Hooked on a Feeling

"Hooked on a Feeling"
Single by B. J. Thomas
from the album On My Way
B-side	"I've Been Down This Road Before"
Released	November 1968
Genre	Funk
Length	2:48
Label	Scepter Records
Writer(s)	Mark James
Producer(s)	Chips Moman
Certification	Gold (RIAA)
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, and reached number five in 1969 on the Billboard Hot 100.^[1] It has been recorded by many other artists, including Blue Swede, whose version reached number one in the United States in 1974.^[2]

Chart performance

Blue Swede cover

• In 1974, the Swedish pop group Blue Swede did a cover version, which included their own version of Jonathan King's "ooga chaka" introduction; their arrangement was inspired by a bootleg recording of Do You Like Worms? from the unfinished album Smile by the Beach Boys.^[6] The Blue Swede version of the song also tweaked the lyrics to avoid a drug reference.^[7] This version reached number one in the United States.^[2] Billboard ranked it as the No. 20 song for 1974.

Original lyrics	Blue Swede lyrics
"I got it bad for you, girl, but I don't need a cure. I'll just stay addicted and hope I can endure all the good love…"	"Got a bug from you, girl, but I don't need no cure. I just stay a victim, if I can for sure All the good love…"

Different versions

• In 1971, English musician Jonathan King recorded a cover version of the song, adding ooga chaka jungle chants. King described it as "a reggae rhythm by male voices". His version reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1971.^[8]
• In 1978, a cover version by Canadian country music artist Carroll Baker peaked at number 1 on the RPM Country Tracks chart.^[9]
• David Hasselhoff covered the song on his album Hooked on a Feeling in 1997.^[10]
• The band The Offspring sample the "ooga chaka" chorus in their song "Special Delivery", from the album, Conspiracy of One (2000).^[11]
• In 2013, B. J. Thomas included "Hooked on a Feeling" in duet with Sara Niemietz, on The Living Room Sessions. The album includes new interpretations of many of Thomas' greatest hits, with production and instrumental arrangements by Kyle Lehning, and was released on the Wrinkled Records label.^[12][13]

In popular culture

• The song has been revived from time to time as a cultural touchstone of the 1970s, such as on the Reservoir Dogs soundtrack in 1992,^[14] and as the "dancing baby" song in the Ally McBeal TV show.^[15]
• The 2014 feature film Guardians of the Galaxy,^[16] 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;^[17] the film's soundtrack reached the top of the Billboard 200 chart in August 2014.^[18] The song was also featured in the teaser trailer for the 2017 sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.^[19]
• In 2015, the Toronto Blue Jays began using the Blue Swede rendition in a commercial featuring newly acquired David Price and Troy Tulowitzki.^[20] The song is played at Rogers Centre before the bottom of the 8th inning, similar to the usage of "Sweet Caroline" at games in Fenway Park in Boston.
• The song is also the anthem for the Northwestern University Sailing Team

• In 2016, the song's cover, by Blue Swede, was featured in the documentary Holy Hell. The documentary is about the '80s West Hollywood cult Buddhafield and its manipulative and abusive leader. The song plays at the beginning as footage of members of the cult are shown outdoors reaching for the Sun in a euphoric and trance like state as the song's refrain "I'm hooked on a feeling, I'm high on believing" plays on. ^[21]

References

External links

• Song Facts