The other day I was thinking I would have a listen to Tone Loc's "Wild Thing". I figured I would check out the Wikipedia page for kicks. Wait, what? That was an uncredited sample from a Van Halen song? Check it out!
[mini_player audio="/music/ton_loc-wild-thing.mp3" artist="Tone Loc" track="Wild Thing" year="1988"]
[mini_player audio="/music/van_halen-jamies-crying.mp3" artist="Van Halen" track=" Jamie's Cryin'" year="1978"]
The song uses an uncredited sample of Van Halen's "Jamie's Cryin'". Van Halen's management at the time asked for a flat fee (credited in some reports to be US$5,000) as payment to have the song sampled by Tone L?c. Apparently, this decision was taken without consulting the band's original members (credited as co-authors of the song), who in turn did not expect "Wild Thing" to become the major hit it became. A subsequent civil lawsuit was settled out of court, with the band receiving US$180,000 as settlement payment. Alex Van Halen has gone on record saying that he had heard the song over the radio halfway and not realizing it had been sampled until he recognized his (by now famous) tom-tom break at least a few times. Concerning the settlement, he said: "Well, at least we got something. Tone L?c and his people made millions out of it..." - wikipedia
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You can find a lot more sampling lawsuits this way:
http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Awikipedia.org+lawsuit+OR+sued+sample+song
For example:
The Verve – Bitter Sweet Symphony (1997)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9u9mZz-o-g#t=12
Andrew Oldham Orchestra – The Last Time (1965)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKC5cdGBY04#t=18
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Keith Reply:
January 3rd, 2013 at 4:36 am
Thanks James! I know I could spend all day googling more examples but I just don’t have the time!
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Travis Reply:
January 3rd, 2013 at 5:43 pm
Verve actually had permission to use that sample but it was argued they used too much and well…Verve lost all the rights to that song even though it was their original lyrics..even the drums were changed around…lol.
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With Downton Abbey premiering its new season in the US, it could be an opportune time for this… It’s more about the similar feel, the unusual beat and the creepy tone:
Downton Abbey theme (John Lunn):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ULKKJ5UpI#t=4
X-Files theme (Mark Snow):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQoRXhS7vlU#t=1
Someone else’s mash-up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-PcWfHQz0E
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Keith Reply:
January 4th, 2013 at 7:49 am
Thanks James! It’s been suggested before, I’ve heard it myself, and I am definitely going to post this one.
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Keith Reply:
January 4th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Posted! http://www.thatsongsoundslike.com/2013/01/04/downton-abbey-vs-x-files/
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Well, I never picked up on the initial drum sample, but the guitar at the end of Jamie’s Cryin was what instantly brought to mind Wild Thing so many years ago
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