"Hi-Jack" is a 1974 r&b and funk disco based song written by Spanish musician Fernando Arbex and originally recorded by his group

Barrabás Barrabás are a Spanish musical group, most successful in the 1970s and 1980s when they were led by drummer and producer Fernando Arbex. The group's musical style was initially Latin rock with jazz and funk influences, and later developed into a ...

for their album ''

¡Soltad a Barrabás! ''¡Soltad a Barrabás!'' is the third album by the Music of Spain#Popular music in Spain, Spanish group Barrabás, released in 1974. The album was originally released as ''Release Barrabás'' or ''Hi-Jack'' in some other countries, but the modern ...

''. While their version of the song was a huge success in their native Spain, going all the way to Number one over there, the song flopped in America, stalling at just number No. 104 on the Bubbling Under the Billboard Hot 100 Charts in July 1975. It was later a hit single for jazz flautist

Herbie Mann Herbert Jay Solomon (April 16, 1930 – July 1, 2003), known by his stage name Herbie Mann, was an American jazz Flute, flute player and important early practitioner of world music. Early in his career, he also played tenor saxophone and clarinet ...

Herbie Mann version

Mann's recording of the song featured Cissy Houston on vocals and hit number one on the US Disco Action chart for three weeks in early 1975 and made the top 30 on the R&B and pop singles charts. The song was banned on several AM radio stations because of the recent cases of hijackings in the middle East, as well as for the suggestive repeated lyric lines: "Hijack your love" and "I'm gonna steal your love". In addition to Mann's version, the song has been covered many other artists (notably by

Enoch Light Enoch Henry Light (August 18, 1907 – July 31, 1978) was an American classically trained violinist, danceband leader, and recording engineer. As the leader of various dance bands that recorded as early as March 1927 and continuing through a ...

) and the various versions have been sampled in songs by hip-hop artists, including

The Beatnuts The Beatnuts is an American hip hop group and production duo from New York City. Its current members are JuJu and Psycho Les. JuJu (born Jerry Tineo on December 14, 1968) is a Dominican American from Corona and Psycho Les (born Lester Fernandez ...

and

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...

Personnel

flute The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...

Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer specializing in electric bass guitars, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (19 ...

- bass *

Steve Gadd Stephen Kendall Gadd (born April 9, 1945) is an American jazz fusion drummer, percussionist, and session musician. Gadd is one of the best-known and most highly regarded session and studio drummers in the industry, recognized by his induction i ...

- drums * Cissy Houston - backing vocal *

Ralph MacDonald Ralph Anthony MacDonald (March 15, 1944 – December 18, 2011) was an American percussionist, steelpan virtuoso, songwriter, musical arranger, and record producer. His compositions include " Where Is the Love", a Grammy Award winner for the due ...

Ray Barretto Raymundo "Ray" Barretto Pagán (April 29, 1929 – February 17, 2006) was an American percussionist and bandleader of Puerto Rican descent. Throughout his career as a percussionist, he played a wide variety of Latin music styles, as well as Lati ...

- percussion

Chart positions (Herbie Mann version)

References

1975 singles Funk songs Disco songs Songs written by Fernando Arbex 1974 songs Ariola Records singles Atco Records singles Atlantic Records singles Obscenity controversies in music {{1970s-pop-song-stub

Herbie Mann version

Personnel

Chart positions (Herbie Mann version)

See also

References