The Rolling Stones clear Fatboy Slim sample after 25 years - listen to 'Satisfaction Skank'

The Rolling Stones have given superstar DJ Fatboy Slim the green light to sample their seminal song ‘(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction’ 25 years after he created a mashup with his track ‘The Rockafeller Skank’.

Shortly after the turn of the millennium, Fatboy Slim sampled the iconic riff and vocals from ‘Satisfaction’ and melded it with his 1998 chart hit ‘The Rockafeller Skank’ after he grew tired of playing the original at shows.

Speaking to BBC News, Fatboy Slim – aka former Housemartins bassist Norman Cook – enthused: "It was my secret weapon. I had this tune that nobody else had, and it was a really good encore."

The track was widely bootlegged throughout the noughties; however Cook was unable to get sample clearance for an official release.

Cook continued: "I got a call from Mick Jagger and he said he'd heard it and he liked the mix. But his management was just like, 'No, not even negotiable'.

"We've had a pretty flat 'no' for 20 years," said Cook. "I think we asked four times, and I wouldn't have dared to ask them again."

In a change of heart, The Rolling Stones themselves initiated the clearance of the sample earlier this year, and they supplied Cook with the song’s original master tapes so he could cook up a higher quality version.

‘Satisfaction Skank’ has been released today (Thursday 11th December), and you can hear the track below. A video follows at 4pm.

Listen to Fatboy Slim's 'Satisfaction Skank':

Back in May 2019, The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards ‘magnanimously’ ended the 22-year royalty dispute over The Verve’s 1997 hit single ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’.

A number two smash upon its release, ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ sampled the iconic sweeping strings from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra reworking of The Rolling Stones’ 1965 song ‘The Last Time’.

Although The Verve obtained a licence to use a sample, former Rolling Stones business manager Allen Klein successfully sued the Wigan indie band claiming they used more music from ‘The Last Time’ than the licence covered.

Ultimately, although they wanted a 50/50 split, The Verve relinquished 100% of their royalty rights and the songwriting credit was changed to Jagger/Richards/Ashcroft.

In what he called “a remarkable and life affirming turn of events” and a “magnanimous gesture”, The Verve’s frontman Richard Ashcroft confirmed yesterday that Mick Jagger and Keith Richards have agreed to pass all future royalties directly to him.

On top of this, they have removed their names from the songwriting credits for the song.

"It gives me great pleasure to announce as of last month Mick Jagger and Keith Richards agreed to give me their share of the song Bitter Sweet Symphony," Ashcroft said six years ago.

"This remarkable and life affirming turn of events was made possible by a kind and magnanimous gesture from Mick and Keith, who have also agreed that they are happy for the writing credit to exclude their names and all their royalties derived from the song they will now pass to me."

25 rock stars when they were children, including The Rolling Stones:

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