The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Two layers to clear — Jerry Lordan’s 1960 composition (still copyrighted) and the 1973 Incredible Bongo Band recording — and a real precedent of legitimate reuse, most notably The Sugarhill Gang’s official 1980 cover. The unresolved question of who actually played the percussion lives in the Receipts.
Sampled Extensively (1973 version) times · reportedly open to sampling
Used by independents?
Yes — used by the Sugarhill Gang (Sugar Hill Records, 1981) and jungle producer Goldie, among independent hip-hop and breakbeat acts.
Quick Facts
Released1973
AlbumBongo Rock
GenreFunk, Instrumental
LabelPride Records
ProducerMichael Viner
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The composition — Jerry Lordan's 1960 song — still under copyright; clear the song side through its publisher
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The 1973 recording — Not confirmed — originally Pride Records; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Drum and Bass Proper → · checked Jul 2026
Has it been sampled?
Yes — reworked and sampled extensively (the 1973 version), including an official Sugarhill Gang cover (1980); also LL Cool J, The Roots, Nas, Moby, Goldie and more
Do they allow sampling?
No standalone policy found, but the record of legitimate reuse — including a major-label official cover — shows a real, used path to clearance
Which recording matters
The 1973 Incredible Bongo Band version is the one relevant to most modern clearance questions; the original 1960 Shadows recording has itself been sampled only ~18 times (WhoSampled)
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
1960 — the hit recording of Lordan's composition (UK #1)
1980 — an official cover on "8th Wonder"
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The composition (the writing)Jerry Lordan (1960)
The 1973 recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Who actually played the bongosUnresolved — credited variously to a musician named Errison (via overdub), arranger Perry Botkin Jr., or producer Michael Viner himself
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
“The national anthem of hip-hop”
The 1973 version never charted, yet DJ Kool Herc — a founding figure of hip-hop — called it "the national anthem of hip-hop," a phrase popularized by journalist Will Hermes in a 2006 New York Times article. Herc played it constantly at his mid-1970s Bronx block parties, seeding hip-hop's foundational DJ culture.
Songfacts · read it →
An entire documentary tells this exact story
"Sample This" (2013, dir. Dan Forrer) is a full-length documentary specifically about the Incredible Bongo Band and this recording's outsized influence on hip-hop.
BRAINSTEMBOB · read it →
Don't conflate the layers
The famous sample is the 1973 Incredible Bongo Band recording, but the underlying song is Jerry Lordan's 1960 composition — clearing a use generally means addressing both the composition and that specific master, not the 1960 Shadows recording.
Drum and Bass Proper · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
Extensively (1973 version)
Times sampled
—
Covers
1980
First flip
Big names who used itThe Sugarhill Gang · LL Cool J · The Roots · Nas · Moby · Goldie
Who to Contact
JL
Jerry Lordan (composition, 1960)
The underlying song, still under copyright — the composition side is cleared through its publisher
PR
The 1973 master (administrator unconfirmed)
The Incredible Bongo Band recording — originally Pride Records; current administrator needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
Sample something pre-cleared insteadCheck Tracklib →
Find a similar sound that's 100% freeBrowse the catalog →
References
Every source cited on this page — 6 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026Page created — full research (catch-up batch)
Jul 2026BPM/Key pending a separate manual keyfinder pass