Apache

Recorded in 1973 at Can-Base Studios in Vancouver with producer-arranger Perry Botkin Jr. and a studio band assembled by Michael Viner. It was cut as part of the Bongo Rock project, with the session built around heavy percussion and an extended drum break. The track was not a hit on release, but it quickly became the album’s defining cut because of its long percussion break. It later gained recognition as one of the most important breakbeat records in early hip-hop. ‘Apache’ became one of the most sampled records in popular music and a foundational break for DJs and producers. Its drum break helped make the Incredible Bongo Band a reference point for hip-hop, breakdancing, and crate-digging culture.