Songs sampled by Prince

A list of samples used by Prince in his work

• Re-use by Prince of his own work is not considered sampling. In other words, to qualify for this list the sample must come from a work originally not created by Prince or with his input in the first place. This for instance goes for the Poet99 Samples used in Days Of Wild, Mad  etc.

• Songs or parts thereof that were covered live in concert are only listed if they were played as a pre-recorded ‘sample' – sampled from the original recording – programmed in a synthesizer, sampler or from tape or record during a show.

• Samples used in remixes of songs are only listed if the sample did not also occur in the original (unremixed) version of the song.

• If a sampled song appears on a single first and later on an album only after Prince sampled it, the single will be mentioned as the originating source. For example James Brown's “Funky Drummer” was a single from 1970, before it appeared on a compilation album in 1986. The original source is credited here.

• Occasional  samples were likely obtained via sample collections like  Simon Harris: Beats, Breaks & Scratches.  This is indicated where applicable.

• Samples originating from Sound and FX library collections  (such as the [launch procedure commence] and [countdown start, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4] from Live 4 Love  are now listed under "Sound library samples."

• The opening sequence of “Eye No” on Lovesexy is also in fact a sample of a sound library although it also appeared as a composition titled “Passing Clouds”, credited to Roger Limb, originally on the album Out Of This World a 1976 compilation of atmospheric sounds and effects from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.  

• Another case of ‘involuntary sampling' occurs in the [Bizarre] sample used in various songs recorded between 1985 and 1987: “All My Dreams (unreleased);” “Bob George;” “Christopher Tracy's Parade;” “6 (The End Of The World Mix)” (Madhouse); “Lovesexy” and “Nine” (Madhouse). The sample is directly lifted from the track “Our Bizarre Relationship” by  (Frank Zappa &) The Mothers of Invention  (from Uncle Meat 1969), but it was also featured as standard sample in the Fairlight CMI IIx keyboard/sampler, from which Prince used it. Other samples straight from the Fairlight CMI that Prince used are in the unreleased “Others Here With Us;” “Witness 4 The Prosecution” (the looped crowd noise) and the dog bark used in “La, La, La, He, He, Hee.“

(Spoken) samples from movies and television

Movie samples that occur in the Batman tracks, all taken from the 1989 movie of the same name are not included. More samples from the film were included in some unreleased remixes of Batman track as well as the unreleased “Batman Theme” (A reworking of Madhouse “19” with movie samples) and the unreleased song “Dance With The Devil.”

‘Other media' samples 

Samples from Simon Harris: Beats, Breaks & Scratches 

Only FX that are not original songs from elsewhere, if originally from a song, it is indicated there.

Samples/FX from sound libraries 

Samples and presets from keyboards 

 To be supplemented...

Possible sample that need to be identified

Some of them might not originate from outside sources.They're listed here because I'm not sure and your help in finding their source is appreciated

• A(n instrumental) sample used in Jadestone (Ingrid Chavez) and in Positivity can also be heard in Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson and a 1987 live rendition of Cars by Gary Numan

• [Please stop] & [You better stop!] from "Goldnigga" (pts 1.2.3)

• [But you do Like music?] from "Get Wild (Pret-a-Porter Version)"

• [Yeah y'all, it's like that y'all, it's like "Bet Your Life”] from "Da Da Da"

• [Yow!] (James Brown sample) from "MPLS" (1800 NF version)

• [Get on down] from "Jerk Out (Sexy Mix)" (The Time)

• [various unidentified samples] in "The Big Pump" (George Clinton)

• [Hallelujah!] & [Lord have mercy!] in "Sexy MF (Remix)" (possibly LaWanda Page from Sanford and Son 1972-1977 (TV-series))