The Winstons
| The Winstons | |
|---|---|
|
The Winstons in 1969 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Washington, D.C., United States |
| Genres | Funk, soul |
The Winstons were an American 1960s funk and soul music group, based in Washington, D.C., United States. They are known for their 1969 recording of an EP featuring a song entitled "Color Him Father" on the A-side, and "Amen, Brother" on the B-side. Half-way into "Amen, Brother", there is a drum solo (performed by G.C. Coleman) which would cause The Winston's EP to become one of the most widely sampled records in the history of electronic music. Sampled audio clips of the drum solo became known as the Amen Break, which has been used in thousands of tracks in a large number of musical genres, including drum and bass, hip hop,[1] jungle, big beat, industrial and electronica.[2]
The "Color Him Father" record sold over one million copies, and received a gold record awarded by the Recording Industry Association of America on 24 July 1969. It also won a Grammy Award for the Best Rhythm and Blues Song (1969).[3]
Members
The Winstons line-up included:[3]
- Richard Lewis Spencer (tenor saxophone, lead vocals)
- Ray Maritano (alto saxophone, backing vocals)
- Quincy Mattison (guitar, backing vocals)
- Phil Tolotta (organ, co-lead vocals)
- Sonny Pekerol, J.Lee Zane (bass guitar, backing vocals)
- Gregory C. Coleman (drums, backing vocals)
The Winstons toured as backup for The Impressions.[3]
Notable songs
- "Color Him Father" — (1969, Billboard Hot 100 # 7)
- "Amen, Brother" — (1969)
- "Love of The Common People" — (1969, Billboard Hot 100 # 54)
See also
References
- ↑ Nottingham, Kevin (16 March 2009). "Top 10 Most Sampled Songs in Hip Hop". Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- ↑ "Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop". YouTube. 2006-02-21. Retrieved 2015-08-25.
- 1 2 3 Murrells, Joseph (1978). The Book of Golden Discs (2nd ed.). London: Barrie and Jenkins Ltd. p. 270. ISBN 0-214-20512-6.