Mr Belt & Wezol – It’s Not Right But It’s Okay

Replay Heaven has been doing sample relays for Mr Belt and Wezol for many years, but they really hit the mark on this Whitney Houston cover which has now streamed more than 126 million! It took quite a while to convince Whitney’s estate than that this was not her original vocal as they could not see how we could get it this close but, as ever, we worked with their legal teams to show the original recording sessions for the replay and how they built up to make the finished track until they were satisfied!

Issey Cross – Bittersweet Goodbye

Replay Heaven recreated the legendary strings from Bittersweet Symphony by the Verve (themselves based on a cover version of the Rolling Stones “The Last Time”) for this drum and bass banger by Issey Cross. We always use live players for strings, brass etc, paying particular attention to the equipment used and mic techniques found on the original records to get a much more accurate sound that can be achieved with programming. This track has now streamed over 45 million.

Rudimental – Alibi

Replay Heaven recreated the epic choir sample here, based on Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” interpretation of the Stevie Wonder original.

Nemzzz – (multiple tracks)

Replay Heaven has been providing sample replays for various beats by hot Manchester rapper Nemzzz who is seeing many millions of streams of his independent music.

Marcus King – F*ck My Life Up Again

Most of the time Replay Heaven is working on dance and hip hop tracks, so it’s always great to get an opportunity to work outside the electronic genre. Here we were very privileged to work with the incredibly talented Marcus King and legendary producer Rick Rubin to recreate the “Theme From The Planets” breakbeat by Dexter Wansel.

Oliver Heldens, Ian Asher, Sergio Mendes – Mas Que Nada

Though this 23 million streaming house version of Mac Que Nada credits Sergio Mendes himself as a co-artist, all the sample elements you hear in the track are created by the Replay Heaven team (copying the version of the track used in the movie Rio) including the gang and lead vocals, samba band and orchestral strings.

Songer – Toxic Freestyle

Replay Heaven recreated the whole backing track of Britney Spears’ Toxic here for Songer’s viral freestyle. Lots of great fun details to copy here like the double layer of strings combining replays of a Bollywood string sample with replays of the 2000s era Swedish overdub strings, and the crazy pitched down guitar for the bass.

Armand Van Helden – I Want Your Soul (2023 mixes)

When AVH released I Want Your Soul in 2007 he used the original Siedah Garrett sample. However, having working with Replay Heaven on various other projects, when he returned to the track in 2023 for a new remix package, Replay Heaven was commissioned to deliver a full replay of the sample, plus elements from his own 2007 production, to give the new remixers maximum control over what elements they could use in the mix etc.

ESSEL & James Hurt – Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)

The Replay Heaven vocals for this banging cover of the Blue Cantell RnB classic was so accurate that the original master owners didn’t believe it was a re-recording at first. (This happens from time to time but it is always possible to prove the re-recording by reference to the recording session project, dry files, outtakes, video footage etc). Now streaming over 17 million.

Shotgun Willy – Cheat Codes For Hoes

Shotgun Willy perfected his formula here of naive samples mashed up against fast talking filth! Replay Heaven recreated the lovely Mr Sandman by the Chordettes here, working with singers who specialise in close harmony, recording on authentic 1940s microphones and other vintage outboard to create a fully believable re-recording that didn’t sound like a modern cover version. Replay Heaven has an extensive collection of recording equipment from every decade from the 1940s to present day to enable us to work on the exact gear used in the original version.

LF System – Dancing Shoes (Take me Higher)

Another big sample replay for LF System here, essentially building up the entire track apart from the drums! It’s a replay of Plaza – (Got My) Dancing Shoes, and we particularly enjoyed recording the beautiful vocals by Kelly Barnes, the lush string interlude and the fat as funk Prophet bassline!

Campbell – Beat Goes On (Rhythm To The Brain)

We are increasingly having to replay tracks on stupidly fast turnarounds as bootleg mixes blow up on TikTok and have to be converted rapidly to legal, released versions of the track in a race to market with competing knock-off versions.

This track by Campbell contained multiple layers of sample history, as he had sampled All Seeing I, who were themselves sampling Buddy Rich (with Kathy Rich) and they were covering a Sonny and Cher song!

This sample replay was turned around by the Replay Heaven team in under a week, while multiple labels were bidding to release the track (and / or make their own competing versions) in the background. All very dramatic.

LF System – Afraid To Feel

So this massive track has become the longest running UK dance number 1 in history! The bulk of the track you hear is Replay Heaven’s sample replay of Silk’s “I Can’t Stop (Turning you on)”. Our version is performed by Hal Ritson, Richard Adlam, Rob Harris and Graeme Blevins with stunning lead vocals from Louise Claire Marshall.

The authentic 70s vibe is got by recording everything on period correct vintage equipment – nothing on the record manufactured after the 70s! However at mixdown the artist had full access to the multitrack stems from Replay Heaven so they were able to balance the elements better for a modern dance track than would have been possible using the original sample master.

Jamie T – 90s Cars

A more unusual source material for a sample replay here – sampling This Mortal Coil, Kangaroo, replayed by Replay Heaven.

Tom Santa – Rainfall (Praise You)

Replay Heaven did the sample replay for all the vocals on this house smash which has now passed 180 million streams based on Shackles by Mary Mary.

James Hype – Ferrari

Now at over 600 million streams for this epic track using a Replay Heaven sample replay of the guitar hook from P.Diddy’s “I need a girl”.

Nektunez – Ameno Amapiano

Big style choral vibes here in the replay for this Amapiano modern classic.

Forever ’99 – I Love You

One of the most enjoyable replays to work on of 2021 was this rework of Silly Love Love songs by Paul McCartney and Wings for Boys Noize founder Alex Ridha. I was really fun to work on the multiple overlapping melodies delivered by such contrasting and recognisable voices, plus recording all the live brass and strings on period correct 70s equipment etc.

Ed Sheeran – Collide

Replay Heaven worked for producer Fred Again (a regular collaborator / client) on recreating percussion elements in this track to clear the master of the audio hits.

Duane Harden, House Gospel Choir – You Don’t Know Me

Replay Heaven had to do a sample replay of the entirety of Armand Van Helden’s legendary You Don’t Know Me, including both the source Carrie Lucas “Dance with you” sample, and all the additional AVH production from the 90s, including matching the correct samplers and 90s rack effects. Ironically at the same time we were replaying Armand Van Helden for one client, while doing replays for Armand himself too. Such is dance music.