right|thumb|[[Seven-inch single for "Amen, Brother"]]

The Amen break is a drum break that has been widely sampled in popular music. It comes from the 1969 track "Amen, Brother" by the American soul group the Winstons, released as the B-side of the 1969 single "Color Him Father". The drum break lasts seven seconds and was performed by Gregory Coleman.

With the rise of hip-hop in the 1980s, the Amen break was used in hits including "Straight Outta Compton" by N.W.A and "Keep It Going Now" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. In the 1990s, it became a staple of drum and bass and jungle music. It has been used in thousands of tracks of various genres, making it one of the most sampled recordings in music history.

The Winstons received no royalties for the sample. The bandleader, Richard Lewis Spencer, was not aware of its use until 1996, after the statute of limitations for copyright infringement had passed. He condemned its use as plagiarism, but later said it was flattering. He said it was unlikely that Coleman, who died homeless and destitute in 2006, realized the impact he had made on music. In 2026, "Amen, Brother" was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.

Recording

thumb|left|The Winstons in 1969

The Winstons were a soul band from Washington, D.C., who played throughout the southern United States. They were led by Richard Lewis Spencer. In early 1969, the Winstons recorded the single "Color Him Father" in Atlanta. The result was "Amen, Brother", It was widely sampled in British dance music in the early 1990s, especially in drum and bass and jungle.

The Amen break has been in used in thousands of tracks, making it one of the most widely sampled tracks in history. The journalist Simon Reynolds likened the situation to "the man who goes to the sperm bank and unknowingly sires hundreds of children". Spencer died in 2020. In 2026, "Amen, Brother" was selected by the US Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry for its "cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation's recorded sound heritage".

See also

  • Think break
  • "Funky Drummer"
  • Breakbeat
  • Breakcore

References

Further reading

  • The Amen break on freesound.org
  • Video of an audio installation about the Amen break's history by Nate Harrison (archive.org mirror, Youtube mirror)
  • Amen break on whosampled.com