Bad Boys (Inner Circle song)
Encyclopedia
"Bad Boys" is the title of a song by the reggae
band Inner Circle, made popular by the television program
COPS
, where it is played during the opening title sequence. It was Originally Recorded By Inner Circle. An instrumental version is also played during the end credits.
until 1993. It reached #53 in the United Kingdom
and #8 in the United States
, going gold
along the way. The song was also released as B-side on Inner Circle's 1992 single, "Sweat (A La La La La Long)
."
"Bad Boys" was selected as the theme song to COPS because a field producer for the show happened to be a fan of Inner Circle.
The song, which was very popular during the 1990s, was also used in the Will Smith
and Martin Lawrence
action/comedy film Bad Boys
and the sequel Bad Boys 2 (some of the lyrics are sung by Smith and Lawrence in both films).
This song makes reference to "Sheriff John Brown," who was the sheriff killed in Bob Marley
's song "I Shot the Sheriff
."
An instrumental version of the song plays in the "In Drag Net" bonus level in Gex: Enter the Gecko
.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
band Inner Circle, made popular by the television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
COPS
COPS (TV series)
Cops is an American documentary/reality television series that follows police officers, constables, and sheriff's deputies during patrols and other police activities...
, where it is played during the opening title sequence. It was Originally Recorded By Inner Circle. An instrumental version is also played during the end credits.
History
The song was originally released in 1987 on the album One Way, but was not released as a single in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until 1993. It reached #53 in the United Kingdom
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...
and #8 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, going gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
along the way. The song was also released as B-side on Inner Circle's 1992 single, "Sweat (A La La La La Long)
Sweat (A La La La La Long)
"Sweat " is a 1992 song recorded by the band Inner Circle.The song achieved a great success particularly in Europe, where it was a top ten hit in many countries, including Austria, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. It topped the charts of Switzerland and Germany respectively for six and twelve weeks...
."
"Bad Boys" was selected as the theme song to COPS because a field producer for the show happened to be a fan of Inner Circle.
The song, which was very popular during the 1990s, was also used in the Will Smith
Will Smith
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
and Martin Lawrence
Martin Lawrence
Martin Fitzgerald Lawrence is an American actor, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and stand up comedian. He came to fame during the 1990s, establishing a Hollywood career as a leading actor, most notably the films Bad Boys, Blue Streak, and Big Momma's House...
action/comedy film Bad Boys
Bad Boys (1995 film)
Bad Boys is a 1995 American action comedy film directed by Michael Bay in his directorial debut, and produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer...
and the sequel Bad Boys 2 (some of the lyrics are sung by Smith and Lawrence in both films).
This song makes reference to "Sheriff John Brown," who was the sheriff killed in Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's song "I Shot the Sheriff
I Shot the Sheriff
"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a man who admits to having killed the local sheriff, but claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy sheriff. He also claims to have acted in self defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The...
."
An instrumental version of the song plays in the "In Drag Net" bonus level in Gex: Enter the Gecko
Gex: Enter the Gecko
Gex: Enter the Gecko is a platform game released in 1998. It is the sequel to the 1994 game Gex. The game involves collecting 3 types of remotes to unlock different levels, and to aid in the fight against Rez.-Story:Since his retirement from the public eye in 1996, Gex has resided himself to a...
.
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 8 |
| U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop Songs | 58 |
| Chart (1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian VG-lista | 1 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 69 |