The Incredible Bongo Band

The Incredible Bongo Band
Name	The Incredible Bongo Band
Background	group_or_band
Origin	United States
Years active	1970–1973, various reunions
Label	United Artists Records, BMG, Polydor Records
Associated acts	Sylvia Robinson, Funkadelic, The Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash

The Incredible Bongo Band

The Incredible Bongo Band was an American studio ensemble assembled by Michael Viner and produced by Scepter Records/United Artists Records affiliates in the early 1970s. It is best known for its influential instrumental recordings that fused Latin percussion, funk, and rock elements, most famously a reworking of Manny del Moral-era arrangements culminating in the track often cited as a breakbeat cornerstone. The group's recordings featured session musicians from Los Angeles, New York City, and Detroit who had pedigrees with artists such as James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, and members of The Wrecking Crew.

History

The project originated when record executive Michael Viner sought to capitalize on the popularity of percussion-driven instrumentals following releases by Mongo Santamaría, Tito Puente, and Sergio Mendes. Sessions were organized in studios associated with A&M Records, United Western Recorders, and Record Plant and recruited players active in recordings for Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, and The Temptations. The group's debut LP was released amid the early 1970s boom in funk and Latin crossover records alongside contemporaneous releases by Sly and the Family Stone, Funkadelic, and Tower of Power. Although commercial impact was modest at release, the recordings circulated widely among DJs and crate diggers in scenes connected to Bronx block parties, Harlem clubs, and Philadelphia radio, later influencing compilations curated by labels such as Rhino Entertainment and BMG.

Members and Personnel

The ensemble was not a fixed touring band but a collective featuring prominent session musicians and arrangers. Driftwood lineups included drummers and percussionists who worked with James Brown and Wilson Pickett, horn players drawn from The Memphis Horns orbit, and guitarists and bassists who recorded with Stevie Wonder and Al Green. Arrangements involved orchestral contributors linked to Don Costa and Johnny Pate as well as engineers associated with Tom Dowd-era studios. Production and A&R were led by Michael Viner with input from arrangers who collaborated with Quincy Jones, Gordon Jenkins, and producers active at Atlantic Records. Session vocalists and background singers were veterans of sessions for The Supremes and The Jackson 5.

Musical Style and Influences

The group's sound synthesized elements traceable to Cuban music, Puerto Rican Latin percussion traditions, and African American funk established by James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, and Sly Stone. Percussive patterns referenced timbales and congas popularized by Mongo Santamaría and Willie Bobo, while rhythm sections mirrored grooves from Funkadelic and The Meters. Horn arrangements showed kinship with charts used by Chicago (band) and Tower of Power, and production techniques echoed innovations from Motown studios and producers such as Smokey Robinson and Holland–Dozier–Holland. The ensemble also drew stylistic cues from rock acts like Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones when integrating aggressive drum breaks and electric guitar riffs.

Discography

Major releases included studio albums and singles issued on United Artists Records with later reissues by Polydor Records and specialty compilations by Rhino Entertainment. Notable records from the original era were widely anthologized alongside contemporaneous compilations featuring Funkadelic, The Isley Brothers, and Marvin Gaye. Posthumous collections and remasters assembled by labels such as BMG and Sony Music paired the band's tracks with works by Herbie Hancock and Roy Ayers on various funk and rare groove anthologies.

Legacy and Sampling Impact

The group's most famous drum breaks became foundational to hip hop producers and DJs associated with Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, and DJ Kool Herc. Breakbeat edits were heavily sampled by producers for Sugarhill Records releases, influencing seminal recordings by The Sugarhill Gang and later sampling on tracks by Dr. Dre, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, and Beastie Boys. Compilation curators and crate diggers placed the band's recordings alongside source material from James Brown, Clyde Stubblefield, and Bernard Purdie in collections used by DJ Shadow and J Dilla. The use of the group's grooves extended into electronic and dance music, informing producers from Fatboy Slim to The Chemical Brothers and appearing in soundtracks for films directed by Quentin Tarantino, Spike Lee, and Martin Scorsese.

Live Performances and Tours

Originally conceived as a studio-only project, the ensemble later inspired live incarnations and revival tours featuring veteran session players and younger musicians drawn from New York City and Los Angeles funk and Latin scenes. Reunion performances took place at venues and festivals connected to CBGB, Madison Square Garden, and international stages at Glastonbury Festival and Montreux Jazz Festival where lineups included collaborators who had worked with Etta James, Ike & Tina Turner, and Roberta Flack. Contemporary tribute shows and DJ sets celebrating the band's grooves are common at events curated by collectives that also present artists like The Roots, Public Enemy, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Category:American musical groups