One of dance music’s most notorious unreleased tracks is finally official. Fatboy Slim’s Satisfaction Skank, long regarded as one of the world’s most bootlegged recordings, has been cleared for release after 25 years in limbo. The breakthrough came after The Rolling Stones approved the use of their iconic riff from (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.
Norman Cook created Satisfaction Skank by merging the Stones’ guitar hook with his own The Rockafeller Skank. The original single became a UK Top 10 hit in 1998 and helped define the big beat explosion. Cook began using the hybrid version as an encore after growing tired of playing the original.
For years, the track existed only as rumour, cassette rips and unofficial vinyl pressings. Despite its reputation, it was never legally available, even to Cook himself.
Satisfaction Skank quickly became a staple of Cook’s DJ sets. It gained near mythical status as audiences shared recordings from live shows. During the early 2000s, the track spread rapidly through Napster and Kazaa, well before streaming culture normalised viral moments.
Cook even bought bootleg copies himself, many sourced from BBC Radio 1 broadcasts that had been taped and pressed to vinyl. The track’s scarcity only increased its appeal, turning it into a holy grail for collectors and fans.
Repeated attempts were made to clear the Rolling Stones sample. Mick Jagger personally expressed approval of the mix, but management consistently declined permission. Several proposals collapsed, including a plan to release Satisfaction Skank as a B-side to a remix of Sympathy For The Devil.
After two decades of refusals, the approval came unexpectedly from the Stones’ camp. The band not only granted clearance but also supplied their original master tapes. These were delivered securely, allowing Cook to rebuild the track with vastly improved audio quality.
The decision reflects a broader shift in how the Stones view reinterpretations of their catalogue. In recent years, they have shown greater openness to contextual reuse, including resolving long running publishing disputes around Bittersweet Symphony.
The clearance closes one of dance music’s longest running licensing sagas and legitimises a track already embedded in club culture history.
Originally released in 1965, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction is one of the most influential songs in popular music. Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, its fuzz driven riff is widely regarded as one of rock’s greatest hooks.
The song delivered the Rolling Stones their first US number one and later topped the UK charts. Its themes of frustration, commercialism and alienation resonated deeply during the decade. Over time, it became a cornerstone of rock history, inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and the US National Recording Registry.
Keith Richards famously conceived the riff in his sleep, recording it on a cassette before forgetting about it. That moment produced a sound which would echo across generations, eventually finding new life inside Cook’s big beat framework.
The release arrives during one of the busiest periods of Cook’s career. He has logged a personal record number of DJ performances across multiple continents. He also recently published his first illustrated book, It Ain’t Over… ‘Til The Fatboy Sings, reflecting on four decades in music.
Cook’s career began with The Housemartins before branching into Beats International, Freak Power and multiple DJ aliases including Pizzaman and Mighty Dub Katz. As Fatboy Slim, he became one of Britain’s most recognisable electronic artists.
In 2025 Cook has continued to support mental health initiatives through DJ workshops in Sussex and remains committed to live performance.
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