhhhhhhhhh!
That’s not music
03:10 they actually showed him walking away from his musical career
Vadim 💀💀💀💀
Vadim 💀
Dawg😭😭💀💀
🤣🤣🤣
Dont be silly, it's a re-enactement. When he walked away, he had a blue shirt!
Yesterday I was just thinking about how good Slipknot's Eyeless amen break was (RIP Joey!) and I see this in my watch later playlist lol XD Crazy to think how much this sample had an impact on music
I’m pretty sure like me, most people recognize the amen break when you played it and went like “Ooooooh. *That* beat.” without even having previously known what it was even called
I absolutely love how this sample transcends so many genres. From future trap to classic hip hop, it's just the most versatile few seconds of music I've ever heard.
@@maxotto9877 i genuinley think that you're fairly dense. try widening your musical horizons and listening to the huge genre-bending, crazy world of hip-hop (which, by the way, is not the same as rap, although rap does fall under hip-hop).
@@maxotto9877 you're missing the point entirely. hip hop isn't confined to just one kind of music, it encompasses so many subgenres, from jazz to drum and bass, you can't define it nowadays because of the massive rise of sampling and electronic genres coming into it.
please stop trying to be a musical elitist and just let people enjoy what they enjoy without pricks putting them down.
Max Otto It is actually more widespread than people give it credit for. But jazz or drum and bass aren’t subgenres of hip-hop. All three exist on their own.
Max Otto you like metal, therefore any opinion you have on musical taste is invalidated
What the hell is future trap?
The Powerpuff Girls
...Shit you right
Ahaha I know I can’t be the only one!
And the theme song automatically played in my head when I read your comment lol
That's actually the funky drummer break
Oh shit
Love little history lessons like this on any kind of topic. Heard this break countless times and cool to see where it came from
I've been getting catfished and gaslit by so many UA-cam bits discussing this piece of music...I've needed THIS for a long time.
Thanks for the production and the upload 😅
what about the James Brown - Funky Drummer sample?
I think that's the most sampled in Hip-Hop, but loads of Drum & Bass producers use this.
That's what I was thinking.
ua-cam.com/video/bi_rV9ZcCjw/v-deo.html
That's what I was thinking.
ua-cam.com/video/bi_rV9ZcCjw/v-deo.html
I agree , I was of the opinion that this was the original break beat? I got this knowledge away before the internet in fairness so i could be wrong
more of a jungle beat
smh i bet they stole that from Soulja Boy too
chinqalicious why isn’t this top comment
🤣🤣😴
Nah, Nintendo stole from Soulja Boy.
chinqalicious I’m not liking this just to keep the 420
😂😂😂💯💯💯
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Welcome Back (
Yuuuuh
What's the name of the track played at the end of the video?
Isn't this the tune we like to create by tapping on the tables?
Yeah and somehow my index finger's taps always are lower-pitched than my middle finger's
@@PopYTP good to know
lmao. While I was listening to the video I was tapping on the table and now I saw this
No, not at all. Take some time to really understand the subject under discussion, distilled best by Breakbeat Lou here: ua-cam.com/video/v89CjsSOJ_c/v-deo.html
you just tapped a break, there are hundreds of breaks and all sound similar the amen break is just one of meny that got popular for the drum sounds in it
Knew exactly what this would be before clicking it lol
Congrats
Same and if it turned out not to be it I would have shouted
Amen! Brother!
I thought it would be the orchestra drop or something.
Feoniix Music Random doesn’t equal funny and this is a shitty troll but I guess we all need our own hobbies
And the drummer who originally played it never got paid....
And died homeless
Because no one is required to pay him to use the same rhythm as him???
Nate Cason uh yea because they SAMPLED HIS RECORD DIDNT PLAY IT OVER WHICH THEY WOULDA STILL HAD TO PAY HIM FOR
@@moderateswag69 you can use 4 or more (i don't remember exact amount) of musical bars from other songs without having to pay out. So no, you're wrong
I bet until this day he rather share his beat with the world than think about money.
This break calms my soul. Out of all the trends that the industry uses, this one appeals to me. Maybe it's nostalgic being a 90's and early 2000's youth; that I always go back to the songs that either I liked, or rediscovered and becomes another favorite.
I wish this video could have featured breakcore, too. That's like, one of the most underrated DnB genres I've heard.
Amen4life 😉
I like the fact that he is recognized! Good people who do stuff like this need to be recognized!!
Are you talking about the DJ or the drummer?
The drummer died homeless : (
GC Coleman was the coolest brotha
Neanderthals only see and hear what they want.
@@thomasjansen5921 oh I didn't know that! That's just sad...
I thought it was one of the Slick Rick's song
My thoughts exactly!
Laddi daddi aha. Saw that mark ronson tedtalk where he talks about it
I thought it was a James Brown song called “Funky Drummer”. That’s what I read online, but it may be one of those things that depends on who you ask
@@andrewnibbi James Brown is easily the most sampled artist of all time. Also, I feel like a lot of songs didn't necessarily sample this beat but merely copied the rythm.
Jasen Effendy that’s what I was thinking
This is my go to beat to tap with my hands - ever since I was like 5 years old lol
You just tapped a break, there are hundreds of breaks and all sound similar the amen break is just one of many that got popular for the drum sounds in it
I used it years ago in one of my projects! Love it.
I swear it's in every spy movie ever
Jimi Hendrix has an improvised recording called Nine to the Universe where somewhere in the jam his drummer at the time Buddy Miles jumps into an Amen Brother break, It was recorded in 69 as well so I’m guessing The Winston’s influence had an impact as early as a couple months after being released! I recommend checking it out if you like Jimi and guitar feedback
i listened to some drum n bass song on my laptop, opened youtube on my phone, and this video was recommended to me pretty much outta nowhere. i don't even watch that much great big story.
cool video
I saw the name of the video and immediately said to myself “this better be about the Amen Break.”
I immediately thought it was my man Clyde Stubblefield with the Funky Drummer... but Amen Break is fair too I guess.
@@pymarathon don’t know if this is still the case, but when I checked a long time ago, the break from Amen Brother was the most sampled drum loop ever.
Even the powerpuff girls theme song sampled this
no, that's 'funky drummer'
Nope. Didn't sample the Amen.
Wrong
How did you assume this
*thats was "Funky Drummer" break by James Brown* speed up... listen good, are different breaks.
As a Brit I got a lot of respect for Breakbeat, it’s stemmed a whole genre of music called Big Beat in the UK during the 90s. Artists such as The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim, 808 State, The Chemical Brothers, The Future Sound of London, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Propellerheads, Pendulum, Basement Jaxx, Apollo 440, Chase & Status, and many many more (I could go on for ages) all produced songs of this genre taking heavy inspiration from Breakbeat. Of course from other styles of music too, such as acid house, jungle, and techno. It was a monumental moment in developing the still awesome (but never quite as legendary) scene of DnB in the UK today.
Don’t forget Shy FX
Stanton warriors, plump djs, ils, Jim Lawler, meet Kate, deekline, so many great ones
Dj icy, baby Anne, dj fresh, there's too many out there,
Respect
I'm a fan of Big Beat!
I heard it and immediately put two and two together. I’ve wanted to know what was sampled in Eyeless for a while now... and I finally know! Thanks!
I love the song "Color Him Father" by the Winstons. Great music from the best years of my life! Thank you all.
"Wow! This is from [Song Name]"
Weird, it's almost as if the most sampled loop ever is in a lot of songs.
😂😂😂 UA-cam needs WAY more comments like this!
yeah ikr crazy!
There is an excellent video on the Amen Break entitled, "Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop." It was uploaded by Landon Proctor and it's a more in depth look at the iconic Amen Break and it's really well done.
That video is a lot better than this one.
Every single 13 year old SoundCloud producer on here:
WRITE THAT DOWN PATRICK RIGHT THAT DOWN
"ayo I'm just a 14yo producer in Atlanta trying to make a difference"
Just an undertale guy using my own drum tracks
They probably don’t know what break beat is
As a 13 year old producer I know all about break beats I am try to produce jungle. If anyone wants to know some good breaks I recommend the copter/sesame street break, the think break and the hot pants break along with the amen break these are all classics too
meanwhile me doing heavy metal and rock cause i don't like edm
Finally I was reaching for this for this beat for long time and FINALLY it is here
Holy shit, I never knew Slipknot sampled that lol
Eyeless is the whole reason I'm even here, always thought Sid and Craig are underappreciated by maggots
Crashx341 For sure. They do more than they’ve ever done on the new album
@@The_JustJoshing I think it's more they weren't buried in the mix outside Sid's scratches for the new album, it was great to hear their contribution to the band so clearly on wanyk
I think they done it again in "Pulse of the Maggots" after the first chorus
I dont hear the sample
Wow, I read the title and immediately thought of this breakbeat. It's just in so many good songs!
Heard this inbetween the past and the present for so many times and have been looking for it for years. What a piece of jamming art this is.
Woah, i just listened to Eyeless by Slipknot and it was my first time listening to Slipknot. No one will care, but i thought that was really cool.
I almost forgot that Slipknot used the break, it's really hard to hear at first, but that's definitely it
The break has appeared in over 3 thousand songs? More like 3 HUNDRED thousand if you ask me loool
I don't get it?
@@Randyy1 He's saying 3000 is a fucking humongous understatement
Nobody asked you
They said since 2003. And it might just be copyrighted tracks? I’m sure they don’t keep track of every single song being put out.
High Hat It’s Royalty Free sadly, the drummer who created the break died homeless a short while back. One of the plainest rips is the Powerpuff Girls Theme Song
3:09 let me in LET ME IIINNNNN
BOI.
How tf did you recognize it
Why did you have to copy another persons comment without giving them credit?
Lil FluShot why you so worried bout it
Daniel Nunez ?????
Keep keeping on!
Big respect to those that push the craft forward.
It’s “the riff” of drumming
The lick
Licc
the lick, not the riff lol
The l i c c
Not the riff
LICC
Many years ago my drum teacher taught me this beat and it feels so good tho know where exactly it's from. Definitely my go to beat when playing along to anything!
YES!!! I FINALLY FOUND WHERE THAT DRUM AND BASS SAMPLE CAME FROM!! NOW I CAN FINALLY USE IT!!!!!!
Was just making some Jungle with the amen break..great video
Does anyone else not understand how they get all these interviews and high quality videos out daily? Is it some TV show.. where does the production budget come from???
Jingx I think cnn funds them
They have different production group from different countries. And yeah I think they are funded.
I know what you mean. They're well researched too.
Funded by CNN
Yeah I was thinking their production value has really went up over the last few months
HECK YEAH THE AMEN BREAK!!! I love breakcore and many other forms of music. Thanks for making this.
That drum break gives me chills hahaha so perfect!!!
Everyone mentioning Powerpuff Girls but nobody mentioning Futurama!
Futurama is where I know it from lol. I'm pretty sure its also used in the Sim City 4 soundtrack.
i finally found it after all these years i would hear it in music i would always wonder where it came from and i finally found it my life is now complete
James Brown - Funky Drummer also of 1969 was another song that had a great break that also was sampled by loads of other artists.
Jon Crew Yes! Clyde Stubblefield is the drummer/creator of that. He also didn’t get any credit or royalties.
When I hear that sample, i immediately think "Straight outta compton"
that dreumbeat is iconic,
it is most recognizable in every late 1990s to early 2000s music and media
I’m very well-versed with this loop. Have heard it and known it my whole life; I’m not lying when I say I ALMOST “beatbox” it once a day when I’m bored, if not that then I’m finger-drumming it and have been every day for I don’t know how many years. For some damn reason the first thing that comes up in my head every time I listen to it is “HeavyDirtySoul”.
Nice cameo of Lord Finesse announcing Breakbeat Lou onto the stage. All my real Hip Hop heads feel me on the this one.
Idk how this stuff gets into my recommendations, but I'm perfectly fine with it
What about that one beat in every Latin American song?
It's literally in every single one too
That’s called a clave, there’s a bunch of them but the Latin American one is by far my least favorite
I was looking to see if someone mentioned it.
ba dum - pa tum --- ba dum - pa tum
You mean the despacito rhythm? Adam Neely made a great video about that
I've been drumming this beat on my desk since I was a kid, never knew where it came from.
Jungle.
Jungle is the important one.
James Neave amen
Big up to all the dnb heads around the world!
12 seconds into the video and I already know this is about the Amen break. No I am not a music genius this topic has just been covered before, but I love to see it covered again!
this is why i want to take dj classes. i wanna make my own mashups and mixes like this.
Had this drum solo in my head but never knew where it came from.
god just hearing this sample gives me flashbacks to some absolutely wasted dnb parties.
Knowledge and Entertainment....great vid
Listen to the whole track its absolutely cracking 👌
It is ....
Ah yes. The Amen Break. The mother and father of Breakcore. My favorite genre of music.
Sameeeee. Venetian Snares, SquarePusher, Aphex Twin, Nero's Day at Disneyland, Igorrr, etc. Those are some good shit.
@@presauced Oh you like igorrr too? What's your favorite song of theirs? Mine is probably Unpleasant Sonata. Or Melting Nails. Or Scarlatti 2.0 I like a lot of their songs.
Well, it’s more the mother and father of things like Breakbeat Hardcore. Breakcore is a later rendition of music like Drill n Bass, not really it’s own thing created from the break.
Look up Machine Girl and Sewerslvt
@@zappers1000 glad to see those two are bringing in fresh blood even if they’re a little derivative.
was even used as part of the sampling for the futurama theme song.
Yup
Breakbeat Lou produced the intro track on R.A. The Rugged Man’s new album and it’s FIRE 🔥
All hail the Amen Break!! ... I'm a huge DNB fanatic and Break Beat lover as well as Trip Hop and Old School Hip Hop, the Amen Break never gets old for me, every time i hear it i just wig out, a smile comes across my face and i'm moving and grooving, the energy is just unmatched in my personal opinion its a riot of a break at 172 bpm ... Thats where the sweet spot is.
As a producer this video was so cool! I should sample this loop in the future 😃🔥
How did that go?
YES!!!! I'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE
THANKS LOU!
The Amen break, from the song amen brother. As a fan of Drum and Bass I'm a huge fan of the beat pattern....
I'm surprised that not one person has mentioned the song "Foregone Destruction" by Michiel van den Bos from the Unreal Tournament games. The same music for the "Facing Worlds" CTF map.
i instantly thought of heavydirtysoul by tøp
my thoughts exactly
I think that song may have used the sample, but I’m not sure.
Same
David Nissim it sounds very similar but idk if it’s an exact sample
same
What a chill dude
This gave me goosebumps
Sinead O'Connor's "I Am Stretched On Your Grave" immediately comes to mind for me.
THIS IS USED AT THE START OF "HEAVYDIRTYSOUL" by twentyonepilots!
nice.
Same structure, but the sample is different. Take a close listen.
|-/
||-//
Yeah how'd that line work out for vanilla ice?
69 likes!
Who else immediately thought of "straight outta Compton" as soon as they heard the actual drums?
Loved them joints