Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases the 1965 song "Papa Got A Brand New Bag" that was composed & performed by James Brown. Special attention is given in this post to examples of African American Vernacular English that are found in that song's lyrics.
The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
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LYRICS - PAPA GOT A BRAND NEW BAG
(Songwriters: Jevon Lendrick Hill, Theron Makiel Thomas, Timothy Jamahli Thomas)
Come here sister.....Papa's in the swing
He ain't too hip...about that new breed babe
He ain't no drag
Papa's got a brand new bag
Come here mama....and dig this crazy scene
He's not too fancy....but his line is pretty clean
He ain't no drag.
Papa's got a brand new bag
He's doing the Jerk....
He's doing the Fly
Don't play him cheap 'cause you know he ain't shy
He's doing the Monkey, the Mashed Potatoes,
Jump back Jack, See you later alligator.
Come here sister
Papa's in the swing
He ain't too hip now
but I can dig that new breed babe;
He ain't no drag
He's got a brand new bag
Oh papa! He's doing the Jerk
Papa...he's doing the Jerk
He's doing the twist ... just like this,
He's doing the Fly ev'ry day and ev'ry night
The thing's....like the Boomerang.
Hey....come on
Hey! Hey.....come on
Hey! Hey....he's pu tight...out of sight...
Come on. Hey! Hey!
Source: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/j/james_brown/papas_got_a_brand_new_bag.html
****
FEATURED VIDEO
James Brown - Papa's Got A Brand New Bag (From "Legends of Rock 'n' Roll" DVD)
eaglerocktv.,Published on Apr 2, 2012
This amazing concert brings together some of the true pioneers of rock 'n' roll music.
DVD on sale here http://smarturl.it/variouslegendsdvd
Featuring Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, James Brown, Fats Domino and B.B.King. Recorded in Italy in 1989, these legendary artists perform some of their best loved tracks such as Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Bo Diddley, Great Balls Of Fire, Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On and Blueberry Hill. At the end of the concert all the performers come together for an all-star jam that leaves the audience hollering for more. It's a rare event indeed that brings so many great live performers together on one bill and this DVD captures the real excitement of the evening.
-snip-
Click http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aqXJYi8RQ0
for a James Brown performance of "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag"
****
AFRICAN AMERICAN VERNACULAR ENGLISH TERMS IN THIS SONG
Note: Many of these 1960s African American slang terms are no longer used. Here's my understanding of their meanings:
Come here sister - "sister" here is a general referent for females
**
Papa - a general referent for male; particular one who sees himself as "in charge". [In my opinion, in this song, the vocalist (James Brown) refers to himself as "papa", as "he", and as "I".]
**
Papa's in the swing - the man is at the party scene [where things are winging [jumping, "happening"]; the same as or similar to an announcement that the man [who is singing] is "in the house" [has arrived at the dance/party]
**
He ain't too hip now - he's not completely up to date [with the latest fashions, slang, and/or dances]
**
but I can dig that new breed babe - but I [still can] understand/ relate to women who are [hip, part of this modern scene]
**
He ain't no drag - he's not someone who would slow down the pace of the scene
**
"Bag" - something that a person can lay claim to [probably from the saying "it's [put] in the bag" [something you use to carry what belongs to you]
In the context of this song "bag" refers to new dancees.
**
Come here mama - same as "sister" above
**
dig this crazy scene - check out what is going on at this dance/party
**
he may not be fancy but his line is pretty clean - he may not have expensive clothes, but he still looks good
**
Don't play him cheap 'cause you know he ain't shy - don't underestimate him [the vocalist] because he won't hesitate to call attention to himself [by showing how he dances]
**
Jump back Jack, See you later alligator - two rhyming phrases that African American "hepcats" used in the 1930s & 1940s; These phrases reinforce that "papa" is hip (though somewhat outdated).
**
he's pu tight...out of sight.- These are two rhyming phrases from the 1960s.
A person or thing that is "tight" has it all together [has no loose ends; is doing something or is itself very well put together [pu?] Read my comment below under "out of sight".
**
"out of sight" (outta sight)– wonderful, great, so good that it's way up in the stratosphere; beyond normal sight. “outta sight” is often given its literal meaning by children and others person chanting the Michael Jackson versions to the handclap rhyme "Down By The Banks Of The Hanky Panky". Those rhymes include multiple versions of the line "Billy Jean is outta sight (or out of sight)".
Click http://cocojams.com/content/handclap-jump-rope-and-elastics-rhymes for examples of those rhymes.]
Note: I personally don't remember saying, reading, or hearing anyone else say "pu tight". However "up tight/out of sight" was very common & was popularized by Stevie Wonder in his 1966 5record "Uptight (Everything's Alright). "Up tight" is probably a shortened form of "wrapped up tight" ("tied tightly"). Could "pu" be a "hip" way of spelling "up"? (spelling it backwards)?
**
DANCES THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THIS SONG
the Jerk
the Fly
the Monkey
the Mashed Potatoes
the Twist
the Boomerang
****
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/erykah-badu-bag-lady-video-lyrics.html for a pancocojams post that focuses on another African American English meaning for the word "bags" in the song "Bag Lady" by Erykah Badu.
****
Thanks to James Brown for his musical legacy. Thanks also to those who composed this song, and all others who I quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on youtube.
Thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor commeents are welcome.
Showing posts with label Rhythm and Blues music and dances. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rhythm and Blues music and dances. Show all posts
Friday, June 14, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The Hucklebuck (Music, Song, & Dance)
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents information about The Hucklebuck as well as two sound file of that Jazz tune and five videos of that Rock and Roll song & dance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT PAUL HUCKLEBUCK WILLIAMS, AND INFORMATION ABOUT "THE HUCKLEBUCK"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(saxophonist)
"Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams (July 13, 1915 – September 14, 2002)[1] was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and early 1960s.
After performing with Clarence Dorsey and King Porter he formed his own band in 1947. He was best known for his 1949 hit, "The Hucklebuck", a twelve-bar blues that also spawned a dance craze. The single went to number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.[2] He used the billing of Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers thereafter. Charlie Parker had four years earlier used the same riff for his "Now's the Time".
Williams' recording was covered by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra, as well as by R&B artists Roy Milton and Lionel Hampton, but Williams' Savoy recording was still the best-selling rhythm and blues song of the year. Shaw points out that "The Hucklebuck" was an early example of crossover from R&B to mainstream popular music. The Paul Williams version sold half a million copies by some estimates.[3] In later years, during the rock era, in 1960, Chubby Checker peaked at number fourteen with his version of the song,[4] while in 1963 Brendan Bowyer and the Royal Showband became the first Irish artists to top the Irish singles chart with their cover, staying at the top for seven weeks.[5]
British Rockabilly band Coast to Coast reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1981 with a cover called "(Do) the Hucklebuck".[6] In 2010, Crystal Swing had a hit with the song...
Do the Hucklebuck, do the Hucklebuck,
If you don't know how to do it, boy, you're out of luck,
Push your partner out,
Then you hunch your back,
Start a little movement in your sacroiliac,
Wiggle like an eel, waddle like a duck,
That's the way you do it when you do the Hucklebuck"
-snip-
From http://paulhucklebuckwilliams.com/biography
"...On February 20, 1948, the band played their first engagement outside of the Detroit area and broke all house records at the Royal Theater in Baltimore. It was Paul Williams’ cleverly reworked treatment of the 1928 Andy Gibson song, “D-Natural Blues,” that changed a whole generation of music, dance and Williams’ life. That tune, renamed “The Hucklebuck,” was a phenomenal success. It was recorded in December of 1948 on the Newark-based Savoy label, and it became an important precursor of rock ‘n’ roll. It hit number one in February 1949 and remained on the charts for thirty-two weeks. While the pop swing bands of the war years were disbanding or playing little more than background music for pop vocalists, “The Hucklebuck” sparked a dance craze and brought a danceable beat into the publics awareness. It was a shuffle-blues instrumental built around the sound of a furiously honking saxophone, it helped give impetus to the raucous variant of rhythm and blues that evolved into rock ‘n’ roll. It also gave Mr. Williams an identity: from 1949 until the end of his career, he was billed as Paul Hucklebuck Williams."
-snip-
Here's a link to lyrics to "(Do The) Hucklebuck" as sung by Chubby Checker: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/chubby_checker/the_hucklebuck.html
-snip-
I gather from reading online posts about The Hucklebuck that how this dance is done has changed from a very risque partner dance to a line dance with usually very fixed steps. Here are links to articles about how The Hucklebuck was danced and is now danced, although I don't vouch for the authenticity of the contemporary instructions.
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3hucklebuck.htm
http://wfmu.org/LCD/26/huck1.html Do The Hucklebuck!
http://www.ehow.com/way_5300839_hucklebuck-dance-steps.html Hucklebuck Dance Steps
-snip-
Here's a link to one of several YouTube videso of the Hucklebuck being performed as a fixed line dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCTWSySXnOY Huckle Buck
Also, a comment in a 1963 video of the Gospel group, The Clara Ward Singers, mentions that members of this group were doing a Holy dance step that reminded the commenter of a "Holy Ghost huckle buck". The commenter referred to the "dancing" at 1:38 of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhrJ8qITUUs
Clara Ward - Swing Low Chariot [And Let Me Ride]
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Huckle Boogie - Paul Hucklebuck Williams
Uploaded by PaulHucklebuckWms on Oct 8, 2010
The song Huckle Boogie appears on one of three album recordings. Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 1 1947 - 1949, Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 2 1949 - 1952, and Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 3 1952 - 1956.
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
PaulHucklebuckWms, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X83zuhHtFtQ
"The saxophone playing in this song is great. There is a second version of the song on Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 2 1949-1952."
****
Example #2: Pinetop Perkins - The Hucklebuck.wmv
laercon, Uploaded on Dec 21, 2009
Pinetop Perkins - The Hucklebuck - Montagem feita em cima de um desenho antigo da Betty Boop
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinetop_Perkins for information about Pinetop Perkins.
****
Example #3: Chubby Checker - The Hucklebuck
Uploaded by OpDePlanken on Oct 7, 2008
Live On Stage
****
Example #4 CHICK WILLIS EXCLUSIVE How To Do The Hucklebuck (Remix)
Blues Hunter, Uploaded on Nov 17, 2010
… taken from CD, "The Best Of So Far"
-snip-
I’m particularly interested in the music and the vintage dance films that are included in this video, though I’m unsure if any of them were of people dancing the Hucklebuck.
****
Editor's Note:
Although these next three videos aren't by Black performers as per the overall mission of this blog, they certainly are a noteworthy part of the Hucklebuck culture. And I believe that visitors to this blog will enjoy watching them, as I have.
Example #5: Hucklebuck
Ron R, Uploaded on Feb 1, 2009
Norton teaches Ralph how to dance
-snip-
Here's information about that version of The Hucklebuck:
Regarding the version that was used in the Honeymooner episode:
"It was done by Kay Starr….The version played on the show was a slightly different version than the one that actually came out…
posted by powbangzooom0, 01-08-2007, http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=13910
****
Example #6: Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck (1981) HD
BadCovers0815007, Uploaded on Aug 11, 2010
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Example #7: Crystal Swing doing huckle buck on late late show
jryantime, Uploaded on Jul 6, 2011
Crystal swing gets the crowd going by doing the huck bckle on the late late show. The huckle buck was made famous in the showband era by brendan boyer
****
RELATED LINK
Click this link to a page of my Jambalayah cultural website that features a compilation post of other Rock and Roll dances (dances prior to 1970): http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1142
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and all of the musicians, vocalists, and other performers in the featured videos. My thanks also to the authors of the articles that are quoted in this post, and the uploaders of these featured sound files and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
This post presents information about The Hucklebuck as well as two sound file of that Jazz tune and five videos of that Rock and Roll song & dance.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT PAUL HUCKLEBUCK WILLIAMS, AND INFORMATION ABOUT "THE HUCKLEBUCK"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Williams_(saxophonist)
"Paul "Hucklebuck" Williams (July 13, 1915 – September 14, 2002)[1] was an American blues and rhythm and blues saxophonist and songwriter. In his Honkers and Shouters, Arnold Shaw credits Williams as one of the first to employ the honking tenor sax solo that became the hallmark of rhythm and blues and rock and roll in the 1950s and early 1960s.
After performing with Clarence Dorsey and King Porter he formed his own band in 1947. He was best known for his 1949 hit, "The Hucklebuck", a twelve-bar blues that also spawned a dance craze. The single went to number one on the U.S. Billboard R&B chart.[2] He used the billing of Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers thereafter. Charlie Parker had four years earlier used the same riff for his "Now's the Time".
Williams' recording was covered by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra, as well as by R&B artists Roy Milton and Lionel Hampton, but Williams' Savoy recording was still the best-selling rhythm and blues song of the year. Shaw points out that "The Hucklebuck" was an early example of crossover from R&B to mainstream popular music. The Paul Williams version sold half a million copies by some estimates.[3] In later years, during the rock era, in 1960, Chubby Checker peaked at number fourteen with his version of the song,[4] while in 1963 Brendan Bowyer and the Royal Showband became the first Irish artists to top the Irish singles chart with their cover, staying at the top for seven weeks.[5]
British Rockabilly band Coast to Coast reached number 3 in the UK Singles Chart in 1981 with a cover called "(Do) the Hucklebuck".[6] In 2010, Crystal Swing had a hit with the song...
Do the Hucklebuck, do the Hucklebuck,
If you don't know how to do it, boy, you're out of luck,
Push your partner out,
Then you hunch your back,
Start a little movement in your sacroiliac,
Wiggle like an eel, waddle like a duck,
That's the way you do it when you do the Hucklebuck"
-snip-
From http://paulhucklebuckwilliams.com/biography
"...On February 20, 1948, the band played their first engagement outside of the Detroit area and broke all house records at the Royal Theater in Baltimore. It was Paul Williams’ cleverly reworked treatment of the 1928 Andy Gibson song, “D-Natural Blues,” that changed a whole generation of music, dance and Williams’ life. That tune, renamed “The Hucklebuck,” was a phenomenal success. It was recorded in December of 1948 on the Newark-based Savoy label, and it became an important precursor of rock ‘n’ roll. It hit number one in February 1949 and remained on the charts for thirty-two weeks. While the pop swing bands of the war years were disbanding or playing little more than background music for pop vocalists, “The Hucklebuck” sparked a dance craze and brought a danceable beat into the publics awareness. It was a shuffle-blues instrumental built around the sound of a furiously honking saxophone, it helped give impetus to the raucous variant of rhythm and blues that evolved into rock ‘n’ roll. It also gave Mr. Williams an identity: from 1949 until the end of his career, he was billed as Paul Hucklebuck Williams."
-snip-
Here's a link to lyrics to "(Do The) Hucklebuck" as sung by Chubby Checker: http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/chubby_checker/the_hucklebuck.html
-snip-
I gather from reading online posts about The Hucklebuck that how this dance is done has changed from a very risque partner dance to a line dance with usually very fixed steps. Here are links to articles about how The Hucklebuck was danced and is now danced, although I don't vouch for the authenticity of the contemporary instructions.
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3hucklebuck.htm
http://wfmu.org/LCD/26/huck1.html Do The Hucklebuck!
http://www.ehow.com/way_5300839_hucklebuck-dance-steps.html Hucklebuck Dance Steps
-snip-
Here's a link to one of several YouTube videso of the Hucklebuck being performed as a fixed line dance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCTWSySXnOY Huckle Buck
Also, a comment in a 1963 video of the Gospel group, The Clara Ward Singers, mentions that members of this group were doing a Holy dance step that reminded the commenter of a "Holy Ghost huckle buck". The commenter referred to the "dancing" at 1:38 of this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhrJ8qITUUs
Clara Ward - Swing Low Chariot [And Let Me Ride]
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Huckle Boogie - Paul Hucklebuck Williams
Uploaded by PaulHucklebuckWms on Oct 8, 2010
The song Huckle Boogie appears on one of three album recordings. Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 1 1947 - 1949, Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 2 1949 - 1952, and Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 3 1952 - 1956.
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's viewer comment thread:
PaulHucklebuckWms, 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X83zuhHtFtQ
"The saxophone playing in this song is great. There is a second version of the song on Paul Williams The Complete Recordings Volume 2 1949-1952."
****
Example #2: Pinetop Perkins - The Hucklebuck.wmv
laercon, Uploaded on Dec 21, 2009
Pinetop Perkins - The Hucklebuck - Montagem feita em cima de um desenho antigo da Betty Boop
-snip-
Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinetop_Perkins for information about Pinetop Perkins.
****
Example #3: Chubby Checker - The Hucklebuck
Uploaded by OpDePlanken on Oct 7, 2008
Live On Stage
****
Example #4 CHICK WILLIS EXCLUSIVE How To Do The Hucklebuck (Remix)
Blues Hunter, Uploaded on Nov 17, 2010
… taken from CD, "The Best Of So Far"
-snip-
I’m particularly interested in the music and the vintage dance films that are included in this video, though I’m unsure if any of them were of people dancing the Hucklebuck.
****
Editor's Note:
Although these next three videos aren't by Black performers as per the overall mission of this blog, they certainly are a noteworthy part of the Hucklebuck culture. And I believe that visitors to this blog will enjoy watching them, as I have.
Example #5: Hucklebuck
Ron R, Uploaded on Feb 1, 2009
Norton teaches Ralph how to dance
-snip-
Here's information about that version of The Hucklebuck:
Regarding the version that was used in the Honeymooner episode:
"It was done by Kay Starr….The version played on the show was a slightly different version than the one that actually came out…
posted by powbangzooom0, 01-08-2007, http://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=13910
****
Example #6: Coast To Coast - (Do) The Hucklebuck (1981) HD
BadCovers0815007, Uploaded on Aug 11, 2010
****
Example #7: Crystal Swing doing huckle buck on late late show
jryantime, Uploaded on Jul 6, 2011
Crystal swing gets the crowd going by doing the huck bckle on the late late show. The huckle buck was made famous in the showband era by brendan boyer
****
RELATED LINK
Click this link to a page of my Jambalayah cultural website that features a compilation post of other Rock and Roll dances (dances prior to 1970): http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1142
****
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to the composers of these songs, and all of the musicians, vocalists, and other performers in the featured videos. My thanks also to the authors of the articles that are quoted in this post, and the uploaders of these featured sound files and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Examples of The R&B Record "Shake A Tail Feather"
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post presents information about the 1963 Rhythm & Blues song "Shake A Tail Feather". The lyrics of that song along with two sound filew and two videos of "Shake A Tail Feather" are also presented in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER"
-snip-
"Shake A Tail Feather" is a R&B dance song. The title basically means "shake your butt" (A bird’s tail feathers call attention to its behind.) As such "Shake A Tail Feather" belongs to the "Shake your butt" sub-genre of American Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop songs. Of course, the 1976 song "Shake Your Booty" by KC & The Sunshine Band belongs to that genre as does 1988 song "Da Butt" by E.U.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake_a_Tail_Feather
"Shake a Tail Feather" (Otha Hayes, Verlie Rice, and Andre Williams) is a song originally recorded in 1963 by the Chicago-based group The Five Du-Tones.[1] (This version was featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film Hairspray.) A 1967 version by James & Bobby Purify reached #25 on the charts.
"Shake a Tail Feather" has been covered by many other artists over the years, perhaps most notably by Ray Charles, who performed the song during his scenes in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. This version of the song includes calls for various 1960s dances, including the Twist, the Monkey, The Frug and The Mashed Potato, to be performed by a crowd gathered outside Ray's Music Exchange."
-snip-
"Shake A Tail Feather" is NOT the same song as the Hip Hop record "Shake Ya Tailfeather", which was recorded by American rappers Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee and released in 2003 as part of the Bad Boys II movie soundtrack.
"Shake Ya Tailfeather" takes its title & refrain from the 1863 record "Shake A Tail Feather" but otherwise, is a completely different composition. Because that 2003 song contains some profanity and has somewhat sexually explicit lyrics, I'm not including its video in this post. However, if you're interested, here's a link to its video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f66O8iRt3KE
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: The Five Du-Tones - Shake a Tail Feather
shortrax, Uploaded on Aug 27, 2008
Original version of the party favourite, famously covered by James & Bobby Purify and then The Blues Brothers. One of the most unpolished soul dancers you'll ever hear.
****
Example #2: James and Bobby Purify - Shake a Tail Feather
Shortrax, Uploaded on Sep 3, 2008
Hit cover version of the frat party classic. Purify sounds like a stage name but in fact it was James' real name. Bobby was his cousin Robert Dickey. Another singer (Ben Moore) took Bobby's place later on and took up the Bobby Purify name. He even retained it when he went solo and gained acclaim as a gospel singer.Confused? This is a request.
-snip_
James and Bobby Purify also recorded the hit R&B song “I’m Your Puppet”
****
Example #3: shake your tail feather
theworldoftina, Published on Jul 27, 2012
Tina Turner performing "Shake A Tail Feather" live in London 1979
****
Example #4 Ike and Tina Turner [Movie] shake your tail feather
pensionkastel, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
Shake your tail feather Ike and Tina Turner aus dem Film Whats Love got to do with it.
-snip-
“Shake A Tail Feather”is the actual title for this cover of the song which was originally recorded by The Five Du-Tones. In that movie Tina Turner was played by Angela Bassett.& Ike Turner was played by Laurence Fishburne.
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwlHnvWH4Q
hebneh, 2012
"This scene isn't supposed to be "American Bandstand", it's kind of copied from "Shindig!" Ike & Tina appeared on "Shindig!" more than once. This resembles the actual show although the audience members weren't allowed onstage to dance with the performers the way they do here."
****
Example #5: The Blues Brothers (4/9) Movie CLIP - Shake A Tail Feather (1980) HD
movieclips, Uploaded on May 27, 2011
...The Blues Brothers stop at Ray's Music shop to find some quality instruments and get a toe-tapping demo from the owner (Ray Charles)…
-snip-
This movie clip shows performances of various R&B dances.
LYRICS: SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
Well I heard about the fellow you've been dancing with
All over the neighbourhood
So why didn't you ask me baby
Or didn't you think I could?
Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight
but the shingaling's the thing tonight
But if that was you and me a now baby
I would have shown you how to do it right
Do it right (U-huh)
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de li
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de li
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Aaah
Come on, come on baby
Come on, yeah, come on babe, alright
Do the twist
Do the fly
Do the swim
And do the bird
Well do the duck
Aaah, and do the monkey
Hey hey, watusi
And, ah, what about the frug
Do the mashed potato
What about the boogaloo
Oh, the bony marony
Come on let's do the twist
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Shake-A-Tailfeather-lyrics-Ray-Charles/9F7545DA1BC8857E48256C240011B3B0
A POSSIBLY RELATED SONG
Click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=149079&messages=36 for a link to a Folk & Blues discussion forum thread about the African American or Caribbean originated sea chanty "Swing Your Tail". The earliest documented example of that shanty is from 1913. Examples of that shanty have also been documented from the 1920s through 1959, including an article of that sea shanty in a 1924 article in The Crisis Magazine (the official magazine for the National Association Of Negro People [NAACP).
Here are two verses of that song:
Young gal, go swing your tail,
swing your tail to the South West gale
Young gal, go swing your tail,
swing your tail to the North West gale.
Everybody gather 'round.
Young gal, go swing your tail,
Everybody get 'round this boat,
Young gal, go swing your tail.
-snip-
My speculation is that the word "tail" in this song refers to "butt".
****
RELATED LINK
Various Old School R&B/Hip Hop Dances "Various Old School R&B/Hip Hop Dances"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all the composers of the songs, and all of the performers in the featured videos. My thanks also to the transcriber of the lyrics and the uploaders of these featured sound file and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome
This post presents information about the 1963 Rhythm & Blues song "Shake A Tail Feather". The lyrics of that song along with two sound filew and two videos of "Shake A Tail Feather" are also presented in this post.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER"
-snip-
"Shake A Tail Feather" is a R&B dance song. The title basically means "shake your butt" (A bird’s tail feathers call attention to its behind.) As such "Shake A Tail Feather" belongs to the "Shake your butt" sub-genre of American Pop, R&B/Hip-Hop songs. Of course, the 1976 song "Shake Your Booty" by KC & The Sunshine Band belongs to that genre as does 1988 song "Da Butt" by E.U.
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake_a_Tail_Feather
"Shake a Tail Feather" (Otha Hayes, Verlie Rice, and Andre Williams) is a song originally recorded in 1963 by the Chicago-based group The Five Du-Tones.[1] (This version was featured on the soundtrack of the 1988 film Hairspray.) A 1967 version by James & Bobby Purify reached #25 on the charts.
"Shake a Tail Feather" has been covered by many other artists over the years, perhaps most notably by Ray Charles, who performed the song during his scenes in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. This version of the song includes calls for various 1960s dances, including the Twist, the Monkey, The Frug and The Mashed Potato, to be performed by a crowd gathered outside Ray's Music Exchange."
-snip-
"Shake A Tail Feather" is NOT the same song as the Hip Hop record "Shake Ya Tailfeather", which was recorded by American rappers Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee and released in 2003 as part of the Bad Boys II movie soundtrack.
"Shake Ya Tailfeather" takes its title & refrain from the 1863 record "Shake A Tail Feather" but otherwise, is a completely different composition. Because that 2003 song contains some profanity and has somewhat sexually explicit lyrics, I'm not including its video in this post. However, if you're interested, here's a link to its video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f66O8iRt3KE
FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: The Five Du-Tones - Shake a Tail Feather
shortrax, Uploaded on Aug 27, 2008
Original version of the party favourite, famously covered by James & Bobby Purify and then The Blues Brothers. One of the most unpolished soul dancers you'll ever hear.
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Example #2: James and Bobby Purify - Shake a Tail Feather
Shortrax, Uploaded on Sep 3, 2008
Hit cover version of the frat party classic. Purify sounds like a stage name but in fact it was James' real name. Bobby was his cousin Robert Dickey. Another singer (Ben Moore) took Bobby's place later on and took up the Bobby Purify name. He even retained it when he went solo and gained acclaim as a gospel singer.Confused? This is a request.
-snip_
James and Bobby Purify also recorded the hit R&B song “I’m Your Puppet”
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Example #3: shake your tail feather
theworldoftina, Published on Jul 27, 2012
Tina Turner performing "Shake A Tail Feather" live in London 1979
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Example #4 Ike and Tina Turner [Movie] shake your tail feather
pensionkastel, Uploaded on Jan 6, 2008
Shake your tail feather Ike and Tina Turner aus dem Film Whats Love got to do with it.
-snip-
“Shake A Tail Feather”is the actual title for this cover of the song which was originally recorded by The Five Du-Tones. In that movie Tina Turner was played by Angela Bassett.& Ike Turner was played by Laurence Fishburne.
Here's a comment from that video's viewer comment thread:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnwlHnvWH4Q
hebneh, 2012
"This scene isn't supposed to be "American Bandstand", it's kind of copied from "Shindig!" Ike & Tina appeared on "Shindig!" more than once. This resembles the actual show although the audience members weren't allowed onstage to dance with the performers the way they do here."
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Example #5: The Blues Brothers (4/9) Movie CLIP - Shake A Tail Feather (1980) HD
movieclips, Uploaded on May 27, 2011
...The Blues Brothers stop at Ray's Music shop to find some quality instruments and get a toe-tapping demo from the owner (Ray Charles)…
-snip-
This movie clip shows performances of various R&B dances.
LYRICS: SHAKE A TAIL FEATHER
Well I heard about the fellow you've been dancing with
All over the neighbourhood
So why didn't you ask me baby
Or didn't you think I could?
Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight
but the shingaling's the thing tonight
But if that was you and me a now baby
I would have shown you how to do it right
Do it right (U-huh)
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Do it right
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de li
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de li
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Aaah
Come on, come on baby
Come on, yeah, come on babe, alright
Do the twist
Do the fly
Do the swim
And do the bird
Well do the duck
Aaah, and do the monkey
Hey hey, watusi
And, ah, what about the frug
Do the mashed potato
What about the boogaloo
Oh, the bony marony
Come on let's do the twist
Aaah
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
Twist it, shake it, shake it, shake it, shake it baby
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Shake-A-Tailfeather-lyrics-Ray-Charles/9F7545DA1BC8857E48256C240011B3B0
A POSSIBLY RELATED SONG
Click http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=149079&messages=36 for a link to a Folk & Blues discussion forum thread about the African American or Caribbean originated sea chanty "Swing Your Tail". The earliest documented example of that shanty is from 1913. Examples of that shanty have also been documented from the 1920s through 1959, including an article of that sea shanty in a 1924 article in The Crisis Magazine (the official magazine for the National Association Of Negro People [NAACP).
Here are two verses of that song:
Young gal, go swing your tail,
swing your tail to the South West gale
Young gal, go swing your tail,
swing your tail to the North West gale.
Everybody gather 'round.
Young gal, go swing your tail,
Everybody get 'round this boat,
Young gal, go swing your tail.
-snip-
My speculation is that the word "tail" in this song refers to "butt".
****
RELATED LINK
Various Old School R&B/Hip Hop Dances "Various Old School R&B/Hip Hop Dances"
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all the composers of the songs, and all of the performers in the featured videos. My thanks also to the transcriber of the lyrics and the uploaders of these featured sound file and videos.
Also, thank you for visiting pancocojams.
Viewer comments are welcome
Monday, January 14, 2013
Various Old School R&B/Hip Hop Dances
Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases seven videos of old school Rhythm & Blues/Hip-Hop dances.
For the purpose of this post, by "old school" I mean dances that were first performed in the 1980s and 1990s, although "old school" certainly can refer to dances much older than the 1980s. "Old school" can also refer to clothing, hair styles, slang as well as other cultural artifacts & customs from the past. Depending on its context, "old school" could be perceived as negative. However, with regards to these dance videos, "old school" has postitive, nostalgic connotations.
All of the dances featured in this post are of African American origin. By showcasing these selected dances, I'm also showcasing the records with which these dances are most closely associated.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
FEATURED VIDEOS
(With the exception of the first video, these videos are presented in alphabetical order.)
Video #1: Teisha & Kia Do Old School Dances
NewKiTV, Uploaded on Jul 21, 2009
...Teisha & Kia Pay Tribute To Old School Dances-salt n pepa, mary j. blige, hammer etc.
PLS DON'T DISABLE THE AUDIO.WE DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE OLD SCHOOL AUDIO CONTENT © WMG. CREDITS GO TO WMG.
Old School audio owned or licensed by WMG.
-snip-
Unfortunately, the names of these dances aren't given with their performances, and I won't even try to give those names.
From viewers' comments at least some of the dances that Teisha & Kia performed in this video were Roger Rabbit, Tootsie Roll, Cabbage Patch, and Da Butt. And one commenter mentioned that the ladies did "the Rudy" to the song "Poison".
My daughter watched this video & identified the names of these dances (in order, but with some gaps): "Roger Rabbit", "Snake", "Running Man", "Kid" & Play", "The Humpty Dance", "Cabbage Patch", "Da Butt", "Pepper Seed", "Bo Go", "Butterfly", and other dances that she remembers doing but doesn't remember the names of".
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Video #2: New York Subway Break Dance
Uploaded by gnsec on Jul 25, 2008
Getting off the NYC subway I ran into this breakdancing performance at the station. The song is "We gonna rock it" by Flying Steps, except 1st 10 seconds Sandstorm by Darude.
****
Video #3: Chicago Footwork
Uploaded by ghettotekz on Apr 24, 2010
no real battle, just some amazin footworkin. This was with MOB, TS, Wolf Pac, Litebulb, Deryon, Stepz, Manny, just a whole bunch of dope cats. ..
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Video #4: Chicken Noodle Soup
Uploaded by WebstarVEVO on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Webstar, Young B performing Chicken Noodle Soup. (C) 2006 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
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Video #5: Soulja Boy Tell'em - Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Uploaded by SouljaBoyTellemVEVO on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Soulja Boy Tell`em performing Crank That (Soulja Boy). (C) 2007 ColliPark Music/HHH/Interscope Records
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Video #6: The Dougie
Uploaded by LADYTIFFANY22 on Feb 12, 2008
THIS IS NOT ME!!!!!
****
Video #7: GS Boyz - Stanky Legg
Uploaded by GSBoyzVEVO on Nov 23, 2009
Music video by GS Boyz performing Stanky Legg. YouTube view counts pre-VEVO: 778,181 (C) 2009 Zomba Recording LLC
RELATED LINKS
Visit these two pages on my Jambalayah website to find these compilations of old school dance videos:
http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1142 ROCK & ROLL DANCE VIDEOS
http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1147 R&B AND HIP-HOP DANCES [up to 2011]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are featured in those videos, and thanks to the producers, song composers, and uploaders of those videos.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
This post showcases seven videos of old school Rhythm & Blues/Hip-Hop dances.
For the purpose of this post, by "old school" I mean dances that were first performed in the 1980s and 1990s, although "old school" certainly can refer to dances much older than the 1980s. "Old school" can also refer to clothing, hair styles, slang as well as other cultural artifacts & customs from the past. Depending on its context, "old school" could be perceived as negative. However, with regards to these dance videos, "old school" has postitive, nostalgic connotations.
All of the dances featured in this post are of African American origin. By showcasing these selected dances, I'm also showcasing the records with which these dances are most closely associated.
The content of this post is presented for historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
FEATURED VIDEOS
(With the exception of the first video, these videos are presented in alphabetical order.)
Video #1: Teisha & Kia Do Old School Dances
NewKiTV, Uploaded on Jul 21, 2009
...Teisha & Kia Pay Tribute To Old School Dances-salt n pepa, mary j. blige, hammer etc.
PLS DON'T DISABLE THE AUDIO.WE DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE OLD SCHOOL AUDIO CONTENT © WMG. CREDITS GO TO WMG.
Old School audio owned or licensed by WMG.
-snip-
Unfortunately, the names of these dances aren't given with their performances, and I won't even try to give those names.
From viewers' comments at least some of the dances that Teisha & Kia performed in this video were Roger Rabbit, Tootsie Roll, Cabbage Patch, and Da Butt. And one commenter mentioned that the ladies did "the Rudy" to the song "Poison".
My daughter watched this video & identified the names of these dances (in order, but with some gaps): "Roger Rabbit", "Snake", "Running Man", "Kid" & Play", "The Humpty Dance", "Cabbage Patch", "Da Butt", "Pepper Seed", "Bo Go", "Butterfly", and other dances that she remembers doing but doesn't remember the names of".
****
Video #2: New York Subway Break Dance
Uploaded by gnsec on Jul 25, 2008
Getting off the NYC subway I ran into this breakdancing performance at the station. The song is "We gonna rock it" by Flying Steps, except 1st 10 seconds Sandstorm by Darude.
****
Video #3: Chicago Footwork
Uploaded by ghettotekz on Apr 24, 2010
no real battle, just some amazin footworkin. This was with MOB, TS, Wolf Pac, Litebulb, Deryon, Stepz, Manny, just a whole bunch of dope cats. ..
****
Video #4: Chicken Noodle Soup
Uploaded by WebstarVEVO on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Webstar, Young B performing Chicken Noodle Soup. (C) 2006 Universal Records, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc.
****
Video #5: Soulja Boy Tell'em - Crank That (Soulja Boy)
Uploaded by SouljaBoyTellemVEVO on Nov 22, 2009
Music video by Soulja Boy Tell`em performing Crank That (Soulja Boy). (C) 2007 ColliPark Music/HHH/Interscope Records
****
Video #6: The Dougie
Uploaded by LADYTIFFANY22 on Feb 12, 2008
THIS IS NOT ME!!!!!
****
Video #7: GS Boyz - Stanky Legg
Uploaded by GSBoyzVEVO on Nov 23, 2009
Music video by GS Boyz performing Stanky Legg. YouTube view counts pre-VEVO: 778,181 (C) 2009 Zomba Recording LLC
RELATED LINKS
Visit these two pages on my Jambalayah website to find these compilations of old school dance videos:
http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1142 ROCK & ROLL DANCE VIDEOS
http://www.jambalayah.com/node/1147 R&B AND HIP-HOP DANCES [up to 2011]
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AND THANKS
Thanks to all those who are featured in those videos, and thanks to the producers, song composers, and uploaders of those videos.
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
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