Eddie Johns’ 1979 disco track ‘More Spell On You‘ became a part of music history when Daft Punk sampled it for their 2001 hit ‘One More Time‘. But despite the track’s enduring legacy, Johns has never received any royalties from the song, as far as i can find out!
Now living in a supportive housing facility in Los Angeles, Johns has faced years of financial hardship and homelessness. A stroke ten years ago left him unable to work, and until recently, he was unaware of his music’s impact. His case manager, Alyssa Cash, was the one who made the connection after discovering online videos about the sample.
While Daft Punk did license the sample legally, the royalties have been paid to the current rights holder, French label GM Musipro, which acquired the catalog in 1995. The label claims they had lost track of Johns but are now reviewing his case and plan to reach out.
Johns, originally from Liberia and later based in Paris, admits he never secured proper legal protection for his work. His story highlights the murky side of music sampling and the struggles of artists who helped shape dance music but were left behind in the industry’s complex legal system.
Here is the full sample breakdown video from Tracklib
Here’s a video I made on it around 4 years ago
And one I made about Eddie when the LA Times article was first released.
And of course, One More Time!
