The “Amen, Brother breakbeat” has been sampled in 1,863 songs according to WhoSampled, but until recently Richard L. Spencer, frontman of The Winstons and writer of the arrangement, never saw a cent for the use of this iconic break.
The break, played by Gregory Coleman (who unfortunately passed away in 2006), has been used by artists as diverse as N.W.A., Slipknot, Skrillex, The Prodigy, Rudimental and Tyler, The Creator.
The gofundme campaign was set up by Martyn Webster, a 42 year old ex-DJ from Northamptonshire in the UK, who, though DJing in clubs through the 90s and into the mid 2000s heard the classic break used time and time again.
He decided that the creators of the break deserved some kind of payment for it, and set up the gofundme page as a place where people could choose to pay a quasi-royalty to Spencer, or simply just donate as thanks for the years of enjoyment it has brought them.
46 years since its release as a B-Side, ‘Amen, Brother’, has finally been financially recognised for its important place in music history.
Check out the gofundme campaign here.
