The "Where Did They Get That Sample?" Thread

[alan nagsworth]

How many times have you heard a hip hop/drum n bass/dance song and thought, "Wow! I can't believe they used a sample from [old song]!"

And how many times have you sat there, with [old song] on the tip of your tongue but not quiet there, shrouded by the new interpretation you're currently hearing, and left racking your brains for days?

This is a thread for both the discussion of all those great samples in tracks we all know and love, but it is also a place to seek out the origins of unknown samples. This is the type of forum where this thread can really work due to the vast musical tastes floating around and the love for both new and old music that so many people share here.

If you have a query about the origins of a sample in a tune, use SoundForge/WaveLab/etc to crop the bit of the song containing the sample, or failing that just upload the whole song. Failing that just bloody name it and our crack team of Verbwhores will try our best to aid you in your quest.

Of course I have a snippet of a song to start us off. I heard this Akala tune last night and have been going spare trying to think where this violin section is sampled from. It's driving me fucking crazy! So, do any of you recognize the sample from this 10-second snippet? - http://www.sendspace.com/file/eizcau

[samadriel]

Sorry, no idea.

When I went to a recent Dweezil Zappa gig (with Steve Vai -- neat!), on the PA beforehand was an interesting instrumental piece which I recognised as being the underlying sample for 'The Hours' by Handsome Boy Modelling School (I mention the venue as it may indicate that the tune was by a Zappa-esque artist; or maybe not).

Here's 'The Hours'; hideous vocals by one of the artists our tin-eared Handsome Boy founders thought would make a good representative for 'rock' on their album (Linkin Park?  Jack Johnson?  Maybe they should've gotten fucking Vanilla Ice and Will Smith as their main 'hiphop' artists), but the loop is great!  Might anyone know what the tune is?  Damned if I can find anywhere online that catalogues hiphop samples or suchlike -- a shame, as that'd be a pretty neat resource.

[Don_Preston]

Sorry, no idea.

When I went to a recent Dweezil Zappa gig (with Steve Vai -- neat!),

I take it that was ZPZ? Was it good?

[bennett]

Or just go to the-breaks.  They've been building a samples database since the internet was young.  It'll save you a lot of time, and there's surprisingly little that hasn't already been discovered.

Damned if I can find anywhere online that catalogues hiphop samples or suchlike -- a shame, as that'd be a pretty neat resource.

Indeed it is.

For example:

Led Zeppelin IV: (Atlantic 1971)
* "When the Levee Breaks" (Drums)
     Beastie Boys - "A Year and a Day"
     Beastie Boys - "Rhymin' and Stealin'"
     Beastie Boys - "So What'cha Want"
     Coldcut - "Beats and Pieces"
     Depeche Mode - "Get Right with Me"
     Depeche Mode - "Never Let Me Down Again"
     Derek B - "Bad Young Brother"
     Dr. Dre - "Lyrical Gangbang"
     Eminem - "Kim"
     Enigma - "Return of Innocence"
     Freaks of Desire - "Beast Inside"
     Get the Fist Movement - "Get the Fist"
     Ice T - "Midnight"
     Massive Attack - "Man Next Door"
     Penthouse Players Clique - "Nathen's Changed"
     Puff Daddy - "Come with Me"
     Raw Fusion - "Live from the Styleetron"
     Robert Plant - "Tall Cool One"
     Sophie Hawkins - "Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover"
     Tekken Tag Tournament - "Unknown Theme"
     Typical Cats - "What You Though Hops"

[niat]

Here's 'The Hours'; hideous vocals by one of the artists our tin-eared Handsome Boy founders thought would make a good representative for 'rock' on their album (Linkin Park?  Jack Johnson?  Maybe they should've gotten fucking Vanilla Ice and Will Smith as their main 'hiphop' artists), but the loop is great!  Might anyone know what the tune is?  Damned if I can find anywhere online that catalogues hiphop samples or suchlike -- a shame, as that'd be a pretty neat resource.

I know it! I know it! But I won't tell you cos you slagged off Chino Moreno from the mighty Deftones.

[niat]

OK then, the bit at the beginning is Secret Chiefs 3, Blaze of the Grail from the album Book M. I will upload it later, when I log off my work laptop and sit at my home PC in half an hour. It's a fantastic track, hope it contains the bit you're hoping for.


There you go: http://download.yousendit.com/46A012FB5D7226E4

[samadriel]

Ohh, that's right, it is Chino!  I'm not that fond of the Deftones, but I wouldn't lump him in with those Linkin Park shitheads.

Also, mucho thanks to both you (for the answer) and bennett -- interesting site! (although it didn't have 'The Hours', as it happens).

[bennett]

Also, mucho thanks to both you (for the answer) and bennett -- interesting site! (although it didn't have 'The Hours', as it happens).

I know.  It's the first one I've looked for that the site didn't have.  Sod's Law isn't it!

[samadriel]

I take it that was ZPZ? Was it good?

Well, although I like a smattering of his tunes, I know very little about Zappa, so it's hard to say how it stands up as a tribute to the man himself -- I went with my Zappa-loving friend and his dad -- but nonetheless, I enjoyed it a lot -- a lot of great music on display, some very Zappa-esque (going by his live gig recordings) improv work (gotta love audience suggestions for subject matter), doo-wop stuff, the WHITE-HOT GUITAR LICKS OF STEVE VAI, some neato covers of stuff both famous and obscure...  Yeah, it was good stuff, I'd recommend it for fans (and indeed, non-fans, but then, I wouldn't expect non-fans to want to pay for a show they know nothing about, would I? I got my ticket as a gift!).

[Don_Preston]

Yeah, it was good stuff, I'd recommend it for fans (and indeed, non-fans, but then, I wouldn't expect non-fans to want to pay for a show they know nothing about, would I? I got my ticket as a gift!).

There's a bit of animosity towards to Zappa Family Trust (His wife, who runs Frank's estate) over their overreacting threat of legal action against fan sites at the moment, so I think a few fans are suggesting boycotting anything to do with them. Even my mentioning Frank is infringing copyright!

Glad you enjoyed it though.

On topic: Cor, that Phil Collins has been sampled a lot, hasn't he? Almost as much as the Amen Brother drum fill.

[LeboviciAB84]

I was amazed when I noticed that the loop on NaS' Made You Look is a sample of the Incredible Bongo Band version of Apache, slowed down massively. It seems so obvious now!

In other news, the best-ever use of a sample must be Warren G's Regulate, which turns Michael McDonald's smooth, none-more-white ballad I Keep Forgettin' (Every Time You're Near) into a laid-back West Coast groove.

[The Boston Crab]

Ok, here's one. Despite owning both songs I still can't decide about this.

Does the opening harpsichord/guitar of 'Black Cab' by Jens Lekman sample the opening harpsichord/guitar of The Left Banke's 'Something On My Mind'?

If so, it's great stuff because he takes a lovely jaunty pluck which originally goes into a fairly introspective croon and turns it into jaunty plucked loveliness which goes into some even more croonsomely great introspection. I don't know which song I like best, they bring out rather different feelings even though they're texturally very similar. I think I prefer Black Cab because of the slightly biting, world-weary lyrics.

[The Plaque Goblin]

See if you can regonize this:

The Four Instants - 'Bogatini' (3.12MB)

[Pseudopath]

See if you can regonize this:

The Four Instants - 'Bogatini' (3.12MB)

Isn't that Bentley Rhythm Ace's "The Return of the Hardcore Jumble Carbootechnodisco Roadshow"?

[JesusAndYourBush]

I'd love to know what the "ah yeah" sample is from, as used in Timmy Mallett's "Itsy witsy teeny weeny..." as well as a million other songs in the late 80's/early 90's.

[The Plaque Goblin]

Isn't that Bentley Rhythm Ace's "The Return of the Hardcore Jumble Carbootechnodisco Roadshow"?

Correct!

[Fry]

Hey, does anyone recognise the main sample in 'Push it along' by A Tribe Called Quest's Debut "People's Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm"?

[PaulTMA]

An little known fact remains that the line "That was a good drum break" from Beck's 'Where It's At' comes from 'I Don't Care If You Disrespect Me (Just So You Love Me)' by The Frogs

The responding line in the original song is "I feel like making love to all the men tonight!"

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Check out the 'dum dum dum' bits in this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZV8MPxxgkE

Familair? They later reappeared in the Art of Noise's 'Close (To the Edit)'.

[CaledonianGonzo]

See if you can spot where the sample in this comes from.

'A Paw In My Face' by The Field:

http://downloads.pitchforkmedia.com/Field%20-%20A%20PAW%20IN%20MY%20FACE.mp3

Right at the end it becomes obvious, but it's very nicely done, in a Royksopp sort of way.

[trotsky assortment]

Haven't seen that YES video for ages.  Cor, that Jon Anderson's a short arse.

That Art Of Noise track also samples from the YES track 'Close To The Edge', if I recall.  Since they were connected with Trevor Horn, AON obviously figured Yes would be fairly easy for sample clearance since Trevor Horn was in Yes for a bit.

[hundred]

Hey, does anyone recognise the main sample in 'Push it along' by A Tribe Called Quest's Debut "People's Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm"?

It's 'Loran's Dance' by Grover Washington jr on his criminally underrated 'Reed Seed' on Motown.

[Nik Drou]

Here's 'Cavern' by Liquid Liquid, later ripped the hell out of by a certain ill-tempered quintet.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4gsoppRmuE[/youtube]

[Beck]

Can anyone remind me what song Pulp are ripping off with Disco 2000...?

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

Laura Branigan's 'Gloria'.

[Beck]

Thanks, Lalla.

"Ripping people off - that's the new being original, that is."

[Don_Preston]

Haven't seen that YES video for ages.  Cor, that Jon Anderson's a short arse.

That Art Of Noise track also samples from the YES track 'Close To The Edge', if I recall.  Since they were connected with Trevor Horn, AON obviously figured Yes would be fairly easy for sample clearance since Trevor Horn was in Yes for a bit.

Don't know whether you saw that Paul Morley pop documentary the other night, but there was a bit where he was hesitant to answer questions about the Art of Noise when asked by the man who made "Freak Like Me." He said he hated Yes, which is why he chose the "Edit" in that song title. I can't make out which bit of that epic song was featured in the Art's song though.

[trotsky assortment]

I've never managed to work it out either, but allegedly it does.

[soopadoop]

i'm quite interested in hearing the songs that provide the vocal samples for burials 'untrue' album, since it would be interesting hearing how far they've been divorced from their context (aguilera definitely appears on one of the songs). any ideas?

[trotsky assortment]

It's bugging me now.
Where is the flute-y sample from the beginning of the Yes song 'Lightning Strikes' (from 'The Ladder') from?  I know I've heard it elsewhere.