Back in 1998, Bob Sinclar and Thomas Bangalter (yes, the Daft Punk guy) crossed paths at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. Sinclar wanted to sample Motown Sounds’ Bad Mouthin’. Bangalter, being the French-house genius he is, whipped up a track and threw in a cheeky vocal sample from Jane Fonda’s Workout tape—yep, an aerobics tape.
One catch: Bangalter didn’t clear the samples and told Sinclar two things—don’t release it as a single and don’t credit him. Sinclar agreed… at first…
Bob Sinclar – Gym tonic (Original) Produced by Thomas Bangalter
The Hype, The Drama
Fast forward a few weeks—Sinclar’s album Paradise drops, and one track is getting crazy attention: Gym Tonic. Warner Music smells a hit and pushes for a single release. Sinclar allegedly tries to reach Bangalter for approval, but no response. Under pressure, he releases it anyway, labeling it promo only.
Bangalter? Not happy. Lawyers get involved. But wait—it gets messier.
Enter Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda’s legal team hears her voice on the track and they aren’t thrilled either. She allegedly demands $30,000 to clear the sample. Meanwhile, Warner decides to sidestep the drama by commissioning a “remake” under the name Gym & Tonic by Spacedust. They keep the Motown Sounds sample but re-record the vocals (poorly), and somehow, it hits #1 in the UK.
The Fallout
Bangalter takes his revenge by pulling Sinclar’s remix of Music Sounds Better With You from future pressings of the Stardust CD single. The two never work together again.
Despite all the legal battles, the original Gym Tonic remains a French-house classic. If you drop it in a set today, the crowd will still be ready for a workout. Pun intended.
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