Apache (instrumental)
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| "Apache" | ||||
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| Single by The Shadows | ||||
| B-side | "Quatermasster's Stores" (Trad: arr Bill Shepherd) | |||
| Released | July 1960 United Kingdom | |||
| Recorded | 17 June 1960, Abbey Road Studios, London | |||
| Genre | Rock, Instrumental | |||
| Label | Columbia DB4484 | |||
| Writer(s) | Jerry Lordan | |||
| Producer | Norrie Paramor | |||
| The Shadows singles chronology | ||||
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"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".[1] 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.
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[edit] Composition and original recording
Jerry Lordan came up with the tune. "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.
[edit] Shadows version
The recording was done at the EMI Abbey Road Studio in London. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown had bought an Italian-built guitar echo chamber. He didn't like it and gave it to Hank Marvin. Marvin developed a new sound using the chamber with heavy vibrato using the tremolo arm of his Fender Stratocaster. Bruce Welch borrowed an acoustic Gibson J200 guitar from Cliff Richard, a revolutionary step for a rock and roll band. These sounds, with a heavy melodic bass by Jet Harris, created a revolutionary sound. Percussion was by Tony Meehan (drums) and Cliff Richard, who played a Chinese drum at the beginning and at 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". The Shadows version of "Apache" was considered revolutionary in the UK for twangy guitar and tribal rhythms. 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.
[edit] Later 1960s 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 Ventures in 1962; and Davie Allan and The Arrows in 1965. Sonny James recorded a vocal version in 1962.[1]
[edit] Incredible Bongo Band version (1973)
"Apache" has been cited by Afrika Bambaataa as an early element of hip hop music with the record sampled and scratched 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 "ranging from the Sugarhill Gang and L.L. Cool J to The Roots and Nas, not to mention sampling by techno performers Future Sound of London and Moby and drum and bass acts J. Majik and Goldie.[1]
[edit] Hit singles built on samples of The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache"
[edit] Sugarhill Gang: "Apache" (1981)
In 1981, the rap group Sugarhill Gang covered the Incredible Bongo Band version of the song, on their second album 8th Wonder. In addition to using the distinctive beat and bongo drums, the Sugarhill Gang added rap lyrics on top, with some of their signature references, including:
- The Lone Ranger is referenced extensively in this song. One memorable lyric states, "Tonto, jump on it! Jump on it! Jump on it!" One of the rap segments is from the perspective of the Lone Ranger himself; the phrase, "Hi-ho Silver (is what I say)" ends this segment.
- The lyric "What you hear is not a test" references the song "Rapper's Delight".
- The "Popcorn" song by Hot Butter is referenced via this lyric: "What's that? Hot butter popcorn!"
- The "Monster Mash" is mentioned in this song.
- In 1995, the Sugarhill Gang's version of "Apache" gained new popularity after being featured in "Viva Lost Wages", a sixth-season episode of the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,[2] as well as a subsequent clip show from the series.[3]
[edit] Sir Mix-A-Lot: "Jump on It" (1996)
In 1996, Sir Mix-A-Lot played off of the lyrics to Sugarhill Gang's "Apache" in his hit version of "Jump on It".
[edit] Fatboy Slim: "Apache" (1998)
- The movie Snatch soundtrack has an extract of a DJ mix CD (On The Floor At The Boutique) by Fatboy Slim, which contained the Incredible Bongo Band version of Apache.
[edit] 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.
- Tommy Seebach recorded a disco version that was successful in Europe.
- DJ Grandmaster Flash interpolated parts of the Incredible Bongo Band song "Apache" in his song "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel".
- West Street Mob, 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)".
- Vanilla Ice 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 This" on Missy Elliott's album The Cookbook.
- The Beastie Boys 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 Concert live album.
- UK Songstress Amy Winehouse used a sample from "Apache" on her song "In My Bed" produced by Salaam Remi for her 2003 album Frank. Salaam Remi also utilized "Apache" for sampling when he produced NY Rapper Nas' hit single "Made You Look" from his 2002 release God's Son.
- UK rapper M.I.A. made "Apache" the center of her 2005 Radio One B-side "Apache Riddim".
- Also in 2005, Switch Switch (DJ) extensively sampled the covered version by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band in A Bit Patchy (wordplay on "Apache"). It later received remixes by Eric Prydz and Todd Terry.
- Japanese beatbox trio Afra & Incredible Beatbox Band recorded a vocal-only, beatbox version on their 2006 album "I.B.B.".
- Nas sampled IBB's "Apache" in his 2003 single, "Made You Look," and on his 2006 single, Hip Hop Is Dead.
- Also in 2006, The Federation sampled a piece of the song for their single "I Only Wear My White Tees Once".
- Sampled on the song "Funky" by DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist on their 2007 collaboration, "The Hard Sell".
- It's used in the song "Against All Odds" by Chase & Status featuring Kano.
- The Roots sample the bongo break at the beginning for their song "Thought @ Work" from their album "Phrenology"
- Double Dee and Steinski sampled the bongo break for their classic mash-up/collage Lesson 1 - The Payoff Mix.
[edit] 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, a band called 'The Imposters' released a version entitled Apache '69 on the Mercury label, MF1080. The B side was titled QIII. This was a slightly funky/psych version of the Shadows' original and didn't make a big impression on the charts. History on The Imposters is very scant (non-existent?) but odd copies of the record appear now and then.
- In 1970, The Edgar Broughton Band released "Apache Dropout", a pairing of Captain Beefheart's "Dropout Boogie" and "Apache".
- In 1972 the Moog-based band of session musicians called Hot Butter released a cover version of "Apache" as follow-up to their hit "Popcorn".
- In 1976 the electro-rock French band Rockets, 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 a disco-styled music video of "Apache" featured The Tommy Seebach Band. Set on a rocky hillside, it featured scantily-clad dancers adoring a grinning keyboard player. This version was later turned into an Internet meme.
- Ska-Dows recorded a ska version of "Apache", including some lyrics, mostly the word "Apache!" shouted repeatedly.
- In 1992, Norwegian a cappella group Bjelleklang recorded their version of "Apache" on the album "Holiholihoo".
- The California Guitar Trio covered Apache for their 1995 album, Invitation
- Wyclef Jean's "Masquerade" includes the melodic hook played on violin as the song closes.
- In 2002 Portishead's Geoff Barrow and Adrian Utley 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 German band Scooter covered this song as an instrumental for the album Who's Got The Last Laugh Now? in a techno 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 World.
- Angel Parra Trio, a Chilean Latin jazz band, covered this song on his 2005 album Playa Solitaria.
- In 2006, French award-winning guitarist Jean-Pierre Danel recorded a version of "Apache" very close to the original, for his album Guitar Connection. The album hit the French charts at #1 and received a double gold disc. The following Top 10 album "Guitar Connection 2" featured a duet by Danel and Shads guitarist Hank Marvin on The Shadows' standard "Nivram" (#14 in the French charts).
- On the 2006 album Hier is Normaal, the Dutch band Normaal 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".
- On Missy Elliott's album The Cookbook, "We Run This" uses Apache as background music.
- "Apache" was covered by the folk band 17 Hippies 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)
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Michaelangelo Matos, Abstract: All Roads Lead to ‘Apache’", Pop Conference, Experience Music Project 2005. Accessed online 5 March 2007
- ^ "Viva Lost Wages". Robert Bruce (writer); Shelley Jensen (director). The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. NBC. November 13, 1995. No. 8, season 6.
- ^ "I, Whoops, There It Is". Mary Beth Pemberton and Tanya Ward (writers); Shelley Jensen (director). The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. NBC. April 15, 1996. No. 19, season 6.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by "Please Don't Tease" by Cliff Richard and The Shadows |
UK number one single 25 August 1960 (5 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Tell Laura I Love Her" by Ricky Valance |
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