Amen, Brother was a little-known B-side released in 1969. Barely noticed at the time, its drum solo has been hugely influential, appearing in different forms in more than 1,500 other songs – but the band behind it never made any money from it. (…)
Now, an internet campaign is raising money for Spencer who owns the copyright for Amen, Brother. Set up by British DJs Martyn Webster and Steve Theobald, the campaign has snowballed far beyond their expectations through support from music fans and even some of the big name artists who have used the distinctive sound to help build their careers.
So far it’s gathered more than £18,000 ($26,000). (…)
“They didn’t have to do that – I didn’t even know them. Fifty years on, some young white boys that I’ve never met, halfway across the world said, ‘We’re going to give you a gift.’ It’s probably one of the sweetest things that’s happened to me in a long time.”
