Chakachas 'Jungle Fever' (Greg Wilson edit)

Chakachas 'Jungle Fever' (greg wilson edit) by gregwilson

Chakachas ‘Jungle Fever’ (greg wilson edit)

99 bpm

Previously limited vinyl only 2010.

Following on from last week’s Crystal Grass upload, here’s the track that appeared on the other side of GW Ruff Edits #4, ‘Jungle Fever’ by Chakachas (aka ‘Belgian Jungle’), a deliciously wicked downtempo groove that’s been described as ‘one of the first Disco records’. Somewhat bizarrely, this was a Latin combo from Belgium, who’d been recording since the 50’s. Chakachas (or The Chakachas, as there name also appeared) were certainly unlikely Disco pioneers, but ‘Jungle Fever’ became a UK Top 30 hit in 1972, and would no doubt have climbed much higher had it not been pulled off the BBC airwaves because the sighs and heavy breathing were deemed too risqué for the British public’s sensibilities (Donna Summer’s ‘Love To Love You Baby’ still more than 3 years away). However, it was in the US where it found its greatest success – a massive hit, it reached #8 on the US Pop chart, and #11 R&B, selling a million copies in the process.

As with Crystal Grass, the reason I edited it was purely to extend the length, adding over 2 minutes to the original version. The first time I remember playing it out was at Café Mambo in Ibiza in 2009, which was also the first mix I ever uploaded to SoundCloud:

CAFE MAMBO IBIZA 27.09.09 (greg wilson live mix) by gregwilson

Greg Wilson – November 2011