http://www.whosampled.com/

Neat site where you can see where songs from various artists sampled other musicians in a side-by-side comparison.

Stuff I learned:
- I was disappointed to see the melody of a couple of Daft Punk songs pretty much directly borrowed from other tracks
- The beat from Big Pimpin' by Jay-Z is completely lifted from some Arabic song
- Other Stuff

It's just fun to look around.

8/22/2010 8:24:30 AM

Quote :

"I was disappointed to see the melody of a couple of Daft Punk songs pretty much directly borrowed from other tracks"

I wasn't, because I appreciate and respect all art, whether collage or otherwise.
Although I'm a capitalist, I vehemently reject the notion of ownership of artistic ideas.
So Daft Punk didn't write that melody.... so what?
I fail to understand how that represents anything bad or disappointing, outside of personal taste.

8/22/2010 8:31:43 AM

I don't mind that they borrowed the music. I love their stuff and always will. It was disappointing because I've listened to these songs hundreds of times and then to look back where the melody was made 20 years before they released it was a little disheartening. I don't know, that was just my personal feeling.

I have nothing against sampling. I think artistic collaboration can create great works. It was just a little shocking, that's all.

8/22/2010 8:44:31 AM

Word.

8/22/2010 9:08:54 AM

Here's the song "Big Pimpin" was sampled from. A classic favorite:

8/22/2010 10:10:18 AM

^nice

8/22/2010 10:25:57 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LORVop7MHqg

this is the one from the site... which turn out to be 40 or so years later than what you posted. that means you win!

8/22/2010 10:51:41 AM

The original songs are often more enjoyable than the ones that sampled them, but that might just be a novelty factor.

Also, I hate when someone samples songs from within the last 5-10 years. Except I thought it was kind of interesting that 50 Cent sampled himself.

8/22/2010 11:11:45 AM

Quote :

"wasn't, because I appreciate and respect all art, whether collage or otherwise. Although I'm a capitalist, I vehemently reject the notion of ownership of artistic ideas. So Daft Punk didn't write that melody.... so what? I fail to understand how that represents anything bad or disappointing, outside of personal taste."

Let's say you painted a picture.

You, because you're just a local artist and don't have the media and monetary hookups, sold the painting to the man above for $120.

The person reproduces the painting 100,000 times and adds a few touches to the painting that don't compromise it's value, but at the same time, makes it separate and distinctive from your original. "Technically" it's not the same painting anymore.

The person takes your picture and sells it and makes $12 million. You don't get anything.

[Edited on August 22, 2010 at 12:25 PM. Reason : .]

8/22/2010 12:23:14 PM

^
Wrong tree, dude.
I support open source and attribution licensing for software and other things, let alone art.

Let's say I painted a picture.

I, because I'm an artist and don't create art to make money, didn't seek media and monetary hookups, and sold the painting to the man above for a modest $12.00, but released it with an attribution license.
The person then makes no changes at all to it, reproduces it 100,000 times and make $12 million.
I'd get recognition for authorship, and the satisfaction that so many people received my artistic message.

(Because we're talking about creating artist expression, not profitable commercial products.)

8/22/2010 12:56:27 PM

Listen to Backspin on XM for 20 minutes and you'll realize there hasn't been an original track created in over 10 years.

8/22/2010 1:04:21 PM

i love little brother's use of cleo laine in this song

8/22/2010 1:22:10 PM

Quote :

"I vehemently reject the notion of ownership of artistic ideas."

totally agree

thoughts to the contrary are driven either by greed or ego

8/22/2010 1:23:00 PM

or survival

8/22/2010 1:29:43 PM

^

fuck that

find a patron, get a job, or stand in line a soup kitchen

8/22/2010 1:43:11 PM

^^
Just out of curiosity, for what behaviors or philosophies could survival not be a driving force?



[Edited on August 22, 2010 at 1:47 PM. Reason : ]

8/22/2010 1:46:58 PM

To break down my first post regarding Daft Punk, here are some of the moments I had:

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/14/Daft%20Punk-Harder,%20Better,%20Faster,%20Stronger_Edwin%20Birdsong-Cola%20Bottle%20Baby/

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/15/Daft%20Punk-Digital%20Love_George%20Duke-I%20Love%20You%20More/

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/226/Daft%20Punk-Robot%20Rock_Breakwater-Release%20the%20Beast/

Discovery is one of my favorite albums but it still makes me to hear these beats from elsewhere.

8/22/2010 4:03:40 PM

8/22/2010 4:05:21 PM

The video of him defending the bass line is pretty lulzy.

8/22/2010 4:07:07 PM

So how do you feel about collage albums like

Paul's Boutique - Beastie Boys
3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul
Since I Left You - The Avalanches

etc.?

8/22/2010 4:08:44 PM

I don't know any of those albums so I can't comment on it. (Not really into music)

I love DJ sets though where they take a familiar beat and pair it up with lyrics from another song.

bearbot used the beat from MGMT - Kids and put it with Lil Wayne - Stuntin' Like My Daddy and my heart melted.

8/22/2010 4:24:25 PM

Just as an example, "Hey Ladies" from Paul's Boutique is composed of no less than 15 samples. The track contains no original material other than the three lead vocals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy5iQubfV5s

8/22/2010 4:38:13 PM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVaDxYMkVhc

8/22/2010 4:43:08 PM

I learned that most songs you hear are spliced tracks from the days or yore. I would honestly like to know when original tracks were created. There is a cool NPR segment, can't remember what show or year, but I believe Ninth Wonder (Professor of Hip Hop History at Central) got on the show to talk about the subject of tracks. I looked for it but could not find it. I &hearts Ninth Wonder!! :swoon:

8/22/2010 4:53:23 PM

Like I said, I don't mind the practice. I think it's cool that they can take small riffs and beats from different songs and use it in another. Producers must have really good affinities for sound if they can take a 3 second bass line or drum sequence from the middle of song made 40 years ago and incorporate it into a hit today.

The shocking part is that for a decade, I had no clue of the origins of some of my favorite songs. That's all. It's neat to hear it though.

8/22/2010 4:54:28 PM

^^ I wouldn't say MOST, but it's a significant portion of modern pop singles.

P.S. 9th Wonder is curating a show at Lincoln Theater during Hopscotch. It should be pretty awesome, but I'll have to miss most of it due to other shows that night. I know you guys are in Charlotte but you should roll up.

8/22/2010 5:01:27 PM

i already knew wu-tang sampled a ton of shit to make their beats.

8/22/2010 7:27:10 PM

^^^^it's ♥ with the semicolon at the end

anyway for anyone who hasn't heard of that Avalanches album, here's its best-known track, "Frontier Psychiatrist": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eS3AZ12xf6s
and here's where some of the samples came from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpWjNuMGh8I

Also I was surprised when I figured out that the laugh at the beginning of "Feel Good Inc." was actually done by De la Soul and not sampled from the beginning of "Crazy Train"

8/22/2010 8:20:08 PM

Quote :

"I vehemently reject the notion of ownership of artistic ideas"

you and DJ Premier both...although I highly doubt you can fuck with him on wax

8/22/2010 9:23:20 PM

Quote :

"^^^^it's ? with the semicolon at the end"

I used to do that but Bubblebobble suggested not to. Can't win with TWW, ever. /n00b pwnt

That sounds awesome, Brian. I will check with Ken.

8/22/2010 9:26:20 PM

This is a good one from Dre. He really has quite the gamut of musical influences.

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/147/Dr.%20Dre%20feat.%20Eminem%20and%20Xzibit-What%27s%20the%20Difference_Charles%20Aznavour-Parce%20Que%20Tu%20Crois/

8/22/2010 10:31:02 PM

i'm still trying to figure out who i want to see most at hopscotch but i might just go all in on 9th's show at the lincoln

8/22/2010 10:33:47 PM

http://www.whosampled.com/sample/view/993/Mos%20Def-Ms.%20Fat%20Booty_Aretha%20Franklin-One%20Step%20Ahead/

9/16/2010 10:56:12 AM