Hooked on a Feeling
"Hooked on a Feeling" | ||||
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Single by B. J. Thomas | ||||
from the album On My Way | ||||
B-side | "I've Been Down This Road Before" | |||
Released | October 29, 1968 | |||
Recorded | 1968 | |||
Studio | American Sound (Memphis, Tennessee) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | Scepter | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mark James | |||
Producer(s) | Chips Moman | |||
B. J. Thomas singles chronology | ||||
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"Hooked on a Feeling" is a 1968 pop song, written by Mark James and originally performed by B. J. Thomas. Thomas's version featured the sound of the electric sitar (played by Reggie Young) and reached No. 5 in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]
It has been recorded by many other artists, including Blue Swede, whose version reached No. 1 in the United States in 1974.[4]
Production
[edit]The song was written by Mark James, who was introduced to producer Chips Moman around 1967 by Moman's mutual friend Steve Tyrell, a singer and James' manager.[5]: 81–82 James was hired by early 1968[6] to write for Moman's publishing company, which led to him writing songs for many artists, including his childhood friend B.J. Thomas.[5]: 81–82 One of these songs was "Hooked on a Feeling", which James wrote about the thrills of being in love, inspired by his feelings for his childhood sweetheart.[5]: 169 [7] It was recorded at the American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968,[8] and first released on October 29 of that year. Country artists Louise Mandrell and RC Bannon also recorded and released this song in 1979. The band Mercy included a version on their first album in 1968.[9]
Chart performance
[edit]Chart (1968–1969) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Go-Set) [10] | 35 |
Canada RPM Top Singles | 3 |
New Zealand (Listener)[11] | 10 |
US Billboard Hot 100[12] | 5 |
US Cash Box Top 100 | 5 |
Chart (1969) | Rank |
---|---|
Canada[13] | 31 |
US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 99 |
Blue Swede version
[edit]"Hooked on a Feeling" | ||||
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Single by Blue Swede | ||||
from the album Hooked on a Feeling | ||||
B-side | "Gotta Have Your Love" | |||
Released | 1973[15] | |||
Recorded | 1973 | |||
Genre | Pop rock | |||
Length | 2:48 | |||
Label | EMI Svenska | |||
Songwriter(s) | Mark James | |||
Producer(s) | Bengt Palmers | |||
Blue Swede singles chronology | ||||
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In 1973, the Swedish pop rock group Blue Swede recorded a cover version, which included the ooga chaka introduction from a 1971 cover by Jonathan King. King had heard Johnny Preston's "Running Bear", which was the inspiration for the ooga chaka chant.[16] The Blue Swede version of the song also tweaked the lyrics to avoid a drug reference.[17] This version reached No. 1 in the United States.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1974. On 25 July 2012, the 1974 live performance by Blåblus video was officially uploaded to YouTube; it has generated nearly 6 million views as of October 2022.[18]
Record World said that "the opening hook will have buyers crying for the 'oogah chugga' record."[19]
In 1992, Blue Swede's recording was featured on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's debut feature Reservoir Dogs.
In 1998, during an episode of the legal comedy-drama series Ally McBeal, "Cro-Magnon", the main character's neurosis about being able to conceive a child before her biological clock runs out is illustrated by her imagining a computer generated baby dancing into her bedroom to Blue Swede's recording of "Hooked on a Feeling". A website featuring the dancing baby and the Blue Swede recording became an internet meme, further cementing the scene in pop culture history.[20]
The 2014 feature film Guardians of the Galaxy,[21] which featured the brass fanfare and title lyrics of the Blue Swede cover version prominently in its trailers and theatrical release, resulted in a significant spike in sales for the recording;[22] the film's soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in August 2014.[23] The song was also featured in the teaser trailer for the 2017 sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[24]
In 2024 the song was performed live by Björn Skifs at the beginning of the Grand Final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö.
Personnel
[edit]Personnel, according to the liner notes of the 2004 compilation album Skifs Hits![25]
- Björn Skifs – lead vocals, backing vocals
- Bo Liljedahl – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Ladislav Balaz – organ, electric piano, backing vocals
- Jan Guldbäck – drums, backing vocals
- Michael Areklew – guitar, backing vocals
- Hinke Ekestubbe – tenor saxophone
- Tommy Berglund – trumpet
- Claes Dieden – backing vocals
- Björn Norén – engineer
- Bengt Palmers – producer, arranger
Chart performance
[edit]Chart (1974-2014) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[26] | 4 |
Canada RPM Top Singles[27] | 2 |
New Zealand (Listener)[28] | 7 |
UK Singles (OCC) | 90 |
US Billboard Hot 100[29] | 1 |
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[30] | 31 |
US Cash Box Top 100[31] | 1 |
Chart (1974) | Rank |
---|---|
Australia (Kent Music Report)[32][33] | 29 |
Canada [34] | 27 |
US Billboard Hot 100[35] | 20 |
US Cash Box [36] | 34 |
Certifications
[edit]Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[37] | Gold | 45,000‡ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[38] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] Blue Swede version |
Platinum | 600,000‡ |
United States (RIAA)[40] B.J. Thomas version |
Gold | 1,000,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[41] Blue Swede version |
Gold | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Covers
[edit]- In 1971, Jamaican reggae band Twinkle Brothers released a reggae cover of the song with ooga chaka chants and a brass arrangement also known from later cover versions.[42]
- In 1971, British musician Jonathan King recorded a cover version of the song, also with ooga chaka chants.[43] King described it as "a reggae rhythm by male voices". His version reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1971.[44]
- In 1985, Mexican Group El Tiempo released a cover on their album Cada Día Más (translated as Every Day More). It is listed as the song "No Puedo Evitarlo".[45]
- In 1997, American singer David Hasselhoff released a single and a music video covering this iconic song.
- In 2024, Swedish rock band The Hives released a cover as exclusive to Spotify, as part of the company's Spotify Singles series.[46] This version also features ooga chaka chants.
References
[edit]- ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
The ooga-chaka-ing cover of B.J. Thomas' '60s top 5 hit that takes a good pop song and makes it immediately unforgettable.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (May 14, 2019). "The Number Ones: Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
In Thomas' hands, it's a Vegas version of psychedelia...
- ^ "BJ Thomas". Credits. AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ^ a b "Blue Swede". Hooked on a Feeling. AllMusic. 1974. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
- ^ a b c Jones, Roben. (2010). Memphis Boys : the story of American Studios. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-402-7. OCLC 642685845.
- ^ Marc Myers (1 November 2016). Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop. Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-0-8021-8965-3.
- ^ McGovern, Kyle (2014-08-06). "'Ooga-Chaka': A Primer on the Unofficial 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Theme". Spin. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- ^ McMillan, Graeme (2014-02-20). "Why 'Hooked on a Feeling' Will Be the Song of the Summer, Again". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
- ^ "Discogs entry for the Mercy album".
- ^ "Go-Set National Top 40, 14 June 1969". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz.
- ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
- ^ "Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling". August 6, 1973 – via www.discogs.com.
- ^ Walthall, Catherine (12 July 2023). "The Story Behind the One-Hit Wonder "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede". Retrieved 12 July 2023.
- ^ Sakamoto, John (22 August 2014). "A brief history of 'ouga chaka'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
- ^ Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling (1974 - HQ - Live), retrieved 2022-10-31
- ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 2, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
- ^ "Hollywood Flashback: 'Ally McBeal' Made Meme History With a Dancing Baby". The Hollywood Reporter. August 10, 2017.
- ^ Ashurst, Sam (February 19, 2014). "Guardians Of The Galaxy: James Gunn's Trailer Breakdown: Star Lord's Walkman". Total Film. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith (20 February 2014). "Blue Swede's 'Hooked On a Feeling' Sales Soar Thanks To 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Trailer". Billboard.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
- ^ Wood, Mikael (August 13, 2014). "'Guardians of the Galaxy' soundtrack shoots to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
- ^ Skifs Hits! (liner notes pg. 15). Palmers, Beng. Skifs, Björn. Capitol Records, 7243 4 73603 29. EMI, 7243 4 73603 29. 2004.
- ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-04-20. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
- ^ [ Flavour of New Zealand, 1 June 1974]
- ^ "Blue Swede Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ "Blue Swede Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 6, 1974". Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. 30 December 1974. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
- ^ "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
- ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 13, 2017.
- ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
- ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974". Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
- ^ "Danish single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ "Spanish single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ "British single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
- ^ "American single certifications – B.J. Thomas – Hooked on a Feeling". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ "American single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
- ^ "The Twinkle Brothers / Bunny Lee All Stars – Hooked On A Feeling / Feeling Version". Discogs. 1971. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ "A brief history of 'ooga chaka'". Toronto Star. 22 August 2014.
- ^ Bronson, Fred (May 30, 1998). "'Chaka' Can and 'Honestly' Does". Billboard. New York. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
- ^ "El Tiempo". Cada Día Más. AllMusic. 1985. Retrieved June 19, 2023.
- ^ "The Hives – "Hooked On A Feeling" (Blue Swede Cover)". Stereogum. 24 May 2024.
External links
[edit]- Listen to "Hooked on a Feeling" on YouTube (B.J. Thomas)
- Listen to "No Puedo Evitarlo" on YouTube (Grupo El Tiempo)
- 1968 songs
- 1968 singles
- 1971 singles
- 1974 debut singles
- B. J. Thomas songs
- Blue Swede songs
- Jonathan King songs
- Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
- Cashbox number-one singles
- Songs written by Mark James (songwriter)
- Scepter Records singles
- EMI Records singles
- Song recordings produced by Chips Moman
- Internet memes introduced in the 1990s