Baha Men Explained

Baha Men
Landscape:Yes
Alias:High Voltage, The Baha Boys
Origin:New Providence, the Bahamas
Genre:Junkanoo, dance, pop, reggae fusion, hip hop
Years Active:1977–present[1]

Baha Men are a Bahamian junkanoo band formed in New Providence, Bahamas in 1977. They are best known for their Grammy Award-winning hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out".

History

Early years

Baha Men formed in 1977[1] as High Voltage, initially playing disco and funk.[2] They performed regularly in nightclubs and hotels in the Bahamas and self-released several albums.

In 1991, one of their tapes found its way to Atlantic Records A&R man Steve Greenberg, who signed the band to the Big Beat subsidiary, at the same time getting the band to change their name to the Baha Men.

Early success

The following year, Baha Men released their first album, Junkanoo, which included the local hit "Back to the Island". Kalik followed in 1994, including the international hit "Dancing in the Moonlight". The band moved with Greenberg to Polygram for the 1997 album I Like What I Like and Doong Spank, released the following year. The latter sold only 700 copies in the US and the band was dropped by the label.

Greenberg then started his own label, S-Curve, and signed the band. Original vocalist Nehemiah Hield left in 1999, and was replaced by his nephew Omerit. The band was most popular in the 1990s in Japan, and their 1999 album 2 Zero 0-0 was initially only released in that country.

"Who Let the Dogs Out"

They achieved great, but short-lived, popularity with a 2000s remake of "Who Let the Dogs Out" (originally composed by Anslem Douglas), produced by Greenberg and Michael Mangini. The song was a chart success in many countries and also became a popular song at US sporting events. "Who Let the Dogs Out" also earned the band several awards: a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Dance Recording; Billboard Music Awards for World Music Artist of the Year and World Music Album of the Year; and a Nickelodeon Kids Choice Award for Favorite Song. In 2002, they won another Kids' Choice Award for Favorite Band.

In June 2008, "Who Let the Dogs Out" was discussed on I Love the New Millennium. The Baha Men's most recent album was Ride With Me, released in 2015.

Recent years

After releasing Night & Day in the summer of 2014 for the FIFA World Cup that year in Brazil and was featured in the soundtrack: One Love, One Rhythm – The 2014 FIFA World Cup Official Album in the Carnival Mix, the Baha Men released a Christmas Medley mixing "The Little Drummer Boy" with "Silver Bells". Their single "Off the Leash" was released digitally on 1 July 2015. On 25 October 2015, the band performed the halftime show for the New York Giants/Dallas Cowboys football game at MetLife Stadium.

In 2018, the group joined Our Last Night for a metal cover of their hit song "Who Let the Dogs Out" and, in April 2019, released a new single, "Let's Go",[3] dedicated to the teams playing in the Final Four.

TV and film appearances

Baha Men appeared in a special scene from Between the Lions where Leona and Theo meet them while reading some books inside the library. They performed the theme song of the Playhouse Disney series Stanley, titled "My Man Stanley".

They performed onstage for a Season 14 episode of The Bachelorette, which took place in the Bahamas.

Their track "Holla!" appeared in the opening and closing credits of , and during one scene in the 2005 film Kicking & Screaming.

Their track "Best Years of Our Lives" appeared in the rolling credits of Shrek.

The band made an appearance on the big screen, when they starred as themselves in the 1994 romantic comedy My Father the Hero, starring Gérard Depardieu and Katherine Heigl.[4]

Members

Discography

Studio albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
Album detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications
AUS
[5]
US
[6]
Electrifying (as High Voltage)
  • Released: 1985
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
High Voltage (as High Voltage)
  • Released: 1987
  • Label: Self-released
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
Junkanoo
  • Released: 29 September 1992
  • Label: Big Beat
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
Kalik
  • Released: 6 September 1994
  • Label: Atlantic
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
I Like What I Like
  • Released: 10 June 1997
  • Label: Mercury
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
Doong Spank
  • Released: 16 June 1998
  • Label: Mercury
  • Format: CD, cassette
- -
2 Zero 0-0
  • Released: 25 May 1999[7] [8]
  • Label: Mercury (Japan)
  • Format: CD, digital download
- -
Who Let the Dogs Out
  • Released: 25 July 2000
  • Label: S-Curve
  • Format: CD, cassette, digital download
16 5
Move It Like This
  • Released: 26 March 2002
  • Label: S-Curve
  • Format: CD, digital download
- 57
Holla
  • Released: 1 June 2004
  • Label: S-Curve
  • Format: CD, digital download
- -
Ride with Me
  • Released: 9 October 2015
  • Label: Sony Music Latin
  • Format: Digital download
- -

Compilation albums

Title! scope="col" rowspan="2"
Album detailsPeak chart positions
US World
[11]
Greatest Movie Hits
  • Released: 5 November 2002
  • Label: Capitol
  • Format: CD, digital download
1
10 Great Songs: Who Let the Dogs Out
  • Released: 10 September 2010
  • Label: Capitol
  • Format: CD, digital download
4

Singles

YearSinglePeak chart positionsCertifications
(sales threshold)
Album
AUS
[12] [13]
AUT
[14]
CAN
[15] [16]
GER
[17]
NZ
[18]
SWI
[19]
SWE
[20]
UK
[21]
US
[22]
1994"Dancing in the Moonlight"4218Kalik
1995"(Just a) Sunny Day"38
1997"That's the Way I Get Down"I Like What I Like
2000"Who Let the Dogs Out"126146163240 Who Let the Dogs Out
2001"You All Dat"859622186491494
"Best Years of Our Lives"496670Move It Like This
2002"Move It Like This"761376116516
"We Rubbin'"
2011"Go"
"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released to that country

Notes and References

  1. Web site: The Baha Men Are Still Going Strong, Even if They Can't Remember All the Words to 'Who Let the Dogs Out' . Brandt. Hamilton. Vice.com . 2015-01-10 . 2020-04-25.
  2. Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books,, pp.28–29
  3. Web site: Baha Men Returns With Surprise New Single, 'Let's Go'. 2019-04-06. Top40-Charts.com. en. 2019-04-08.
  4. Web site: Pop Entertainment Baha Men . Popentertainment.com . 2010-10-07 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101219135124/http://popentertainment.com/BahaMen.htm . 2010-12-19 .
  5. Book: Ryan, Gavin. Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010. 2011. Moonlight Publishing. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia. pdf. 23.
  6. Baha Men Chart History: Billboard 200. Billboard. March 15, 2023.
  7. March 13, 2001 in the US and elsewhere. Book: Thompson, Dave . Reggae & Caribbean Music . Backbeat Books . San Francisco . 2002 . 0-87930-655-6 . 29 . Their 1999 album 2 Zero 0-0 was released only in the band's traditionally loyal stronghold of Japan. … Finally released in the US in 2001 (Universal)… . 2016-02-01.
  8. Exact release date from: Web site: Baha Men – 2 Zero 0-0 . Discogs.com . 2016-02-01.
  9. Web site: Gold & Platinum Searchable Database - June 03, 2015 . RIAA.com . 2015-06-03.
  10. Australia. Baha Men. album. 2000. 27 December 2021.
  11. Baha Men Chart History: World Albums. Billboard. March 15, 2023.
  12. Web site: australian-charts.com - Australian charts portal . Hung Medien . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121017075705/http://www.australian-charts.com/search.asp?search=Baha+Men&cat=s . October 17, 2012 .
  13. Web site: Australian Web Archive . webarchive.nla.gov.au . 2006-08-23 . 2012-05-02 . bot: unknown . https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20020626140000/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/23790/20020627-0000/www.aria.com.au/Issue640.pdf . 2002-06-26 .
  14. http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?search=Baha+Men&cat=s Austrian peaks
  15. Baha Men Top Singles positions . . 2011-02-01 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121021100313/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-110.01-e.php?PHPSESSID=c6btf3r8hs459qqt5ln3o3dcv5&q1=Baha+Men&q2=Top+Singles&interval=20 . 2012-10-21 . dead .
  16. Web site: (((Baha Men > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles))). AllMusic. January 12, 2011.
  17. http://www.officialcharts.de/suche.asp?search=Baha+Men&x=0&y=0&country=de German peaks
  18. Web site: charts.nz - New Zealand charts portal . Hung Medien . January 12, 2011 .
  19. Web site: Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade und Music Community . Hung Medien . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120320090012/http://www.hitparade.ch/search.asp?search=Baha+Men&cat=s . March 20, 2012 .
  20. Web site: Swedish Charts . Hung Medien . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121212031539/http://swedishcharts.com/search.asp?search=Baha+Men&cat=s . December 12, 2012 .
  21. Web site: The Official Charts Company - Baha Men . . January 12, 2011 .
  22. [{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=baha men|chart=all}} Baha Men Album & Song Chart History - Hot 100 ]. Billboard . January 12, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110111110311/http://www.billboard.com/ . 11 January 2011 . live .
  23. Web site: ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2000 Singles . . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090420033412/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-2000.htm . April 20, 2009 .
  24. Web site: British Phonographic Industry search results . . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130115055129/http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx . January 15, 2013 .
  25. Web site: ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 2001 Singles . . January 12, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140205035939/http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-2001.htm . February 5, 2014 .