Details
TonalidadG
Compás4/4
Tempo122 BPM
Duración5:20
ISRCGBDUW0000053
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The story behind
The first time you hear *One More Time*, it's almost impossible not to notice that voice that seems to float, almost ethereal. What makes this Daft Punk track so special is precisely that voice, which was treated with a lot of *auto-tune* and compression. Thomas Bangalter, one of the duo's members, compared this technique to the initial rejection the synthesizer generated in the 70s in France: it's about using new tools to create sounds that didn't exist before, rather than simply replacing traditional instruments. And it seems that Romanthony, who wrote and sang the vocal part, loved the result, always seeking to innovate. The song, which was completed in 1998 but waited until 2000 to see the light, feels like a bridge between the duo's first album, Homework, and their next work, Discovery. The track is also part of the 2003 animated film, Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem.
Behind this very particular sound, there's an interesting story. Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo met Romanthony in 1996 and became friends. They tried to collaborate on their first album, but at first, they struggled to convince him. Finally, Romanthony released his own single on Bangalter's label before *One More Time* came out. The song uses a sample from "More Spell on You", a 1978 track by Liberian singer Eddie Johns. This sample, consisting of fragments of the horn riff, became the song's foundation. The curious thing is that Eddie Johns, who had suffered a stroke and was going through financial difficulties, did not receive credit or royalties initially. Although the duo denied using the sample at first, it was later confirmed that the rights had been managed by the French company GM Musipro since 1995. In 2021, it was estimated that Johns could have been owed a considerable sum for the use of his music. The track, released by Virgin Records in November 2000, reached number one in France and number two in the UK, in addition to reaching number 61 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
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