Get Down With Your Funky Self - "Jungle Boogie"

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“Get down, get down.” We are at the penultimate get down song - songs with “get down” in the lyrics - and today’s (tonight’s) tune is pretty much the epitome of “Get down:” “Jungle Boogie” by Kool & the Gang. Before they morphed into an 80’s hit machine, Kool & the Gang were one of the world’s premier funk bands. “Jungle Boogie” is from the band’s third album, Wild and Peacefu. It was successful outright, a certified gold record that peaked at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. There were 36 #1 singles in 1973, yet Billboard ranked the tune at the #12 song overall for that year. Despite not hitting #1 itself, it ranked higher than other songs that achieved that ranking. With the main lyric being “Get down, get down,” it’s an order as well as a celebration. It’s also possibly the most instantly recognizable song in funk music. The spoken word solo vocals that feed off the “get down” chant throughout were performed by the band’s roadie, Donald Boyce (who lets their roadie sing the lead vocal on a hit? Kool & the Gang!) Throw in a slick, punchy horn section and it was an infectious hit song. You might have heard it in movies, on television, on television commercials, or even on the radio (and there are stations out there that still play this) but odds are you’ve heard this funk classic at some point in your life. Now go out and get down, get down. Link is to the band performing the tune on Soul Train: