The Delfonics are soul group who had their most successful period in the late sixties and early seventies. In 1968 they released a single entitled Ready or Not Here I Come. Though the Delfonics themselves weren’t on Motown, Motown’s own Jackson 5 covered the song in 1970.

A few decades later in 1996 The Fugees released their album The Score and soon released the single Ready or Not from it. Despite the similar title, the song didn’t contain any direct sample from The Delfonics track. Instead Fugees’s singer Lauryn Hill borrowed most of the melody and lyrics from that track when she sang it. They were almost sued however, but not by The Delfonics, but Irish singer Enya, who’s track Boadicea was sampled quite clearly in the Fugees track. The matter was settled out of court and the song became a great international hit.

Just a year later in 1997 A British DJ and Dutch vocalist scored a hit under the name The Score with their dance version of Ready or Not. You can wonder however whether they ever paid royalties to either The Delfonics, Enya or the Fugees. Here’s the original: The Delfonics – Ready or Not Here I Come: