mp3eme vox: b-side yourself
I'm not usually one to pick up others' themes, but this one gives me a chance to post what I believe to be the biggest B-side of all time: The Winstons - "Amen, Brother".
But don't just take my word for it, here's what the ever-accurate (hah) wikipedia has to say:
`The Winstons is a funk and soul music outfit, based in Washington, D.C., from the 1960s who are most notable for recording a track called "Amen, Brother" (a B-side to the single "Color Him Father" recorded in 1969). "Amen, Brother" is probably the most sampled record of all time. Midway through the track there is a drum solo which contains the "Amen break" which has been sampled and used in thousands of hip-hop, pop, drum and bass and jungle tracks.'
I was fortunate enough to get a copy of "Amen, Brother" on vinyl when it was re-pressed in 2001 by Alpha-Omega as the b-side to Jimmy Castor's "It's Just Begun" (another highly sampled funk/soul classic). I do have mp3s of the original Winstons' 7" too, but my rips of the AO release sound a helluvalot better..
- The Jimmy Castor Bunch / The Winstons - It's Just Begun / Amen, Brother
Label: Alpha Omega Recordings
Catalog#: AO-9519
Format: Vinyl, 12", Unofficial Release
Country: UK
Released: Sep 2001
Genre: Funk / Soul
Style: Funk
Edit: If you'd like to know a little more about the amen break as a cultural artifact, I reccomend checking out the info and link to Nate Harrison's excellent short video on the ubiquitous amen, titled "Can I Get An Amen?", I posted here.
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