Fatboy Slim’s legendary record Satisfaction Skank, which circulated as a pirated copy for years, is finally being officially released after the Rolling Stones approved its use as a sample after 25 years. The track, created by Norman Cook in the late 1990s by combining the Satisfaction riff with his own hit The Rockafeller Skank, was his “secret weapon” at the time, played only on stage.
The Stones refused to give permission for the track, which spread rapidly on platforms like Napster and Kazaa in the 2000s. Even Cook himself says he sometimes buys bootleg versions recorded from his own performances.
Although Mick Jagger reportedly liked the song, management had given a “definitely no” answer for years. Cook tried to get approval four times over the years; at one point, the deal for the remix of “Sympathy For The Devil” even included “Satisfaction Skank” as the B-side, but the project was cancelled. Despite this, the initiative eventually came from the Rolling Stones. The band even sent Cook the original master recordings, allowing him to produce a high-quality version. This approach shows that the Stones have become more flexible in recent years regarding the reuse of their works.Indeed, in 2019, the group returned the royalties that The Verve had received for years from their song Bittersweet Symphony, thus returning musician Richard Ashcroft’s royalties.
Fatboy Slim’s 40-Year Journey
Satisfaction Skank has been an indispensable part of Fatboy Slim’s concerts for a quarter of a century. Cook says that although he doesn’t remember the first time he played it, he hasn’t forgotten the debut of The Rockafeller Skank at the Big Beat Boutique in Brighton in 1998: “I played the song and everyone went crazy.” The song later achieved great success, reaching the Top 10. Cook points out that the reason the piece is described as “the Bohemian Rhapsody of dance music” is because it consists of different segments that are technically combined.
Busiest Year and No Retirement Plan
This year has been the busiest year of his career for the 62-year-old artist: 115 concerts, a new book (It Ain’t Over… ’Til the Fatboy Sings) and social projects. Expanding her DJ workshop program in Sussex for those with serious mental health issues, Cook says, “Music played a critical role in my own healing process. It’s a privilege to share this power with others.”
Opening 2026 with concerts in Indonesia and Bali, the artist will then embark on an extensive UK tour and bring back the Big Beach Boutique festival on Brighton beach.
As for retirement, she has a clear answer: “Never.”
“I saw what retirement is like during the pandemic: lunches and golf. It doesn’t interest me at all. So I’ll keep working.”/wp:paragraph –>
