Bongo Rock (album)

Last updated

Bongo Rock
Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock.png
Studio album by
Released1973 (1973)
Studio Can Base Studios, Vancouver, Canada
Genre Funk [1]
Length33:17
Label Pride
Producer
Incredible Bongo Band chronology
Bongo Rock
(1973)
The Return of the Incredible Bongo Band
(1974)

Bongo Rock is the debut studio album by Incredible Bongo Band, released in 1973. [2] It peaked at number 197 on the Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. [3] It includes the band's version of the Jerry Lordan-written song "Apache". [4]

Contents

Background

Michael Viner, who was an executive at MGM Records, started the project Incredible Bongo Band. [5] He was asked to provide music to the soundtrack for the film The Thing with Two Heads ; he and Perry Botkin Jr. recorded the songs "Bongo Rock" and "Bongolia". [5] After that, they decided to create the album Bongo Rock. [5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [5]
Tiny Mix Tapes Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1]

Jeff Tamarkin of AllMusic wrote, "Interesting as it is to hear how the bongo-centric beats were toyed with by the hip-hoppers, the original recordings stand up on their own as classically kitschy cheese-rock." [5] He added, "Bongos aren't the only sound heard, naturally, and fans of both lounge-rock and that crisp, reverby guitar sound prominent in old spy movies and Ventures records will dig what the IBB were all about." [5] Alan Ranta of Tiny Mix Tapes stated that "'Apache' may be the most recognizable, but there is still a rich field of extractable samples to be had for the next generation." [1]

Track listing

Bongo Rock track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let There Be Drums"2:41
2."Apache" Jerry Lordan 4:53
3."Bongolia" Perry Botkin Jr. 2:15
4."Last Bongo in Belgium"
6:55
5."Dueling Bongos"
  • Perry Botkin Jr.
  • Michael Viner
2:58
6."In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" Doug Ingle 7:43
7."Raunchy '73"
3:24
8."Bongo Rock '73"2:39
Total length:33:17

Charts

Chart performance for Bongo Rock
Chart (1973)Peak
position
US Top LPs & Tape ( Billboard ) [3] 197
US Top Soul LPs ( Billboard ) [6] 58

Related Research Articles

<i>The Dark Side of the Moon</i> 1973 studio album by Pink Floyd

The Dark Side of the Moon is the eighth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 1 March 1973 by Harvest Records in the UK and Capitol Records in the US. Developed during live performances before recording began, it was conceived as a concept album that would focus on the pressures faced by the band during their arduous lifestyle, and also deal with the mental health problems of the former band member Syd Barrett, who had departed the group in 1968. New material was recorded in two sessions in 1972 and 1973 at EMI Studios in London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Airplane</span> American rock band

Jefferson Airplane was an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1965 that became one of the pioneering bands of psychedelic rock. The group defined the San Francisco Sound and was the first from the Bay Area to achieve international commercial success. They headlined the Monterey Pop Festival (1967), Woodstock (1969), Altamont Free Concert (1969), and the first Isle of Wight Festival (1968) in England. Their 1967 breakout album Surrealistic Pillow was one of the most significant recordings of the Summer of Love. Two songs from that album, "Somebody to Love" and "White Rabbit", are among Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<i>Nazz</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Nazz

Nazz is the debut album by American rock group Nazz. It was released in 1968. The album spawned two singles, "Open My Eyes" and "Hello It's Me", with the latter reaching number 66 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. "Open My Eyes" failed to chart but came to be regarded as a psychedelic rock classic, appearing on several compilations of the genre. "Hello It's Me" became a hit when Nazz guitarist Todd Rundgren re-recorded it for his 1972 solo album Something/Anything?.

<i>After Bathing at Baxters</i> 1967 studio album by Jefferson Airplane

After Bathing at Baxter's is the third studio album by the San Francisco psychedelic rock band Jefferson Airplane, released in 1967 as RCA Victor LSO-1511 (stereo) and LOP-1511 (mono). The cover art is by artist Ron Cobb.

The Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive at MGM Records, producer, MGM Records executive and Curb Records founder Mike Curb and arranger Perry Botkin, Jr. Viner was called on to supplement the soundtrack to the B-film The Thing With Two Heads. The band's output consisted of upbeat, funky, instrumental music. Many tracks were covers of popular songs of the day characterized by the prominence of bongo drums, conga drums, rock drums and brass.

<i>Jefferson Airplane Takes Off</i> 1966 studio album by Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane Takes Off is the debut studio album by the American rock band Jefferson Airplane, released on 15 August 1966 by RCA Victor. The personnel differs from the later "classic" lineup: Signe Toly Anderson was the female vocalist and Skip Spence played drums. Both soon left the group—Spence in May 1966, Anderson in October—and were replaced by Spencer Dryden and Grace Slick, respectively.

<i>Caravanserai</i> (album) 1972 studio album by Santana

Caravanserai is the fourth studio album by American rock band Santana, released on October 11, 1972. The album marked a period of transition for Santana as it was the band's last to feature several key early members, while shifting in a more instrumental, progressive jazz fusion direction. It sold in fewer quantities than the band's previous chart-topping albums, stalling at No. 8 on the Billboard LPs chart, but has been critically acclaimed.

Georgie James was an American indie pop/rock group from Washington D.C. composed of John Davis and Laura Burhenn.

<i>Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages</i> 1968 studio album by Tyrannosaurus Rex

Prophets, Seers & Sages: The Angels of the Ages is the second studio album by English psychedelic folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex. It was released on 1 November 1968 by record label Regal Zonophone.

<i>Thank God for Mental Illness</i> 1996 studio album by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Thank God for Mental Illness is the fifth studio album by American psychedelic rock band The Brian Jonestown Massacre. After releasing Take It from the Man! and Their Satanic Majesties' Second Request in mid-1996, both of which display influences from 1960s psychedelic music, departing from the band's earlier shoegaze sound, the band recorded Thank God for Mental Illness through "tangible custom lo-fi stereo" in their San Francisco home studio on July 11, 1996, with the budget of $17.36.

<i>Pink</i> (Boris album) 2005 studio album by Boris

Pink is the tenth album by Japanese experimental music band Boris. It was originally released in 2005 through Diwphalanx Records in Japan and subsequently reissued in 2006 by American label Southern Lord Records.

<i>White Rabbit</i> (George Benson album) 1972 studio album by George Benson

White Rabbit is an album by George Benson. The title track is a cover of the famous Jefferson Airplane song by Grace Slick.This album was George Benson's second CTI Records project produced by Creed Taylor and was recorded nine months after Beyond the Blue Horizon.

<i>Surgery</i> (album) 2005 studio album by the Warlocks

Surgery is the third full-length album by American psychedelic rock band the Warlocks. It was released by major label Mute in 2005, and was produced by Tom Rothrock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Furry Animals discography</span> Music discography

The discography of Super Furry Animals, a Welsh indie rock band, consists of nine studio albums, four extended plays, twenty three singles and three video albums. Super Furry Animals were formed in 1993 in Cardiff, Wales by Gruff Rhys, Huw Bunford, Guto Pryce, Cian Ciaran and Dafydd Ieuan.

Michael Ames Viner was an American film producer and record producer, who later shifted into book publishing and became an innovator in the audiobook field. A widely sampled percussion break in the recording of the song "Apache" by the Incredible Bongo Band, a group he assembled in the early 1970s, has been frequently integrated into many hip hop recordings.

<i>I Learned the Hard Way</i> 2010 studio album by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings

I Learned the Hard Way is the fourth studio album by American soul and funk band Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, released April 6, 2010 on Daptone Records. Production for the album took place at the label's House of Soul Studios during 2009 to 2010 and was handled by Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth, credited for the album as "Bosco Mann". The album debuted at number 15 on the US Billboard 200, selling 23,000 copies in its first week. Upon its release, I Learned the Hard Way received generally positive reviews from most music critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida</span> 1968 single by Iron Butterfly

"In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" is a song recorded by Iron Butterfly, written by band member Doug Ingle and released on their 1968 album of the same name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apache (instrumental)</span> 1960 instrumental composed by Jerry Lordan

"Apache" is a tune written by Jerry Lordan and first recorded by Bert Weedon. Lordan played the song on ukulele to the Shadows while on tour and, liking the song, the group released their own version which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in mid-1960. The Shadows' guitarist Hank Marvin developed the song's distinctive echo and vibrato sound. After hearing the Shadows' version, Danish guitarist Jørgen Ingmann released a cover of the song in November 1960 which peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US.

<i>Insides</i> (album) 2009 studio album by Jon Hopkins

Insides is the third studio album by English musician and producer Jon Hopkins. Released on 5 May 2009, it reached No. 15 on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Album Chart in 2009. PopMatters listed the album as one of the top ten electronic albums of 2009.

<i>Dude Incredible</i> 2014 album by Shellac

Dude Incredible is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Shellac, released on September 16, 2014 on Touch and Go Records. This is the final studio album released during Steve Albini's lifetime.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Ranta, Alan. "Incredible Bongo Band - Bongo Rock". Tiny Mix Tapes . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  2. Huey, Steve. "Incredible Bongo Band". AllMusic . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Top LP's & Tape". Billboard : 64. August 25, 1973.
  4. Patrin, Nate (December 11, 2018). "Breaks With Tradition: "Apache"". Stereogum . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Tamarkin, Jeff. "Bongo Rock - Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band / Incredible Bongo Band". AllMusic . Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  6. "Soul LP's". Billboard : 23. September 1, 1973.