Spirit of the Boogie

Album: Spirit of the Boogie (1975)
Charted: 35
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • With growling vocals and effects from Kool & the Gang's technician Donal Boyce, aka "The Boogie Man," this funky soul number is a call back to the group's 1973 hit "Jungle Boogie," but with an edge. Ronald Bell, the Gang's musical director and saxophonist, told Blues & Soul in 1975: "We were trying to get a harder sound using double bass - synthesizer bass and Kool's bass. It was also an experimentation with close harmonies on the horns."
  • Bell remembers the moment he came up with the idea for the song: "I was coming out of Mediasound and it hit me - I heard the melody in my head, with the chord changes on top. The hook came to me right then, too: It's the spirit of the boogie/The baddest little boogie in the land. Sometimes song ideas, melodies, or hooks float out there. I just heard this one, picked it up, moved on it, and started playing."
  • That's the band's alto sax player Dennis "Dee Tee" Thomas singing "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
  • You can't boogie without The Boogie Man. Bell explained the genius of Donal Boyce, whose usual duties were running sound and lights: "He had a voice that could do anything. We'd be working and he'd and make all these different voices. I said, 'Hey, set up the mike and let's go.' Live, he'd do his bit during those songs, then go back to the tech side."
  • This was the group's fourth Top 40 hit and their third #1 on the soul charts.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Chris Fehn of Slipknot

Chris Fehn of SlipknotSongwriter Interviews

A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.

Thomas Dolby

Thomas DolbySongwriter Interviews

He wrote "She Blinded Me With Science" so he could direct a video about a home for deranged scientists.

Superman in Song

Superman in SongSong Writing

Not everyone can be a superhero, but that hasn't stopped generations of musicians from trying to be Superman.