Written by Patrick Adams and Sandra Cooper Key Recordings
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Born in 1950, Patrick Adams already had significant experience writing and producing records when he put together In the Bush for independent New York City Disco record label Prelude Records. Released in the summer of 1978 at the peak influence of Disco on popular music, the Musique record is a fierce mix of Latin percussion, Jazzy keyboards, and the sexually-charged vocals of Jocelyn Brown, Christine Wiltshire, and Gina Tharps. A 12-inch single of In the Bush and Keep On Jumpin', remixed by Francois Kevorkian went straight to the top of the Disco chart.
In the Bush also brushed the top 30 of the R&B chart but met serious resistance at Pop radio. The repeated theme of 'Push push in the bush' was considered too explicitly sexual for many mainstream stations. Patrick Adams has since indicated that if he knew the recording was likely to be played on Pop radio where children would be listening, he would have created a different record. The ad-libbed sounds in the vocals of In the Bush create additional excitement on the dance floor but also increase the sexually explicit nature of the music. For better or worse, Musique's In the Bush was included on Casablanca Records' collection A Night At Studio 54 in 1979 and has remained, for many, associated with the excesses of the legendary club.
Regardless of concerns about the overt sexuality in the recording, Musique's recording of In the Bush remains a bravura example of how intricate weaving of percussion, horn, and keyboard lines can produce exhilaration on the dancefloor. In the Bush returned to the Dance chart in 1984 in a new version by Clair Hicks and Love Exchange.
