Kool & The Gang ~ Hollywood Swinging 1974 Funky Purrfection Version

"Soul Makossa" is a song that influenced the sound of disco and inspired Michael Jackson to write "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" and also affected Kool & The Gang back in 1972. The tune was so hot and hard to get (it was an import from Cameroon) found in a New York record shop by DJ David Mancuso who immediately added it to his playlist. The response was overwhelming and scarce copies of the original by Manu Dibango led to covers being recorded to fill the void. Kool & The Gang were asked to re record the song and they went to the studio where they began riffing off the song and wrote three hit songs, "Jungle Boogie", "Funky Stuff" and "Hollywood Swinging" instead. Ricky West co wrote the song with the band and the story in the song actually happened to Ricky. Put down in the studio, it was wildly received and topped the R& B chart in June, 1974. Madnrill's "Fencewalk" (1973) was a song rhythm written in threes which Bayyan heard and them made that the bassline. The song was played by famed DJ Frankie Crocker of WBLS FM New York whose nickname was "Hollywood".