SAMPLED is a column that examines the skeletal production of a contemporary Rap/R&B/Hip-Hop or Pop song. From what song did the loop, sample, or chopped up vocal providing the backbone for a new interpretation originate? We look at the original song with some historical context, and then review the modern-day production that samples the original. For better or worse, this is the process by which a huge portion of contemporary pop music is assembled. On a weekly basis, SAMPLED aims to approach it case-by-case, and examine the dividing practice of using samples in the creation of music.

This week, the sample in question comes from Bill Withers’ classic R&B song “Lovely Day,” from his 1977 album Menagerie:

Bill Withers was the voice behind a bevy of popular R&B hits in the ’70s and ’80s, including “Lean On Me,” “Ain’t No Sunshine,” “Just The Two Of Us,” and “Lovely Day.” After a stint in the US Navy, this powerhouse R&B songwriter moved to Los Angeles at the age of twenty-nine, looking to share his gift for melody with the masses. He self-funded a series of demo tapes, and performed in nightclubs around town until the release of his debut album Just As I Am in 1971. The breakthrough single “Ain’t No Sunshine” launched an illustrious career for Withers, who would later go on to top the charts with “Lean On Me,” and write and produce songs for Gladys Knight & The Pips. Withers recorded “Lovely Day” in 1977, and it peaked at #30 on the Billboard Hot 100. Towards the end of the song, Bill Withers holds a note for 18 seconds, which is believed to be the longest note in of any Top 40 hit in the United States.

“Lovely Day” was recently sampled in Elle Varner’s song “Runaway,” a track from her debut mixtape Conversational Lush:

Los Angeles-born R&B songstress Elle Varner’s musical journey has been defined by her focus on family. Growing up with a pair of music-loving songwriters as parents, Elle has been surrounded by rhythm and melody since the day she was born. The 23-year-old writes and produces a good portion of her own material, but it’s no surprise that she welcomed the expertise of her mother and father for vocal arrangements and production ideas on her debut album. So far, it’s been a whirlwind of a year for Varner, who released her debut mixtape (Conversational Lush) in January, and is now prepping the relase of her debut album Perfectly Imperfect. On Conversation Lush, Elle has the good fortune of working with some of the hottest and most established producers in the business, including the J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Bei Maejor, and Just Blaze. On “Runaway,” Just Blaze borrowed the funk bass/Motown hi-hat shuffle intro from “Lovely Day,” and pitched it up a couple of steps to form the backbone of the song. Some well-placed keyboard and piano accents complete the arrangement, on which Elle Varner has room to soar vocally, complemented by some nicely-layered backing vocals. Elle Varner’s more traditional approach to contemporary R&B makes her an exciting young presence in pop music, and we’ll have our eyes and ears peeled when Perfectly Imperfect drops on August 7th, 2012.