“Hooked on a Feeling” – Single by Blue Swede from the album Hooked on a Feeling
B-side “Gotta Have Your Love”
Released 1973
Recorded 1973
Label EMI Svenska
Songwriter Mark James
Producer Bengt Palmers
Charted No.1 in US, No.90 in UK, No.2 in Canada
No.1 on Billboard HOT 100 in the week of April 6, 1974
“Hooked on a Feeling” is a 1968 pop song, written by Mark James and originally performed by B. J. Thomas.
In 1973, the Swedish pop rock group Blue Swede recorded a cover version, which included the ooga chaka introduction from a 1971 cover by Jonathan King. It’s commonly claimed that King had heard Johnny Preston’s “Running Bear”, which was the inspiration for the ooga chaka chant, however, King states, “the chant had nothing to do with Running Bear – it was my idea to use the reggae rhythm in an unusual way, that’s all.” The Blue Swede version of the song also tweaked the lyrics to avoid a drug reference.
