Feature / One Question Interviews
Felix Hagan

Words: Loren • December 23, 2017

Felix Hagan
Felix Hagan

SPB: What song (by any artist) has the best use of bongos?

Felix: That would be “Funky Nassau,” the version by The Blues Brothers. Never has bongoing been so succinctly demonstrated as a musical force. It’s in the second Blues Brothers film that I saw when I was ten, and it made me want to never sleep until I could play songs as well as they could. Plus it made me drench my first hundred songs in a whole school orchestra’s worth of percussion. Bongos forever. On a bongo-based sidenote, check out the 1959 film Expresso Bongo. It features a young Cliff Richard playing a character called “Bongo Herbert,” and is also a timeless parable of the music industry.  

Also, you may be interested to know that our new single just came out. If you fancied featuring it in any way that would be absolutely wonderful:

https://youtu.be/Wpqac74aoDM

Loren • December 23, 2017

Felix Hagan
Felix Hagan

Related features

The Greatest Story Ever Told: Felix Hagan

Music / The Greatest Story Ever Told • April 2, 2017

Felix Hagan & the Family play grandiose pop songs tinged with hints of musical theatre, classic rock, and jazz. Hagan's shows have been described as a whirlwind of show-off nonsense (in a good way!) with Hagan playing ringleader to a seven-piece backing band of highly theatrical, immaculately dressed, misfits. The … Read more

More from this section

moja

One Question Interviews • September 24, 2025

moja SPB: How old were you when you learned your first instrument? Masumi: My first instrument was YAMAHA Electone when I was five years old. Haru: I’ve never actually had formal lessons -- I’m totally self-taught. I bought my first instrument back in junior high just to start a band … Read more

Broken Record

One Question Interviews • September 23, 2025

Lauren (Broken Record) SPB: What was your first tape/cd/record? Lauren: The first CD I bought with my own money was No Strings Attached by *NSYNC, but perhaps more formative was my second CD, Green Day’s Nimrod. Green Day went on to become one of my all time favorites, and I … Read more

Eric Angelo Bessel

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • September 22, 2025

Eric Angelo Bessel SPB: Walk us through your gear setup for the recording of Mirror at Night. Eric: I composed the album, Mirror at Night, using a pair of digital Mellotrons (proto-sampling keyboards), an Alesis Micron (keyboard synthesizer), and guitars. The Micron is a new addition, and is the main … Read more