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Saturday, April 28, 2012

The R&B Song "Fever" And Several Black Greek Letter Organizations' Song "Zoom Zoom Zoom"

Edited by Azizi Powell

Latest Updat- January 29, 2024

This pancocojams post presents information about the late 1950s R&B song "Fever".

This post showcases a rendition of "Fever" by Little Willie John and a rendition of this song by Peggy Lee. In addition, this post showcases four selected videos of the historically Black fraternity & sorority song "Zoom Zoom Zoom". 

Two of these videos showcase the version of this song that is sung by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc..One video showcases a version of this song as sung by members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and one video showcases a version of his song that is sung byf members of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.

I don't know if other Black Greek Letter Organizations sing a version of "Zoom Zoom Zoom".

The content of this post is presented for cultural, folkloric, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, the composers of "Fever" and thanks to all those who are featured in this pancocojams post. Thanks also to all the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
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I consider fraternity & sorority songs and chants to be cultural artifacts which deserve to be collected, preserved, and studied. I also believe that fraternity & sorority songs and chants should only be recited and/or performed by those persons who are affiliated with the specific organization that is associated with that particular chant. As shown in this post, several Black Greek lettered organizations have songs/chants that include the refrain "Zoom Zoom Zoom".

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/03/examples-of-historically-black_39.html for a few text (word) examples of "Zoom" as sung by members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., and Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. 

If you are aware of any examples of this song that are sung by any other historically Black Greek letter organization, please share that example or examples in the comment section below.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE R&B SONG "FEVER"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever_(Little_Willie_John_song)
" "Fever" is a song written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell, who used the pseudonym "John Davenport". It was originally recorded by American R&B singer Little Willie John for his debut album, Fever (1956), and released as a single in April of the same year. The song topped the Billboard R&B Best Sellers in the US and peaked at number 24 on the Billboard pop chart.[1] It was received positively by music critics and included on several lists of the best songs during the time it was released.

It has been covered by several artists from various musical genres, most notably by Peggy Lee, whose 1958 rendition became the most widely known version of "Fever" and the singer's signature song. Lee's version contained rewritten lyrics different from the original and an altered music arrangement. It became a top-five hit on the music charts in the UK and Australia in addition to entering the top ten in the US and the Netherlands. "Fever" was nominated in three categories at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards in 1959, including Record of the Year and Song of the Year."...

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THE MUSICAL INSPIRATION FOR BLACK GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATIONS' VERSIONS OF "ZOOM"
I have no doubt that some of the tune and a few of the words of the B
lack Greek lettered songs "Zoom Zoom Zoom" are based on the hit late 1950s R&B song & Pop song "Fever". However, I'm not sure when those organizations first started singing their song and why they all use the title and words "Zoom Zoom Zoom". 

The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. song that is given below is an exception to how most Black Greek Letter Organizations that I have found use the words "Zoom Zoom Zoom" in their songs. The Omega Psi Phi Fraternity uses "zoom zoom zoom"  as a refrain and doesn't mention the word "fever".

Although the R&B song "Fever" was first recorded in 1956, I haven't found any BGLO examples of "Zoom Zoom Zoom" before the early 2000s. If you know of any examples of these songs before then, please share that information in the comment section below.

Here's a YouTube example of Little Willie John's 1956 record "Fever"

FEVER - Little Willie John - 1956



cdbpdx Uploaded on Jan 23, 2009
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Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fever_(Little_Willie_John_song) for more information about Little Willie John's recording of  "Fever".

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Here's a YouTube example of Peggy Lee's singing "Fever" in the late 1960s. .Peggy Lee's first recorded that song in 1958. 

Peggy Lee - Fever!



Gareth Miller, December 5, 2007
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peggy_Lee.for information about Peggy Lee's version of the song "Fever".

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INFORMATION ABOUT GREEK ORGANIZATIONS' VERSIONS OF "ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM"
"Zoom Zoom Zoom" is an example of a fraternity or sorority song that is performed by multiple Black Greek lettered organizations (BGLOs). To date, I've found videos and text examples of "Zoom Zoom Zoom" that are attributed to Alpha Psi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (A Phi A), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (DST).

I've also found an online version of this song from Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., but I've not been able to find a YouTube video version of that organization's version of that song. It's also possible that other BGLO may have versions of this song. 

I have also found video examples and text of an Omega Phi Phi Fraternity, Inc. song that includes the refrain "zoom zoom zoom", although the song itself differs significantly from the other BGLO examples of the song "Zoom Zoom Zoom".

I'm not sure which fraternity or sorority was the first to sing or chant any composition entitled "Zoom Zoom Zoom" and I haven't been able to find any information about the dates that the examples of "Zoom Zoom Zoom" featured in this post were first performed. If you have any information about this Greek lettered song, please share it for the sake of the folkloric record.

Except for the word "zoom", historically Black Greek letter organizations' song "Zoom Zoom Zoom" aren't related to the American pop song "Zoom Zoom Zoom" whose words also include the line "You make my heart go boom boom boom". Nor are those BGLO "Zoom" songs related to the Brazilian Capoeira song "Zoom Zoom Zoom Mata Um". Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/04/zum-zum-zum-mata-um-videos-lyrics.html for a post on that Capoeira song.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
These videos are posted in no particular order.

Video #1: DST Delta Zeta Chapter 2009 [Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.]



Uploaded by iseeFLICKS on Sep 30, 2009

The Ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Delta Zeta Chapter *& all that they do...

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Video #2: Zoom Zoom (Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity)



Uploaded by KrystalMauri on Apr 3, 2010

Went on a college tour & this man KILLED it I think his name is Sergio or Monte idk but I know he killed it. Oh yeah, this was at CAU(my future college(hopefully))

Editor: The lead singer is identified as "Sergio". A video of Sergio singing this song is posted on Cocojams Fraternity And Sorority Chant page whose link is given above.

"Killed it" is African American slang for "really sang [it] well".

"CAU" is probably Clark Atlanta University.

For the sake of documentation, I'd love to add Siergio's last name to this post. If he or anyone else who knows it would send it in, I'd appreciate it.

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Video #3: Delta Theta "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom"



Uploaded by GorIIIaBLACK1906 on Dec 1, 2011

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated
Delta Theta Chapter (Texas Southern University)
5/2/11

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Example #4: Tell Me why? Omega Psi Phi pledge song Kevin McCall XAA FALL O6



Kevin McCall Uploaded on Nov 22, 2008

mE SINGIN THE SONG THAT HELPED ME SEE IT THROUGH ROO
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"Zoom Zoom Zoom" is used as the refrain for this Omega pledge song.

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