The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Maurice White & Wayne Vaughn), no dispute found — a documented family connection to The Emotions (“Blind Alley” in this catalogue) via co-writer Wayne Vaughn’s wife, Wanda Vaughn.
Quick Facts
Released1981
AlbumRaise!
GenreFunk, R&B, Post-Disco
LabelColumbia Records
ProducerMaurice White
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Maurice White & Wayne Vaughn
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Columbia; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A much-loved funk/post-disco hit, connected by family ties to The Emotions’ “Blind Alley” (already in this catalogue).
Do they allow reuse?
No standalone policy found; confirmed songwriters of record and no dispute found.
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same band (this batch)
A family connection — co-writer Wayne Vaughn’s wife Wanda Vaughn was in The Emotions (already in this catalogue)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Maurice White & Wayne Vaughn
A family connection to The EmotionsCo-writer Wayne Vaughn’s wife, Wanda Vaughn, was a member of The Emotions — whose “Blind Alley” is already in this catalogue.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
Why it was written
Maurice White was reportedly upset about insufficient promotion from Columbia for 1980’s “Faces” — to win the label’s attention back he brought in guitarist Roland Bautista and co-wrote this song to reflect the emerging electronic sound of the 1980s, deliberately departing from disco amid its cultural backlash. No lyrics reproduced.
AllMusic · read it →
A playful description of the vocoder intro
The distinctive robotic vocoder intro became one of its most memorable features — an Entertainment Weekly critic playfully described it as sounding “like Pac-Man has come to life to boogie.”
Wikipedia · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
—
Times sampled
The band’s last Top 10 hit
Covers
—
First flip
Who to Contact
LG
Maurice White & Wayne Vaughn (Columbia)
The confirmed songwriters of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (Research Queue Batch 13)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending the automated GetSongBPM/Deezer pass