Drum & Bass Sampling

New Crowdfund To Pay "Compensation" For The Amen Break

It’s the most famous drum break in the history of recorded sound and like most old samples, none of the musicians involved have received a single penny for their efforts. Until now. “Amen Brother” was a composition performed by 60s soul band The Winstons and, more specifically, the “Amen break” performed by Gregory Cylvester “G. …

the-winstons-amen-brother

It’s the most famous drum break in the history of recorded sound and like most old samples, none of the musicians involved have received a single penny for their efforts. Until now.

“Amen Brother” was a composition performed by 60s soul band The Winstons and, more specifically, the “Amen break” performed by Gregory Cylvester “G. C.” Coleman. The 6-second break inadvertently formed the percussive foundations of both hip hop and later drum & bass but unfortunately, Coleman passed away in 2006 without seeing any monetary compensation for his work and the same went for the rest of the band. However, a Kickstarter campaign is looking to change all that. Created by Martyn Webster, the crowdfund hopes to pass donations onto Richard L Spencer, The Winstons’ lead vocalist and saxophonist. “It is nothing more than a gesture of good will and obviously totally volentary [sic].” Webster wrote. £15,440 has been raised so far and you can donate by heading to Webster’s GoFundMe page.

In the meantime, stream this 20-minute audio documentary on the break below and familiarise yourself with one of the most recognisable drum breaks ever.

Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop

(via The Fader and Okayplayer)

Hi, it's Luke, the editor of Sampleface! Why not subscribe to my Patreon and support the blog?

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