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Scritti Politti Sample In "Rain"?


clkelley39
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I noticed on a few on the Erotica pages on Discogs, there's mention in the notes that "Rain" contains a sample of "Perfect Way" by Scritti Politti. Here's an example: https://www.discogs.com/Madonna-Erotica/release/78689 and another: https://www.discogs.com/Madonna-Erotica/release/571923.

 

This is the first I'm hearing of this. Is it even true? There's no mention of it on the Wikipedia pages for Erotica or "Rain". And even though I don't have my copy of Erotica handy, I don't remember ever reading about it in the liner notes. 

 

Does anyone have any insight into this?

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I've been playing drums and percussion for nearly 20 years and can tell you without a doubt that the drum fill at 0:10 in "Perfect Way" is most certainly NOT the same drum fill used in "Rain". Different drums used. Different timing. Different number of beats.

 

And besides, drums/percussion cannot be licensed as samples. 

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38 minutes ago, deathproof said:

Maybe it’s interpolated and played in a different speed?

I’m not great at explaining music concepts because I haven’t had much formal musical training, but the two drum fills just... aren’t... the same. They're just different from each other. (Why don’t I have the words!?!?)

 

My drums aren’t at my home right now, but if they were I would post videos of me playing each beat. The “Perfect Way” fill includes toms, snare, kick drum and hi-hat. The “Rain” fill is just toms, and is much simpler. “Perfect Way” is longer and with a longer pause in the middle.

 

I think a big reason as to why drums and beats can’t be copyrighted and licensed as samples is because it’s so hard to tell two recordings of drums apart from each other. If I record myself hitting a couple drums, and you record yourself hitting a couple drums, and happen to mic it and mix it similarly, how could we ever discern if they were the same recording? It’s not like melody or harmony which is much more nuisanced and unique. I think that's what may be leading to the confusion here. It sounds like the two drum recordings are just similarly mixed/engineered.

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1 hour ago, clkelley39 said:

I’m not great at explaining music concepts because I haven’t had much formal musical training, but the two drum fills just... aren’t... the same. They're just different from each other. (Why don’t I have the words!?!?)

 

My drums aren’t at my home right now, but if they were I would post videos of me playing each beat. The “Perfect Way” fill includes toms, snare, kick drum and hi-hat. The “Rain” fill is just toms, and is much simpler. “Perfect Way” is longer and with a longer pause in the middle.

 

I think a big reason as to why drums and beats can’t be copyrighted and licensed as samples is because it’s so hard to tell two recordings of drums apart from each other. If I record myself hitting a couple drums, and you record yourself hitting a couple drums, and happen to mic it and mix it similarly, how could we ever discern if they were the same recording? It’s not like melody or harmony which is much more nuisanced and unique. I think that's what may be leading to the confusion here. It sounds like the two drum recordings are just similarly mixed/engineered.

I think this thread, is using the word “sample” very loosely, And not in a literal legal sense. More of a reference as to where the sound is coming from.

 

There are plenty of drums within Madonna songs that “sample” other songs. Of course they are not credited, I’m guessing for the reason you mentioned. Plus a sample is lifting the exact same piece of music from one song, and putting it into something new. It’s obvious that a lot of these Madonna songs, they re-recorded the “sample” to either try and mimic it, or just play it new way.

For example:

Hot Pants by Bobby Byrd, the drums can be heard in Frozen. Can also be heard more prominently during the bridge of Rescue Me.

Keep on Moving by Soul II Soul, the repetition background beat is replayed in a faster speed and used as the drums for Bye Bye Baby.

Feel Good by Fancy, the drums are replayed and used in a different speed for the William Orbit remix of JML

 

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