The Incredible Bongo Band & The Apache

Arguably, DJs took Apache, and with it, put hip-hop on the grid. Not arguably, it could be one of the most sampled songs by hip-hop artists of all time. Missy Elliot, Coldcut, Will Smith, Jurassic Five, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, Moby and of course Sugarhill Gang, to name a few, have all found uses for the song in their own work. Originally performed by The Shadows, it was then taken by the likes of Grandmaster Flash, Kool Herc and Bronx block party DJs of the late 70s and turned into a breakdancing/hip-hop anthem.

Michael Viner worked A&R for MGM in the 70s and formed the Incredible Bongo Band to do soundtrack work for B movies. The band developed into a instrumental pop covers collective. Apache is their lead track on Bongo Rock and likely the one they are most known for. Ringo Star did some guest drumming on Bongo Rock and John Lennon even helped mix some of the album.

Bongo Rock or The Story Of The Incredible Bongo Band features the two original Bongo Band albums in their entirety and was re-released early this year with two bonus tracks. One an Apache remix by Grandmaster Flash and a Breakers mix of Last Bongo In Belgium. Go here to read all about it and buy it.



The song, as it was later interpreted by Sugarhill Gang, was a staple at parties throughout my college days. Groups of drunken men would put on Native American headgear and dance around to it in the middle of large gatherings. To this day, I haven't forgotten The Apache dance and still get excited any time it's played. Not that I am a big proponent of group dancing. I mean, you can pitch the electric slide and just about every other wedding group dance and I'd be just fine, but there's something about a group of drunken idiots reinacting Sugarhill's Apache that will always hold a place dear to my heart. Give it a try.

The Incredible Bongo Band - Apache
Sugarhill Gang - Apache
The Incredible Bongo Band - Apache (Grandmaster Flash Remix)

Although the band released two albums, 1973's Bongo Rock and 1974's Return of the Incredible Bongo Band, the band is best known for its cover of "Apache", a song originally made popular by The Shadows. This record languished in relative obscurity until the late 1970s, when it was adopted by early hip-hop artists for the uncommonly long percussion break in the middle of the song. Subsequently, many of the Incredible Bongo Band's other releases were sampled by hip-hop producers, and the "Apache" break remains a staple of many producers in drum and bass. - Wiki


Elsewhere : The Light Footwork

You've probably already read this, but in case you missed it. The Light Footwork have put their first/new video, The Art of Communication, Part I, on YouTube for all to view. Catch it here.