Hump de Bump

"Hump de Bump"
Single by Red Hot Chili Peppers
from the album Stadium Arcadium
B-side	"Joe" "Save This Lady"
Released	April 7, 2007
Format	CD single
Recorded	March - December 2005 at The Mansion in Los Angeles, California
Genre	Funk rock
Length	3:33
Label	Warner Bros.
Writer(s)	Flea, Frusciante, Kiedis, Smith
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin
Red Hot Chili Peppers singles chronology
"Desecration Smile" (2007) "Hump de Bump" (2007) "Charlie" (music video) (2007)
Music video "Hump de Bump" on YouTube

"Hump de Bump" is a song by the Red Hot Chili Peppers from their 2006 double album, Stadium Arcadium. The song is the fifth and final single released from Stadium Arcadium and final single the band would release with John Frusciante, who quit the band two years later. Originally expected to be the fourth single for the US, Canada and Australia, ("Desecration Smile" was the fourth single released internationally) the Red Hot Chili Peppers decided to make the single and video a worldwide release thanks to the positive feedback on the video, which was directed by comedian and good friend Chris Rock. The single was released in the U.S. on April 7, 2007 while it was released May 10, 2007 in the rest of the world.^[1]

Style

Despite the change in musical style of the rest of the album, its sound is similar to that of the band's earlier music. The track was originally titled "Ghost Dance 2000"^[2] in reference to the song "American Ghost Dance" from the album Freaky Styley, as the two songs sound similar, and the bass line was the same. The title was changed to "Hump de Bump" near the end of recording.

Originally a jam, Kiedis recorded it on his phone to save it for a later recording. Flea plays trumpet on this track, quoting Dizzy Gillespie's "Salt Peanuts" near the end of the track. There is also a large "tribal" instrumental bridge on this track, similar to that on "Breaking the Girl", a song from Blood Sugar Sex Magik. During live shows in 2006, Marcel Rodriguez-Lopez would come on stage and play bongos during this section. While on the 2007 Australian and European leg of the Stadium Arcadium world tour, Flea, Kiedis, and Josh Klinghoffer would all join in on Chad Smith's drum kit. The song may also pay tribute to either the Commodores song "(Can I) Get A Witness?", the Grand Funk Railroad song "Some Kind of Wonderful" or the Marvin Gaye song, "Can I Get a Witness" because of the line "Can I get my co-defendant?"

Music video

The video was shot in late December 2006, and was directed by Chris Rock. The video takes place at a city block party on the set of Everybody Hates Chris with Chris Rock as himself, being kept out of his own block party by a security guard (Craig Robinson), while the band is playing the song at the party. Rock agreed to direct the video only if "they were the only white people in it."^[3]

The video leaked to the internet on March 9, and it officially first premiered in Australia on March 13, on Channel Seven's Sunrise program^[4] and in America/Canada on March 14 on Total Request Live.^[5]

Formats and track listings

CD single 1

1. "Hump de Bump" – 3:33
2. "Joe" – 3:54
3. "Save This Lady" – 4:17

CD single 2

1. "Hump de Bump" – 3:33
2. "An Opening" (Live)

UK single

1. "Hump de Bump" – 3:33
2. "An Opening" (Live)
3. "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (Live)

International maxi CD

1. "Hump de Bump" – 3:33
2. "An Opening" (Live)
3. "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" (Live)

International 7" picture disc

1. "Hump de Bump" – 3:33
2. "An Opening" (Live)

Charts

• #17 (Australia)
• #63 (Canada)
• #83 (Czech Singles Chart)
• #29 (Netherlands)
• #24 (Slovak Singles Chart)
• #41 (UK)
• #8 (U.S. Modern Rock)
• #27 (U.S. Mainstream Rock)

References