"Apache" is a song written by

Jerry Lordan Jeremiah Patrick Lordan (30 April 1934 – 24 July 1995) was an English songwriter, composer and singer. He had three hit singles on the UK Singles Chart before focusing purely on songwriting. Amongst his songwriting credits were the cha ...

and first recorded by English guitarist

Bert Weedon Herbert Maurice William Weedon, OBE (10 May 1920 – 20 April 2012) was an English guitarist whose style of playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the ...

. Lordan played the song on ukulele for English

instrumental rock Instrumental rock is rock music that emphasizes instrumental performance and features very little or no singing. Examples of instrumental music in rock can be found in practically every subgenre of the style. Instrumental rock was most popular f ...

group

the Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the bac ...

while on tour and, liking the song, the group released their own version which topped the UK Singles Chart for five weeks in mid-1960. The Shadows' guitarist

Hank Marvin Hank Brian Marvin (born Brian Robson Rankin, 28 October 1941) is an English multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and songwriter. He is known as the lead guitarist for the Shadows. Early life and career Marvin was born as Brian Robson Rankin at ...

developed the song's distinctive echo and vibrato sound. After hearing the Shadows' version, Danish guitarist

Jørgen Ingmann Jørgen Ingmann (born Jørgen Ingmann Pedersen; 26 April 1925 – 21 March 2015) was a Danish jazz and pop guitarist from Copenhagen. He was popular in Europe and had a wider international hit in 1961 with his version of "Apache". He and his w ...

released a cover of the song in November 1960 which peaked at number 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the US. A 1973 version by the

Incredible Bongo Band The Incredible Bongo Band, also known as Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band, was a project started in 1972 by Michael Viner, a record artist manager and executive at MGM Records, producer, MGM Records executive and Curb Records founder Mike Cu ...

has been called "

hip-hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...

's national anthem".Michaelangelo Matos
Abstract: All Roads Lead to ‘Apache’"
Pop Conference,

Experience Music Project The Museum of Pop Culture (or MoPOP) is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, United States, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then ...

2005. Accessed online 7 July 2011 Although this version was not a hit on release, its long percussion break has been sampled countless times on hip hop and dance tracks since the 1980s. In March 2005, ''Q'' magazine placed "Apache" by the Shadows at number 96 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

Composition and original recording

English songwriter and composer

came up with the tune in the late 1950s. Lordan was inspired to write the song after watching the 1954 American western film ''

Apache The Apache ( ) are several Southern Athabaskan language-speaking peoples of the Southwestern United States, Southwest, the Southern Plains and Northern Mexico. They are linguistically related to the Navajo. They migrated from the Athabascan ho ...

'', saying that he "wanted something noble and dramatic, reflecting the courage and savagery of the Indian

warrior Massai, played by

Burt Lancaster Burton Stephen Lancaster (November 2, 1913 – October 20, 1994) was an American actor. Initially known for playing tough characters with tender hearts, he went on to achieve success with more complex and challenging roles over a 45-year caree ...

. It was originally recorded by British guitarist

in early 1960, but remained unreleased for several months due to promotion and release problems. However, Lordan did not like Weedon's version of the song, as he thought it was too jaunty. For this reason, whilst on tour with

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is a British singer and actor. He has total sales of over 21.5 million singles in the United Kingdom and, as of 2012, was the third-top-selling artist in UK Singles Chart histo ...

and

, Lordan played the song on his ukulele to the Shadows, who liked the song and recorded it in June, quickly releasing it in July 1960. Around the same time as the Shadows' release of "Apache", Weedon's record label

Top Rank Top Rank, Inc. is a boxing promotional company founded by Jabir Herbert Muhammad and Bob Arum, which was incorporated in 1973, and is based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since its founding, Top Rank has promoted many world class fighters, including M ...

finally released his version. Reviewing for ''

Disc Disc or disk may refer to: * Disk (mathematics), a two dimensional shape, the interior of a circle * Disk storage * Optical disc * Floppy disk Music * Disc (band), an American experimental music band * ''Disk'' (album), a 1995 EP by Moby Other ...

'',

Don Nicholl Donald Nicholl (August 9, 1925 – July 5, 1980) was an English screenwriter and producer who later worked in the United States. Early life Nicholl was born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, Sunderland, England. He worked as a journalist, columnis ...

wrote that Weedon "gets the right mood and atmosphere as he works with drums on this Indian item. There's a flute in the background, too – to give the idea for the raiding party's whoops maybe. A dark noise". The single peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart. After the success of the Shadows' version,

and

Bruce Welch Bruce Cripps (born 2 November 1941), known professionally as Bruce Welch, is an English guitarist, songwriter, producer, singer and businessman best known as a founding member of the Shadows. Early life Bruce Welch was born in Bognor Regis in ...

wrote "Mr. Guitar" for Weedon as a recompense for overshadowing his version of the song.

Track listing

* 7": Top Rank / JAR-415 # "Apache" – 2:37 # "Lonely Guitar" – 2:10

Charts

The Shadows version

Recording

The recording was done at the

EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...

Abbey Road Studios Abbey Road Studios (formerly EMI Recording Studios) is a music recording studio at 3 Abbey Road, London, Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. Singer-guitarist Joe Brown had bought an Italian-built tape echo unit that he did not like and gave it to

The Shadows The Shadows (originally known as the Drifters between 1958 and 1959) were an English instrumental rock group, who dominated the British popular music charts in the pre-Beatles era from the late 1950s to the early 1960s. They served as the bac ...

' guitarist

, who developed a distinctive sound using it and the

whammy bar A vibrato system on a guitar is a mechanical device used to temporarily change the pitch of the strings. It adds vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece of an electric guitar using a c ...

of his

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of double- cutaway electric guitar designed between 1952 and 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corpora ...

borrowed an acoustic

Gibson J-200 The Gibson J-200 (formerly the Gibson SJ-200 or Super Jumbo 200), is an acoustic guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Standard models of the guitar feature a uniquely shaped "moustache" bridge and a large pickguard with a vine ...

guitar from

, the heavy melodic bass was performed by

Jet Harris Terence "Jet" Harris (6 July 1939 – 18 March 2011) was an English rock and roll musician. He was an original member of Cliff Richard's backing band the Shadows, serving as the bass guitarist from the group's inception until April 1962, aft ...

, and drums by

Tony Meehan Daniel Joseph Anthony Meehan (2 March 1943 – 28 November 2005) was a founder member of the British group the Drifters with Jet Harris, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch, which evolved into the Shadows. He played drums on early Cliff Richard and ...

. Richard himself played a Chinese drum at the beginning and end to provide an atmosphere of stereotypically Native American music.

Release and reception

"Apache" was released with the B-side being an instrumental version of the traditional army song "

The Quartermaster's Store "The Quartermaster's Store" is a traditional song from England. It is Roud Folk Song Index no. 10508. The origins of both tune and words are uncertain. It was sung by British and ANZAC soldiers during World War I, but may be an older song of the ...

". The band humorously renamed the song "Quatermasster’s Stores" in reference to the television serial ''

Quatermass Professor Bernard Quatermass is a fictional scientist originally created by writer Nigel Kneale for BBC Television. An intelligent and highly moral British scientist, Quatermass is a pioneer of the British space programme, heading the British E ...

'' and it was arranged by Bill Shepherd. Record producer and A&R man

Norrie Paramor Norman William "Norrie" Paramor (15 May 1913 – 9 September 1979) was a British record producer, composer, arranger, pianist, bandleader, and orchestral conductor. He is best known for his work with Cliff Richard and the Shadows, both togethe ...

preferred "Quatermasster’s Stores" over "Apache" and wanted it to be released as the A-side. However, he changed his mind after his daughter preferred "Apache". By 1963 Apache had sold over a million copies in the UK. 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 The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

era. In a 1963 ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...

'' article, The Shadows said, "What's the most distinctive sound of our group? We often wondered what it is ourselves. Really, it is the sound we had when we recorded 'Apache' – that kind of Hawaiian sounding lead guitar ... plus the beat". In March 2005, ''Q'' magazine placed "Apache" by the Shadows at number 96 on its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.

UK chart history

The Shadows' "Apache" entered the UK top 40 on 21 July 1960 at number 35, climbing into the top 20 the following week. A fortnight later, the song rose twelve places to number 3 and, on 25 August, deposed "

Please Don't Tease "Please Don't Tease" is a 1960 song recorded by Cliff Richard and the Shadows. Recorded in March and released as a single in June, the song became their third No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart spending three weeks at the summit. The song was written ...

" – on which The Shadows backed Cliff Richard – to begin a five-week run at number 1. On 29 September, "Apache" dropped to number 2, replaced by "

Tell Laura I Love Her "Tell Laura I Love Her" is a teenage tragedy song written by Jeff Barry and Ben Raleigh. It was a US top ten popular music hit for singer Ray Peterson in 1960 on RCA Victor Records, reaching No. 7 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Late ...

" by

Ricky Valance David Spencer (10 April 193612 June 2020), known professionally as Ricky Valance, was a Welsh pop singer. He was best known for the UK number one single " Tell Laura I Love Her", which sold more than a million copies in 1960. He was the first ...

. The Shadows version proved to be an enduring hit, enjoying a 19-week run in the top 40 which concluded on 24 November, reappearing for one more week on 8 December. During this run, the group's follow-up single "Man of Mystery"/"The Stranger" peaked at number 5, alongside the number 3 success of "

Nine Times Out of Ten "Nine Times Out of Ten" is a song by Cliff Richard and the Shadows, released as a single in September 1960. It peaked at number 3 on the UK Singles Chart and also received a silver disc for 250,000 sales. Background and release In a vote by a ...

" (backing Cliff Richard). According to the UK

Official Charts Company The Official UK Charts Company Limited (formerly Music Industry Chart Services Limited), trading as the Official Charts Company (OCC) or the Official Charts (formerly the Chart Information Network), is a British inter-professional organisation ...

, "Apache" was the 28th best-selling single of the 1960s.

Track listing

* 7": Columbia / DB 4484 # "Apache" – 2:56 # "Quatermasster's Stores" – 2:20

Personnel

–

lead guitar Lead guitar (also known as solo guitar) is a musical part for a guitar in which the guitarist plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs and chords within a song structure. The lead is the featur ...

–

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

–

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

– Chinese drum *

– drums

Charts

Jørgen Ingmann version

Danish guitarist

recorded a cover of "Apache" in October 1960 after hearing the Shadows' version, which had recently been released in Denmark. Ingmann had been looking for a B-side to his self-penned song "Echo Boogie" and decided that "Apache" would work. He played all instruments on both tracks, as well as mixing and producing them.

Release and reception

Released in Denmark at the beginning of November by

Metronome Records Warner Music Sweden AB (previously Metronome Records) is a Swedish record company and label, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group. The Swedish division of WMG is a successor to Metronome Records, which was established in 1949 by Anders Burman, Lar ...

, it was quickly released in the US by

ATCO Atco or ATCO may refer to: Businesses * ATCO, a Canadian diversified company involved in manufacturing, utilities, energy and technologies ** ATCO Electric, a subsidiary of the above company * Atco (British mower company), a mower manufacturing com ...

along with a big

advertising campaign An advertising campaign or marketing campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). An IMC is a platform in which a group of people can group their ide ...

, where the single was credited as 'Jorgen Ingmann and His Guitar'. The single entered the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in the final week of January 1961 and peaked at number two ten weeks later at the beginning of April for two weeks behind "

Blue Moon A blue moon refers either to the presence of a second full moon in a calendar month, to the third full moon in a season containing four, or to a moon that appears blue due to atmospheric effects. The calendrical meaning of "blue moon" is unc ...

" by

the Marcels The Marcels were an American doo-wop group known for turning popular music songs into rock and roll. The group formed in 1959 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and signed to Colpix Records with lead Cornelius Harp, bass Fred Johnson, Gene Bricker, ...

. In Canada, "Apache" topped the

CHUM Chart The CHUM Chart is a long-running Canadian hit parade countdown radio show, originally aired on Toronto radio station CHUM AM then later revived on its sister station CHUM-FM. It consisted of 50 top tunes from May 1957 to July 1968, but in Augus ...

for two weeks in March 1961. Ingmann would go on to have a smaller hit in North America with "Anna", which peaked at number 54 in the US and number 34 in Canada June 1961. Cliff Richard has said that "Ingmann put in a few tricky bits, but essentially it was a cover job. If the Shads had made the charts there

n the US N, or n, is the fourteenth Letter (alphabet), letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is English alphab ...

with 'Apache', things might have been very different for us".

Track listing

* 7": ATCO / 6184 (US and Canada) # "Apache" – 3:00 # "Echo Boogie" – 3:13

Charts

Incredible Bongo Band version

A 1973 version by Michael Viner and a funk group called the

added a

bongo drum Bongos ( Spanish: ''bongó'') are an Afro-Cuban percussion instrument consisting of a pair of small open bottomed hand drums of different sizes. The pair consists of the larger ''hembra'' () and the smaller ''macho'' (), which are joined by a wo ...

introduction and included more percussion. The

drum break In popular music, a break is an instrumental or percussion instrument, percussion section during a song derived from or related to stop-time – being a "break" from the main section (music), parts of the song or piece. A break is usually interp ...

was played by Jim Gordon. Although this version was not a hit on its initial release, it became heavily

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: * Sample (graphics), an intersection of a color channel and a pixel * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of something * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample ...

in early

hip hop music Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide r ...

, including by

Afrika Bambaataa Lance Taylor (born April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is a retired American DJ, rapper, and record producer. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of ...

, who cited its influence. It has been sampled by hip hop performers such as

The Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group formed in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1979. Their hit " Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, rea ...

L.L. Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, alongside fellow New-school hip-hop ...

The Roots The Roots are an American Hip-hop, hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Black Thought, Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and drummer Questlove, Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC's ''T ...

and

Nas Nas (born 1973) is the stage name of American rapper Nasir Jones. Nas, NaS, or NAS may also refer to: Aviation * Nasair, a low-cost airline carrier and subsidiary based in Eritrea * National Air Services, an airline in Saudi Arabia ** Nas Air (S ...

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

performers

The Future Sound of London The Future Sound of London (often abbreviated FSOL) is a British electronic music duo composed of Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans. They have been described as a "boundary-pushing" electronic act, covering techno, ambient music, ambient, house ...

and

Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...

, and

drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...

acts

J Majik J Majik (born James Spratling, Northwood, England) is a drum and bass DJ and producer. He has been active since his early teens in the early 1990s. Biography He released his first track in 1992 (as DJ Dextrous) on the Planet Earth record la ...

and

Goldie Clifford Joseph Price MBE (born 19 September 1965), better known as Goldie, is an English music producer, DJ, and actor. Initially gaining exposure for his work as a graffiti artist, Goldie became well known for his pioneering role as a musi ...

. The 2013 documentary ''Sample This'', directed by Dan Forrer and narrated by

Gene Simmons Gene Simmons (born Chaim Witz; ; born August 25, 1949) also known by his stage persona "The Demon", is an Israeli-born American musician. He was the bassist and co-lead singer of the hard rock band Kiss (band), Kiss, which he co-founded wit ...

, recounts the story of The Incredible Bongo Band and its recording of "Apache". In 2022, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' ranked Incredible Bongo Band's version of the song number 31 in their list of the "200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time".

The Sugarhill Gang version

In 1981, the American rap group known as

the Sugarhill Gang The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop group formed in Englewood, New Jersey, in 1979. Their hit " Rapper's Delight", released the same year they were formed, was the first rap single to become a top 40 hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, rea ...

covered the

's version of the song on its second album, '' 8th Wonder'' (1981). In 1982, this version peaked at No. 53 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100, No. 51 on the ''Billboard'' Dance chart, and No. 13 on the US R&B chart. In 1995, this version was featured in "Viva Lost Wages", a sixth-season episode of an American sitcom ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'', and then in "Whoops, There It Is", a subsequent

clip show A clip show is an episode of a Television program, television series that consists primarily of excerpts from previous episodes. Most clip shows include a frame story in which cast members recall events from past installments of the show, depicte ...

from the series. Using the distinctive beat and bongo drums as well as Native American war cries, the Sugarhill Gang added rap lyrics with references including the following: *

The Lone Ranger The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a ...

(a.k.a. ''" kemosabe"'') is mentioned extensively, as well as his sidekick ("

Tonto Tonto is a fictional character; he is the Native Americans in the United States, Native American (either Tonto Apache, Comanche, or Potawatomi) Friendship, companion of the Lone Ranger, a popular American Western (genre), Western character crea ...

, jump on it! Jump on it! Jump on it!") and his horse (Hi-yo,

Silver Silver is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag () and atomic number 47. A soft, whitish-gray, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and reflectivity of any metal. ...

!' is what I say"). *The lyric "Now what you hear is not a test" recalls the Sugarhill Gang's earlier hit, "

Rapper's Delight "Rapper's Delight" is a 1979 rap song that serves as the debut single of American hip-hop trio the Sugarhill Gang, produced by Sylvia Robinson. Although it was shortly preceded by the Fatback Band's " King Tim III (Personality Jock)", "Rapper ...

". *The instrumental "

Popcorn Popcorn (also called popped corn, popcorns, or pop-corn) is a variety of corn kernel which expands and puffs up when heated. The term also refers to the snack food produced by the expansion. It is one of the oldest snacks, with evidence of p ...

" by

Hot Butter Hot Butter were an American instrumental band fronted by the keyboard player and studio musician Stan Free. The other band members were John Abbott (arranger, guitar), brothers Bill (producer, engineer, percussion) and Steve Jerome (producer, ...

(who had released a version of "Apache" as a follow-up to "Popcorn") is referenced via the lyric "(What's that?) Hot buttered popcorn!" **The recording engineer for Sugar Hill Records, Steve Jerome, was also a member and engineer for "

" by

. **The popcorn and its butter are referenced in lyrics right beforehand, recalling a 1976 Mazola margarine commercial "We Call It

Maize Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago from wild teosinte. Native American ...

" featuring a Native American woman. **The "

Monster Mash "Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called '' The Original Monster Mash'', which contained ...

" is mentioned in this song, as well as

the Jerk ''The Jerk'' is a 1979 American comedy film directed by Carl Reiner and written by Steve Martin, Carl Gottlieb, and Michael Elias (from a story by Martin and Gottlieb). This was Martin's first starring role in a feature film. The film also f ...

. A reworked version of this song for children titled simply "Jump on It!" is featured as the title track on the Sugarhill Gang's album ''

Jump On It! ''Jump On It!'' is a 1999 studio album by American hip hop group the Sugarhill Gang made of children's music and was the first hip hop album made by rap artists for children. The album was the only one recorded after the trio of Big Bank Hank, ...

''. This song differs from the original version with the signature "Jump on it" line being replaced by "Jump up", lyrics encouraging children to learn science, mathematics, and English, and a stronger

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

influence.

Other songs sampling the Incredible Bongo Band version

* DJ

Grandmaster Flash Joseph Robert Saddler (born January 1, 1958), known by his stage name Grandmaster Flash, is a Barbadian-American musician and DJ. He created a DJ technique called the Quick Mix Theory. This technique serviced the break-dancer and the rapper by el ...

interpolated parts of the Incredible Bongo Band song "Apache" in his song "

The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" is a single released by American disc jockey Grandmaster Flash in 1981. It is a live DJ mix recording of Flash scratching and mixing records from various groups using three turntables. Th ...

". *

West Street Mob West Street Mob were an American boogie and electro band, active between 1981 and 1984, best known for their 1983 song "Break Dance — Electric Boogie." The band comprised Joey Robinson, Jr., Warren Moore and singer Sabrina Gillison. History ...

, 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)". *

Boogie Down Productions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) was an American hip-hop group formed in the Bronx, New York City, in 1986. It originally consisted of KRS-One, D-Nice, and DJ Scott La Rock. DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, five months after the ...

sampled the break in their 1992 track " Who Are The Pimps?" *

Young MC Marvin Young (born May 10, 1967), better known by his stage name Young M.C., is an American rapper, singer and actor. He is best known for his 1989 hit " Bust a Move". His debut album '' Stone Cold Rhymin found international acclaim. Young h ...

sampled the break in his 1988 rap "Know How", mixed with

Isaac Hayes Isaac Lee Hayes Jr. (August 20, 1942 – August 10, 2008) was an American singer, songwriter, composer, and actor. He was one of the creative forces behind the Southern soul music label Stax Records in the 1960s, serving as an in-house songwr ...

' "

Theme From Shaft "Theme from ''Shaft''", written and recorded by Isaac Hayes in 1971, is the soul and funk-styled theme song to the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film '' Shaft''. The theme was released as a single (shortened and edited from the longer album version) two ...

". *MC Zappa sampled various portions of the Incredible Bongo Band version of "Apache" in his song "Supperhero" from his 2020 EP ''Hindsight''. *

MC Hammer Stanley Kirk Burrell (born March 30, 1962), better known by his stage name MC Hammer (or simply Hammer), is an American rapper known for hit songs such as "U Can't Touch This", "2 Legit 2 Quit", and "Pumps and a Bump", flashy dance movements, e ...

sampled the bongo loop in his track "Turn This Mutha Out", off the 1988 album ''Let's Get It Started''. *

Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas, raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success foll ...

sampled "Apache" in his hit song "Ninja Rap". It was also sampled in the Ultimix version of "Ice Ice Baby". *

C + C Music Factory C+C Music Factory was an American musical group formed in 1989 by David Cole and Robert Clivillés. The group is best known for their five hit singles: "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)", "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)", " Things Tha ...

sample the start of "Apache" in the song " Things That Make You Go Hmmm..." * In 1996,

Sir Mix-A-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot or his CB handle Prime Minista, is an American rapper. He is best known for his 1992 hit song " Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

played off the lyrics to the Sugarhill Gang's version of "Apache" in his hit "Jump on It", released on the album ''

Return of the Bumpasaurus ''Return of the Bumpasaurus'' is the fifth studio album by American rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot. It was released on August 27, 1996, via American Recordings. The recording sessions took place at Mix-A-Lot Studios in Auburn, with Chris Rock recorded li ...

''. The lyrics contain the names of several cities in the United States. *It was used as the beat and background music on the song "

We Run This "We Run This" is a song by American recording artist Missy Elliott. It was written by Rhemario "Rio Beats" Webber and Elliott for her sixth studio album, ''The Cookbook'' (2005), while production was handled by the former. Released as both the al ...

" on

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette "Missy" Elliott (born July 1, 1971), also known as Misdemeanor, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She began her musical career as a member of the Contemporary R&B, R&B girl group 4 All the Sistas Arou ...

's album ''

The Cookbook ''The Cookbook'' is the sixth studio album by American rapper Missy Elliott, released on July 4, 2005, by The Goldmind Inc. and Atlantic Records in Germany and the United Kingdom, and on July 5 in the United States and Japan. To date, it is her ...

''. * The soundtrack of the 2000 film '' Snatch'' has an extract of a DJ mix CD (''

On the Floor at the Boutique ''On the Floor at the Boutique'' is a live album mixed by British big beat musician Fatboy Slim. It was recorded in 1997 at the Big Beat Boutique in Brighton, and released in 1998. Track listing See also * ''On the Floor at the Boutique � ...

'') by

Fatboy Slim Norman Quentin Cook (born Quentin Leo Cook, 31 July 1963), also known as Fatboy Slim, is an English musician and DJ who helped popularise the big beat genre in the 1990s. His music makes extensive use of Sampling (music), samples from eclectic ...

, which contained the Incredible Bongo Band version of "Apache". *The

Beastie Boys The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...

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 Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of socio-political music festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia from 1996 onwards to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were originally organized by Beastie Boy ...

'' live album. *It was also used in the original version of "Can I Get Witcha" by

The Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in the New York rap scene and gangsta rap tradi ...

*The British blues singer

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman. With over 30 million records sold worldwide, she was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix ...

used a sample from "Apache" in her song "In My Bed" produced by

Salaam Remi Salaam Remi Gibbs (born May 14, 1972) is an American record producer. He is most known for producing material for close associates Nas, Amy Winehouse, and Jazmine Sullivan, but has also produced for other mainstream acts including Alicia Key ...

for her 2003 album '' Frank''.

also utilized "Apache" for sampling when he produced NY Rapper

' 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". * In 2005,

Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type o ...

extensively sampled the covered version by Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band for his track "

A Bit Patchy "A Bit Patchy" is a single by English DJ Switch. It is based on the 1973 recording of "Apache", by Incredible Bongo Band. It was first released at the end of 2005 in discos and dance clubs, before arriving to the charts in 2006. The song was th ...

" (wordplay on "Apache"). The track has since been used to advertise William Hill Online on TV and has been remixed by artists such as

Eric Prydz Eric Sheridan Prydz (, ; born 19 July 1976), also known by his many aliases including Pryda () and Cirez D (), is a Swedish DJ and record producer. He rose to prominence with his 2004 hit single " Call on Me", and saw continued chart success wi ...

and Sinden. *

sampled IBB's "Apache" in his 2002 single, " Made You Look", and on his 2006 single "

Hip Hop Is Dead ''Hip Hop Is Dead'' is the eighth studio album by American rapper Nas, released December 19, 2006, on Def Jam Recordings. His first album for the label, it was co-financed by Nas's previous label, Columbia Records, which once distributed for Def ...

". *Also in 2006,

The Federation The Federation may refer to: * Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, often just called "The Federation", a part of the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina * Russian Federation * United Federation of Planets, a fictional alliance in the ''Star Trek'' ...

sampled a piece of the song for their single "I Only Wear My White Tees Once". *Sampled on the song "Funky" by

DJ Shadow Joshua Paul Davis (born June 29, 1972 in San Jose, California, San Jose, California), better known by his stage name DJ Shadow, is an American DJ and record producer. His debut studio album, ''Endtroducing.....,'' was released in 1996. He uses l ...

and

Cut Chemist Lucas MacFadden (born October 4, 1972), better known as Cut Chemist, is an American DJ and record producer. He is a former member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. He has collaborated with DJ Shadow on a number of projects. Early life Cut Chemist gr ...

on their 2007 collaboration, "The Hard Sell". *It is used in the song "Against All Odds" by

Chase & Status Chase & Status are an English electronic music duo composed of Saul Milton (Chase) and Will Kennard (Status). In addition, Andy Gangadeen is the drummer when the band performs live. MC Rage formerly performed as MC with the group, but left in ...

featuring

Kano Kano may refer to: Places *Kano State, a state in Northern Nigeria *Kano (city), a city in Nigeria, and the capital of Kano State ** Kingdom of Kano, a Hausa kingdom between the 10th and 14th centuries ** Sultanate of Kano, a Hausa kingdom betwee ...

. *

sample the bongo break at the beginning for their song "Thought @ Work" from their album ''Phrenology'', which is an homage to "Men at Work" by Kool G Rap and DJ Polo, which also samples the break. *

Double Dee and Steinski Double Dee and Steinski is a duo of hip hop producers, composed of Doug "Double Dee" DiFranco and Steven "Steinski" Stein. They achieved notoriety in the early 1980s for a series of underground hip-hop sample-based collages known as the "Less ...

sampled the bongo break for their classic mash-up/collage "Lesson 1 – The Payoff Mix". *

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...

incorporated the bongo samples to "

Into the Groove "Into the Groove" is a song recorded by American singer Madonna, and featured in the 1985 film ''Desperately Seeking Susan''. Written and produced by both Madonna and Stephen Bray, the main inspiration behind the song was the dance floor; the s ...

" during her 2008–2009 Sticky & Sweet Tour. *

TLC TLC may refer to: Arts and entertainment Television * ''TLC'' (TV series), a 2002 British situational comedy television series that aired on BBC2 * TLC (TV network), formerly the Learning Channel, an American cable TV network ** TLC (Asia), an A ...

sampled the bongo loop in the video version of their song, " Hat 2 Da Back". *

Petter Askergren Petter Alexis Askergren (born 25 May 1974), who simply uses his given name Petter as a stage name, is a Swedish rapper from Stockholm, Sweden, rapping in Swedish. He debuted in 1998 with the album ''Mitt sjätte sinne'' (My Sixth Sense), which bec ...

used bongo samples in his cover of

Thomas Di Leva Sven Thomas Magnusson (born 23 October 1963), known by his stage names Thomas Di Leva or simply Di Leva, is a Swedish singer and songwriter. Biography Sven Thomas Magnusson was born 1963 in Gävle, Gävleborg County, Gästrikland, Sweden. At 14 ...

's hit "Dansa din djävul". *

Rage Against the Machine Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...

interpolated parts of the percussion break in their cover of " Renegades of Funk". *Hip hop artists

Jay-Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...

and

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

sampled the bongo drums on their track "That's My Bitch" from their 2011 collaborative album,

Watch the Throne ''Watch the Throne'' is a collaborative studio album by American rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West. It was released on August 8, 2011, by Roc-A-Fella Records, Roc Nation, and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to its release, Jay-Z and West had collaborated ...

Other cover versions

* In February 1961, Sonny James released a

vocal music Vocal music is a type of singing performed by one or more singers, either with instrumental accompaniment, or without instrumental accompaniment (a cappella), in which singing provides the main focus of the piece. Music which employs singing but ...

version, which was produced in Nashville by

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), also known as "Mister Guitar" and "the Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson (musician), Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nash ...

and was review-rated as a ''Spotlight Winner'' in ''Billboard''.

Billboard Music Week ''Billboard'' (stylized in lowercase since 2013) is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events and styles related to the ...

in its edition of March 6, 1961 It peaked at number 87 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and number 23 on the retrospective Australian

Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music historian David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 19 ...

. * Dave Allan and the Arrows released a cover as "Apache '65". It peaked at number 64 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. *In November 1970, English

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...

group

the Edgar Broughton Band Edgar Broughton Band were a British blues rock band founded in Warwick in 1968, and in their initial form were operative through to 1976. The group were also a significant influence on the emerging politically conscious and spiritually aware ...

released a single " Apache Drop Out", which combined "Apache" with a version of

Captain Beefheart Don Van Vliet (; born 'Don Glen Vliet'; January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and visual artist known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. Conducting a rotating ensemble known as the M ...

's " Drop Out Boogie". The highly unorthodox single reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart and number 42 in Germany. *In October 1972, the Moog-based band of session musicians

released a cover version of "Apache" as follow-up to their hit "

". It peaked at number 51 on the UK Singles Chart and number 37 in Germany. *In 1987, Dutch band Janse Bagge Bend released a version titled "Awpatsje (Apache)", which peaked at number 83 on the

Dutch Single Top 100 The Dutch Single Top 100 or Single Top 100 is a Dutch chart, based on official physical single sales, legal downloads and since July 2013 streaming and composed by Dutch Charts. It is one of the three official charts, the other two being the Du ...

chart. *In 2005, the German band Scooter covered this song as an instrumental for the album '' Who's Got The Last Laugh Now?'' in a

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 second disc of the UK edition of its 2008 album ''

Jumping All Over the World ''Jumping All Over the World'' is the thirteenth studio album by German techno group Scooter, released in Germany in 2007. Five singles have been released from it: "The Question Is What Is the Question?", " And No Matches", " Jumping All Over t ...

''. The single was a top-five hit in Denmark and Finland and a top-thirty hit in Germany and Austria.

Interpolations

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean ( ; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, singer, and record producer. Born in Haiti, Jean emigrated to the Northeastern United States, United States as a child. He gained fame as a founding member of the Fugees, a Ne ...

's "Masquerade" includes the melodic hook played on violin as the song closes. * "Symphony of the Nymph" (2012) by

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi aesthetic and home-recorded alb ...

features a melody from "Apache". *

David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...

borrowed part of the melody of Apache for the chorus of the song "How Does the Grass Grow?" from his 2013 album ''

The Next Day ''The Next Day'' is the twenty-fifth studio album by the English musician David Bowie. Released in March 2013, it was Bowie's first studio release in ten years, as he had retreated from public view after undergoing a procedure to treat a block ...

''.

Soundtrack appearances

* An 80-second edit of The Shadows' version was used in the 1989 feature film ''

Scandal A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way a ...

'' about the

Profumo affair The Profumo affair was a major scandal in British politics during the early 1960s. John Profumo, the 46-year-old Secretary of State for War in Harold Macmillan's Conservative government, had an extramarital affair with the 19-year-old model ...

. It appears as track A2 on the soundtrack album. * A version of "Apache" was used as the theme to the long-running television show '' Wild Chicago'', which aired in Chicago on PBS. * Various versions are used in commercials for Jardiance.

Minnesota Lynx

The

Minnesota Lynx The Minnesota Lynx are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Lynx compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference (WNBA), Western Conference. The team won the WNBA ...

of the WNBA adopted "Apache" as the unofficial team anthem in 2007. Following victories, the team would dance to the song at center court. For the first home game of the team's first

WNBA Finals The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. The series is played between the win ...

appearance, the team brought in the Sugarhill Gang to perform the song at halftime.

References

External links

soul-sides.com: All Roads Lead to Apache (history of various versions of "Apache", including audio samples)
{{Authority control 1960 songs 1960 singles 1981 singles Rock instrumentals UK singles chart number-one singles Sonny James songs Surf instrumentals Incredible Bongo Band songs The Sugarhill Gang songs Songs written by Jerry Lordan The Shadows songs Sir Mix-a-Lot songs Songs about Native Americans Columbia Graphophone Company singles Metronome Records singles Atco Records singles Sugar Hill Records (hip-hop label) singles Song recordings produced by Norrie Paramor 1960s instrumentals Minnesota Lynx