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]

Bongo Rock
Studio album by
Released1973 (1973)
StudioCan Base Studios, Vancouver, Canada
GenreFunk[1]
Length33:17
LabelPride
Producer
Incredible Bongo Band chronology
Bongo Rock
(1973)
The Return of the Incredible Bongo Band
(1974)

Background

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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

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [5]
Tiny Mix Tapes     [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

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Bongo Rock track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Let There Be Drums"2:41
2."Apache"Jerry Lordan4:53
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 Ingle7:43
7."Raunchy '73"
3:24
8."Bongo Rock '73"2:39
Total length:33:17

Charts

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

References

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  1. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c d e f 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.
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