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Find Out Where Derek Vincent Smith Sampled Your Favorite Pretty Lights Tracks

August 7, 2014 By Tyler Hubin

Derek Vincent Smith is the resident king of samples in electronic music. Digging through obscure vinyls and spending hours upon hours in smalltime NYC record shops shows through in his music, as it has an old-time feel that can’t be replicated. With this hands on approach to his sound it’s no wonder why you can instantly ID a Pretty Lights track the second it’s played.

If you’re like me, you’ve been curious as to where Derek gets the inspiration on his time-defying tracks. It’s interesting when you hear a song from the 1950’s you wouldn’t necessarily know, but instantly connect it to a PL classic you love. This all shows that music is indeed timeless and lives on in every generation, through sampling or not. Check out the tracks below to compare and contrast some of your favorite PL songs with the originals from which they were sampled from.

Still Rockin’

Really cool to hear how a nondescript part of a 35-year-old track can be the backbone for a PL classic. This track from Derek off his “Making Up A Changing Mind” EP is one of his fan favorites. Taking his sample from “California Sunset” by The Originals, he reaches back to 1975 for this one. Fast forward to the 3:36 mark to hear the sample he turns into the dramatic intro for “Still Rockin”.

I Can See It In Your Face

My personal favorite track Smith has put out, there isn’t a thing wrong with this one. Upbeat and dance-y from the first second, you’re drawn in by the hip-hop beat and old school vocals in the background. But where did he sample it from? Check out O.V. Wright’s “I’ll Take Care Of You” dating all the way back to 1969.

A Million Tomorrows

Off his “Spilling Over Every Side” EP, this one may not be Derek’s claim to fame but it’s certainly up there. From the delicate piano in the intro to the old school horns in the middle, it all meshes beautifully with the near DnB tempo at the 4:25 mark. The vocals? They’re from 1931, supplied courtesy of Mildred Bailey’s “Too Late”. Check the 1:34 mark for the iconic lyrics.

Can’t Stop Me Now

One of Derek’s oldest tracks on this list just so happens to use the newest sample of the bunch. Tapping into his hip-hop roots using RZA & Inspectah Decks’ “You Can’t Stop Me Now”, you hear the guitar melody loud and clear at the :18 second mark. A few seconds later come the familiar vocals which are so prominent at the beginning of Smith’s “Can’t Stop Me Now”. You can clearly sense the influence from RZA’s track, yet also the many differences between the two.

Still Night

More love for our friend O.V. Wright in this one. The :12 second mark of Wright’s original is used for the legendary intro to Derek’s “Still Night”, and it yet again works perfectly with modern day electronic. BONUS. The “Welcome to the next level” vocal sample is from Tha Alkaholics “The Next Level”.

Forever Lost

One of Pretty Lights’ more soulful tracks, it comes as no surprise he sampled the funky Laura Lee for this one. From the very first note of both, there’s a similarity which any diehard PL fan can pick out. Although the horns at the end weren’t sampled, it remains one of my favorite parts of any track Derek has put out.

Out of Time

Off DVS’ wonderful “Glowing In The Darkest Night” EP, “Out of Time” is trademark PL. Slow, emotional build-ups all lead to a surprisingly hard drop to make this a killer live. Taking a page from none other than Gladys Knight & The Pips with “All I Need Is Time”, we now know the inspiration for the title of this Pretty Lights throwback. MEGA BONUS. The line “A spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down” is sampled from the 3:03 mark in Eyeda & Abilities “Pushing Buttons”.

Hot Like Sauce

If you’re asked to state the first track that comes to mind when you think of Pretty Lights, “Hot Like Sauce” very well might be it. On his “Filling Up The City Skies” EP from ’08, this one is just as loved today as it was the day it came out. The famous words “Life is too short to have sorrow, you may be here today and gone tomorrow” were originally uttered in Aaron Neville’s “Tell It Like It Is” from 1966. Take a listen at the 1:39 mark.

The Time Has Come

Joining “Hot Like Sauce” on the EP is this beautiful track. Derek brings you through the calm, the gorgeous, the weird, and back with one of his all time greats from over five years ago. Sampling the vocal at the 2:40 mark in Billy Paul’s “War Of The Gods”, it leaves you wondering just how much crate diving does he have to do in order to find something like this?

High School Art Class

It’s almost impossible for me to pick a favorite PL track, with each one being better than the one I listened to last. “High School Art Class” may very well be the grooviest production Smith has put out to date. Our dear friend O.V. Wright makes an appearance yet again, this time in “Everybody Knows” and is the supplier of the unforgettable piano which makes up PL’s track. It’s crazy to know that nearly 50 years after the fact, 20 year olds are still getting down to the same song they did in 1965.

Finally Moving

This wouldn’t be complete without ending it on arguably his most well known track of all time, “Finally Moving”. Everyone knows the vocal sample is from Etta James’ “Something’s Got A Hold On Me”, but the main rift is actually from Judy Clay and William Bell’s “Private Number”. Click play on this one and hear the track that gave Smith the inspiration to make this claim to fame.