In this very first episode of Samplebusters we follow a path of samples and cover versions not always straight. First we head to France, which some consider the spiritual home of modern usage of sampling in house music. And I bet there were no-one who just didn’t thought of Daft Punk. You were on the right tracks as protagonist of tonights episode is Thomas Bangalter, the other half DP.

I can visualize little Thomas browsing through his fathers (one Daniel Vangarde, writer and producer of Ottawan’s D.I.S.C.O and Gibson Brothers’ Cuba) record collection and bumbing into this album containing both original and cover songs by French singer and songwriter Claude François. On this album, probably hidden on the b-side, is this song that catches the attention of Thomas and starts looping in his mind.

Fast forward to 1998 and after humongously influential and influeced Homework album Mr. Bangalter is working on his solo EP to be released on his own Roulé label. As he ponders where to find a perfect hook for a track, he remembers that old pop song by Claude François, gives it a listen and voilà.

If you listen to Cette année-là by Claude François you have to listen very closely as the sample used by Thomas Bangalter is really of blink-and-you-miss-it kind. Take few beats of the original, repeat, add some filter over the top and you have  a perfect French house tune.

To complicate things further, Cette année-là is actually a cover of The Four Seasons song December 1963 (Oh, What A Night) released in 1975. And to top it all Claude François is the original performer and writer of Comme d’Habitude, later reworked by Paul Anka into My Way of Frank Sinatra fame.

Thomas Bangalter – Colossus (Youtube)

Claude François – Cette année-là (Youtube)

The Four Seasons – December 1963 (Oh, What a Night) (Youtube)

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