Excellent video on the initially unintended long-term influence of the drum break in The Winstons 1969 b-side classic “Amen, Brother”. Amen, Brother is a re-interpolation of two of the classic vocal group The Impressions classics: “Amen” and “We’re A Winner”. The Winstons served as the backing band for The Impressions, thus making the groove for this track spot on.
“Amen, Brother” is probably the most sampled record of all time, “Funky Drummer” by James Brown I’m sure is a close second. Some of the artists who have used the “Amen” Break are:N.W.A, 3rd Base, Lupe Fiasco and hundreds more.
The video then discusses the future of music: Moving from a closed or proprietary model to a more more open structure. We would love for you to share your thoughts on where you believe the future of music is headed.
Directly related to the previous video, check out the trailer to the upcoming PBS documentary Copyright Criminals which will air this month(please check you local listings I know I will). Special shout out to Cris over at Consumed By Music and Media for putting me on to this.
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
