Boom Shack-A-Lak

For the song by Brianna and Flo Rida, see Boom Shacka.

"Boom Shack-A-Lak" is a song by British singer-songwriter and reggae DJ Apache Indian, released in August 1993 by Mango Records and also included on his extended play Nuff Vibes. The song was written by Steven Kapur (real name of Apache Indian) and gave him his biggest hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number five on the UK Singles Chart. The single and EP were also released worldwide, reaching the top 10 in both Ireland and the Netherlands while reaching the top 20 in Austria and New Zealand. The promotional video for the track won the Best Reggae Video award at the 1994 Black Music Awards in London.^[1]

"Boom Shack-A-Lak"
Single by Apache Indian
from the album Make Way for the Indian
Released	2 August 1993 (1993-08-02)
Genre	Dancehall
Length	3:48
Label	Mango
Songwriter(s)	Steven Kapur
Producer(s)	Wooligan
Apache Indian singles chronology
"Chok There" (1993) "Boom Shack-A-Lak" (1993) "Movin' On" (1993)
Music video
"Boom Shack-A-Lak" on YouTube

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard described the song as "a wacky blend of guttural toasting and retro-pop shuffle beats." He felt that "the hook has the potential to take up permanent residence in your brain, while the fun array of sound effects are sure to get those shoulders shakin' out of control." He also encouraged, "Seek it out and give it a whirl."^[2] The Guardian called it a "cute" hit.^[3] Andy Beevers from Music Week named it Pick of the Week in the category of Dance, declaring it as "a bouncey Shaggy-style party track that is destined to get plenty of summertime radio play."^[4]

David Quantick from NME viewed it as "so jovial and bouncy".^[5] Tony Cross from Smash Hits gave it five out of five, naming it Best New Single. He wrote, "Trying not to wind your body down to this is like trying not to chew a Rowntree's fruit pastille. Apache's belly-wriggler is fabber than Shabba and shaggier than Shaggy, and his Brummy raggamuffin beat is a dance hall dream come true. Apache invites everybody to join him in one massive ragga party, putting his Bhangra roots on the back burner for the summer. A great record that will surely mean the big time at last for the Apache..."^[6]

Track listings

• Nuff Vibes EP

1. "Boom Shack-A-Lak" (edit) – 3:48
2. "Caste System" (edit) – 3:40
3. "Warning" – 4:39
4. "Fun" – 4:05

• US, French, and Dutch single

1. "Boom Shack-A-Lak" (edit) – 3:48
2. "Boom Shack-A-Lak" (instrumental) – 3:48
3. "Boom Shack-A-Lak" – 4:31
4. "Warning" – 4:39

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1993–1994) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[7] 34 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 13 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 24 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM)[10] 7 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[11] 24 Europe (European Dance Radio)[12] 8 Europe (European Hit Radio)[13] 32 Germany (GfK)[14] 32 Ireland (IRMA)[15] 8 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] 11 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[17] 10 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[18] 19 UK Singles (OCC)[19] 5 UK Airplay (Music Week)[20] 10

Year-end charts Chart (1993) Position UK Singles (OCC)[21] 54

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[22]	Silver	200,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
United Kingdom	2 August 1993	7-inch vinyl 12-inch vinyl CD cassette	Mango	[23]
Japan	25 April 1994	CD		[24]

Use in film and television

The song was featured in an Axe advertisement with Jennifer Aniston.^[25] The song has also been featured in various Hollywood films, most notably Dumb and Dumber.^[1]

References

1. Taylor, Timothy D. (1997) Global Pop: World Music, World Markets, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415918725, p. 170
2. Flick, Larry (25 September 1993). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 73. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2020.
3. "Music: Your essential guide to the new CDs - Pop". The Guardian. 10 May 1995.
4. Beevers, Andy (7 August 1993). "Market Preview: Dance — Pick of the Week" (PDF). Music Week. p. 13. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
5. Quantick, David (31 July 1993). "Singles". NME. p. 19. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
6. Cross, Tony (4 August 1993). "New Singles: Best New Single". Smash Hits. p. 53. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
7. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
8. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
9. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
10. "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2313." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
11. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 36. 4 September 1993. p. 23. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
12. "European Dance Radio" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 42. 16 October 1993. p. 26. Retrieved 6 November 2021.
13. "EHR Top 40" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 40. 2 October 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
14. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
15. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Nuff Vibes (EP)". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
16. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 39, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
17. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
18. "Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes EP". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
19. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
20. "The Airplay Chart" (PDF). Music Week. 28 August 1993. p. 32. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
21. "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
22. "British single certifications – Apache Indian – Nuff Vibes (EP)". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
23. "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 31 July 1993. p. 21. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
24. "BOOM釈迦-楽! | アパッチ・インディアン" [BOOM Buddha – Effortless! | Apache Indian] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
25. "JENNIFER ANISTON PUBLICITE AXE - YouTube". YouTube. 9 November 2008. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09. Retrieved 2014-10-07.