Who Sampled? Playing the Kevin Bacon Game, Musical Edition
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It’s no secret that recording artists like to, ahem, borrow qualities from other artists’ work. As publishers, instances of a borrowed phrase here, a mimicked melody there, or a wait-haven’t-I-heard-that-before hook come across our desks every day (to wit).
As with any trend, the craze seems to move in waves, relative to the ages of the composers. (Compare ’90s-era Diddy’s obsession with ’70s tracks from Diana Ross, David Bowie, and the Jackson 5 to newcomer A$AP Rocky’s sampling of vocals by Aaliyah, whose heyday was in the ’90s. Seasons, seasons.)
In any case, it’s clear that sampling isn’t going anywhere–it’s just too tempting, it seems, to pass up an opportunity to take a piece of a song you’ve always loved and make it your own. Every time you hear one, you’ll think of the other; before you know it, you’ve created your own sonic souvenir.
Wondering if there’s anyone at all who’s somehow resisted the urge to sample, we took to handy sampling reference website WhoSampled and entertained ourselves by connecting the dots through a few ditties.
Thus, SIX THREE DEGREES OF SAMPLING was born…
Path One:
1. “About You,” XXYYXX << “End of Time,” Beyoncé
Listen closely and you’ll hear it–slow-mo, atmospheric electronic vibes, but lo! Beyoncé calls. Hear her “End of Time” line “say you’ll never let me go” chopped and screwed around 1:36.
2. “Naughty Girl,” Beyoncé << Donna Summer, “Love To Love You Baby”
Sometimes, she who said it first, said it best. In her seductive hit, “Naughy Girl,” Bey turns to Donna Summer’s oft-quoted opening phrase, “IIIIIIIIIII love to love you babyyyy”–and sells it.
3. “Breakaway (Remix),” Donna Summer << “Love Thang,” First Choice
The samplee becomes the sampler. 1991’s “Breakaway (Remix)” by Donna Summer features a disco-ish flurry of strings at 00:25 (and throughout) first found in “Love Thang” by First Choice.
Path Two:
1. “Heartbreak Warfare,” John Mayer << “Bad,” U2
If you sample anyone, make it one of the most consistently successful bands of the last century. That must have been John Mayer’s thought when he borrowed U2’s liquid opening rifs from “Bad” for his bummer breakup track, “Heartbreak Warfare.”
2. “The Saints Are Coming,” U2 & Green Day << “House Of The Rising Sun,” The Animals
U2 and Green Day collaborated on a cover of Skids single “The Saints Are Coming” in support of relief for Hurricane Katrina back in 2006. In doing so, they performed the song’s word-for-word sample of the opening of “House Of The Rising Sun” by The Animals.
3. “The Story of Bo Diddley,” The Animals << “Talkin’ New York,” Bob Dylan
In “The Story of Bo Diddley,” The Animals take a line–complete with a shout-out–from legendary folk- and blues-rocker Bob Dylan.
You get the idea. We could do this for hours…but we have samples to clear!