Bimbo Jet
Bimbo Jet was a French euro disco group led by Claude Morgan and Laurent Rossi,[1] that gained international fame during the summers of 1974 and 1975 with the song "El Bimbo". "El Bimbo" is popular with street musicians and orchestral composers alike, with Paul Mauriat having capitalized well from his own instrumental arrangement. The song was also heard in four of the seven Police Academy films starting from the first film up until Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol as the tango song in The Blue Oyster Bar scenes. The song "El Bimbo" is used as a theme song for a 1977 Soviet-made anti-war short film named "Polygon" directed by Anatoly Petrov and written by Sever Gansovsky.
Laurent Rossi is the son of another singer, Tino Rossi.[2] "El Bimbo" was released in France in June 1974 on the Pathe-Marconi record label, and in the UK in August 1975.[2] The track went to #1 in France and #10 in the UK Singles Chart.[2] It sold 1.3 million copies in France alone, and throughout the world over three million discs.[2] As well as in France, the tune topped charts in Spain, Italy, Denmark, Turkey and Lebanon.[2] In Argentina it was #2, and was a chart hit in Belgium, Switzerland, Mexico and the United States.[2] The record reached #1 in the Billboard Disco Singles, #2 in the Hot Dance Club Play and #43 in the Hot 100 charts in the U.S.[3]
The group had another hit during the Summer of 1975, particularly in France, with "La Balanga."