Hit songs that share the same unusual, recognizable samples
July 25, 2022 9:02 AM Subscribe
Dua Lipa's Love Again and White Town's Your Woman share an immediately recognizable sample of Lew Stone & the Monseigneur Band's My Woman, both to great effect. Can you name other songs that share a very uncommon sample for which the source is not necessarily recognizable, but the shared use is immediately plain (i.e., not buried in the mix, or sliced and diced to bits)?
Certainly the writers and producers of the Dua Lipa song were introduced to the sample (as I was) by the White Town track, which was everywhere when it came out in the late 1990s. That's all good! But also strange! Obviously so many tracks sample things like the Amen Break, or Funky Drummer, and are all in conversation with each other--part of a rich sampling tradition. The same goes for re-using the same rare sample, I suppose, but it feels strange to have that "conversation" be more of a dialogue.
Another example is the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony and A$AP Rocky's New York Bitter Sweet Symphony, which share a sample of Andrew Loog Oldham's instrumental of the Rolling Stone's The Last Time.
But that feels a less compelling example to me--as the Stones's original was itself an international hit and their first original single; the orchestral version is a bit of a novelty in itself, but Oldham, as the Stones's original manager and producer would have been in somewhat more currency than Lew Stone (and Al Bowlly, who provided the vocal for Your Woman, whom I love). So, an unusual and unexpected sample, but not as unusual and unexpected as Dua Lipa/White Town's use.
Said another way--clearly A$AP Rocky and Dua Lipa's producers first hear these samples from the Verve and White Town, respectively, but the Verve sample was arguably more recognizable (e.g., you might hear it and recognize the Stones original even distantly, but would be much less likely to recall--or have ever heard--the Stone/Bowlly song.
Can you name other songs like these?
Certainly the writers and producers of the Dua Lipa song were introduced to the sample (as I was) by the White Town track, which was everywhere when it came out in the late 1990s. That's all good! But also strange! Obviously so many tracks sample things like the Amen Break, or Funky Drummer, and are all in conversation with each other--part of a rich sampling tradition. The same goes for re-using the same rare sample, I suppose, but it feels strange to have that "conversation" be more of a dialogue.
Another example is the Verve's Bitter Sweet Symphony and A$AP Rocky's New York Bitter Sweet Symphony, which share a sample of Andrew Loog Oldham's instrumental of the Rolling Stone's The Last Time.
But that feels a less compelling example to me--as the Stones's original was itself an international hit and their first original single; the orchestral version is a bit of a novelty in itself, but Oldham, as the Stones's original manager and producer would have been in somewhat more currency than Lew Stone (and Al Bowlly, who provided the vocal for Your Woman, whom I love). So, an unusual and unexpected sample, but not as unusual and unexpected as Dua Lipa/White Town's use.
Said another way--clearly A$AP Rocky and Dua Lipa's producers first hear these samples from the Verve and White Town, respectively, but the Verve sample was arguably more recognizable (e.g., you might hear it and recognize the Stones original even distantly, but would be much less likely to recall--or have ever heard--the Stone/Bowlly song.
Can you name other songs like these?
Response by poster: Just to make sure we're on the same page--the Sleng Teng sample is incredibly widespread and recognizable. I'm looking for two (or a small number of) hit songs that prominently feature the same or substantially identical sample of a very unusual / forgotten song.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:15 AM on July 25, 2022
posted by Admiral Haddock at 9:15 AM on July 25, 2022
I'm not sure I understand the question, but Beyonce's Hold Up has an amazing sample of Andy Williams' "Can't Get Used to Losing You," and DJ Token Pace and Toxic Kev sample it very differently.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:16 AM on July 25, 2022
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:16 AM on July 25, 2022
I think this is playing your game correctly: Dr. Dre What's the difference and Blu Cantrell Breathe sample Charles Aznavour Parce que tu crois.
posted by boudicca at 9:23 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by boudicca at 9:23 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Do Sadeness and Sledgehammer share the same actual pan flute sample or do they just sound very similar?
posted by cape at 9:28 AM on July 25, 2022
posted by cape at 9:28 AM on July 25, 2022
This episode of Switched on Pop discussed recurring use of a sample from an Alan Lomax recording of "Rosie," a prison/chain gang call-and-response song from the 1940s. The start with its appearance in the mega-hit "Hey Mama" by David Guetta, Nicki Minaj, Afrojack, and Bebe Rexha, and trace it back through its a half-dozen artists.
posted by Caxton1476 at 9:29 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by Caxton1476 at 9:29 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
Labi Siffre's I Got The was sampled by Eminem My Name Is and Jay Z Streets Is Watching.
posted by jabes at 9:30 AM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by jabes at 9:30 AM on July 25, 2022 [2 favorites]
Whosampled.com is a place where you can see answers to this.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:33 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 9:33 AM on July 25, 2022 [4 favorites]
The middle eight in Slayer's Angel of Death forms a key part of the rhythmic drive of Public Enemy's She Watch Channel Zero?!, which in turn was sampled by Barry Adamson in his instrumental Suspicion.
posted by srednivashtar at 9:38 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by srednivashtar at 9:38 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Among others, A Tribe Called Quest's Same Ol' Thing, the B Real, Busta Rhymes, Coolio, LL Cool J, and Method Man collaboration Hit 'Em High (The Monstars Anthem) (from the soundtrack to the first Space Jam), Pusha T's Lunch Money, and Gang Starr's Just to Get a Rep all sample Jean-Jacques Perrey's 1970 electronic song E.V.A.
"E.V.A." is a good song for this game as, while most people couldn't tell you the song, they've heard the synth/bells line "Dah-deet-dee-doot-dah! Dah! Dah!" in several songs.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
"E.V.A." is a good song for this game as, while most people couldn't tell you the song, they've heard the synth/bells line "Dah-deet-dee-doot-dah! Dah! Dah!" in several songs.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:41 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Portishead's Glory Box and Tricky's Hell Is Round the Corner both sample Isaac Hayes's Ike's Rap II
posted by aubilenon at 10:51 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by aubilenon at 10:51 AM on July 25, 2022 [3 favorites]
I would at least start with an exploration of the "Most sampled artist" chart at Whosampled.com - right near the top we have obscure tacks like "Change the Beat" by Beside which has been sampled on 2,601 tracks. To me that seems to sort of fit your criteria in that that the source is an incredibly obscure track, by an incredibly obscure band - to anybody apart from those who comprise the world of sample origin nerds. Tracks like this, to me at least, comprise quite a small proportion of the chart - they differ from most which are by much better known artists. I'm not sure the whosampled.com database can be accessed to find exactly what I believe you are looking for however (which I understand to be pairs of quite well known songs which share the use of the same obscure but distinctively featured sample).
posted by rongorongo at 11:04 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by rongorongo at 11:04 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Aubelinon already mentioned the one I was going to say -- Portishead and Tricky both using the Isaac Hayes rap sample, but Alessia Cara's "Here" also uses that same one in addition to "Glory Box" and "Hell Is Around the Corner."
posted by virve at 11:13 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by virve at 11:13 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Also I *think* Neneh Cherry's "Woman" samples the same Isaac Hayes track.
posted by virve at 11:21 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by virve at 11:21 AM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Depending on what you mean by "hit songs"... the beautiful L'amour L'amour L'amour by Mouloudji was sampled hard in the hypnotic L'Amour by Rouge Rouge.
posted by headnsouth at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2022
posted by headnsouth at 11:26 AM on July 25, 2022
Adele and Gnarls Barkley sampled the same spaghetti western sound track.
posted by jquinby at 11:29 AM on July 25, 2022
posted by jquinby at 11:29 AM on July 25, 2022
A couple that are obscure to people who aren't sample origin nerds, but are very widely known mega-bangers for people who are:
'It's a New Day' by Skull Snaps is sampled in The Pharcyde's 'Passin' Me By,' Black Moon's 'Who Got the Props,' Gang Starr's 'Take it Personal,' and many, many other songs.
Melvin Bliss's 'Synthetic Substitution' is sampled in Wu-Tang Clan's 'Bring Da Ruckus,' Ultramagnetic MC's 'Ego Trippin,' Public Enemy's 'Don't Believe the Hype,' etc., etc.
posted by box at 11:33 AM on July 25, 2022
'It's a New Day' by Skull Snaps is sampled in The Pharcyde's 'Passin' Me By,' Black Moon's 'Who Got the Props,' Gang Starr's 'Take it Personal,' and many, many other songs.
Melvin Bliss's 'Synthetic Substitution' is sampled in Wu-Tang Clan's 'Bring Da Ruckus,' Ultramagnetic MC's 'Ego Trippin,' Public Enemy's 'Don't Believe the Hype,' etc., etc.
posted by box at 11:33 AM on July 25, 2022
that whosampled.com site is amazing for this. it let me find one of my favorite jazz fusion tracks being sampled. the track is 43 years old... lil' kim sampled it 34 years ago and ariana did it 17 years later.
posted by bruceo at 1:15 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by bruceo at 1:15 PM on July 25, 2022
The WhoSampled "popularly sampled artists" list only has 10 pages, and many of the samples that aren't drum loops or word snippets are (replayed) soundalikes, but there isn't really anything obscure in there that isn't a classic non-backing sample.
Gonna have to think on this one
posted by rhizome at 5:21 PM on July 25, 2022
Gonna have to think on this one
posted by rhizome at 5:21 PM on July 25, 2022
George Michael's Fastlove and Will Smith's Men in Black both sample Forget Me Nots by Patrice Rushen (not sure if this fits the definition of "very unusual").
posted by VirginiaPlain at 5:28 PM on July 25, 2022
posted by VirginiaPlain at 5:28 PM on July 25, 2022
Here's a weird one: Nightmares on Wax's You Wish samples its main riff from "Private Number" by Judy Clay and William Bell (1968).
Pretty Lights' Finally Moving samples its main riff from "Private Number" by Sonny Stitt (1969), a cover of the same song.
Devil in Me by Purple Disco Machine also uses the Clay/Bell sample.
"Finally Moving" of course also has a less obscure sample from Something's Got a Hold on Me by Etta James, which is sampled in hits by Avicii and Flo Rida among others.
posted by mmoncur at 8:18 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Pretty Lights' Finally Moving samples its main riff from "Private Number" by Sonny Stitt (1969), a cover of the same song.
Devil in Me by Purple Disco Machine also uses the Clay/Bell sample.
"Finally Moving" of course also has a less obscure sample from Something's Got a Hold on Me by Etta James, which is sampled in hits by Avicii and Flo Rida among others.
posted by mmoncur at 8:18 PM on July 25, 2022 [1 favorite]
Maya Jane Coles' 'What They Say' wasn't a mainstream hit when it was released in 2010 and has received less than 2 million plays on YouTube, but Nicki Minaj's 'Truffle Butter' and Tinie Tempah & Zara Larsson's 'Girls Like' charted high and have both been streamed hundreds of millions of times.
posted by Warm Summer Night at 5:34 AM on July 28, 2022
posted by Warm Summer Night at 5:34 AM on July 28, 2022
I think that Genius of Love By Tom Tom Club may qualify. It’s used by both Mariah Carey in Fantasy and more recently by Latto in Big Energy. Fantasy was such a big hit that it’s likely that Latto’s producers were banking on that recognition.
What I’m not sure about though is whether Genius of Love is considered an obscure sample. It certainly was for me as I only found out recently that Fantasy used the sample.
posted by directnine at 8:40 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
What I’m not sure about though is whether Genius of Love is considered an obscure sample. It certainly was for me as I only found out recently that Fantasy used the sample.
posted by directnine at 8:40 AM on July 28, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by caek at 9:07 AM on July 25, 2022