Blue Swede

Blue Swede totally deserves a cupcake. And I haven't even known what Blue Swede was for more than an hour.

But I have known Blue Swede's work all my life. Probably you do to.

Blue Swede made a totally awesome cover of a song we may all know well, "Hooked on a Feeling". I've linked a live broadcast, although its timing is not my favorite due to the uninhibited enthusiasm everyone in the room seems to be enthralled with.

Except the guy who introduces them, because he is classy enough to sit down and tell us about what we're about to see, instead of just screaming incoherently, like most of the audience is.

The radio play version is what I actually like better. From the album, I presume.

And I am so grateful to have found this video of the band. Dorky seventies costumes and all. And that guitar solo in the middle! This band is obviously not intimidated by the power of WOMAN, because their lead guitarist, as far as I can tell, is one of us. You can see her clearly at 1:15 and the guitar solo, which does not show her that well, begins around 2:05.

(If you want to cut to the chase on this performer, who I am desperately trying not to call a cutie, even though she definitely is, watch this sleeper video by Blue Swede, where she is totally rocking out. I may be the first person to 'like' it. And it has more cowbell.)

Not that it is sexist to be in an all-male or all-girl band. If that's who you hang out with, that's who you'll be singing with, and I do not pick other people's friends!

B. J. Thomas made what may be the first publicly released version of this totally awesome song, written by Mark James. And his version is GOLD.

And Blue Swede was influenced by another cover from Johnathan King, which I have never heard until literally one minute ago, and is still playing all the way through as I finish my sentence and check my link and so on. He introduced the 'ooka chakka' chant, which is essential for my full appreciation of this song.

And thank god for Johnathan King, B. J. Thomas, and Mark James. Because I love this song. And I love it because of Blue Swede.

'Hooked on a Feeling' is possibly the greatest love song of all time. And I know this because I have occasionally been hooked on that feeling. But irrationally, because I have never had any evidence to back it up. Because the people I have yearned for have not shown willing.

I also find the live video hilarious on another level, because I find a great deal of value in a disproportionally high percentage of tall, blond men. Like my first boyfriend, and Alexander Skarsgard, and lots of other friends and acquaintances and inspirations of all kinds. (Note to all of my exboyfriends, ever: you are obviously totally hot! I am not talking about you, I am talking about me.)

I think it might be an externalized form of self-love, because man does the noggin on the lead singer of Blue Swede remind me of pictures of my own head, as a child. And I digress.

This version is extremely popular, and because Blue Swede is not that well known where I am from, I have heard the performing artist of this version attributed about 50 gazillion ways.

We know what we like, obviously. But we did not know Blue Swede well enough. "Blue Suede." Tom Jones. Dr. Hook. B. J Thomas--an easy mistake to make. Grass Roots, Neil Diamond. Bay City Rollers. And I'm just hitting the highlights--I'm not even halfway down my own personal list. And I digress.

Part of the reason this song is so amazingly perfect, is the driving intensity of the 'ooga chaka' chant. This song has the non-verbal component of a compelling desire coming right on through, along with a beautifully worded expression of gratitude and joy, that some girl loves this guy. And spends some time all alone together, with him.

And I love it because it has all those things, and is very well done, and it has a beat. And you can dance to it. And it shows an inkling of something I love.

Magic.