Songs with samples that are better than the sampled song

[rogerzilla]

Sugababes' Freak Like Me.

(click to show/hide)

Well, it's better than Sega Frogger

[citoyen]

Sugababes' Freak Like Me.

(click to show/hide)

Well, it's better than Sega Frogger

 


Freak Like Me is a brilliant song, but I'd hesitate to say it's better than Are Friends Electric? - which still sounds like it's from the future.

[mattc]

That Massive Attack track with the bass and drums off Billy Cobham's Stratosphere?

Safe From Harm.

That did cross my mind too, but the Billy Cobham track is more interesting, I reckon (and thanks again for introducing me to it).

If you like that it's worth digging out some of the other stuff Billy Cobham and Jan Hammer were involved with at that time. Mahavishnu Orchestra springs to mind, although with John McLaughlin in control  it goes a bit free jazz. Also Tony Williams worth a look. And Jean-Luc Ponty

Probably a more famous Massive Attack sample of Mahavishnu:
https://www.whosampled.com/Massive-Attack/Unfinished-Sympathy/

(and yes, it IS much better than both the songs they sample!)

[Slave To The Viking]

MC Hammer U can't touch this / Rick James Super Freak.

Art of Noise.  Almost anything they did, but Peter Gunn is kind of special.

The original and best is Sugar Hill Gang using Chic's Good Times on Rappers Delight.

Art of Noise hold no particularly special place in my heart, but the other two? Good lord yes.

[citoyen]

Blondie & Fab 5 Freddy have put out a 'Yuletide Throwdown' which is essentially a reworking of Rapture with festive lyrics. It's quite something...

https://youtu.be/jxtK2757mz4

I believe it was recorded around the same time Rapture originally came out, but hasn't been released before as far as I know.

[FifeingEejit]

Another that comes to mind... Little Fluffy Clouds by The Orb

(Steve Reich+Ennio Morricone)^2

Hm... I'd never noticed that the harmonica was from the intro to The Man with the Harmonica.

I had to resort to "www.WhoSampled.com"  to confirm it.

Can't say I'd rate either over the other though both great.

Art of Noise.  Almost anything they did, but Peter Gunn is kind of special.

Having never properly had a look at Art of Noise's work, YES!

[Slave To The Viking]

Sugababes' Freak Like Me.

(click to show/hide)

Well, it's better than Sega Frogger

 


Freak Like Me is a brilliant song, but I'd hesitate to say it's better than Are Friends Electric? - which still sounds like it's from the future.

I'd say that's about right. Freak Like Me is a brilliant, inspired piece of sampling, and I'd be happy to put it on equal footing with Are Friends Electric?, but I don't think I'd go as far as saying it was better. Close though.

[Legs]

Warren G and Nate Dog’s use of Michael McDonald in Regulate is the one that springs to mind…

[hubner]

I think it's mainly to do with which version you heard first.

Harlem Shuffle is a great song, I'm glad it hasn't been ruined by hearing the sampled versions.

[Paul]

Can I propose I Vow to Thee My Country?

Based entirely on a bit of Holst’s Jupiter, the best bit, I think. The rest of it isn’t too bad, it’s just that the whole always sounds a bit Frankensteined together, like falling asleep during a western and waking up to Songs of Praise.

[citoyen]

like falling asleep during a western and waking up to Songs of Praise.

 

[Slave To The Viking]

I think it's mainly to do with which version you heard first.

Harlem Shuffle is a great song, I'm glad it hasn't been ruined by hearing the sampled versions.

The sample - as used in Jump Around - is purely the introductory fanfare. It's used in exactly the same context too: an intro which really doesn't sound anything like the rest of the song.

As to the first one you hear being the one you prefer, that seems quite likely, but I reckon the House of Pain use of the sample will be exactly that for quite a lot of people! I'd go as far as to suggest that Harlem Shuffle was largely forgotten until it became known for being "the song that the House of Pain sample came from", so for most people listening to popular music radio through the 90s, Jump Around is the song it belongs to.

[MattH]

I struggle with Good Times in this thread - whilst Rappers Delight and the Adventures on the Wheels of Steel were great, the original was good too.

How about Vinyl Dogs/Lord Finesse with Vinyl Dogs Vibe and Just Brothers with Sliced Tomatoes both sampled in Rockafeller Skank?