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Tone-Lōc – Wild Thing (US CD Maxi-Single)

“Wild Thing” was the first single from Tone-Lōc’s “Loc’ed After Dark” album. The song was a big hit in the US, peaking at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 18, 1989. The album became the second rap release ever to top the pop charts.

The song was co-written by Marvin Young, better known as Young MC, and was produced by The Dust Brothers, who would later go on to produce albums by the Beastie Boys and Beck.

“Wild Thing” contains an uncredited sample of Van Halen‘s “Jamie’s Cryin’“. Van Halen’s management at the time asked for a flat fee (credited in some reports to be USD$5,000) as payment to have the song sampled by Tone Lōc. Apparently, this decision was taken without consulting the band’s original members (credited as co-authors of the song), who in turn did not expect Wild Thing to become the major hit it became. A subsequent civil lawsuit was settled out of court, with the band receiving USD$180,000 as settlement payment. Alex Van Halen has gone on record saying that he had heard the song over the radio halfway and not realizing it had been sampled until he recognized his (by now famous) tom-tom break at least a few times. Concerning the settlement, he said: “Well, at least we got something. Tone Lōc and his people made millions out of it…”

Sample aside, if you listen to the guitars, still very familiar! Click here to listen to an excerpt of both tracks.

A music video was made for the song at a reported cost of only $500, copying the style of Robert Palmer‘s “Addicted to Love” with mini-skirted women playing guitars next to Tone Lōc, which went into heavy rotation on MTV.

Tone-Lōc expanded his horizons into acting in 1992 and 1993, appearing a few times on the Fox sitcom Roc. He was also in the films “Posse” and “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”.

In 2008, DJ Paul V. created a great mash-up of “Wild Thing” with Madonna’s “Give It 2 Me”. Click here to listen.

Label:

Delicious Vinyl

Catalog Number:

16244 1002-2

Track List and Details:

1. Wild Thing (4:26)

2. Wild Thing (Wild Beats) (3:06)

3. Loc’ed After Dark (5:07)

4. Loc’ed After Dark (5:01)

Rip Information:

Source: CD

Format: mp3

Bitrate: 320 kbps

Tone-Lōc – Wild Thing (US CD Maxi-Single)

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