The Incredible Bongo Band - Let There Be Drums

Issued October 1973 on MGM 14635.

This is a bit of a head-scratcher. The record carries a MAPL logo on the A-side only, indicating that the Artist was Canadian and the record was Produced in Canada.

However:

The Incredible Bongo Band was the project of Michael Viner, an American, who worked out of Los Angeles as an A&R exec and talent scout. The recording was produced by Viner and and Perry Botkin, Jr., another American. The players are uncredited, but it is known that Jim Gordon, an American, is among the drummers. The song was composed by Richard Podolor (producer, Three Dog Night, Steppenwolf) and Sandy Nelson (drummer), both Americans. The record is on an American label. So why does it have a MAPL logo? I don't think it helped the record get on the charts, particularly in the US, where it died at #105.

That doesn't mean that it isn't still a good record, and an excellent rendition of this Sandy Nelson classic. But Canadian content? Where's the smiley for "dubious face"?

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Incredible
• Bongo
• Band
• Let
• There
• Be
• Drums
• 1973
• rock

[puske1990]

can you send me a mp3 file of this ?

i love it :p

[mojofilter02]

No, I can't. But you can Google for how to save YouTube files to your hard drive.

[stormylane]

wow... i used to listen to this as a kid. Does it have Quit a Beat on the flip side?

[mojofilter02]

"Quite A Beat" is the B-side of "Let There Be Drums" by its original artist, Sandy Nelson, from 1961.

[PutItAway101]

Imma let you finish, but bongo band Apache was one of the best instrumentals of all time. OF ALL TIME !

[phillydisco]

I think Apache has been a block party fave since it first came out, at least in NYC because of its tempo and the long breaks. It wasn't until rap music busted out of New York that people on a national scale started paying attention to Apache again.

[Inauthenticity]

In the Beginning there was only nothingness, Then God Said "LET THERE BE DRUMS" 

[maytloo]

Drumming is a hobby of mine-I'm in a drummming circle once a month-mostly djembes, native drums, and Latin drums. A friend recommended this video to me-it's WONDERFUL. I couldn't stop tapping my feet to it! Great vid!

[scratchyoldies]

WOW!

[nathanalexander28]

pretty sure incredible bongbands "bongo rock" was "recorded in vancover, british columbia, canada" or at least thats what i heard Nardwuar the Human Surviette said... :)

[flurbexx]

 buck 65 used this entire song in his song "dang" ...check it out =YBCQ7edDmoE

[roscoegino]

1973 was such an ill year for music.

[roscoegino]

killer, killer, killer.

[nellie2581]

The best is Apache! I love Instrumental music.

[deadhead155]

what genre could this be considered

[machineofrage73]

this happy little tune was the sound track to my saturday afternoon as a kid. it was the theme song to atlantic grand prix wrestling.