He's Gonna Step On You Again

It is cited in the Guinness Book of Records as being the first ever song to have used a sample,^{[citation needed]} however according to the sleeve note of the CD reissue of the Kongos album, it is actually a tape loop of African drumming; and the use of tape loops and instruments using prerecorded samples such as the Mellotron and Optigan were well established by this time.

In the UK Singles Chart it entered on 22 May 1971, reached Number 4 and spent fourteen weeks in the charts (the follow-up release in the same year, "Tokoloshe Man", also peaked at number 4). It was released on the Fly Records label. ^[1]

[edit] Cover versions

Happy Mondays covered the song, retitling it "Step On" in 1990. It was originally intended as a contribution to a compilation for their US label Electra, but they decided to keep it to release as a single, and instead covered Kongos's Tokoloshe Man for the compilation. The Happy Mondays version incorporates a short sample of three guitar notes from the original. ^[2]

It became their biggest-selling single, peaking at number five in the UK and even making it on to the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number fifty-seven.

Other artists who have recorded cover versions of this song, include Def Leppard and Australian bands The Party Boys and Chantoozies both in 1987.

[edit] References

^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, London: Guinness World Records Limited, p. 306. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
^ Berry, Mark "Bez" (1998). Freaky Dancin', 1st, London: Pan, p. 285. ISBN 0-330-37054-5.