The story of the most ubiquitous vocal sample in history
We all have that moment. You know the one I mean, when you go, ‘Oh, shit, where’s this from? I’ve definitely heard this before!’, when an instance of sampling in a song feels so familiar you can practically see the colour the sky was on the day you first heard it, but you can’t exactly place it.
It might be a snippet from a song that played at your prom when you let the love of your life walk away for the last time, could be one your dad played you on the school run, or one used often in popular commercials (Jess Glynne, I’m looking at you), so the fact is, we can all relate to the niggling familiarity of an itchily identifiable track.
What makes you more likely to sit up and take note of an otherwise unfamiliar tune, though, is its use of sampling, because you might recognise samples across different genres, like ‘Funky Drummer’ by James Brown, which has become a cornerstone hip-hop snippet, borrowed freely by countless artists.
Let’s get down to the more granular details, shall we? It’s all well and good noticing a sample of one song in another… But what about one singular vocal sample? Is there one ‘ooh’ or ‘aah’ that reigns supreme, that holds the title for the most ubiquitous out there?
Turns out, there is. And it all started back in 1995, when a soundbank called the MDC-1 was released. Some of the patches that musicians could choose from were vocal patches, such as patch 169, the famed, echoey ‘aah’ that anyone with ears will be able to instantly recognise.
Soon enough, producers with a keen ear for pop culture realised that those specific vocals worked damn-near perfectly in upbeat, sugary pop songs, such as ‘Dilemma’ by Nelly and Kelly Rowland, or ‘Tick Tock’ by Joji, and ‘3500’ by Travis Scott.
Behind the sample, there must be a singular singer, right? Hiding beneath the fame of collaborating with some of the biggest artists across the industry was James D-Train Williams. The employee who made the sample took the vocal from his song, ‘Misunderstanding’ from 1988.
For a while, this was hidden in the history books; answering queries from increasingly interested music fans, the organisation behind the MDC-1 confessed that they had no idea who the original singer was. Reportedly, the link between the obscure 1980s song and the most ubiquitous vocal sample in music was only made by YouTuber Asher Piesman in 2022.
As such, Williams was never credited for the use of his voice, which was taken by the machine builder seemingly without permission. There’s something sweet, at least, about the ‘Aah’ coming from the start of the phrase, “I don’t want to lose you.” At least now, Williams’ legacy is not lost to the clawing hands of time. Next time you notice it, tell a friend. Soon enough, Williams will be the household name he deserves to be.
