Steve Miller recalled the last-minute rush to record “Jungle Love” for 1977 album Book of Dreams, after he heard it for the first time just before he completed work on the LP.

He’d given bassist Lonnie Turner plenty of notice that time was running out, but it still came down to a matter of minutes, as Miller told Uncle Joe Benson on the Ultimate Classic Rock Nights radio show.

“‘Jungle Love’ was like a last, last chance deal,” Miller said. “I called Lonnie, and I said, ‘Lonnie, I’m mixing this album next Tuesday – if you don’t have your songs in they will not be considered. I’m telling you now.’ … And then, I’m finishing mixing and Lonnie walks in, says, ‘Oh, I got this little tape; I thought you might like to hear it.’ I went, ‘Lonnie, in seven minutes the album is done and I’m going on vacation… Alright, let’s hear it.’”

He described the following moments as: “Click. ‘Oh, dude! Who’s the guy on the guitar? Get him up here! Come here, kid!’” He was referring to Greg Douglass, who’d co-written the song with Turner, and who was brought swiftly to the studio. “Gary [Mallaber] was there while we were mixing it so we put plywood down on the floor to set the drums up to play, because the studio over there was so dead.” Miller said. “Cut the song, sang it and mixed it in 45 minutes, and it went on the record.”

The Steve Miller Band - ‘Jungle Love’

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