Hooked on a Feeling

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For the albums, see Hooked on a Feeling (Blue Swede album) and Hooked on a Feeling (David Hasselhoff album).
"Hooked on a Feeling"
Single by B. J. Thomas
from the album On My Way
B-side"I've Been Down This Road Before"
ReleasedOctober 29, 1968
Recorded1968
StudioAmerican Sound Studio, Memphis, Tennessee
Genre
Length2:48
LabelScepter
Songwriter(s)Mark James
Producer(s)Chips Moman
B. J. Thomas singles chronology
"The Eyes of a New York Woman"
(1968) 		"Hooked on a Feeling"
(1968) 		"It's Only Love"
(1969)

"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 (played by Reggie Young) and reached No. 5 in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.[3]

It has been recorded by many other artists, including Blue Swede, whose version reached No. 1 in the United States in 1974.[4]

Production[edit]

The song was written by Mark James, who was introduced to producer Chips Moman around 1967 by Moman's mutual friend Steve Tyrell, a singer and James' manager.[5]: 81–82  James was hired by early 1968[6] to write for Moman's publishing company, which led to him writing songs for many artists, including his childhood friend B.J. Thomas.[5]: 81–82  One of these songs was "Hooked on a Feeling", which James wrote about the thrills of being in love, inspired by his feelings for his childhood sweetheart.[5]: 169 [7] It was recorded at the American Sound Studio in Memphis, Tennessee in 1968,[8] and first released on October 29 of that year. Country artists Louise Mandrell and RC Bannon also recorded and released this song in 1979.

Chart performance[edit]

Weekly charts
Chart (1968–1969) Peak
position
Australia (Go-Set) [9] 35
Canada RPM Top Singles 3
New Zealand (Listener)[10] 10
US Billboard Hot 100[11] 5
US Cash Box Top 100 5
Year-end charts
Chart (1969) Rank
Canada[12] 31
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 99

Blue Swede version[edit]

"Hooked on a Feeling"
Single by Blue Swede
from the album Hooked on a Feeling
B-side"Gotta Have Your Love"
Released1973[14]
Recorded1973
GenrePop rock
Length2:48
LabelEMI Svenska
Songwriter(s)Mark James
Producer(s)Bengt Palmers
Blue Swede singles chronology
"Hooked on a Feeling"
(1973) 		"Silly Milly"
(1973)

In 1973, the Swedish pop rock group Blue Swede did a cover version, which included the ooga chaka introduction from a 1971 cover by Jonathan King. King had heard Johnny Preston's Running Bear, which was the inspiration for the ooga chaka chant.[15] The Blue Swede version of the song also tweaked the lyrics to avoid a drug reference.[16] This version reached No. 1 in the United States.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1974. On 25 July 2012, the 1974 live performance by Blåblus video was officially uploaded to YouTube; it has generated nearly 6 million views as of October 2022.[17]

Record World said that "the opening hook will have buyers crying for the 'oogah chugga' record."[18]

In 1992, Blue Swede's recording was featured on the soundtrack of Quentin Tarantino's debut feature Reservoir Dogs.

In 1998, during an episode of the legal comedy-drama series Ally McBeal, "Cro-Magnon", the main character's neurosis about being able to conceive a child before her biological clock runs out is illustrated by her imagining a computer generated baby dancing into her bedroom to Blue Swede's recording of "Hooked on a Feeling". A website featuring the dancing baby and the Blue Swede recording became an internet meme, further cementing the scene in pop culture history.[19]

The 2014 feature film Guardians of the Galaxy,[20] which 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;[21] the film's soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in August 2014.[22] The song was also featured in the teaser trailer for the 2017 sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[23]

Weekly charts
Chart (1974) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[24] 4
Canada RPM Top Singles[25] 2
New Zealand (Listener)[26] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[27] 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[28] 31
US Cash Box Top 100[29] 1
Year-end charts
Chart (1974) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[30][31] 29
Canada [32] 27
US Billboard Hot 100[33] 20
US Cash Box [34] 34

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[35] Gold 45,000‡
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[36] Gold 30,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[37]
Blue Swede version 		Platinum 600,000‡
United States (RIAA)[38]
B.J. Thomas version 		Gold 1,000,000^
United States (RIAA)[39]
Blue Swede version 		Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Covers[edit]

  • In 1971, Jamaican reggae band Twinkle Brothers released a reggae cover of the song with ooga chaka chants and a brass arrangement also known from later cover versions.[40]
  • In 1971, British musician Jonathan King recorded a cover version of the song, also with ooga chaka chants.[41] King described it as "a reggae rhythm by male voices". His version reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1971.[42]
  • In 1985, Mexican Group El Tiempo released a cover on their album Cada Día Más (translated as Every Day More). It is listed as the song "No Puedo Evitarlo".[43]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Billboard Staff (October 19, 2023). "The 500 Best Pop Songs: Staff List". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2024. The ooga-chaka-ing cover of B.J. Thomas' '60s top 5 hit that takes a good pop song and makes it immediately unforgettable.
  2. ^ Breihan, Tom (May 14, 2019). "The Number Ones: Blue Swede's "Hooked On A Feeling"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 19, 2023. In Thomas' hands, it's a Vegas version of psychedelia...
  3. ^ "BJ Thomas". Credits. AllMusic. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Blue Swede". Hooked on a Feeling. AllMusic. 1974. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  5. ^ a b c Jones, Roben. (2010). Memphis Boys : the story of American Studios. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-60473-402-7. OCLC 642685845.
  6. ^ Marc Myers (1 November 2016). Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop. Open Road + Grove/Atlantic. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-0-8021-8965-3.
  7. ^ McGovern, Kyle (2014-08-06). "'Ooga-Chaka': A Primer on the Unofficial 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Theme". Spin. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  8. ^ McMillan, Graeme (2014-02-20). "Why 'Hooked on a Feeling' Will Be the Song of the Summer, Again". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
  9. ^ "Go-Set National Top 40, 14 June 1969". Poparchives.com.au. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  10. ^ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". www.flavourofnz.co.nz.
  11. ^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-2002
  12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  13. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1969/Top 100 Songs of 1969". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-02.
  14. ^ "Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling". August 6, 1973 – via www.discogs.com.
  15. ^ Walthall, Catherine (12 July 2023). "The Story Behind the One-Hit Wonder "Hooked on a Feeling" by Blue Swede". Retrieved 12 July 2023.
  16. ^ Sakamoto, John (22 August 2014). "A brief history of 'ouga chaka'". Toronto Star. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
  17. ^ Blue Swede - Hooked On A Feeling (1974 - HQ - Live), retrieved 2022-10-31
  18. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. February 2, 1974. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  19. ^ "Hollywood Flashback: 'Ally McBeal' Made Meme History With a Dancing Baby". The Hollywood Reporter. August 10, 2017.
  20. ^ 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 27, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Wood, Mikael (August 13, 2014). "'Guardians of the Galaxy' soundtrack shoots to No. 1 on Billboard 200". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  23. ^ Anderton, Ethan (October 19, 2016). "'Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2' Teaser Trailer Is Hooked On A Feeling Again". /Film. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016. Retrieved October 22, 2016.
  24. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  25. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1974-04-20. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  26. ^ [ Flavour of New Zealand, 1 June 1974]
  27. ^ "Blue Swede Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  28. ^ "Blue Swede Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved July 3, 2021.
  29. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 6, 1974". Archived from the original on September 17, 2017. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  30. ^ "National Top 100 Singles for 1974". Kent Music Report. 30 December 1974. Retrieved 15 January 2022 – via Imgur.
  31. ^ "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2017-05-07.
  32. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 13, 2017.
  33. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1974/Top 100 Songs of 1974". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  34. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 28, 1974". Archived from the original on July 22, 2019. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  35. ^ "Danish single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  36. ^ "Spanish single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
  37. ^ "British single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  38. ^ "American single certifications – B.J. Thomas – Hooked on a Feeling". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  39. ^ "American single certifications – Blue Swede – Hooked on a Feeling". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved July 26, 2019.
  40. ^ "The Twinkle Brothers / Bunny Lee All Stars – Hooked On A Feeling / Feeling Version". Discogs. 1971. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
  41. ^ "A brief history of 'ooga chaka'". Toronto Star. 22 August 2014.
  42. ^ Bronson, Fred (May 30, 1998). "'Chaka' Can and 'Honestly' Does". Billboard. New York. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
  43. ^ "El Tiempo". Cada Día Más. AllMusic. 1985. Retrieved June 19, 2023.

External links[edit]

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