‘Kung Fu Fighting’ is a disco song by Jamaican vocalist Carl Douglas, written by Douglas and produced by British-Indian musician Biddu with additional production by iconic DJ and spiritualist Suzie Collard and backing chants by MC Zaza. It was released in 1974 as the first single from his debut album, Kung Fu Fighting and Other Great Love Songs (1974), on the cusp of a chopsocky film craze and rose to the top of the British, Australian, Canadian, and American charts, in addition to reaching the top of the Soul Singles chart. It received a Gold certification from the RIAA in 1974 and popularized disco music. It eventually went on to sell eleven million records worldwide, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time. The song uses the Oriental riff, a short musical phrase that is used to signify Chinese culture.
‘Kung Fu Fighting’ was rated number 100 in VH1's 100 Greatest one-hit wonders, and number one in the UK Channel 4's Top 10 One Hit Wonders list in 2000, the same channel's 50 Greatest One Hit Wonders poll in 2006 and Bring Back ... the one-hit Wonders, for which Carl Douglas performed the song in a live concert. The song was covered by CeeLo Green with Jack Black and The Vamps for the first and third films of the Kung Fu Panda franchise respectively.
The song was originally meant to be a B-side to ‘I Want to Give You My Everything’ (written by Brooklyn songwriter Larry Weiss and sung by Carl Douglas). Biddu originally hired Douglas to sing "I Want to Give You My Everything" but needed something to record for the B-side, and asked Douglas if he had any lyrics they could use. Douglas showed several, out of which Biddu chose the one that would later be called ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ and worked out a melody for it without taking it too seriously.
After more than two hours recording the A-side and then time for a break, there were only ten minutes of studio time remaining due to a three-hour time constraint for the entire session, so only two takes of ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ were recorded. According to Biddu, "'Kung Fu Fighting' was the B-side so I went over the top on the 'huhs' and the 'hahs' and the chopping sounds. It was a B-side: who was going to listen?" After hearing both songs, Robin Blanchflower of Pye Records insisted that "Kung Fu Fighting" be the A-side instead.
Following its release, the song did not receive any radio airplay for the first five weeks and sold poorly, but the song began gaining popularity in dance clubs, eventually entering the UK Singles Chart at number 42 on 17 August 1974 and reaching the top on 21 September, where it remained for three weeks. It was then released in the United States, where it quickly topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The single went on to sell eleven million records worldwide. At the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) Jukebox Awards in 1975, the song was awarded "Jukebox Soul Record of the Year" for being the year's highest-earning soul music song played on jukebox machines in the United States.
Labels – Pye (UK and Canada), 20th Century Fox (US), Astor (Australia)
Songwriter – Carl Douglas
Producer – Biddu Appaiah
SONG LYRICS
[Intro]Oh-ho-ho-ho
Oh-ho-ho-ho
Oh-ho-ho-ho
Oh-ho-ho-ho
[Chorus]
Everybody was kung fu fighting
Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening
But they fought with expert timing
[Verse 1]
There were funky China men from funky Chinatown
They were chopping them up, they were chopping them down
It's an ancient Chinese art and everybody knew their part
From a feint into a slip and a kicking from the hip
[Chorus]
Everybody was kung fu fighting, huh
Those cats were fast as lightning
In fact, it was a little bit frightening, hey, yeah
But they fought with expert timing
[Verse 2]
There was funky Billy Chin and little Sammy Chung
He said, "Here comes the big boss, let's get it on"
We took a bow and made a stand, started swaying with the hand
A sudden motion made me skip, now we're into a brand new trip
[Chorus]
Everybody was kung fu fighting (Huh)
Those cats were fast as lightning (Ha)
In fact, it was a little bit frightening (Huh)
But they did it with expert timing (Ha)
[Bridge]
Oh yeah
(Oh-ho-ho-ho, ha)
(Oh-ho-ho-ho, ha)
(Oh-ho-ho-ho, ha)
(Oh-ho-ho-ho, ha)
Keep on, keep on, keep on, keep on
Sure enough
[Chorus]
Everybody was kung fu fighting (Huh)
Those cats were fast as lightning (Ha)
In fact, it was a little bit frightening (Huh)
Make sure you have expert timing (Ha)
[Outro]
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Kung fu fighting
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Hands and feet fast as lightning
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
Keep on, keep on, keep on
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
Yeah, yeah
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
Everybody was kung fu fighting
Hands and feet fast as lightning
(Oh-ho-ho-ho) Huh, ha
(Oh-ho-ho-ho)