Album:
The song is on the 1973 Cheech and Chong album Los Cochinos.
Songwriters:
Cheech Marin, Thomas Chong
Producer:
Lou Adler
Record label:
Ode
Songfacts:
From this vantage point in history, it seems almost absurd to imagine Cheech & Chong collaborating musically with heavies such as George Harrison, Michelle Philips, Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Carole King, and The Blossoms. And yet, in 1973, this strange partnership did, indeed, come together to record a song named Basketball Jones for Cheech & Chong’s Los Cochinos album. Philips and The Blossoms sang backup (credited as “The Cheerleaders”); Harrison played guitar; King played electric piano; Preston played organ; Scott was on saxophone. It all came together at A&M Studios in Los Angeles after Lou Adler, who was producing the album, played the song for Harrison, who was recording in the studio next door. Harrison wanted to be part of it, and once he was on board, everyone else joined the team.
Read more: www.songfacts.com/facts/cheech-chong/basketball-jones
Wikipedia:
Sung in falsetto by Cheech Marin, playing the title character Tyrone (as in “tie-your-own”) Shoelaces, it tells the story of Shoelaces’ love of basketball. The song’s opening lyric, “basketball jones, I got a basketball jones”, references “jones” as slang for craving or addiction. A “basketball jones” thus refers to loving basketball so much that it overtakes all other thoughts.
Read more: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basketball_Jones_featuring_Tyrone_Shoelaces
Personnel:
Cheech Marin – Tyrone Shoelaces (voice)
George Harrison – electric guitar
Klaus Voormann – bass guitar
Jim Karstein – drums
Jim Keltner – percussion
Carole King – electric piano
Nicky Hopkins – piano
Tom Scott – saxophone
Billy Preston – organ
Cheerleaders (backing vocalists)
Darlene Love
Fanita James
Jean King
Michelle Phillips
Ronnie Spector
Lyrics:
Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones
Got a Basketball Jones, oh baby
Yes, I am the victim of a Basketball Jones
Ever since I was a little baby, I always be dribblin’
In fact, I was de baddest dribbler in the whole neighborhood
Click for full lyrics
Also on Bang a Gong: Earache My Eye (featuring Alice Bowie) by Cheech and Chong
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