Bim Sala Bim

Album: Disco-Funk (1975)
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Songfacts®:

  • This funky jam came up in the funk/soul thread on our Forums, so in February, 2011 we tracked down Hudson County's John Mulrenan to find out more. John explained:

    Hudson County was a group based in New Jersey. We were together about 3 years in the early '70s. We worked six nights a week in clubs all over New Jersey and Florida. We were noted for our mostly black repertoire. We did a set of James Brown stuff that was great fun to play. The instrumentation was:
    Guitar - Ritch Gomez
    Bass - Jon Davis
    Drums - Louis Gomez
    Trumpet - Ralph Jones
    Sax - Jerry Roth
    Keys and guitar - John Mulrenan.

    We signed with RCA with Warren Schatz. We sold Warren three masters we had recorded ourselves at House Of Music in South Orange New Jersey. "Bim Sala Bim," "Everybody's Funky," and "Heaven's Here On Earth," which was our single release. Unfortunately Warren signed Vicki Sue Robinson at the same time as us and when "Turn The Beat Around" came out and exploded on the charts we kind of got lost in the shuffle. We broke up shortly after that. I went on to tour with the English blues legend Long John Baldry, Benny Mardones (who had the hit "Into The Night"), and Musique, who had "Push Push In The Bush."

    I wound up opening a recording studio in the Jersey shore and I now record many talented artists every day. You can hear some of my own songs I've recorded recently on my web site at mulrenan.com. Oddly enough, I recently was contacted by a major movie producer and they want to use Bim in a movie. Funny how things work out. We never made any money from our records but made a good living playing and touring, and, had a great time doing it. I still play out a few times a month doing a computerized single.
  • So were did the "Bim Sala Bim" title come from? Mulrenan told us: "It was part of a bit Johnny Carson used to do on the Tonight Show where he would come out with a turban on and give humorous answers to questions taken from a sealed envelope by Ed McMahon."
  • The song was bootlegged after it was released and re-credited to Fantastic Soul Inventions. Such is the nature of the music industry.

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