Loud records has leaked a new Wu-Tang track: "The Heart Gently Weeps", feat. Erykah Badu & John Frusciante. Press play and enjoy.
There's been some fuss about the sampling of the Beatles classic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps', as it would have been the first ever cleared sampling of a Beatles tune. More about that after the jump.
Nobody has ever gotten clearance to sample the Beatles. Wu-Tang claimed on their MySpace that they would be making history by sampling George Harrison's 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' '. But then EMI got all huffy and puffy and now it seems RZA has settled it with Danni Harrisson, who's responsible for the George Harrison estate.
From MTV: "EMI freaked out about this whole thing, but it's less about a major corporation talking to another major corporation, it's more like two friends — RZA and myself — talking about working together," Dhani Harrison said. "[The RZA] asked me to see if he could use the song, which is owned by us [the Harrison Estate], and we said yes. It's not the original master — they've never been cleared — but the song is used compositionally.
"I play a bit of guitar on it, John Frusciante played some guitar too, and Erykah is on there," he continued. "I haven't heard the final version, but whatever capacity the RZA wants to use all of those parts in, I'm sure he will."
So basically, it's not a cleared sample, but they did get permission to use the composition if other musicians played it for them: in this case the inimitable John Frusciante & Erykah Badu.
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Frusciante - Murderers
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Erykah Badu - bag lady