Support the creator of the Amen Break with new fundraising campaign
The amen break is likely the most sampled piece of music in history. The six-second drum loop is responsible for the creation of entire sub-genres of music, yet its original composer — one Richard L Spencer of The Winstons — has never received a dime for it. Back in 1969, Spencer received Grammy for his compositional work on “Color Him Father.” The B-side to the record was “Amen Brother,” which, at the time, went largely unnoticed in the music community. Twenty years later, however, hip hop and drum ‘n’ bass producers began sampling the song’s famous break to extraordinary creative lengths. Nowadays, the amen break is just as pervasive, yet Richard L Spencer has still yet to be compensated.
After hearing Spencer’s plight first hand on BBC Radio 1, one inspired drum ‘n’ bass fan has taken it upon himself to start a fundraiser for Spencer. He’s asking for any musicians whom have used the amen break in the past to donate to the cause and help give Spencer some of the credit he deserves. He writes: “If you have ever written or sold any music with the amen break, or even just enjoyed one of the countless hundreds and hundreds of tunes that contain it over various genres and styles of music, please donate towards the good cause of the worldwide music community giving something back to the man behind the legendary breakbeat.”
If you would like to help honor Richard L Spencer and the amen break, you can donate here.
Read our History of the Amen Break for further insight into the legendary drum loop.
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