Song Clearance Sheet
7 sources citedAmen, Brother
Funk1960s130BPM
Db majKey
2:35Length
More around 130 BPM → · More in Db major → · More “No Payment Mechanism” →
The verdict
No Payment Mechanism
The original performer was never compensated, and there's no clear legal mechanism to make it right — though many would argue you should still try.
Sampled 2,000+ times
Used by independents?
Yes — used across independent jungle & drum-and-bass records — the genres were effectively built on the break — plus Oasis on the independent Creation label.
Get the Audio
Streaming isn't enough to sample from — you need an actual file
Discogs
Original 1969 single — for a proper needle-drop rip
Apple Music
Purchasable track (search)
Amazon Music
MP3 download (search)
Collector's Copies
Original pressings, rare editions, and audiophile reissues
Discogs Marketplace
All pressings of the Color Him Father single/LP
eBay
Original 45s and reissues
Quick Facts
Released1969
AlbumColor Him Father
GenreFunk, Soul
LabelMetromedia Records
ProducerDon Carroll
Writer(s)Richard Spencer
More infoWikipedia → · Discogs →
Who you need to ask
The songwriter — Richard Spencer wrote it and reportedly holds the copyright
Twenty Thousand Hertz → · checked Jul 2026
The recording owner — Unknown — Metromedia is defunct
Unknown · checked Jul 2026
Has it been cleared before?
Sampled 2,000+ times — but famously without clearance or payment to the creators
Do they allow sampling?
Not the way you might hope — the break was used for decades without permission, and the creators were never paid. There is no record of the owners inviting it
What does it cost?
Historically nobody paid — which is the cautionary tale, not a green light. Proper clearance today is unquantified
Related Songs
Same album, answer records, and songs worth knowing about
Same album (Color Him Father, 1969)
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Same album (Color Him Father, 1969)
Same album (Color Him Father, 1969)
Who Owns It
Licenses explained →The two permissions you need, and who holds them
The recording (the actual audio)Not confirmed yet
The song itself (the writing)Richard Spencer (wrote it; reportedly holds the copyright)
Who handles the song todayNot confirmed yet
The writerRichard Spencer
Receipts
Every public mention of terms, policy, or past deals we've found
The creator was never paid
Band leader Richard Spencer, who holds the copyright, has said he never received a cent in royalties for the break — despite it becoming one of the most-used sounds in modern music.
Twenty Thousand Hertz · read it →
A tragic royalty history
Drummer Gregory Coleman, who actually played the break, died homeless in 2006 having never earned from it. Who did and did not get paid runs through the whole history of this record.
Mixmag · read it →
The most-sampled recording ever
The six-second drum break is documented on well over 2,000 tracks and underpins entire genres — jungle and drum & bass were effectively built on it.
DJ TechTools · read it →
The scene tried to make it right
In 2015 a crowdfunding campaign raised money for Richard Spencer as a goodwill gesture — an acknowledgement that the man behind the most-sampled record in history had gone uncompensated for decades.
CDM · read it →
Can You Use It for Free?
How to check PD →Is it public domain?No
Cheaper shortcutReplaying it loses the point
Sample History
2,000+
Times sampled
—
Covers
—
First flip
Big names who used itFoundational to jungle & drum & bass · used by N.W.A, Oasis, and thousands more
Who to Contact
—
Metromedia (defunct)
The original label folded; no current master rightsholder is identified
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 — 7 in total
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Page history · 2 updates
Jul 2026BPM (130) and key (D♭ major) added — two-source confirmed (SongBPM + Chordify); breakbeat culture often cites ~120 BPM as a round figure
Jul 2026Page created