The Incredible Story of 'Kung Fu Fighting': A Last-Minute B-Side That Sold 11 Million Copies

Today's featured song Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas will have you kicking some serious butt while moving to the groove. A smash hit from the 70s, Kung Fu Fighting was inspired by a dance fight at a pinball arcade. As Carl Douglas watched what was taking place, the lyrics and melody started flowing into his head. However, the song wouldn’t resurface until later on. In the studio, Carl was recording what was supposed to be his break-out hit. And he had three hours to do it. But when he was done, his producer told him they also needed a B-side. With just A COUPLE OF minutes left on the clock, Carl rushed a recording of Kung Fu Fighting... after all, it was just gonna be a throwaway track. But as it turns out Kung Fu Fighting was the one that got all the attention. It became a monster 70s hit, tapping into two cultural phenomenons with expert timing. It’s one of the biggest-selling singles of all time. 11 million sold. The story is NEXT on the Professor of Rock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.