Hooked on a Feeling

For the album of the same name by Blue Swede, see Hooked on a Feeling (album).
"Hooked on a Feeling"
Single by B. J. Thomas
from the album On My Way
Released October 1968
Genre Pop
Length 2:48
Label Scepter Records
Writer(s) Mark James
Certification Gold (RIAA)
"Hooked on a Feeling"
Single by Blue Swede
from the album Hooked on a Feeling
B-side "Gotta Have Your Love"
Released 1974
Format 7"
Recorded 1973
Genre Pop
Length 2:48
Label EMI Svenska
Writer(s) Mark James
Certification Gold (RIAA)
Blue Swede singles chronology
"Hooked on a Feeling"
(1974)		 "Silly Milly"
(1974)

"Hooked on a Feeling" is a 1968 pop song written by Mark James and originally performed by B. J. Thomas. Thomas's version featured the sound of the electric sitar, and reached number five in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] It has been recorded by many other artists, including Blue Swede, whose version reached number one in the United States in 1974.[2] Billboard ranked the Blue Swede version as the No. 20 song for 1974.[3]

History

B. J. Thomas released his recording of "Hooked on a Feeling" in 1968. In 2013, Thomas included "Hooked on a Feeling" in duet with Sara Niemietz, on The Living Room Sessions. The album includes new interpretations of many of Thomas' greatest hits, with production and instrumental arrangements by Kyle Lehning, and was released on the Wrinkled Records label.[4][5]

In 1971, English musician Jonathan King recorded a cover of the song, adding ouga chaka jungle chants that some consider similar to those on Johnny Preston's "Running Bear". King described it as "a reggae rhythm by male voices". His version reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart in 1972.[6]

In 1974, the Swedish pop group Blue Swede, with Björn Skifs as lead singer, did a cover, which included their own version of King's "ouga chaka" introduction. Their version reached number one in the United States.[2] The Blue Swede version of the song tweaked the lyrics to avoid a drug reference.[7]

Original Lyrics Blue Swede Lyrics
"I got it bad for you, babe,
but I don't need a cure.
I'll just stay addicted
and hope I can endure
all the good love…"		"Got a bug from you, girl,
but I don't need no cure.
I just stay a victim,
if I can for sure
All the good love…"

In 1978, a cover by Canadian country music artist Carroll Baker peaked at number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.[8] David Hasselhoff covered the song on his album Hooked on a Feeling in 1997.[9] The band The Offspring sample the Blue Swede's "ooga chaka" refrain in their song "Special Delivery", from the album, Conspiracy of One (2000).[10]

It has been revived from time to time as a cultural touchstone of the 1970s, such as on the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack in 1992,[11] and as the "dancing baby" song in the Ally McBeal TV show.[12] The 2014 feature film Guardians of the Galaxy,[13] featured the brass fanfare and title lyrics of the Blue Swede cover version prominently in its trailers and theatrical release, resulted in a significant spike in sales for the recording;[14] the film's soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in August 2014.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "BJ Thomas". Credits. AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Blue Swede". Hooked on a Feeling. AllMusic. 1974. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  3. ↑ Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1974
  4. ↑ Lousararian, Lori (18 June 2013). "B.J. THOMAS TO DUET WITH SARA NIEMIETZ ON "HOOKED ON A FEELING" AT THE GRAND OLE OPRY". The Living Room Sessions. Wrinkled Records. Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  5. ↑ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "The Living Room Sessions". Review. AllMusic. Retrieved 20 July 2013.
  6. ↑ Bronson, Fred (May 30, 1998). "'Chaka' Can and 'Honestly' Does". Billboard (New York). Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  7. ↑ Sakamoto, John (22 August 2014). "A brief history of ‘ouga chaka’". http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/2014/08/22/the_origins_of_the_ooga_chaka.html''. Toronto Star. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "RPM Country Singles for December 23, 1978". RPM. Retrieved 15 March 2011.
  9. ↑ "David Hasselhoff Hooked on a Feeling". AllMusic. 1999. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  10. ↑ Jonas, Liana (2000). "The Offspring Conspiracy of One". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  11. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (1992). "Reservoir Dogs [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  12. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (1998). "Songs from Ally McBeal". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  13. ↑ Ashurst, Sam (February 19, 2014). "Guardians Of The Galaxy: James Gunn's Trailer Breakdown: Star Lord's Walkman". Total Film. Archived from the original on February 19, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  14. ↑ Caulfield, Keith (20 February 2014). "Blue Swede's 'Hooked On a Feeling' Sales Soar Thanks To 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Trailer". Billboard.com. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
  15. ↑ Wood, Mikael (August 13, 2014). "'Guardians of the Galaxy' soundtrack shoots to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2014.

External links

Preceded by
"Sunshine on My Shoulders" by John Denver		 Billboard Hot 100 number-one single (Blue Swede version)
April 6, 1974 (one week) 		Succeeded by
"Bennie and the Jets" by Elton John
Preceded by
"That's What You Do to Me" by Charly McClain		 RPM Country Tracks number-one single (Carroll Baker version)
December 23, 1978 (two weeks) 		Succeeded by
"Burgers and Fries" by Charley Pride