The Amen Break - Break Beat, Sampling History Lesson

[Vdrummer]

Here's an interesting film about a classic drum groove.

Find the film here:
http://nkhstudio.com/pages/amen_mp4.html

Find my transcription of it here:
http://homepage.mac.com/polyostinato/

The film is long, but informative.

[donu]

I Love that, history of a drum beat or drum break is Very interesting [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[Klemme]

Man! very interesting!

[CLWarunki]

You learn something new everyday!

A bit dry, but it was very well done IMO.

Funny how the actual drummer of The Winstons was never mentioned! I mean you would think that this video essay would credit the guy who "invented" and first performed the break beat! I found that odd... quite a MAJOR detail that was absent.

[Dazzler]

Awesome - cheers! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Vdrummer]

The drummer's name is G.C. Coleman. I'll forward that info to the guy who made the video. I'm glad you guys found it interesting.

[Degas]

and here all along I thought I had made that beat up myself......yeah Iam kidding.....
I agree with Chris....it would have been nice if the orginal drummer had gotten some props....ahmen

[spaceotter]

OK, Vdrummer, that was frickin' awesome. As someone who loves both the acoustic and electric permutations of drumming and rhythm (breaks, jungle, drum&bass, hip-hop, etc.) it was very cool to get a breakdown/history of this particular sound. I had no idea that so much of the sampled/break-oriented music I've heard came from these few seconds of *one* song. I always thought it was wider than that. Funny for him to call Squarepusher a "chin stroking" bohemian though--that was a little damning. Probably says the same thing about Richard James/Aphex Twin who makes some really amazing, interesting music that has in turn influenced a number of non-electronic artists (i.e., Radiohead).

I love his conclusions about intellectual property as well--and I agree. People who draw too strict of a line about this actually stifle what's possible in terms of creative growth. Perhaps I shouldn't get started on intellectual property tirade though, becuase I could (especially how it applies to software, media distribution and useful/life-saving technologies like pharmaceutical knowledge). All I want to say is that creative and intellectual folks need to get their share but there has to be a balance, and the distribution system isn't quite working. His example of how someone has copyrighted this particular break after stealing it from a record sounds stunningly like the history of much so-called intellectual property (or even "property" in general). As in, someone either stumbles across something, or gains controlling influence--or even steals it--then says "no one else can use this without my permission, world without end." I know there are sunset provisions on most copyrights before something goes into the public domain but these seem to be shrinking as well. Perhaps a better analysis of intellectual property laws is who benefits, and who suffers?

[Vdrummer]

Of course, G.C. Coleman never saw a dime and remains a forgotten yet important figure in the history of modern music. The guy who created the video wasn't aware of who the drummer was until I informed him. But we've all heard of Squarepusher and the Aphex Twins who profited hugely from his work and creation. Zero G stole his performance, claimed it to be royalty free, and continues to sell his uncredited, sampled performance as their own creation.

They benefit, he suffers.

But then drum parts aren't copyrightable. Just a particular recording of a performance is. Which is why, if someone chose, they could reperform the Rosanna groove note for note on a hit song, but would be under no obligation to credit Jeff Porcaro or give his estate one penny.

[spaceotter]

Hey VDrummer,

Cool analysis.

I would argue, however, that by the time the Amen break got through hip hop, breakbeat, jungle and drum&bass to Squarepusher and Richard James it was almost unrecognizable except for the actual sound. The beat had been sliced to its most basic hits. They might benefit from the sound itself, which summons the feel (almost "phenomenon" at this point) of the original track, but has been rearranged to the point that it's almost drum machine programming. Plus, it's not like Squarepusher is wildly famous or mainstream, like Public Enemy. He surfed on a sound, quoted it, rearranged it even further, for modest recognition. Did ZeroG make a huge amount of money on it? Did G.C. rip off the lick from one of his friends, only to get it on a b-side of a top-20 record in 1969? Did G.C. acknowledge his source material, teachers, etc. and pay them for what success he was able to have? (I'm playing devil's advocate--I acknowledge your points.)

It also begs the question though of how long (and with how much modification) a drum track retains its "thusness" or signature vibe. When does it stop being music that G.C. Coleman played, and (as the author of the piece mentions) a virtual public domain "sound" that is free for Jeep commercials to use without any reference to the original object? This few seconds spawned an entire sound, and informed the drum programming of an entire tradition. That's kind of weird. Is there a progenitor of the rock sound like this, or of whole movements of jazz?

Anyway, just miscellaneous thoughts.