Wild Thing (The Troggs song)
Encyclopedia
French singer Amanda Lear
covered "Wild Thing" for her comeback album Secret Passion
and added a synthpop
feel to it. The single was produced by Christian De Walden
and released in 1987. On the B-side another Secret Passion track was released, "Aphrodisiac", whose French language version "Aphrodisiaque" later became a separate A-side single. 12" single included a remixed version of "I'm a Mistery" and a 1987 re-recording of "Follow Me
". "Wild Thing" was performed in a number of TV shows, but failed to chart.
was shot in Parisian Hôtel Meurice
, in the most luxurious suite
, which had been Salvador Dalí
's favourite. French actor and singer Jean-Luc Lahaye
appears in the clip, sitting in bed in a bathrobe
and reading Amanda's 1987 novel L'Immortelle. Amanda takes her bathrobe off, revealing a scant sexy outfit, and dances around the room. Two female dancers appear in the video, dressed as maid
s, performing minimalistic dance routines.
and has been covered many times:
Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....
covered "Wild Thing" for her comeback album Secret Passion
Secret Passion
-Credits:*Produced, arranged by Christian De Walden and Steve Singer for Zig Zag Productions, USA*Executive producers: Steve Singer, Carlo Mezzano & Christian De Walden*Mixed by Greg Penny & Christian De Walden...
and added a synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
feel to it. The single was produced by Christian De Walden
Christian De Walden
Christian de Walden is a record producer, composer, arranger and songwriter of Italian origin, who currently resides in Los Angeles, California...
and released in 1987. On the B-side another Secret Passion track was released, "Aphrodisiac", whose French language version "Aphrodisiaque" later became a separate A-side single. 12" single included a remixed version of "I'm a Mistery" and a 1987 re-recording of "Follow Me
Follow Me (Amanda Lear song)
"Follow Me" - a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1978 by Ariola Records.- Song information :"Follow Me" was released as the first single from Amanda's second album, Sweet Revenge, in the spring of 1978. The B-side of the single was "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me" in most of the...
". "Wild Thing" was performed in a number of TV shows, but failed to chart.
Music video
The "Wild Thing" music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was shot in Parisian Hôtel Meurice
Hotel Meurice
Le Meurice is a 5-star hotel in Paris, located opposite the Tuileries Garden, between Place de la Concorde and the Musée du Louvre. This hotel is owned and managed by the Dorchester Collection...
, in the most luxurious suite
Suite (hotel)
A suite in a hotel or other public accommodation, denotes a class of luxury accommodations, the key feature of which is multiple rooms. Many properties have one or more "honeymoon suites", and sometimes the best accommodation is called the "presidential suite".Suites offer multiple rooms, with more...
, which had been Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
's favourite. French actor and singer Jean-Luc Lahaye
Jean-Luc Lahaye
Jean-Luc Lahaye is a French pop singer, former television host and occasional writer. He had his greatest success as a singer in the 1980s, with his songs "Femme que j'aime" and "Papa chanteur" . After more than ten years of absence, he resumed singing in 2004.-External links:*...
appears in the clip, sitting in bed in a bathrobe
Bathrobe
A bathrobe, dressing gown or housecoat is a robe. A bathrobe is usually made from towelling or other absorbent textile, and may be donned while the wearer's body is wet, serving both as a towel and an informal garment...
and reading Amanda's 1987 novel L'Immortelle. Amanda takes her bathrobe off, revealing a scant sexy outfit, and dances around the room. Two female dancers appear in the video, dressed as maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
s, performing minimalistic dance routines.
Track listing
- 7" Single (1987)
- A. "Wild Thing" - 3:26
- B. "Aphrodisiac" - 3:44
- French 12" Single (1987)
- A. "Wild Thing" (Extended Version) - 5:11
- B1. "I'm a Mistery" (Remix) - 5:16
- B2. "Aphrodisiac" - 3:44
- Canadian 12" Single (1987)
- A. "Wild Thing" (Remix) - 5:11
- B. "Follow MeFollow Me (Amanda Lear song)"Follow Me" - a song by French singer Amanda Lear released in 1978 by Ariola Records.- Song information :"Follow Me" was released as the first single from Amanda's second album, Sweet Revenge, in the spring of 1978. The B-side of the single was "Mother, Look What They've Done to Me" in most of the...
" - 7:20
Other versions
"Wild Thing" has remained popular ever since The Troggs' hit singleHit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
and has been covered many times:
- Jimi HendrixJimi HendrixJames Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
gave arguably one of the most dramatic performances of the song, at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967. The performance was captured in the 1967 documentaryDocumentary filmDocumentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
Monterey PopMonterey PopMonterey Pop is a 1968 concert film by D. A. Pennebaker that documents the Monterey Pop Festival of 1967. Among Pennebaker's several camera operators were fellow documentarians Richard Leacock and Albert Maysles...
. Hendrix recorded the song live, as heard on the compilation album The Ultimate ExperienceThe Ultimate ExperienceThe Ultimate Experience is a 1993 compilation album of songs by songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix. It features 20 of his greatest hits, most of them recorded with The Jimi Hendrix Experience, and live renditions of "The Star Spangled Banner" and "Wild Thing". It was released in the U.K. in...
. Hendrix lit his guitar on fire at the song's finish. - In 1967, the novelty team of Senator BobbySenator BobbySenator Bobby was the recording alias of Bill Minkin, an American comedian. In 1967 he released a single of himself doing an impression of Democratic Senator Robert Kennedy singing the hit song "Wild Thing". Released on Parkway Records, the record reached #20 on the U.S...
released a version of "Wild Thing". Sung by comedian Bill Minkin in the verbal style of Democratic Senator Bobby Kennedy while a recording engineer is heard giving instructions, the stammering single charted at #20 in the United States. The flip side of the Senator Bobby 45 featured "Senator Everett McKinley" (an impression of Republican Senator Everett McKinley Dirksen) doing the same song; the initial voiceover by the recording engineer encourages Senator Bobby to respond to his "hit single" (the Senator Everett McKinley version also had some radio airplay at the time). The songs were credited to The Hardly-Worthit Players, and the Senator Bobby version was included as a bonus track on reissues of their 1962 Parkway LP called The Hardly-Worthit Report (the rest of the album is a comedic takeoff on the NBCNBCThe 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...
national news broadcast The Huntley-Brinkley Report). - In 1967, The Canadian noise band Nihilist Spasm BandNihilist Spasm BandThe Nihilist Spasm Band is a London, Ontario-based noise band. The band was formed in 1965 by Hugh McIntyre, John Clement, John Boyle, Bill Exley, Murray Favro, Archie Leitch, Art Pratten, and Greg Curnoe. Leitch has since retired, Curnoe was killed in a bicycle accident in 1992, and McIntyre...
referred to it in the lyrics of their piece "The Sweetest Country This Side of Heaven" (released on a flexi discFlexi discThe flexi disc is a phonograph record made of a thin, flexible vinyl sheet with a molded-in spiral stylus groove, and is designed to be playable on a normal phonograph turntable...
in ArtsCanada magazine's August-September 1967 issue, and re-released as a version of "No Canada" on the CD reissue of the ¬x~x=x album): "Canada! I think I love you/but I wanna know for sure/Canada! Hold me tight/You move me." - The British group FancyFancy (band)Fancy were an early-mid 1970s pop group. The band was made up of session musicians produced by Mike Hurst. They had a surprise U.S. hit single in 1974 with a version of the classic "Wild Thing" and a second U.S. hit with "Touch Me" . They were initially fronted by Penthouse Pet Helen Caunt and...
recorded a version of the song in 1974, which reached No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. - The British comedy troupe The GoodiesThe GoodiesThe Goodies are a trio of British comedians who created, wrote, and starred in a surreal British television comedy series called The Goodies during the 1970s and early 1980s combining sketches and situation comedy.-Honours:All three Goodies now have OBEs...
recorded a version of the song, and performed it during a 1976 episode of their television series. - In 1983 the song was covered by the psychobillyPsychobillyPsychobilly is a fusion genre of rock music that mixes elements of punk rock, rockabilly, and other genres. It is one of several subgenres of rockabilly which also include thrashabilly, trashabilly, punkabilly, surfabilly and gothabilly...
band The MeteorsThe MeteorsThe Meteors are an English psychobilly band formed in 1980. Originally from London, England, they are often credited with giving the psychobilly subgenre—which fuses punk rock with rockabilly—its distinctive sound and style...
for their Wreckin' Crew album - Australian pub band Cold ChiselCold ChiselCold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
covered the song during their Last StandThe Last Stand (film)Last Stand is a film of the final concert appearances by Australian rock band Cold Chisel. It was filmed on 13 and 15 December 1983 and released to cinemas in July 1984...
concert. - Sister CarolSister CarolCarol Theresa East , known by her stage name of Sister Carol, is a Jamaican reggae recording artist....
did a reggae version in 1986. - The RunawaysThe RunawaysThe Runaways were an American all-girl rock band that recorded and performed in the second half of the 1970s. The band released four studio albums and one live set during its run. Among its best known songs: "Cherry Bomb", "Queens of Noise", "Neon Angels On the Road to Ruin", "California Paradise"...
performed a version of the song on their album Live in JapanLive in Japan (The Runaways album)Live in Japan is a 1977 live album from The Runaways. The album was never domestically released in the United States, although it was issued in Canada.- A Side :# "Queens of Noise" — 3:19...
. Drummer Sandy WestSandy WestSandy West was an American musician, singer, songwriter, and drummer. She was hailed by fans and critics alike to be a groundbreaking musician, as a drummer. She was one of the founding members of The Runaways, the very first teenage, all-girl hard rock band in the 1970s.-Early life:Sandy was...
sang lead on the track. - Comedian Sam KinisonSam KinisonSamuel Burl "Sam" Kinison was an American stand-up comedian and actor. Kinison was known for his intense, harsh and politically incorrect genre humor...
recorded a hit novelty version in 1988, with a music videoMusic videoA music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
featuring cameos from Rodney DangerfieldRodney DangerfieldRodney Dangerfield , was an American comedian, and actor, known for the catchphrases "I don't get no respect!," "No respect, no respect at all... that's the story of my life" or "I get no respect, I tell ya" and his monologues on that theme...
as well as many well-known rock musicians including Steven TylerSteven TylerSteven Tyler is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the frontman and lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the harmonica, and occasional piano and percussion. He is known as the "Demon of Screamin'", due to his high screams...
and Joe PerryJoe Perry (musician)Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
from AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, SlashSlash (musician)Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
and Steven AdlerSteven AdlerSteven Adler is an American musician. He is best known as the former drummer of the hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s...
of Guns N' Roses, Billy IdolBilly IdolWilliam Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, Steve VaiSteve VaiSteven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Dweezil ZappaDweezil ZappaDweezil Zappa is an American rock guitarist and occasional actor.-Early life:Zappa was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of musician Frank Zappa and Adelaide Gail Sloatman, who worked in business. He is the second of four siblings: his older sister, Moon, younger sister Diva and younger...
, Sebastian BachSebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
, Richie SamboraRichie SamboraRichard Stephen "Richie" Sambora is an American rock guitarist, producer, musician, singer, and songwriter who is the longtime lead guitarist of the rock band, Bon Jovi. He and frontman Jon Bon Jovi form the primary songwriting unit of the band...
of Bon JoviBon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Formed in 1983, Bon Jovi consists of lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, drummer Tico Torres, as well as current bassist Hugh McDonald...
, and Tommy LeeTommy LeeThomas Lee Bass , best known as Tommy Lee, is an American musician and founding member of glam metal band Mötley Crüe. As well as being the band's long-term drummer, Lee founded rap-metal band Methods of Mayhem, and has pursued solo musical projects...
. The video also featured a raunchy "roll on the mat" dance with Jessica HahnJessica HahnJessica Hahn is an American model and actress. She is best known for a sex scandal involving televangelist Jim Bakker while she was employed as a church secretary.-Jim Bakker scandal:...
. - Washington D.C. hardcore band Artificial Peace recorded a cover version of Wild Thing in 1981 which was released on Dischord RecordsDischord RecordsDischord Records is a Washington, D.C.-based independent record label specializing in the independent punk music of the D.C.-area music scene. The label is co-owned by Ian MacKaye and Jeff Nelson, who founded Dischord in 1980 to release Minor Disturbance by The Teen Idles...
in 2010. - A cover by the Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
-based punk band X was used in the 1989 filmFilmA film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
Major LeagueMajor League (film)Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...
and its 1994 sequel, Major League IIMajor League IIMajor League II is a 1994 sequel to the 1989 film Major League. Major League II stars most of the same cast from the original, including Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger, and Corbin Bernsen. Absent from this film is Wesley Snipes, who played Willie Mays Hayes in the first film and who by 1994 had become...
. - The 1991 animated seriesSwamp Thing (1991 TV series)Swamp Thing was an American animated television series based on the DC Comics character Swamp Thing. The series was short-lived, with the pilot episode airing on October 31, 1990 followed by four additional episodes airing weekly from April 20 to May 11, 1991...
of the comic book character Swamp ThingSwamp ThingSwamp Thing, a fictional character, is a plant elemental in the created by Len Wein and Berni Wrightson. He first appeared in House of Secrets #92 in a stand-alone horror story set in the early 20th century . The Swamp Thing then returned in his own series, set in the contemporary world and in...
had a theme song that parodied "Wild Thing," with the lyrics "Swamp Thing! You are amazing!" - Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
recorded the song for the soundtrack to Encino ManEncino ManEncino Man, released in Europe as California Man, is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman in their...
in 1992, possibly as a tribute to Kinison who had died that year. - The Troggs recorded a new version in 1993, which charted in the lower reaches of the British charts.
- Australian rock band DivinylsDivinylsDivinyls were an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980 and featuring vocalist Christina Amphlett and guitarist Mark McEntee. As the focal point, Amphlett performed on stage wearing a school uniform and fishnet stockings, often using an illuminated neon tube as a prop and displaying...
covered the song in 1993 for the soundtrack to the film Reckless KellyReckless KellyReckless Kelly is a 1993 Australian comedy film written, directed and starring Yahoo Serious. The story is a satirical take on a modern day Ned Kelly who is forced to Hollywood in order to make enough money to save his family's land. As it goes against his belief, he cannot simply rob banks for...
. It peaked at No. 39 on the Australian Singles Chart. - Hank Williams, Jr.Hank Williams, Jr.Randall Hank Williams , better known as Hank Williams, Jr. and Bocephus, is an American country singer-songwriter and musician. His musical style is often considered a blend of Southern rock, blues, and traditional country...
recorded a cover version in 1995. - PrincePrince (musician)Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
interpolated the chorus of the song into his cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' "Crimson and CloverCrimson and Clover"Crimson and Clover" is a 1968 song by American rock band Tommy James and the Shondells. Written by the duo of Tommy James and drummer Peter Lucia Jr., it was intended as a change in direction of the group's sound and composition....
". - Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed the song on numerous occasions during their Working on a Dream TourWorking on a Dream TourThe Working on a Dream Tour was a concert tour by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which began in April 2009 and ended in November 2009...
. - WestlifeWestlifeWestlife are an Irish boy band established on 3 July 1998. They are to disband in 2012. The group's line-up was Nicky Byrne, Kian Egan, Mark Feehily, Shane Filan, and Brian McFadden . The group are the only act in British and Irish history to have their first seven singles peak at number one...
performed the song on their Where the Dreams Come True TourWhere The Dreams Come True TourA live concert DVD of the tour was released later that same year.The DVD contained several bonus materials such as an "Access All Areas" documentary, a "World Of Our Own" featurette, a link to an exclusive website and a music video of When You're Looking Like That in Dolby Digital 2.0 & 5.1...
. - The Swedish rock band Trash Cans did a cover in 2010.
- A Muppet ShowThe Muppet ShowThe Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
version AnimalAnimal (Muppet)Animal is the primitive man and crazed drummer of Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem, the fictional band from The Muppet Show. He is one of the Muppets originally created by Michael K...
on vocals and drums was performed on the 2.22 (46) Teresa Brewer show. This song would later be recorded by Animal, Floyd PepperDr. Teeth and The Electric MayhemDr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem is the name of a Muppet rock band of The Muppet Show. Following The Muppet Show, they appeared in various Muppet movies and television specials, and have also recorded album tracks. Dr. Teeth and Animal were designed by Jim Henson, while the rest of the original...
, and Kermit the FrogKermit the FrogKermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
for the 1994 album Kermit UnpiggedKermit UnpiggedKermit Unpigged is a music and comedy record released by The Jim Henson Company through BMG Kidz in 1995, and the last album released by Jim Henson Records...
. - French singer Amanda LearAmanda LearAmanda Lear is a French singer, lyricist, composer, painter, TV presenter, actress and novelist....
released a cover in 1987 on Carrere Records. Amanda Lear's version adds synthpopSynthpopSynthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
feel to the song. - American heavy metal band ChimairaChimairaChimaira is an American heavy metal band from Cleveland, Ohio. Formed in 1998, the group is a notable member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal scene. The band's name is derived from the word Chimera, a monstrous creature in Greek mythology...
did a cover of the song in 2011, and released it on their official YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channel. - Liz PhairLiz PhairPhair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
covered this song on her 2010 album FunstyleFunstyleFunstyle is the sixth album by Liz Phair, independently released on her official website on July 3, 2010 by Phair. A CD version was released on October 19, 2010 on Rocket Science Records. It includes a bonus disc containing ten songs from her famed Girly Sound tapes.Funstyle peaked at #181 on the...
.
Use in sports, television and film
- In the UK the song was used heavily by television programme "You've Been FramedYou've Been FramedYou've Been Framed is a British television show, produced by ITV Studios for ITV where viewers send in humorous home videos. It is currently narrated by the comedian Harry Hill....
", for clips generally involving animals.- The song was featured in a prominent scene in the 1997 miniseriesMiniseriesA miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
Painted LadyPainted Lady (mini series)Painted Lady was a 1997 murder mystery mini series starring Helen Mirren, involving art theft. It costarred Franco Nero and Iain Glen, and was directed by Julian Jarrold....
featuring Helen MirrenHelen MirrenDame Helen Mirren, DBE is an English actor. She has won an Academy Award for Best Actress, four SAG Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, and two Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Awards.-Early life and family:...
.
- The song was featured in a prominent scene in the 1997 miniseries
- In 1992, the Troggs' version was used in the film D2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty DucksD2: The Mighty Ducks is the second film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy and the first theatrical sequel to The Mighty Ducks. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, and it was originally released on March 25, 1994...
. - The 1989 baseball film Major LeagueMajor League (film)Major League is a 1989 American satire comedy film written and directed by David S. Ward, starring Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen, Wesley Snipes, James Gammon, and Corbin Bernsen. Made for US$11 million, Major League grossed nearly US$50 million in domestic release...
used "Wild Thing" recorded by L.A. punk band X as the theme song for Rick VaughnCharlie SheenCarlos Irwin Estevez , better known by his stage name Charlie Sheen, is an American film and television actor. He is the youngest son of actor Martin Sheen....
, the team's erratic starting/relief pitcher. Life soon imitated art, when the Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
closer Mitch Williams adopted the song for his entrances from the bullpen, including in the 1993 World Series1993 World Series-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
. During the late 2000s, the song is played at Fenway ParkFenway ParkFenway Park is a baseball park near Kenmore Square in Boston, Massachusetts. Located at 4 Yawkey Way, it has served as the home ballpark of the Boston Red Sox baseball club since it opened in 1912, and is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium currently in use. It is one of two "classic"...
whenever Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
closer Jonathan PapelbonJonathan PapelbonJonathan Robert Papelbon is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball. Before joining the Phillies, Papelbon played with the Boston Red Sox from 2005-2011....
comes in from the bullpen, followed by "I'm Shipping Up to BostonI'm Shipping Up to Boston"I'm Shipping Up to Boston" is a song with lyrics written by the folk singer Woody Guthrie and music written and performed by the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. It appeared on their 2005 album, The Warrior's Code. An earlier recording of it can be found on the Hellcat Records compilation Give...
" by the Dropkick Murphy's.- Japanese Pro Wrestler Atsushi OnitaAtsushi OnitaAtsushi Onita is a Japanese former politician and active professional wrestler best known for his work in Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling...
used the X cover of the song as his entrance theme.
- Japanese Pro Wrestler Atsushi Onita
- A version by Cheap TrickCheap TrickCheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E...
was used for the film Encino ManEncino ManEncino Man, released in Europe as California Man, is a 1992 comedy film directed by Les Mayfield and starring Brendan Fraser, Sean Astin and Pauly Shore. The plot revolves around two geeky teenagers from Encino, Los Angeles, California played by Astin and Shore, who discover a caveman in their...
. - In 2003, AerosmithAerosmithAerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
recorded a version of the song with a video, which was used for commercials and teasers advertising ABCESPN on ABCESPN on ABC is the brand used for sports programming on the ABC television network. Officially the broadcast network retains its own sports division; however, for all practical purposes, ABC's sports division has been merged with ESPN, a sports cable network majority-owned by ABC's parent, The...
's coverage of the NFLNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Wild Card playoffsNFL playoffsThe National Football League playoffs are a single-elimination tournament held at the end of the regular season to determine the NFL champion. Six teams from each of the league's two conferences qualify for the playoffs based on regular season records, and a tie-breaking procedure exists in the...
. - In 1998, the song was used in The Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of DibleyThe Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
episode Love and Marriage - the choir at St. Barnabus' Church sang the song after Hugo and Alice made their vows and were pronounced man and wife. - In the Full HouseFull HouseFull House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
episode, "Just Say No Way," Jesse Katsopalis plays this song with the marching bandMarching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
at DJ's school dance (replacing Dogface, a popular high school band, who broke up hours beforehand). - The title of the 1986 film Something Wild was itself an inversion of the song title. The film features a scene where two main characters (played by Jeff DanielsJeff DanielsJeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels is an American actor, musician and playwright. He founded a non-profit theatre company, the Purple Rose Theatre Company, in his home state of Michigan...
and Melanie GriffithMelanie GriffithMelanie Richards Griffith is an American actress. She is an Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner for her performance in the 1988 film Working Girl...
) pick up some hitch-hikers in their convertible and the party then sing "Wild Thing". - The song was also sung in the TV show Saved by the BellSaved by the BellSaved by the Bell is an American television sitcom that aired between 1989 and 1993. The series is a retooled version of the 1988 series Good Morning, Miss Bliss, which was itself later folded into the history of Saved by the Bell...
.