"Old-School Melody" - Prince's Samples

If you study the liner notes of Prince's '90s music, you'll unearth a trove of gems, including esoteric messages, humorous commentary and beautiful artwork. You'll also learn about songs Prince sampled in his music.

That discovery has proven enjoyable for me in recent years. I think it's for several reasons: 1) Even a singular artist like Prince couldn't ignore a trend. 2) It provides insight into songs that were important to him, apart from the samples that everyone was using at the time. 3) It shows his creativity as a beat-maker. 4) The fact that he was being sampled, while participating in sampling--a foundation of hip-hop music--only strengthens his importance in the history of black music.

With that said, can you name the Prince songs featuring the samples below? The answers are at the end of the article. Hint: One is a song Prince co-wrote for The Time. Also, you may have to listen to one song all the way through to catch the connection.

No cheating!


1) "Tramp" by Lowell Fulson, 1967



2) "Lyin' Ass Bitch" by Fishbone, 1985



3) "I Can't Stand It" by The Chambers Brothers, 1967



4) "Good Old Music" by Funkadelic, 1970



5) "Squib Cakes" by Tower of Power, 1974 



6) "Feel Good, Party Time" by J.R. Funk & the Love Machine, 1980

Answers Below

1) "7" 2) "Billy Jack Bitch" 3) "Thieves in the Temple" 4) "Sex in the Summer" 5) "Release It" (The Time) or "Sleep Around" 6) "Gett Off"

Subscribe to my e-mail list for updates on my book on Prince's spiritual journey. Click here.