“Hollywood Swinging” is indeed a track by Kool & the Gang from its album Wild and Peaceful, released in 1974. Robert “Kool” Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert “Spike” Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas, as well as Rick A. Westfield collaborated on the script.
The group’s first number one R&B record, “Hollywood Swinging,” was released in June 1974. The track was indeed a crossover success, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100 singles list.
Chic’s 1979 tune “Good Times” was influenced in part by “Hollywood Swinging,” according to Nile Rodgers inside a 2015 interview. Rodgers also revealed that he is Robert Mickens’ cousin.
“Hollywood Swinging carries an adequate punch,” commented BBC’s Daryl Easlea. A somewhat quicker than mid-tempo tune with whistles, celebratory ambience, and lead vocals by pianist Ricky West,” according to Andrew Hamilton of Allmusic.
During in the dance scenes with in quest “Life’s a Beach,” “Hollywood Swinging” features inside the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and also on the game’s soundtrack. This also featured inside a montage describing Simpson’s ascent to prominence in the late 1970s in the Academy Award-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America.
Jamiroquai, a British funk/acid jazz band, produced a rendition in 1997. On November 6, 1997, the quartet released the recording, alongside three other tracks, on the exclusive Japanese MiniDisc named it. This version had also been included on the group In Store Jam compilation CD, which was exclusively released inside the United States. After recording it in 2004, Kool & The Gang re-recorded “Hollywood Swinging” as a collaboration with the group, releasing it on December 8, 2005. The song was released as the first single from their ‘The Hits: Reloaded’ compilation album. The single was available in a variety of formats. Despite extensive radio play, the song failed to chart.
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