Before diving into “Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces,” some background about the duo should be known. As Encyclopedia explains, the comedy pair consisted of Richard “Cheech” Marin and Tommy Chong, who both first met each other in Vancouver, British Columbia. Tommy Chong was a guitarist for Bobby Taylor and the Vancouvers, which was a Vancouver-based Canadian rock band from the 1960s. Once together, the two began penning their first comedy albums. Their first album, “Cheech and Chong,” came out in 1971, and was an immediate hit, getting on Billboard’s top 200 list at #40 (via We Are Classic Rockers).
This success would prove to continue on as they took to the silver screen. As Billboard notes, the 1978 stoner comedy “Up in Smoke” became a huge hit. The film, starring both comedians, had their signature comedy from their albums but translated effortlessly to the language of cinema. There was even a 40th-anniversary re-release of the film.
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