What Does Daft Punk’s “One More Time” Sample – and Who Sings It?
Daft Punk’s “One More Time” samples “More Spell on You” by Eddie Johns. The lead singer on “One More Time” is Romanthony. They are two different contributors to the sound of the record: Johns is the artist behind the sampled track, while Romanthony wrote and performed the vocal.
That distinction explains why searches for the “original singer” can produce apparently conflicting answers.
What is the sample in “One More Time”?
The source is Eddie Johns’s 1979 disco recording “More Spell on You”. Short passages from its brass arrangement were transformed into the repeating musical figure in Daft Punk’s track.
WhoSampled’s comparison identifies multiple source moments. That is helpful here because the connection is less obvious than a long passage copied in its original order.
Instead of waiting for the Daft Punk hook to appear fully formed in the earlier song, listen for its smaller building blocks.
Why is the original sample difficult to recognise?
A short section of a recording can take on a different character when it is cut, repeated and placed in a new sequence. You may recognise the tone before you recognise the tune.
With “One More Time”, it helps to separate two questions: “Where did that sound come from?” and “How was it arranged into this hook?” Identifying Eddie Johns answers the first. Comparing the individual fragments helps with the second.
For a focused listen, start with the sample comparison and then return to the full Daft Punk track. Follow the brass-like sound underneath the singing. Once you can pick it out, notice how much of the record’s identity comes from that recurring instrumental part.
Who is Romanthony?
Romanthony was American singer and producer Anthony Moore. His vocal is central to “One More Time”, although the processing can make it sound less like a conventional lead performance.
The vocal uses Auto-Tune as an audible effect. That electronic character does not mean the voice was generated: there is a singer’s phrasing and performance behind it.
It is useful to keep the credits separate:
| Name | Role in the connection |
|---|---|
| Daft Punk | Artists behind “One More Time” |
| Romanthony | Lead vocalist and vocal writer |
| Eddie Johns | Artist behind the sampled “More Spell on You” |
Is “One More Time” a remix of Eddie Johns?
No. It is a Daft Punk song that incorporates a sample from his recording. The new vocal and arrangement make it a different work from “More Spell on You”.
Both tracks are worth hearing in full. Listening only to a sample comparison is useful for spotting the connection, but it leaves out the wider song the original performance belonged to.
When was “One More Time” released?
The single arrived in 2000 and appeared on Daft Punk’s 2001 album Discovery.
Its sample is a good next stop if you have been exploring Radar’s 25 famous songs built on samples. Some connections are obvious as soon as the original starts; this one rewards slowing down and listening to the pieces.