Hollywood Swinging by Kool & The Gang Song Info
"Hollywood Swinging" is a 1974 song by R&B/funk band Kool & the Gang from their album Wild and Peaceful. It was written by Robert "Kool" Bell, Ronald Bell, George M. Brown, Robert "Spike" Mickens, Claydes Charles Smith, Dennis R. Thomas, and Rick A. Westfield. "Hollywood Swinging" was the group's first number-one R&B single, reaching that position in June 1974. The single was a successful crossover hit, peaking at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart as well. In a 2015 interview, Nile Rodgers stated that Chic's 1979 song "Good Times" was partly inspired by "Hollywood Swinging". Rodgers also stated he is the cousin of Robert Mickens. Record World said "These guys have to be funk personified. Make way for their next million seller." Daryl Easlea of the BBC wrote, "Hollywood Swinging packs an appropriate punch". Andrew Hamilton of Allmusic called Hollywood Swinging "a slightly faster than mid-tempo song with whistles, festive ambiance and lead vocals by keyboardist Ricky West." "Hollywood Swinging" appears in the game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, as well as the game's soundtrack during the dance sequences in the mission "Life's a Beach". It also appears in the Academy Award-winning documentary O.J.: Made in America in a montage detailing Simpson's rise to fame in the late 1970s. The song is also one of the official themes for the WWE Premium Live Event WrestleMania 39.
