Thanks for letting the people know. Of course the original DRUM & BASS tune that was named drum and bass was made in 1988 and was not influenced by the amen break, it was influenced by an earlier style of JAZZ called STEP MUSIC. You youngsters would not know that. The first DRUM & BASS tune was made by a white man in 1988 who asked a black DJ to promote the style in 1990 because most white people did not like the style at that time. It was 2 years after that time in 1990 that the AMEN style started to become popular to white people and did not keep going for long because HARDCORE as it was called was too hard and fast to be popular to all music lovers. Then in 1994 DRUM & BASS was truly in the mainstream and if you know your DRUM & BASS tracks there were many tracks associated with STEP and called STEP and STEP music reached it's peak in 1998. Some might say that JAZZ STEP killed off jazz radio because it was so good that when it was no longer the mainstream style' people expected more and lost interest in the other styles of jazz. Roni Size made crossovers with JAZZ STEP influencing DRUM & BASS with the track BROWN PAPER BAG that relates to the 1950's when people said that JAZZ was embarrassing and people should put a brown paper bag over their head in public to hide their faces. THE AMEN tracks originate from STEP JAZZ that is a 2 BEAT LICK that originates from the late 1950's. That is what inspired that style and all the other step styles. You can hear the similarities. NOW YOU KNOW SOME REAL ORIGINS. Youngsters.
man did I choke up when that part of the video came. First image of him smiling when they pin the creation of the break to him and I was like "wow, thank you, hope you lived to see all that"... then, less than 5 minutes later there I was speechless to the fact he died homeless and had no footage or register of him talking about it or anything.
“More than 2000 times” my ass. It’s in the MILLIONS if you include little known and not on label/ amateur producers’ songs. I have five songs just on my channel I produced that feature the amen heavily.And there has to be at least 10,000 jungle songs that have it. You really can’t underestimate this break’s importance in the development of drum’n’bass.
For officially released tracks, I’m not sure I would say millions, but definitely more than 2000. Whosampled lists 6312 tracks (as of nov 8 2023) tracks that use amen break. Keep in mind this only includes officially released tracks and not RU-vid creators making their own unofficial songs and stuff like that
The guy should be remembered as a true legend of music. Possibly one of the greatest influences in music ever. One sample changed the world. Just mindblowing.
Yes! I can't believe I just learned about it today. He is a legend and should be recognized and remembered as one of the greats! And more artists who have had their work sampled and not been acknowledged deserves to now! It's time to teach everyone about the past amazing geniuses who have laid the groundwork for music today!
An absolutely amazing sample. It's just telling of the times that we live in that Gregory Coleman died in 2006 when he was homeless! His music is responsible for the explosion of electronic music, such a shame he died on the streets without his legacy being acknowledged.
Man I bet when he laid that beat down he had absolutely no idea that it would reverberate through the rest of time, moving so many rooms of people over the years. Iconic.
Broke my heart he died penniless. That talent that skill pioneered so many underground sounds that made millions for them😥 why was this never brought to light years before he died. Legends ❤
@@georgebaggy does that mean he doesnt deserve to earn from his art???? stupid argument and you should be ashamed to categorize people like that, if it is even true!
www.bbc.com/news/magazine-32087287 It's true. He drove his family's finances into the ground and they separated from him. As the cousin of a heroin overdose victim I know how it all goes down. Many of them are beyond help because they refuse to help themselves. The guy didn't die homeless because others sampled his beat (which he wasn't even the copyright holder for). He died homeless because he made asinine life choices that led even his own family to abandon him on the streets.
@@georgebaggy Thanks for the source you have another one on the Details of Coleman? I didn't see that info on the article other than his death of Heroin addiction and homelessness at 2006
I was a hip hop/jazz/r&b guy growing up, and oddly enough, I moved in with my cousin somewhere in the 2000's. The only thing he listened to, from the time he woke up, until he went to sleep was drum and bass and jungle. It wasn't really my style but over time I noticed that the bpm's of the beats I made started to increase lol!
The amen break is the true GOAT of drum breaks. I can listen to oldschool jungle for hours and hours and still somehow never get bored of hearing it. It's fucking perfect.
Unfortunately, this is the story of America, so many contributions, unknown, unrecognized and uncompensated. At least, he and his band are being acknowledged now, so much and many never do.
There's even examples of the amen break in video games like bomberman hero in 1998. it has a very dnb influenced soundtrack while working with the limitations of the console it was made for. that was probably the first time i ever heard the amen break sampled lol
Let me tell you as a huge DNB fanatic that drum break has been sampled a shit ton more than just 2000 times, i just copped some new tunes from Hoax and Makoto that had it blaring none stop, every time i hear the amen break a smile comes on my face and my head gets bobbing, i can't stop the beat from moving my feet ... its just a banger of a break and it never gets old, 172 is the sweet spot imo. All hail the amen break!!
I've had the pleasure of working with Rodney Mills who recorded the original Amen Break by the Winstons. He's actually worked with bands who sampled it without even knowing he was the one who recorded the original.
It's been sampled not enough times. By that I mean it's been sampled a metric crap ton but it never gets old. Love me some D&B, Breakcore, and Jungle. It's the same thing as the lick, never gets old.
This video just changed my life. I didn’t know this until now. Yet I’m someone who’s listened to and been a huge fan of this break my whole entire life (I’m 33)
Sometimes i think, why this exact beat. But the thing is, amen break just has the PERFECT drum sound. Especially the snare. So crisp, so groovy. Big up also to the producer of the track, something people forget to mention ✌️
Wow this is a great video, so informative. It is criminal that this man (and this group) is not world renowned and revered let alone penniless. What a world.
An sample of an edited version of this sample was even used in the intro to Eyeless by Slipknot. And several songs by Rom Di Prisco, who wrote a fair majority of the songs for the older Need For Speed games
This is the first thing I learned to play organically on drums. I didn't know it had a legit name, I just thought it sounded like the Powerpuff girls outro theme😅
but you know how expensive the Fairlight was? And Hardly anybody beyond the major label industry even knew that that was. Maybe she should have said the first AFFORDABLE.
The first sampler was really tape ;) But yes, the Fairlight was probably the first commercially available digital sampler. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampling_(music) & en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampler_(musical_instrument) are both an interesting read.
I find it pretty ironic that with todays copyright law enforcement the amen break would have had ZERO impact on other music genres because everyone sampling it would have had their asses sued and yet people find it unfair that the winstons never got paid. Them not getting paid is the only reason people are still talking about amen brother, otherwise it would have long be forgotten and completely irrelevant by now..
I don't necessarily think that's true. Electronic music has always had a massive live following so a lot of samples that might never be approved for use in recordings are still heard and shared at clubs and raves.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="46">0:46</a> that's Neil Young. Look up the video where he visits a record shop ;) (darn it... can't find it on YT)
Amazing history. Btw @mixmag do you realise that the audio on this video is mixed around 12dB quieter than other content on youtube? Bit of a weird error for a music publication xD
Fyck i love this music specifically jungle and breakbeat i had a recording of a dat tape i wish i could find dark sounds. Proper sinister. Love that shit the darler the better for me. A geezer called nev made it from Birmingham uk. Is all i know. Lost to time a real shame wed always get it out when mashed up. Anyone elses head foggy af from those days.
<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="60">1:00</a> "In the same year, the E-mu SP sampler was released, meaning the birth of sampling was born." For second I thought I have a stroke.
I am Great full that I grew up on an Isolated Military base cut of from the world. I had MTV and Moetown Records. So Glad I wasn’t free to get into raves and sweaty night clubs.
Its Soo So Sad That Gregory C. Coleman Died Homeless And Broke.. Almost Want To Cry, Its SO SO Sad That The Truth In Laws Eyes Are Only To Them Who Have Money. Its A Pay To Live World.. :( Im Soo Glad That The Coowner Got them 24K. that made me soooo happy
In K-pop RJ t now: Itzy’s No biggie, New Jeans Super Shy and Twice Rush all samples from this Amen Break drum beat. I’m not hating, it’s cool to see Gen Z and Alpha’s eating this classic track up.
