The verdict
Documented Sampling History
Confirmed songwriters of record (Derrick May & Michael James), no dispute found — an honest, amicable creative-origin disclosure (May built the track around a piano part his friend recorded almost by accident), documented in the Receipts, not an adversarial situation.
Quick Facts
Released1987
GenreDetroit Techno, House
LabelTransmat Records
ProducerDerrick May
Recorded atDetroit
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriters of record — Derrick May & Michael James
Wikipedia → · checked Jul 2026
The current administrator — Not confirmed — originally Transmat; needs a Songview/Discogs lookup
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been reused?
A foundational house/techno anthem; its ghostly strings were synthesized from Detroit Symphony Orchestra samples.
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
Shared Belleville Three lineage — Kevin Saunderson alongside Derrick May (this batch)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The song itself (the writing)Derrick May & Michael James
The credited artist’s own honest origin storyDerrick May has openly admitted he didn’t actually write or record the track’s signature piano part himself. His friend Michael James was visiting May’s home, noticed the studio gear, and recorded a piano part on his own initiative. May held onto that sequence for roughly a year, then stumbled on it again and built the full track around sections of his friend’s original recording.
The recording (current administrator)Not confirmed
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
A real, direct naming origin
House DJ Frankie Knuckles is credited with naming the track, based on the ecstatic audience response when he played it at his Chicago club — he’s recalled it “just exploded.”
Songfacts · read it →
What finishing it felt like
May has described spending two full days afterward alone in his house, listening to the finished track on repeat, feeling as though he were on drugs without having taken any. No lyrics reproduced (instrumental).
Attack Magazine · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Sample History
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Times sampled
A foundational Detroit techno / house anthem
Covers
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First flip
Who to Contact
SL
Derrick May (Transmat)
A confirmed songwriter of record
What they'll chargeNobody's shared numbers yet
Don't Want the Hassle?
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References
Every source cited on this page — 4 in total
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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