Bongo Bong

About Bongo Bong

"Bongo Bong" is the first solo single by Manu Chao from his first album, Clandestino. It is a remake of Mano Negra's song (Mano Negra was his own band), "King of Bongo" (1991), which has its roots in a 1939 recording of "King of the Bongo Bong" by the trumpeter Roy Eldridge. It also uses the background music from Black Uhuru's song "Bull ina di Pen" from their Anthem album. It is part of a medley with "Je ne t'aime plus" on the album. The music has been reused for other songs such as "Mr. Bobby" which was first released on this single before being re-recorded for his second album, Próxima Estación: Esperanza, and "Homens" from the same album. In 2006, a cover version by Robbie Williams, combining "Bongo Bong" and "Je ne t'aime plus" in one track (much in the way the tracks are intertwined on Clandestino), appeared on Williams' album Rudebox and was released as a single release of its own in 2007. The song has also been remixed by breakbeat artists Cut & Run, drum and bass duo Ed Solo, Deekline and drum and bass band Noisia and German singer Max Raabe. more »