Rumble in the Jungle (song)

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"Rumble in the Jungle"
Single by Fugees featuring A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes and John Forté
from the album When We Were Kings soundtrack
ReleasedJanuary 7, 1997 (1997-01-07)
Recorded1996
Length5:09
LabelMercury
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Wyclef Jean
  • Lauryn Hill
Fugees singles chronology
"No Woman, No Cry"
(1996) 		"Rumble in the Jungle"
(1997) 		"Take It Easy"
(2005)
A Tribe Called Quest singles chronology
"Stressed Out"
(1996) 		"Rumble in the Jungle"
(1997) 		"Jam"
(1997)
Busta Rhymes singles chronology
"Wild for da Night"
(1996) 		"Rumble in the Jungle"
(1997) 		"Hit 'Em High (The Monstars' Anthem)"
(1997)
Music video
"Rumble in the Jungle" on YouTube

"Rumble in the Jungle" is a song recorded for the 1996 documentary film When We Were Kings, which depicts the 1974 boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman that the song is named after: The Rumble in the Jungle. The song was written and performed by American hip hop group Fugees along with fellow hip hop artists A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, and John Forté. Additional writers credited on the song are Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, Stig Anderson, and Chip Taylor since "Rumble in the Jungle" samples recordings written by them. The lyrics of the song focus mostly on Ali and his life, as well as the boxing match itself.

Produced by Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill of the Fugees, "Rumble in the Jungle" was released on January 7, 1997, as the first single from the soundtrack, becoming a chart hit in several countries. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the Fugees' fourth consecutive top-three hit. It also entered the top 40 in Finland, Iceland, Ireland, New Zealand, and Sweden. In the United States, it appeared on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, where it peaked at number 71.

Background and writing[edit]

"Rumble in the Jungle" was written for the 1996 documentary film When We Were Kings, which focuses on American boxer Muhammad Ali and the buildup to the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle boxing match with George Foreman, which took place in Kinshasa, Zaire.[1] The song was written by Fugees members Wyclef Jean, Pras, and Lauryn Hill along with guest vocalists Busta Rhymes, John Forté, and A Tribe Called Quest members Q-Tip and Phife Dawg; Jean and Hill additionally produced the song.[2]

The song's bassline is taken from "The Name of the Game" (1977) by Swedish pop group ABBA, so Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus, and Stig Anderson are given writing credits;[3] this was the first time ABBA had granted permission to officially sample one of their recordings.[4] One of Hill's verses is also based on "Angel of the Morning", penned by Chip Taylor in 1967.[2] "Rumble in the Jungle" is about Ali's background and his fight with Foreman, containing descriptions of inner-city life, and plays during the biopic's closing credits.[1]

Release and promotion[edit]

The song was serviced to American rhythmic contemporary radio on January 7, 1997.[5] On January 25, 1997, it debuted and peaked at number 71 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[6] In the United Kingdom, a re-issue of "Fu-Gee-La" was originally scheduled for release, but once the film and song were released in America, import copies began to permeate the British music market, eventually selling enough units to appear at number 81 on the UK Singles Chart.[7] This threatened the potential sales of "Fu-Gee-La", so its release was suspended to allow for the proper release of "Rumble in the Jungle" on March 3, 1997.[3][8] The song subsequently reappeared on the UK Singles Chart, entering at number three to become the Fugees' fourth consecutive top-three hit.[7] Elsewhere in Europe, the song peaked at number 10 in Ireland, number 12 in Iceland, number 13 in Finland, and number 36 in Sweden.[9][10][11] In Oceania, the song reached the top 20 in New Zealand, peaking at number 13 on June 1, 1997.[12]

A music video directed by Marc Smerling and Mark Woollen was made for the song.[13] If features snippets from the film interspersed with clips of the seven vocalists rapping the song in a boxing ring.

Track listings[edit]

Personnel[edit]

Personnel are lifted from the US promo CD liner notes.[2]

Charts[edit]

Release history[edit]

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States January 7, 1997 Rhythmic contemporary radio Mercury [5]
United Kingdom March 3, 1997
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 [8]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Pahwa, Nitish (March 13, 2020). "How One of the Great Rap Collabos of the '90s Also Helped Build Muhammad Ali's Legend". Slate. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Rumble in the Jungle (US promo CD liner and disc notes). Fugees. Mercury Records. 1996. MECP 183.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ a b Masterton, James (March 15, 1997). "Week Ending March 15th 1997". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  4. ^ Spencer, Samuel (November 4, 2021). "The 20 highest charting Abba songs for all the "Dancing Queens" out there". Newsweek. Retrieved May 20, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "CHR/Rhythmic: New Releases" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1177. December 20, 1996. p. 44. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "Fugees Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  7. ^ a b c "Fugees: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  8. ^ a b "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. March 1, 1997. p. 31. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
  9. ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Rumble in the Jungle". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  10. ^ a b "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (1.5. '97 – 7.5. '97)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). May 2, 1997. p. 20. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  11. ^ a b "Fugees – Rumble in the Jungle". Singles Top 100. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Fugees – Rumble in the Jungle". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  13. ^ "Production Notes" (PDF). Billboard. Vol. 109, no. 2. January 11, 1997. p. 95. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  14. ^ Rumble in the Jungle (UK & Australian CD single liner notes). Fugees. Mercury Records. 1996. 574 069-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  15. ^ Rumble in the Jungle (European CD single liner notes). Fugees. Mercury Records. 1996. 574 068-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  16. ^ Rumble in the Jungle (European cassette single sleeve). Fugees. Mercury Records. 1996. 574 068-4.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  18. ^ "Fugees – Rumble in the Jungle" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  19. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 14, no. 13. March 29, 1997. p. 29. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  20. ^ "Fugees: Rumble in the Jungle" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  21. ^ "Fugees – Rumble in the Jungle" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  22. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 10, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  23. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  24. ^ "Official Dance Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "Official Hip Hop and R&B Singles Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  26. ^ "CHR/Rhythmic: Hip Hop Top 20" (PDF). Radio & Records. No. 1181. January 24, 1997. p. 42. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
  27. ^ "Top 100 Singles 1997". Music Week. January 17, 1998. p. 27.
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