Jungle Boogie

"Jungle Boogie"
Side A of the US single
Single by Kool & the Gang
from the album Wild and Peaceful
B-side"North, South, East, West"
ReleasedNovember 24, 1973
Recorded1973
GenreFunk[1]
Length3:08
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)Robert Earl Bell, Ronald Nathan Bell, Donald Boyce, George Melvin Brown, Robert Spike Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Clifford Adams and Dennis Thomas
Kool & the Gang singles chronology
"Funky Stuff"
(1973) 		"Jungle Boogie"
(1973) 		"Hollywood Swinging"
(1974)

"Jungle Boogie" is a funk record by Kool & the Gang from their 1973 album Wild and Peaceful.[2] It reached number four as a single, and became very popular in nightclubs.[3] Billboard ranked it as the number 12 single for 1974, despite as many as 36 No. 1 singles that year.

In 1994, Jungle Boogie was repopularized on the soundtrack of the film Pulp Fiction.[4] It was also used in promo packages by wrestling promotion Extreme Championship Wrestling in the mid-1990s.

Background

The spoken main vocal was performed by the band's roadie Don Boyce. An instrumental version of the tune with an overdubbed flute part and additional percussion instruments, titled "Jungle Jazz", appeared on the album Spirit of the Boogie. There is a Tarzan yell at the track's end and grunting, panting and scatting heard throughout.

Track listing

De-Lite Records – DE-559:[5]

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Jungle Boogie" (from the album Wild and Peaceful)Kool & the Gang and Ronald Bell3:08
2."North, East, South, West" (from the album Good Times)Rick West3:36

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[6] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

In other media

• The song was used in the teaser trailer for Dunston Checks In.

• This song was played in films such as The Lion King 1½, Undercover Brother, Ready to Rumble and Beerfest.

Charts

Chart (1973–1974) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[7] 4
US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[8] 2

References

  1. ^ Big Gigantic (September 20, 2016). "The 30 Best Funk Songs Ever". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Hamilton, Andrew. "Wild and Peaceful - Kool & the Gang". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  3. ^ Dean, Maury (2003). Rock N' Roll Gold Rush. Algora. p. 287. ISBN 0-87586-207-1.
  4. ^ "Pulp Fiction soundtrack: Every song in the movie by scene".
  5. ^ "Jungle Boogie/North, East, South, West". Discogs. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
  6. ^ "American single certifications – Kool & The Gang – Jungle Boogie". Recording Industry Association of America.
  7. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 473.
  8. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 332.