Who did Wu Tang
Clan sample?

‘As Long As I’ve Got You’ by The Charmels is definitely a front runner for one of our favorite soul jams of all time. Released in 1967, it combines delicate girl group harmonies, tinkling piano and a heavy backbeat groove to devastating effect. A forgotten 7” single at the time, the tune has been cemented in hip hop folklore after being used in Wu-Tang’s hit ‘C.R.E.A.M.’

The song was the fruit of an early linkup between Isaac Hayes and David Porter and their Stax house band (featuring members of Booker T. & the M.G.'s). Our version below loops their solid opening groove and combines it with the piano intro from a cover version by The Emotions.

After bombing on its release, the tune lay sleeping for 26 years until RZA gave it the Shaolin treatment by flipping it for their 1993 studio album, 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers).'

Fast-forward to the Noughties and ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ has made every respected hip hop banger list and has appropriately ‘gone gold’ for shipping tons of units. The riff that was lifted is so recognizable that when you play The Charmels original you’re guaranteed to get some goofball doing the Method Man chorus. 

Our version of ‘C.R.E.A.M.’ again uses the solo piano intro from The Emotions cover. The instrumental parts of the RZA production are then extended to give that tinkling piano space to warm the cockles of your heart...

Please respect the artists and make sure you buy the originals, you know the score.