This is truly a fascinating video about something you have heard everywhere!

“This brilliant 20-minute video narrates the history of the “Amen Break,” a six-second drum sample from the b-side of a chart-topping single from 1969. This sample was used extensively in early hiphop and sample-based music, and became the basis for drum-and-bass and jungle music — a six-second clip that spawned several entire subcultures. Nate Harrison’s 2004 video is a meditation on the ownership of culture, the nature of art and creativity, and the history of a remarkable music clip.”

  • In May 1969, The Winstons release ‘Color Him Father’. The B-side contains the track ‘Amen Brother’
  • This B-side contains the most listened-to slice of music from the last century.
  • Entire musical genres are based around it.
  • Over 2,000 released tracks make use of it.
  • It gained popularity in the hip-hop scene of the mid 1980s.
  • The earliest track to feature it is ‘I Desire’, from Salt-N-Pepa’s 1986 debut album.
  • It is used as the basis of jungle music.
  • Both Oasis’ hit song, D’You Know What I Mean, and David Bowie’s Little Wonder uses it.

Here is the original full version of The Winston’s ‘Amen Brother’. The famous moment occurs at 1:26.