Apache (instrumental)
Encyclopedia
"Apache" is an instrumental
written by Jerry Lordan
. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British
group The Shadows
in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart
for five weeks. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Apache" at number 96 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In North America, the song is identified with Jørgen Ingmann
, a jazz guitarist from Denmark
. In 1961, Ingmann produced a cover version that, billed to "Jørgen Ingmann and His Guitar," made number two on the US pop chart
, and number one on Canada's CHUM Chart
.
A 1973 version by the Incredible Bongo Band
has been called "hip-hop’s national anthem". Although this version was not a hit on release, the long percussion break in the middle has been sampled countless times on hip-hop, rap and dance tracks from the 1980s.
came up with the tune. The title "Apache" reflects the source of Lordan's inspiration: the 1954 American western film Apache
.
The original recording was by British guitarist Bert Weedon
in early 1960. It remained unreleased for several months. In the mid-1960 the Shadows were on tour with Lordan as a supporting act. The band discovered "Apache" when Lordan played it on a ukelele. Lordan figured the tune would fit the Shadows; the band agreed.
Abbey Road Studio in London
. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown
had bought an Italian-built guitar echo chamber
that he didn't like and gave it to Hank Marvin
who developed a distinctive sound using it and the tremolo arm
of his Fender Stratocaster
. Bruce Welch
borrowed an acoustic Gibson J200 guitar from Cliff Richard
, the heavy melodic bass was by Jet Harris
, percussion was by Tony Meehan
and Cliff Richard
, who played a Chinese drum at the beginning and end to provide an atmosphere of stereotypically Native American music.
Record producer
Norrie Paramor
preferred the flip side, an instrumental of the army song "The Quartermaster's Stores", now called "The Quatermasster's Stores" after the TV series Quatermass
. Paramor changed his mind after his daughter preferred "Apache". It has been cited by a generation of guitarists as inspirational and is considered one of the most influential British rock 45s of the pre-Beatles era. The Shadows stated -
NME
- September 1963
in 1962 and Davie Allan and The Arrows in 1965. Sonny James
recorded a vocal music
version in 1961.. It was produced in Nashville by Chet Atkins
, and was review-rated as a 'Spotlight Winner'. Billboard Music Week in its edition of March 6, 1961.
George Harrison
said The Beatles
used to play "Apache" as well as other Shadows hits ("FBI", "The Frightened City") during their shows in Hamburg.
In 1970, English progressive rock
group The Edgar Broughton Band released a single "Apache Dropout", which combined "Apache" with a version of Captain Beefheart
's "Dropout Boogie". The highly unorthodox single reached # 33 on the UK Singles Chart
.
as an early element of hip hop music
with the record sampled and scratch
ed by DJs. But it wasn't the hit version by The Shadows, Ingmann or Weedon that Bambaataa, Kool Herc and the like turned into "hip-hop’s anthem": it was the 1973 version by Michael Viner
and an ad hoc group called the Incredible Bongo Band
. They added a bongo drum
intro and added more percussion. This version was not a hit on release but became the sampled foundation of rap and hip-hop classics, reworked by hip hop performers such as the Sugarhill Gang, L.L. Cool J, The Roots
, Nas
, and techno
performers Future Sound of London, Moby
and drum and bass
acts J. Majik and Goldie
.
version of the song on their second album 8th Wonder. In 1995 this version gained new popularity after being featured in "Viva Lost Wages", a sixth-season episode of the NBC
sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
, as well as a subsequent clip show
from the series. Using the distinctive beat and bongo drums, the Sugarhill Gang added rap lyrics with references, including:
played off of the lyrics to Sugarhill Gang's "Apache" in his hit version of "Jump on It", released on the album Return of the Bumpasaurus
.
of the WNBA adopted "Apache" as the unofficial team anthem in 2007. Following victories, the team would dance to the song at center court. For the first home game of the team's first WNBA Finals
appearance, the team brought in the Sugarhill Gang to perform the song at halftime.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
written by Jerry Lordan
Jerry Lordan
Jerry Lordan , born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in Paddington, west London, was an English songwriter, composer and singer.-Career:...
. It has been recorded by many people, but the first released version was recorded by British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
group The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
in June 1960 and released the following month. The song topped the UK singles chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for five weeks. In March 2005, Q magazine placed "Apache" at number 96 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
In North America, the song is identified with Jørgen Ingmann
Jørgen Ingmann
Jørgen Ingmann is a musician from Copenhagen, Denmark.He worked with Svend Asmussen, the jazz violinist, during the 1940s and part of the 1950s....
, a jazz guitarist from Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. In 1961, Ingmann produced a cover version that, billed to "Jørgen Ingmann and His Guitar," made number two on the US pop chart
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
, and number one on Canada's CHUM Chart
CHUM Chart
The CHUM Chart was a ranking of top 30 songs on Toronto, Ontario radio station CHUM 1050 AM, from 1957 to 1986, and was the longest-running Top 40 chart in the world produced by an individual radio station...
.
A 1973 version by the Incredible Bongo Band
Incredible Bongo Band
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. Viner was called on to supplement the soundtrack to the virtually anonymous B film The Thing With Two Heads. The...
has been called "hip-hop’s national anthem". Although this version was not a hit on release, the long percussion break in the middle has been sampled countless times on hip-hop, rap and dance tracks from the 1980s.
Composition and original recording
English songwriter and composer Jerry LordanJerry Lordan
Jerry Lordan , born Jeremiah Patrick Lordan in Paddington, west London, was an English songwriter, composer and singer.-Career:...
came up with the tune. The title "Apache" reflects the source of Lordan's inspiration: the 1954 American western film Apache
Apache (film)
-Plot:Following the surrender of Geronimo, Massai, the last Apache warrior is captured and scheduled for transportation to a Florida reservation. On the way he manages to escape and heads for his homeland to win back his girl and settle down to grow crops...
.
The original recording was by British guitarist Bert Weedon
Bert Weedon
Herbert Maurice William 'Bert' Weedon OBE is an English guitarist and composer whose style of guitar playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was born in Burges Road, East Ham, Essex, now Greater London....
in early 1960. It remained unreleased for several months. In the mid-1960 the Shadows were on tour with Lordan as a supporting act. The band discovered "Apache" when Lordan played it on a ukelele. Lordan figured the tune would fit the Shadows; the band agreed.
Shadows version
The recording was done at the EMIEMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
Abbey Road Studio in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown
Joe Brown (singer)
Joe Brown, MBE is an English entertainer.He has worked as a rock and roll singer and guitarist for more than five decades. He was a stage and television performer in the late 1950s and a UK recording star in the early 1960s...
had bought an Italian-built guitar echo chamber
Echo chamber
thumb|right|Echo chamber of the Dresden University of Technologythumb|right|Hamilton Mausoleum has a spectacularly long lasting unplanned echoAn echo chamber is a hollow enclosure used to produce echoing sounds, usually for recording purposes...
that he didn't like and gave it to Hank Marvin
Hank Marvin
Hank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
who developed a distinctive sound using it and the tremolo arm
Tremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
of his Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
. Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch
Bruce Welch OBE, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer and singer, best known as a member of The Shadows.-Biography:...
borrowed an acoustic Gibson J200 guitar from Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, the heavy melodic bass was by Jet Harris
Jet Harris
Jet Harris, MBE was an English musician. He was the bass guitarist of The Shadows until April 1962, and had subsequent success as a soloist and as a duo with the drummer Tony Meehan....
, percussion was by Tony Meehan
Tony Meehan
Daniel Joseph Anthony "Tony" Meehan was a founder member of the British group The Shadows with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch...
and Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, who played a Chinese drum at the beginning and end to provide an atmosphere of stereotypically Native American music.
Record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor
Norrie Paramor was a British record producer, composer, arranger, and orchestral conductor.Although the term "producer" was not in circulation at the time Paramor started producing records , he effectively began this role in 1952 when he became Recording Director for EMI's Columbia...
preferred the flip side, an instrumental of the army song "The Quartermaster's Stores", now called "The Quatermasster's Stores" after the TV series Quatermass
Quatermass
Quatermass may best be known as the surname of the title character of a British science fiction franchise of several television serials and films, and a radio production...
. Paramor changed his mind after his daughter preferred "Apache". It has been cited by a generation of guitarists as inspirational and is considered one of the most influential British rock 45s of the pre-Beatles era. The Shadows stated -
NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
- September 1963
Later versions of the same music
After the Shadows version began its rise up the UK charts, Weedon's original climbed to #24 in the UK. However, neither the Shadows nor Weedon had any impact on North America. Then in 1961, Ingmann produced his own 'twangy' multi-tracked cover version that was a hit in the US and Canada. From this point, the song became a staple of instrumental combos on both sides of the Atlantic. Among many recordings, Spanish rock band Los Pekenikes covered "Apache" in 1961, The VenturesThe Ventures
The Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
in 1962 and Davie Allan and The Arrows in 1965. Sonny James
Sonny James
James Loden , known professionally as Sonny James, is an American country music singer and songwriter best known for his 1957 hit, "Young Love". Dubbed the Southern Gentleman, James had 72 country and pop chart hits from 1953 to 1983, including a five-year streak of 16 straight among his 23 No. 1...
recorded a vocal music
Vocal music
Vocal music is a genre of music performed by one or more singers, with or without instrumental accompaniment, in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but does not feature it prominently is generally considered instrumental music Vocal music is a genre of...
version in 1961.. It was produced in Nashville by Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
, and was review-rated as a 'Spotlight Winner'. Billboard Music Week in its edition of March 6, 1961.
George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
said The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
used to play "Apache" as well as other Shadows hits ("FBI", "The Frightened City") during their shows in Hamburg.
In 1970, English progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
group The Edgar Broughton Band released a single "Apache Dropout", which combined "Apache" with a version of Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
's "Dropout Boogie". The highly unorthodox single reached # 33 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Incredible Bongo Band version (1973)
"Apache" has been cited by Afrika BambaataaAfrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
as an early element of hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
with the record sampled and scratch
Scratch
Scratch may refer to:* A mark or indentation on a surface: Abrasion It may also refer to:- Recordings :* Scratch , by Kaela Kimura* Scratch , the soundtrack to the 2001 documentary Scratch...
ed by DJs. But it wasn't the hit version by The Shadows, Ingmann or Weedon that Bambaataa, Kool Herc and the like turned into "hip-hop’s anthem": it was the 1973 version by Michael Viner
Michael Viner
Michael Viner was an American film producer and record producer, who later shifted into book publishing and became an innovator in the audiobook field...
and an ad hoc group called the Incredible Bongo Band
Incredible Bongo Band
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. Viner was called on to supplement the soundtrack to the virtually anonymous B film The Thing With Two Heads. The...
. They added a bongo drum
Bongo drum
Bongo or bongos are a Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of single-headed, open-ended drums attached to each other. The drums are of different size: the larger drum is called in Spanish the hembra and the smaller the macho...
intro and added more percussion. This version was not a hit on release but became the sampled foundation of rap and hip-hop classics, reworked by hip hop performers such as the Sugarhill Gang, L.L. Cool J, The Roots
The Roots
The Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
performers Future Sound of London, Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
and drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
acts J. Majik and Goldie
Goldie
Clifford Joseph Price, better known as Goldie is an English electronic music artist, disc jockey, visual artist and actor. He is well known for his innovations in the jungle and drum and bass music genres, having previously gained exposure for his work as a graffiti artist...
.
Sugarhill Gang: "Apache" (1981)
In 1981 the rap group Sugarhill Gang covered the Incredible Bongo BandIncredible Bongo Band
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. Viner was called on to supplement the soundtrack to the virtually anonymous B film The Thing With Two Heads. The...
version of the song on their second album 8th Wonder. In 1995 this version gained new popularity after being featured in "Viva Lost Wages", a sixth-season episode of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from September 10, 1990 to May 20, 1996. The show stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart teenager from West Philadelphia who is sent to move in with his aunt and uncle in their...
, as well as a subsequent clip show
Clip show
A clip show is an episode of a television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows feature the format of a frame story in which cast members recall past events from past installments of the show, depicted with a clip of the event presented as a flashback. ...
from the series. Using the distinctive beat and bongo drums, the Sugarhill Gang added rap lyrics with references, including:
- The Lone RangerThe Lone RangerThe Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
is mentioned extensively; "TontoTonto (Lone Ranger character)Tonto is a fictional character, the Native American companion of The Lone Ranger, a popular American Western character created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker...
, jump on it! Jump on it! Jump on it!" and "'Hi-ho, Silver!' is what I say". - The lyric "What you hear is not a test" refers to the song "Rapper's DelightRapper's Delight"Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 single by American hip hop trio The Sugarhill Gang. While it was not the first single to feature rapping, it is generally considered to be the song that first popularized hip hop in the United States and around the world. The song's opening lyric "I said a hip hop, a...
". - The "PopcornPopcorn (instrumental)"Popcorn" is an early electronic pop instrumental, originally composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 on his album Music to Moog By. The same year this tune was released and recorded at Audio Fidelity Records label in New York City....
" song by Hot ButterHot ButterHot Butter was an instrumental cover band fronted by the keyboard player Stan Free. The other band members were Dave Mullaney, John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, and Danny Jordan. They are best known for their 1972 cover of the Moog synthpop instrumental, "Popcorn", originally recorded by its...
(who had released a version of "Apache" as a follow-up to "Popcorn.") is recalled via the lyric "(What's that?) Hot butter popcorn!"- The question "What's that?" seems to refer to a 1976 Mazola Margarine "We Call It Maize" commercial featuring a supposed American Indian woman.
- The "Monster MashMonster Mash"Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes...
" is mentioned in this song.
Sir Mix-A-Lot: "Jump on It" (1996)
In 1996, Sir Mix-A-LotSir Mix-a-Lot
Anthony Ray , better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an emcee and producer based in Seattle, Washington. The founder of the Nastymix record label, he debuted in 1988 with Swass...
played off of the lyrics to Sugarhill Gang's "Apache" in his hit version of "Jump on It", released on the album Return of the Bumpasaurus
Return of the Bumpasaurus
Return of the Bumpasaurus is the fifth album by emcee Sir Mix-a-Lot. The album was released in 1996 on American Recordings, which was less successful than his previous album, Chief Boot Knocka...
.
Fatboy Slim: "Apache" (1998)
- The movie Snatch soundtrack has an extract of a DJ mix CD (On The Floor At The Boutique) by Fatboy SlimFatboy SlimNorman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
, which contained the Incredible Bongo Band version of Apache.
Other songs that sample The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache"
- TLC sampled the bongo loop in the video version of their "Hat 2 Da Back" single.
- DJ Grandmaster FlashGrandmaster FlashJoseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
interpolated parts of the Incredible Bongo Band song "Apache" in his song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of SteelThe Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel"The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables...
". - West Street MobWest Street MobWest Street Mob were a boogie and electro music trio, active between 1981 and 1984, best known for their 1983 song "Break Dance – Electric Boogie". The band comprises Joey Robinson, Jr...
, a group on the Sugar Hill Records label, made a song which interpolated parts of the "Apache" song by the Incredible Bongo Band; this song was called "Break Dance (Electric Boogie)". - Young MCYoung MCMarvin Young , better known by his stage name Young MC, is an English-born American singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit "Bust a Move"...
sampled the break in his 1988 rap "Know How", mixed with Isaac HayesIsaac HayesIsaac Lee Hayes, Jr. was an American songwriter, musician, singer and actor. Hayes was one of the creative influences behind the southern soul music label Stax Records, where he served both as an in-house songwriter and as a record producer, teaming with his partner David Porter during the...
' "Theme From ShaftTheme from Shaft"Theme from Shaft", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, Shaft...
". - Vanilla IceVanilla IceRobert Matthew Van Winkle , best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, extreme athlete and home improvement television personality...
sampled "Apache" in his hit song "Ninja Rap". - C + C Music Factory sample the start of "Apache" in the song "Things That Make You Go Hmmm..."
- It was used as the beat on the song "We Run ThisWe Run This"We Run This" is the third U.S. single from rapper Missy Elliott's 2005 album The Cookbook, and the lead single from her 2006 compilation Respect M.E.. It samples elements from the The Sugarhill Gang version of The Shadows' song "Apache" and was released in early 2006 in the U.S., where it peaked...
" on Missy ElliottMissy ElliottMelissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott , is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, and actressA five-time Grammy Award winner, Elliott, with record sales of over seven million in the United States, is the only female rapper to have five albums certified platinum by the RIAA, including one...
's album The CookbookThe CookbookThe Cookbook is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records on July 5, 2005, in the United States...
. - The Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
used a sample from the Incredible Bongo Band version of Apache in their live version of "Root Down" - most notably the version that appears on the Tibetan Freedom ConcertTibetan Freedom ConcertTibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund...
live album. - It was also used in the original version of "Can I Get Witcha" by The Notorious B.I.G.The Notorious B.I.G.Christopher George Latore Wallace , best known as The Notorious B.I.G., was an American rapper. He was also known as Biggie Smalls , Big Poppa, and The Black Frank White .Wallace was raised in the Brooklyn borough...
- UK Songstress Amy WinehouseAmy WinehouseAmy Jade Winehouse was an English singer-songwriter known for her powerful deep contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres including R&B, soul and jazz. Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize...
used a sample from "Apache" on her song "In My Bed" produced by Salaam RemiSalaam RemiSalaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
for her 2003 album FrankFrank (Amy Winehouse album)Frank is the debut studio album by English recording artist Amy Winehouse, released 20 October 2003 on Island Records. Production for the album took place during 2002 to 2003 and was handled by Winehouse, Salaam Remi, Commissioner Gordon, Jimmy Hogarth and Matt Rowe...
. Salaam RemiSalaam RemiSalaam Remi Gibbs, better known as Salaam Remi, is a hip hop producer and keyboard player, known for his association with Nas, Amy Winehouse, and his reggae-tinged approach to production...
also utilized "Apache" for sampling when he produced NY Rapper NasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
' hit single "Made You LookMade You Look"Made You Look" is the first single from Nas' 2002 album, God's Son. Built around several samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's cover of "Apache", the single was important in establishing Nas' direction following his battle with Jay-Z and the Stillmatic album in its reliance on intricate...
" from his 2002 release God's SonGod's SonGod's Son is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 13, 2002 on Columbia-imprint Ill Will Records. Production for the album took place during 2001 to 2002 and was handled by several hip hop producers, including Salaam Remi, Chucky Thompson, Ron Browz, and The Alchemist...
. - UK rapper M.I.A.M.I.A. (artist)Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam , better known by her stage name M.I.A. , is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer, painter and director of Sri Lankan Tamil descent. Her compositions combine elements of hip hop, electronica, dance, alternative and world music. M.I.A...
made "Apache" the center of her 2005 Radio One B-side "Apache Riddim". - Also in 2005, Switch Switch (DJ)Switch (DJ)Switch is a UK-based DJ, songwriter, sound engineer and record producer. He is best known for his work with M.I.A. and Santigold.In the fidget house genre, Switch runs his own music label "Dubsided", as well as the label Counterfeet, established in 2006 with fellow producer Sinden...
extensively sampled the covered version by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band in A Bit Patchy (wordplay on "Apache"). It later was remixed by Eric PrydzEric PrydzEric Sheridan Prydz is a Swedish DJ and producer based in London, United Kingdom. The pronunciation of his surname is often questioned; it is pronounced "prids", but when under his alias, Pryda, it is pronounced "pride-ah"...
and Todd TerryTodd TerryTodd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
. - Japanese beatbox trio Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band recorded a vocal-only, beatbox version on their 2006 album "I.B.B.".
- NasNasNasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
sampled IBB's "Apache" in his 2003 single, "Made You LookMade You Look"Made You Look" is the first single from Nas' 2002 album, God's Son. Built around several samples lifted from the Incredible Bongo Band's cover of "Apache", the single was important in establishing Nas' direction following his battle with Jay-Z and the Stillmatic album in its reliance on intricate...
," and on his 2006 single, Hip Hop Is DeadHip Hop Is Dead (song)"Hip Hop Is Dead" is the first and title single taken from Nas' 2006 album of the same name. It is produced by and features will.i.am. It peaked at number 48 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, as well as number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100...
. - Also in 2006, The FederationThe Federation (band)The Federation is a hip-hop group from Fairfield, California, part of the San Francisco Bay Area. The group consist of Doonie Baby , Stressmatic, and Goldie Gold, along with their producer Rick Rock...
sampled a piece of the song for their single "I Only Wear My White Tees Once". - Sampled on the song "Funky" by DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
and Cut ChemistCut ChemistLucas MacFadden , better known as Cut Chemist, is an American DJ and record producer. He is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5...
on their 2007 collaboration, "The Hard Sell". - It's used in the song "Against All Odds" by Chase & StatusChase & StatusChase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
featuring KanoKano (rapper)Kane Brett Robinson , better known as Kano and also known as Kane O, is an English rapper and actor. His grandparents came to England as immigrants from Jamaica. He was formerly a key member of east London’s N.A.S.T.Y...
. - The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
sample the bongo break at the beginning for their song "Thought @ Work" from their album "Phrenology," which is an homage to "Men at Work" by Kool G Rap and DJ Polo, which also samples the break. - Double Dee and SteinskiDouble Dee and SteinskiDouble Dee and Steinski was a duo of hip hop producers, composed of Doug "Double Dee" DiFranco and Steven "Steinski" Stein. They achieved notoriety in the early 1980s for a series of underground hip-hop sample-based collages known as the "Lessons"....
sampled the bongo break for their classic mash-up/collage Lesson 1 - The Payoff Mix. - MadonnaMadonna (entertainer)Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
incorporated the bongo samples to "Into the GrooveInto the Groove"Into the Groove" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from the 1985 film Desperately Seeking Susan. It was featured on the 1985 re-issue of her second studio album, Like a Virgin, and released on July 23, 1985 by Sire Records as the album's fourth single outside North America...
" during her 2008–2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour. - Petter AskergrenPetter AskergrenPetter Alexis Askergren, , who simply uses his given name Petter as a stage name, is a rap artist from Stockholm, Sweden, rapping in Swedish. He debuted in 1998 with the album Mitt sjätte sinne , which became a success and started the Swedish hip hop boom in the late 1990s and early 2000s...
used bongo samples in his cover of Thomas Di LevaThomas Di LevaThomas di Leva, birth name Sven Thomas Magnusson, is a Swedish singer-songwriter and a New Age-spokesman.-Biography:Sven Thomas Magnusson was born 1963 in Gävle...
's hit "Dansa din djävul".
Other versions
The following are different non-hit, but still notable recordings of "Apache" -- not songs that sample The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache".- In 1969, Eyes of Blue released a version entitled Apache '69, under the name the Imposters. The B side of this Mercury label release (MF1080) was the song QIII.
- In 1972 the Moog-based band of session musicians called Hot ButterHot ButterHot Butter was an instrumental cover band fronted by the keyboard player Stan Free. The other band members were Dave Mullaney, John Abbott, Bill Jerome, Steve Jerome, and Danny Jordan. They are best known for their 1972 cover of the Moog synthpop instrumental, "Popcorn", originally recorded by its...
released a cover version of "Apache" as follow-up to their hit "Popcorn". - In 1976 the electro-rock French band RocketsRockets (band)Rockets were a French space rock band that formed in Paris in 1974. Some of the former members had played together since 1970 in a local band called Crystal...
, in their first eponymous album, released a version featuring synthesizers, disco-rock drumming, and heavily treated guitars. - In the 1970s the Tennessee Farm Band did a version.
- In 1977, The Tommy SeebachTommy SeebachTommy Seebach , born Tommy Seebach Mortensen in Copenhagen, Denmark, was a popular Danish singer, composer, organist, pianist and producer. He is best known as front man of Sir Henry and his Butlers and for numerous contributions to the Danish version of the Eurovision Song contest, Dansk Melodi...
Band recorded a discoDiscoDisco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
-styled version and filmed an accompanying music video of "Apache". Set on a rocky hillside, it featured scantily-clad dancers adoring a grinning keyboard player. This version was successful in Europe and later became an Internet memeInternet memeThe term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
. - Ska-Dows recorded a skaSkaSka |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
version of "Apache", including some lyrics, mostly the word "Apache!" shouted repeatedly. - In 1992, Norwegian a cappella group BjelleklangBjelleklangBjelleklang is a Norwegian a cappella vocal group, formed in 1986, who have released several albums. The band performs both song with only a cappella and songs with guitar or other unconventional music instruments like stir pans or pots...
recorded their version of "Apache" on the album "Holiholihoo". - The California Guitar TrioCalifornia Guitar TrioCalifornia Guitar Trio is a band of threeguitar players founded in 1991. Paul Richards of Salt Lake City, Utah, Bert Lams of Brussels,...
covered Apache for their 1995 album, Invitation - Wyclef JeanWyclef JeanWyclef Jean is a Haitian musician, record producer, and politician. At age nine, Jean moved to the United States with his family and has spent much of his life in the country...
's "Masquerade" includes the melodic hook played on violin as the song closes. - In 2002 Portishead's Geoff BarrowGeoff BarrowGeoffrey Paul Barrow is the producer, disc jockey, and instrumentalist for Portishead.Portishead—formed in 1991—was named after the small town near Bristol where Barrow grew up...
and Adrian UtleyAdrian UtleyAdrian Francis Utley is an English musician and a member of the band Portishead.-Biography:Utley is self-taught on guitar, bass and keyboards, and played professionally from the age of 18 in working men's clubs, night clubs, holiday camps, and in cabaret, backing soul artists...
recorded a cover version which was released on limited white, green, pink and black vinyl 7" single under the name The Jimi Entley Sound. - In 2005, the GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
band ScooterScooter (band)Scooter are a German hard dance band founded in Hamburg, who have sold over 25 million records and earned over 80 gold and platinum awards. Scooter are considered the most successful single-record German act with 23 top ten hits. The band is currently composed of members H.P. Baxxter, Rick J....
covered this song as an instrumental for the album Who's Got The Last Laugh Now?Who's Got the Last Laugh Now?Who's Got the Last Laugh Now? is the eleventh studio album by Scooter. It was released on CD on 4th of November 2005 through Sheffield Tunes. It was also released on 7" white vinyl with the snippets of 1:30 length of each track. This 7" vinyl was a ticket to the record release party of album and...
in a technoTechnoTechno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
version. Later that year, a single was released which combined elements of "Apache" and "Rock Bottom" from the same album, known as "Apache Rocks The Bottom". This later appeared on the 2nd Disc of the UK Edition of their 2008 album Jumping All Over The WorldJumping All Over the WorldJumping All Over the World is the thirteenth studio album by German techno group Scooter, released in Germany in 2007. Five singles have been released from it: "The Question Is What Is the Question?", "And No Matches", "Jumping All Over the World", a remix of "I'm Lonely" and a new version of "Jump...
. - Angel Parra Trio, a ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an Latin jazzLatin jazzLatin jazz is the general term given to jazz with Latin American rhythms.The three main categories of Latin Jazz are Brazilian, Cuban and Puerto Rican:# Brazilian Latin Jazz includes bossa nova...
band, covered this song on his 2005 album Playa Solitaria. - On the 2006 album Hier is Normaal, the Dutch band NormaalNormaalNormaal is a rock band from the Netherlands, more specifically from the Achterhoek region, and sing in the local dialect. The band started in 1975 as a reaction to disco and glamrock. They have since gained national fame, and have had more top 40 hits in the Dutch chart than any other band, despite...
made a compilation of instrumental songs of their own and other artists. Apache is also in it. The song, "Varkens Pesten", means literally "bullying pigs". - French guitarist Jean-Pierre DanelJean-Pierre DanelJean-Pierre Danel is a French guitarist, record producer and composer.-Biography:Danel started his career as a professional guitarist in July 1982, at the age of 14....
recorded a version of "Apache" on his #1 hit album "Guitar Connection" (Sony Music) in 2006. The abum went platinum and included a DVD on which Danel shows how to play the songs, including "Apache". Linked with The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
for years, Danel later recorded duets with Hank MarvinHank MarvinHank Brian Marvin is an English guitarist, best known as the lead guitarist for The Shadows. The group, which primarily performed instrumentals, was formed as a backing band for vocalist Cliff Richard...
on other songs. - On Missy Elliott's album The Cookbook, "We Run This" uses Apache as background music.
- "Apache" was covered by the folk band 17 Hippies17 Hippies17 Hippies is a band from Berlin, Germany, playing largely on acoustic instruments. Their music is a confection of various folk influences. They are most popular in their native Germany and France.-History:...
on their 2007 album Heimlich. - Junior Brown regularly performs Apache in his live shows.
- Switch - A Bit Patchy (features samples of Apache)
- Subfocus - A Bit Patchy (features samples of Apache)
- In 2010, Jeff BeckJeff BeckGeoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
performed a version of Apache during his tribute concert for Les PaulLes PaulLester William Polsfuss —known as Les Paul—was an American jazz and country guitarist, songwriter and inventor. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar which made the sound of rock and roll possible. He is credited with many recording innovations...
in New York City; it was released in February 2011 on the CD Jeff Beck's Rock n' Roll Party Honoring Les Paul, and also performed on the DVD/Blu-ray release of the same concert, also released in February 2011. - A version of Apache was used as the theme to the long running television showed Wild ChicagoWild ChicagoWild Chicago was a television series that aired on Chicago's WTTW from 1988 to 2006. The show took viewers on a trip through Chicago's "urban jungle", highlighting hundreds of offbeat and unusual people, places, and events in the metropolitan area...
, which aired in Chicago on PBS.
Minnesota Lynx
The Minnesota LynxMinnesota Lynx
The Minnesota Lynx are a professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was founded prior to the 1999 season...
of the WNBA adopted "Apache" as the unofficial team anthem in 2007. Following victories, the team would dance to the song at center court. For the first home game of the team's first WNBA Finals
2011 WNBA Finals
The 2011 WNBA Finals was the championship series of the 2011 season of the Women's National Basketball Association , and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Minnesota Lynx, champions of the Western Conference, swept the champions of the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Dream in three...
appearance, the team brought in the Sugarhill Gang to perform the song at halftime.