BBC

Bands Challenged Over 60s Samples

• 21st January 1999

The Prodigy’s mastermind Liam Howlett has been banned from using a Beatles sample from his new album – even though Sir Paul McCartney was happy for the track to be used.

Howlett, who fronts the multi-million selling dance band, had planned to use two verses and a chorus from Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band on his new album, Prodigy Present Dirtchamber Sessions Volume 1. But despite the approval of songwriter Sir Paul, the Fab Four’s record label Apple refused to give clearance for the track to be used. A spokesman for Howlett said: ”The record sounded great in there and we were going to include it on the commercial release of the record, but Apple wouldn’t grant us permission to licence the track.”

Release date delayed.

”Apparently Paul McCartney didn’t have any problem with it – it’s simply that Apple never do let Beatles tracks appear on anything other than Beatles albums.” The album features samples from around 50 tracks – and the time-consuming task of getting clearance for each one of the tracks has forced the release date to be delayed. ”There are about 52 tracks used on this album and we’ve had to try to get clearance for them all. A lot of them are on small and hard-to-find hip-hop labels that could easily have gone out of business,” the spokesman added. Apple said the decision was ”nothing personal” against the Prodigy.

The offending sample has now been replaced by one from Been Caught Stealing by US rock band Jane’s Addiction.

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• Dirtchamber sessions