A hip-hop DJ named Kurtis Mantronik (real name Kurtis Khaleel) releases a hip-hop instrumental called “King Of The Beats.” Befitting the title, the track is a mini-compilation of manually-manipulated R&B and Soul breakbeats, including G.C.
When you reach 11, you’ll feel a fleeting, weightless effect as your brain tries to ‘hear’ the drumbeat that isn’t there.)įast-forward almost twenty years. The missing beat is-or should be-at the end of the third bar. The “Amen” break is four bars long-or sixteen counts. (If you don’t 'hear' it, try counting the beats. More on this later, but I believe it’s the missing beat that is responsible for “Amen’s” eventual immortality. The other interesting thing about the “Amen” break is the infamous missing beat. Listen carefully to the rest of the song-Coleman maintains that famous pattern throughout. Just as optical illusions trick the mind into ‘seeing’ something that isn’t there, the aural illusion created by the rest of the band suddenly dropping out tricks the mind into ‘hearing’ the drum pattern more specifically and precisely. First, it’s interesting that Coleman-as in the case of Stubblefield’s break from “Funky Drummer”-doesn’t change his drum pattern at all. The drum licks sound suddenly buoyant, ready to leap from the wax you can practically hear sparks flying. Coleman doesn’t solo, rather, in the manner of that famous and relentlessly-sampled moment from “Funky Drummer,” Coleman ‘don’t have to no soloing just keeps what got, ‘cause it’s a mother!’ The instant the other instruments fall out, something magical happens. But, oh that break! At exactly 1.26 and with no warning whatever, everyone but Coleman drops out. Of course, the Winstons aren’t nearly as tight a band as the J.B.’s are (but then, what band ever was?), but the hyper-speed interplay between the bass, horns and drums is still hip. It sounds like the type of thing the J.B.’s might’ve played to hype the crowd as Brother James made his way to the stage. Coleman’s ten-second drum break from “Amen.” Taken as a whole, the Winstons' funky reworking of “Amen” is interesting, if not exactly classic. Whether you know it or not (and I’ll admit, until recently, I didn’t), you’ve already heard the Winstons’ 1969 cover of the traditional gospel number “Amen,” which they re-title “Amen, Brother.” Let me be more specific: you’ve already heard drummer G.C. In this post, we’re going to trace the evolution of a breakbeat.
It'll still be used long after we're all dead and buried.” -From "Forever And Ever Amen” by Joe Madden Even if the scene goes pure two-step, someone out there will be using Amen." And for the final word on the matter, Ray Keith : “People will never get bored of it. "I've heard so many producers say ‘I ain't using Amen no more,’ but it remains as strong and as important as ever." Equinox : "Amen will always be there, no matter what happens.
I dont see artists tracking down to see who inspired them the most in a certain song and giving them credit (in none other than MLA 2009 format) or a instrumental soloist saying "oh yeah, this lick might be based off of Geezy McDavis, and the one before that was Blue Sunday, and the one I'm doing right now might be a Slippy Bo Jangles riff" while they improvise in front of an audience.So what does the future hold for the seemingly evergreen Amen ? Will there ever come a day when it loses its impact and has to be put out to pasture? "No," says Remarc, firmly. Other than ego related reasons I see no idea why anyone shouldnt.Įveryone is a patchwork plagiarist in some way, even if they dont intend to be. Now if a person was to use my invention, (or amen break) and take it (or part of it) to make something improved or different (a new DnB song), I'd be all for it. It suggests that a person takes the same song and resells it, unaltered. The second example is not even analogous. I don't think that's a very good comparison.
If you invent something and someone decides "Hey this is cool! Let me take it and sell it myself." They make money off it and your fucked.what would you do? What would you do? Allow it?Įven more simple terms. Some random person starts using samples of your song without your permission, makes money off it (even just a little) and takes all the credit. Lets say you created an amazing track from scratch, no use of samples nothing. Can you copyright basic drum patterns? Does the Amen break imply more than a basic drum pattern? At 1/8/11 11:17 PM, TMM43 wrote:
0 kommentar(er)
