Controversy

Moby Sued for Sampling Something 22 Years Ago

Front and centre in Moby’s “Thousand”–his 1993 single named after its insane BPM peaks–is a woman singing “Oh yeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhh!”

That sample is from a 1983 track entitled “Let No Man Put Asunder” by First Choice.  Not only did Moby use it in one other track (“Next is the E“) but it can be heard in at least 126 other songs, ranging from Ice Cube to a New Order remix.

Now the disco/funk label VMG Salsoul, the rights holder to “Let No Man Put Asunder” wants their pound of flesh for what they say is an unauthorized sample.  They’re asking for $150,000 for each violation plus court costs.

Moby isn’t the first to feel their wrath. VMG Salsoul also sued Madonna over a snippet they say appeared in “Vogue.” They lost that one.

Just for fun, here’s the original.

(Via Spin)

 

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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2 thoughts on “Moby Sued for Sampling Something 22 Years Ago

  • I hope I’m not the only one who thinks that the most amusing part of this is the fact that their Greatest Hits album was a four-record set. How many more of their hits can *you* name?

    Reply
  • Moby’s done this before. On one of his records a few years back, he sampled an entire guitar solo from a Canadian artist’s record. A couple of years later, when it was discovered, he cheerfully ‘fessed up, made the Canadian artist a co-writer of the piece, paid the back royalties, and made it right. That said, he just uses stuff, and waits to be found out!

    Reply

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