The “Amen break” is a 5.2 second drum solo from an instrumental funk record entitled Amen brother performed by Soul/Funk band The Winstons.

Amen brother was released in 1969 on Metromedia Records. It was the B side to  7″ single entitled “Colour him farther“. The Amen break beat was first popularised by Hip Hop artists in the late 1980’s after its inclusion on the Ultimate breaks & Beats series compiled and edited by Louis Flores. In the 1990’s The Amen break beat formed one of the key elements of Jungle music that evolved via the Rave scene in the early to mid 1990’s in the United Kingdom.

To the present day the Amen break has been sampled hundreds of times by artists, producers and musicians from all different backgrounds and genres. From Jungle anthems like Super sharp shooter by DJ Zinc & The Ganga Kru to classic Hip Hop records like Straight outta Compton by N.W.A. It would appear that the music of today would sound very different if it was not for the creation of Amen brother by The Winstons.

A looped section of the Amen drum break is inserted in the below clip. Check to see if you recognise the drums:

The Amen break beat

So now you are familiar with the drum break it is time to explore the Musical DNA that went in to creating such a popular sample that has been such a prominent feature in classic Hip Hop & Dance music. Continue reading →