Crazy Elephant's "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" (b/w "The Dark Part of My Mind") was a transatlantic one-hit wonder, making #12 both on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, and the UK Singles Chart. Several follow-up singles, including "Gimme Some More" (b/w "My Baby (Honey Pie")) and "Sunshine Red Wine" (b/w "Pam"), failed to chart.
The band also released Crazy Elephant, a self-titled album, in 1970, featuring:
* Robert Spencer (vocals)
* Kenny Cohen (flute, sax vocals), who later performed with The Eagles, Santana, Rod Stewart and B. B. King
* Bob Avery (drums), who also played with The Music Explosion
* Larry Laufer (keyboards, vocals)
* Hal King (vocals)
* Ronnie Bretone (bass)
There Ain't No Umbopo
Crazy Elephant Lyrics
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There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
He parked his car at the edge of the forest of Borneo
And said good-bye to the world on his short-wave radio
He stepped inside without a map to guide him
And he hoped he'd find that he'd be safe tonight
And he'd been well-advised to go back home
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
He slept like a child on the verge of a great adventure
And dreamt that he had found the forgotten river
Aroused by the sight and the sound and the smell of freedom
He rose to explore the wealth of his new found kingdom
The trees are getting taller and he is getting smaller
And he never reached the water before the rain
A voice called out to guide him
As the jungle closed behind him
And he was never ever seen again
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
There ain't no Umbopo
The song "There Ain't No Umbopo" by Crazy Elephant is a mysterious tale of adventure and discovery. The lyrics describe a man who travels to the forest of Borneo, leaving the world behind him and relying on the stars for guidance. Despite being warned to turn back, he sets off on a quest to find the forgotten river, hoping to find safety and freedom. As he journeys deeper into the jungle, he dreams of his discovery, but eventually becomes lost and is never seen again. The repeated refrain of "There ain't no Umbopo" serves as a reminder that the man's search for safety and freedom was ultimately fruitless.
The lyrics suggest that the man's journey represents a universal struggle. Many people, like the man in the song, seek safety and freedom, but often find themselves lost and alone in the face of life's challenges. The image of the forgotten river is particularly poignant, symbolizing a hidden source of hope that is never fully realized. The song's haunting melody and simple repetition of the phrase "There ain't no Umbopo" capture the sense of frustration and futility that many people feel in their search for meaning and purpose.
Line by Line Meaning
There ain't no Umbopo
The place called Umbopo does not exist.
He parked his car at the edge of the forest of Borneo
He left his car outside the Borneo forest.
And said good-bye to the world on his short-wave radio
He said goodbye to the world using his short-wave radio.
He stepped inside without a map to guide him
He entered the forest without a map to navigate.
Said he'd travel by the stars and leave the day behind him
He planned to use the stars as a guide and escape the daytime.
And he hoped he'd find that he'd be safe tonight
He hoped to find safety for the night.
And he'd been well-advised to go back home
Someone advised him to return home.
He slept like a child on the verge of a great adventure
He slept peacefully like a child before an exciting journey.
And dreamt that he had found the forgotten river
He dreamed that he discovered a river that was forgotten.
Aroused by the sight and the sound and the smell of freedom
Inspired by the freedom he felt through his senses.
He rose to explore the wealth of his new found kingdom
He got up to discover the riches of his new territory.
The trees are getting taller and he is getting smaller
The trees around him are growing while he feels small in comparison.
And he never reached the water before the rain
Before the rain, he did not arrive to the river.
A voice called out to guide him
He heard a voice that tried to help him.
As the jungle closed behind him
The jungle closed around him.
And he was never ever seen again
He disappeared and was never sighted again.
Writer(s): Lol Creme, Kevin Michael Godley
Contributed by Lila V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Charlie Cattell
One of the best pop singles ever.
pdecker
Joseph Skuse A lot of the singles that 10cc recorded for Super K weren't anything special, because they cranked out so many, but the two that Super K Productions released under their established band names (this one, which was credited to Crazy Elephant, and “Sausalito”, which was credited to the Ohio Express) were.
Chris Mezzolesta
@Sparky K GFY
The Movie Dealers
@pdecker Sausalito is awesome.
Stephan H.
A really good song. I enjoy it so much.
Danny Short
What an excellent song by a very early incarnation of 10CC. Kevin Godley does an amazing vocal on this.... But who is the Bass player? The Bass is majestic throughout. Graham Gouldman co produced this track, so could’ve been him?
Colin Carroll
It was this followed Frabjoy and Runicble Spoon but before Hotlegs.
Jim Oxford
Just discovered this after reading up on 10cc in Wikipedia, a great song, Manchester born and bred.
Bob Davidson
Never knew Graham Gouldman worked with Kasenetz Katz. Fascinating. Chorus sounds like Albert Hammond "Never Rains in So. California".
Tim Gueguen
He actually spent several stints in New York writing for them. Much of the material was recorded at Strawberry Studios with his future 10cc bandmates, including a 3 month stretch starting in December of '69. They recorded a bunch of stuff that was released under various names, such as "Sausalito(Is The Place To Go)" by Ohio Express.(The musicians who toured as Ohio Express never played on the group's hits, and sometimes didn't even know the songs existed until after they were released.) They even backed Freddie Garrity on Freddie and the Dreamers' 1970 single "Susan's Tuba," which actually went to number 3 in France and Belgium.