Grazing in the Grass
Encyclopedia
"Grazing in the Grass" is an instrumental
composed by Philemon Hou and first recorded by the South Africa
n trumpet
er Hugh Masekela
. It is recognizable by its prominent cowbell part. Released in the United States
as a single
in 1968, it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart.
in Hollywood.
of the tune in 1969 which was also a Top Ten pop and R&B hit, reaching #3 on the former and #5 on the latter. The group's Harry Elston penned lyrics for the song and sang lead on it. "Grazing in the Grass" has been recorded by many other musicians, including Stevie Wonder
, Chet Atkins
, Galapagos Duck
, Boney James
, Rick Braun
, Willie Mitchell, The Monitors, The Scofflaws
, Meco
, and cc: DIVA. In 2004 it was covered by Raven-Symoné
; her version was played on Radio Disney
but never received a general commercial release as a single for airplay in other venues. The video for her version features her and dancing extras interacting with scenes from The Lion King 1½
. It is also a staple in the repertoire of New Orleans brass bands.
by the hip hop
duo Nice & Smooth
on the track "One, Two and One More Makes Three" from their album Ain't a Damn Thing Changed
. Also, a sample can be heard in Sugar Ray
's 1999 single "Every Morning
".
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....
composed by Philemon Hou and first recorded by the South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
er Hugh Masekela
Hugh Masekela
Hugh Ramopolo Masekela is a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, and singer.-Early life:Masekela was born in Kwa-Guqa Township, Witbank, South Africa. He began singing and playing piano as a child...
. It is recognizable by its prominent cowbell part. Released in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1968, it hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
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...
chart.
Recording
"Grazing in the Grass" was inspired by an earlier Masekela recording, "Mr. Bull No. 5". Hou, an actor and singer, came up with the melody while the backing track was already being recorded. The session was held at Gold Star StudiosGold Star Studios
Gold Star Studios was a major independent recording studio located in Los Angeles, California, United States. For more than thirty years, from 1950 to 1984, Gold Star was one of the most influential and successful commercial recording studios in the world....
in Hollywood.
Personnel
- Hugh Masekela - Trumpet
- Bruce LanghorneBruce LanghorneBruce Langhorne is an American folk musician. He was active in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s, primarily as a session guitarist for folk albums and performances...
- Guitar - Al Abreu - Alto sax
- William Henderson - Piano
- Henry FranklinHenry FranklinHenry "Skipper" Franklin is an American jazz double-bassist.- Biography :Franklin played on Hugh Masekela's 1968 number one single, "Grazing in the Grass," as well as with Masekela's band at the Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967...
- Bass - Chuck Carter - Drums
Other versions
The Friends of Distinction recorded a vocal cover versionCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the tune in 1969 which was also a Top Ten pop and R&B hit, reaching #3 on the former and #5 on the latter. The group's Harry Elston penned lyrics for the song and sang lead on it. "Grazing in the Grass" has been recorded by many other musicians, including Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, 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...
, Galapagos Duck
Galapagos Duck
Galapagos Duck is a popular Australian jazz band. Formed in 1969, they have an extensive history of international touring, including:*Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland*Jazz Yatra Festival, Bombay, India*American Musexpo...
, Boney James
Boney James
Boney James, is a saxophonist, songwriter and producer who popularized urban jazz...
, Rick Braun
Rick Braun
Rick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...
, Willie Mitchell, The Monitors, The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws
The Scofflaws are a Huntington, Long Island, New York-based third wave ska band that debuted in 1988. Known for their rambunctious live shows, technically proficient horn solos and tight arrangements, The Scofflaws were one of the top third wave ska acts of the '90s and one of the most beloved...
, Meco
Meco
Meco is an American record producer and musician, as well as the name of a band or production team based around him...
, and cc: DIVA. In 2004 it was covered by Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné
Raven-Symoné Christina Pearman , known professionally as Raven-Symoné , or simply Raven, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, comedian, dancer, television producer and model. Symoné launched her successful career in 1989 after appearing in The Cosby Show as Olivia...
; her version was played on Radio Disney
Radio Disney
Radio Disney is a radio network based in Burbank, California and headquartered out of the Disney Channel headquarters on West Alameda Ave., from where it has been based since November 2008. Prior to that, the network was based in Dallas, Texas...
but never received a general commercial release as a single for airplay in other venues. The video for her version features her and dancing extras interacting with scenes from The Lion King 1½
The Lion King 1½
The Lion King 1½ is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated film released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The film is the third installment in the Lion King series. The DVD went to the Disney Vault in January 2005...
. It is also a staple in the repertoire of New Orleans brass bands.
Appearances in other songs
"Grazing in the Grass" was sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
by the hip hop
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...
duo Nice & Smooth
Nice & Smooth
Nice & Smooth was an East Coast hip hop duo from New York that consists of Greg Nice and Smooth B . The duo released four albums from the late 1980s to the mid 1990s...
on the track "One, Two and One More Makes Three" from their album Ain't a Damn Thing Changed
Ain't a Damn Thing Changed
Ain't a Damn Thing Changed is the second album from the East Coast hip-hop duo Nice & Smooth.Released on Def Jam Recordings sub-label RAL Records, it became more successful than its first album, Nice & Smooth, with the stand-out track "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" becoming a minor hit...
. Also, a sample can be heard in Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray
Sugar Ray is a band from Orange County, California. The band, starting off more as an alternative metal band, first gained fame in 1997 with their release of the song "Fly". This song's success, coupled with its pop rock sound that was quite different from the rest of their material at the time,...
's 1999 single "Every Morning
Every Morning (Sugar Ray song)
"Every Morning" is the second track off Sugar Ray's third album 14:59. It was one of Sugar Ray's most successful singles, climbing all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart...
".
Appearances in other media
- In the 2007 biopic Talk to MeTalk to Me (2007 film)Talk To Me is a 2007 biographical film about Washington, D.C. radio personality Ralph "Petey" Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist, and Dewey Hughes, his friend and manager...
, it can be heard following the scene in which Petey GreenePetey GreeneRalph Waldo "Petey" Greene Jr was an African American television and radio talk show host. A two-time Emmy Award-winner, Greene overcame drug addiction and a prison sentence for armed robbery to become one of the most prominent media personalities in Washington, DC...
is told by his manager that he's to appear on The Tonight ShowThe Tonight ShowThe Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
. - In the 2006 film BobbyBobby (2006 film)Bobby is a 2006 American drama film written and directed by Emilio Estevez. The screenplay is a fictionalized account of the hours leading up to the June 5, 1968 shooting of United States Senator from New York and former U.S. Attorney General Robert F...
, the song plays during the ballroom scene. - In the soundtrackSoundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
of the 2006 film The Last King of ScotlandThe Last King of Scotland (film)The Last King of Scotland is a 2006 British drama film based on Giles Foden's novel of the same name, adapted by screenwriters Peter Morgan and Jeremy Brock, and directed by Kevin Macdonald...
. - In the 2004 film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, or simply Anchorman, is a 2004 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film, which was also written by Ferrell and McKay, is a tongue-in-cheek take on the culture of the 1970s, particularly the then-new Action News format...
, the Friends of Distinction version can be heard during the pool party scene. The song is also heard in the film's trailer. - In the 2000 film Space CowboysSpace CowboysSpace Cowboys is a 2000 science fiction film directed by Clint Eastwood. Eastwood also stars in the film alongside Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner as four older "ex-test pilots" who are sent into space to repair an old Soviet satellite...
, it's played in the background during the scene when Clint EastwoodClint EastwoodClinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's character meets up with Tommy Lee JonesTommy Lee JonesTommy Lee Jones is an American actor and film director. He has received three Academy Award nominations, winning one as Best Supporting Actor for the 1993 thriller film The Fugitive....
's character at the latter's place of business. This particular version of "Grazing in the Grass" was recorded by Rick BraunRick BraunRick Braun is a smooth jazz trumpet player.Before embarking on a solo career, Braun got his start by playing in several bands, including guitarist Jeff Golub's Avenue Blue...
and Boney JamesBoney JamesBoney James, is a saxophonist, songwriter and producer who popularized urban jazz...
. - In the 1997 film "Jackie BrownJackie Brown (film)Jackie Brown is a 1997 American crime drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It is an adaptation of the novel Rum Punch by American novelist Elmore Leonard and pays homage to 1970s blaxploitation films....
", it can be heard playing in the background when Samuel L. Jackson's character, Ordell Robbie, shoots Robert De Niro's character Louis Gara. - In the 1995 film I Shot Andy Warhol, at the beginning of a party at The Factory.
- In the 1988 film I'm Gonna Git You SuckaI'm Gonna Git You SuckaI'm Gonna Git You Sucka is a 1988 blaxploitation parody film written by, directed by and starring Keenen Ivory Wayans. Featured in the film are several black actors who were part of the blaxploitation phenomenon; including Jim Brown, Bernie Casey, Antonio Fargas and Isaac Hayes...
, in a scene featuring 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...
singing along off-key for comic effect. - Raven-SymonéRaven-SymonéRaven-Symoné Christina Pearman , known professionally as Raven-Symoné , or simply Raven, is an American actress, singer, songwriter, comedian, dancer, television producer and model. Symoné launched her successful career in 1989 after appearing in The Cosby Show as Olivia...
's recording was used in The Lion King 1½The Lion King 1½The Lion King 1½ is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated film released by Buena Vista Home Entertainment on February 10, 2004. The film is the third installment in the Lion King series. The DVD went to the Disney Vault in January 2005...
and in her third studio album This Is My Time as the first single. - The Friends of Distinction's version of "Grazin' in the Grass" played in the background of an Old NavyOld NavyOld Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
commercial featuring Morgan FairchildMorgan FairchildMorgan Fairchild is an American actress. She achieved prominence during the late 1970s and early 1980s with continuing roles in several television series, in which she usually conveyed a glamorous image. Fairchild has also performed in live theater and played guest roles in television comedies...
. - "Grazing in the grass is a gas, baby, can you dig it?" was used as a riff during a picnic scene in the short film, A Day at the Fair, on the comedy show Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
. It was said in a dry, stodgy tone that mimicked the narrator of the short.