Cuban Ernesto Lecuona wrote the classics "Malaguena" and "The Breeze And I". "Tabu" was written by Ernesto Lecuona's niece, Margarita who also wrote "Babalu". Cuarteto Machin (Antonio Machin, Placido Acevedo, Daniel Sanchez and Candido Vicenty) first recorded the song in 1934. Antonio once sang with Don Azpiazu's Cuban Orchestra in New York.

The King of Lounge Music, Arthur Lyman reached the Billboard charts with "Taboo" in 1959. From the 1958 album of the same name Arthur plays marimba, and is responsible for the bird sounds. The track was recorded at Hawaii's Kaiser Aluminum Dome and this is the single edited from the album.