Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision- Sept. 22, 2022
This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series presents information about and YouTube examples of the song "Ragg Mopp".
Part I presents information about and examples of the song "Get The Mop" and its adaptation - the much more widely known song "Ragg Mopp".
Selected comments from the discussion thread for the "Ragg Mopp" sound file are also included in this post.
Part II presents YouTube examples of the song "Ragg Mopp" from The Ames Brothers, The Treniers, and the Beany and Cecil television cartoon series.
The content of this post is provided for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.
Thanks to the composer/s of these songs and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in YouTube examples that are embedded in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.
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WHAT IS A RAG MOP?
From https://www.thespruce.com/what-are-rag-mops-1901105
"Rag mops are a more old-fashioned style of mop that uses rags or strings on the mop head to absorb mop water and clean the floor. Both string and strip style mops fall into this category. Usually, the strips of absorbent fabric or thick strings are attached by being sewn onto the mop head. This is necessary since glue could disintegrate with different kinds of floor cleaner.”...
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE OF THE SONG "GET THAT MOP" : Henry Red Allen 1946 Get The MOP w. Higginbotham soundie
hoffmannjazz, Published on Jan 16, 2012
in 1951 Red Allen had won on trial being alone composer in music and lyrics of Get The Mop (The Ignorant stick) = MOP = identical at all with Rag Mop , first played at the Garrick Stage, Chicago 1/21/46, NYC., R.C.A. Victor Studios (411 Fifth Avenue,) Soundies Distributing Corp. Of America, Inc. each 1 reel , ad., dir.:William F.Crouch - HENRY "RED" ALLEN & HIS ORCH.: Red Allen (t,v) Jay C.Higginbotham (tb) Don Stovall (as) Bill Thompson (p) Benny Moten (b) Alvin Burroughs (d) & Johni Weaver & Harry Turner (dancing); different stage-backgrounds; The sideline photography was done during the week commencing either January 21 and/or 28, 1946 , (probably the former), probably Filmcraft Studios (2826 Decatur Avenue, Bronx, New York City).Henry "Red" Allen and the combo were paid $210.00 for their soundtrack work in this series of soundies. The group was possibly paid and additional $300.00 for their sideline work in the five soundies in this series...
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The first sentence in that summary reads "in 1951 Red Allen had won [the] trial being [declared the lone] composer in music and lyrics of Get The Mop" was first [and] is identical to "Rag Mop"...
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "GET THAT MOP"
From https://secondhandsongs.com/work/136205/all
"Get the Mop 59th in 1946
Written by Henry Allen
Language: English
ISWC : T-070.064.002-3
Published by INTERNATIONAL-MUSIC INC
First recording by Henry "Red" Allen and Orchestra featuring J. C. Higginbotham (January 14, 1946)
First release by Henry "Red" Allen and Orchestra featuring J. C. Higginbotham (1946)
ADAPTATIONS
An adaptation is a musical work which uses most of the music or lyrics of another musical work.
Get the Mop written by Henry Allen English 1946
Rag Mop written by Johnnie Lee Wills, Deacon Anderson English December 1949
Rat Fink written by Allan Sherman English 1963
-snip-
As a matter of information: Henry “Red” Allen was African American (His nickname "Red" was probably given to him because he was a light skinned Black person.)
Johnnie Lee Willis, Deacon Anderson were White Americans and Allan Sherman was a White American.
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LYRICS: "GET THAT MOP"
(Henry Allen, 1946)
Various Artists – Get The Mop - Henry Red Allen Lyrics
(a prestissimo boogie!)
'Wamp-wamp'
(horns)
M
M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P, get the mop!
M-O-P-P
Mop, mop, mop, mop
M
M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P, get the mop!
M-O-P-P
Mop, mop, mop, mop
(sax, trumpet)
M
M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P, get the mop!
M-O-P-P
Mop, mop, mop, mop
M
M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P, get the mop!
M-O-P-P
Mop, mop, mop, mop
(trombone)
'Oh, get the mop! '
'Watch that thing with chicks'"
From https://www.lyricsfreak.com/v/various+artists/get+the+mop+henry+red+allen_10170293.html
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SHOWCASE EXAMPLE: RAGG MOPP Johnny Lee Wills & His Boys
MissIvy, Published on Jan 13, 2011
RAGG MOPP Johnny Lee Wills & His Boys
-snip-
Here are some comments from this sound file's discussion thread with numbers added for referencing purposes only:
1. lyon406, 2011
"1949"
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2. Mack thornton, 2012
"deacon anderson wrote this song not Johnny Lee Wills. I know him and played with him on several occasions. He was a great steel man. Played 6 string lap steel."
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REPLY
3. Brazilian Atlantis, 2014
"deacon anderson wrote this song not Johnny Lee Wills." Henry Allen wrote it and copyrighted it in 1946 as "Get The Mop."
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4. King Bee, 2014
"Beany and Cecil brought me here! Just kiddin'-love Western Swing...jazzy piano breaks and all"
-snip-
Beany and Cecil is the name of an American televised cartoon series in which that the sea monster Cecil often song this song. An example of this song from Beany & Cecil is found in Part II of this pancocojams series.
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5. Dinkys Workshop, 2016
"not as entertaining as the black group who recorded it also, but the hair is the same in both bands."
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REPLY
6. pattycakes smith, 2016
"+Dinkys Workshop what black group? all i know is the ames brothers and now this one , the ames brothers were jewish , let me know another one if you have it"
-snip-
An example of this song from The Ames Brothers and an example from The Treniers are found in Part II of this pancocojams series.
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REPLY
7. Shawn Hawkins, 2016
"+pattycakes smith the treniers"
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8. Ian Blakesley, 2016
"The Treniers performed this on a "Colgate Comedy Hour" in the early 1950s. I believe Jerry Lewis (co-host with Dean Martin) joined in with the band .
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "RAGG MOPP"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rag_Mop
" "Rag Mop" was a popular American song of the late 1940s-early 1950s.
The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Tulsa Western Swing bandleader Johnnie Lee Wills and steel guitarist Deacon Anderson and published in 1949. Considered a novelty song, the lyrics consisted mostly of spelling out the title of the song; because of the spelling used in the song, it is sometimes referred to as "Ragg Mopp".
While Johnnie Lee Wills and his band recorded it for Bullet Records in 1950, the most popular version of this song was recorded by The Ames Brothers, and released by Coral Records as catalog number 60140. The song was part of a double-sided hit; the flip side was "Sentimental Me." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 6, 1950 and lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1.[1] The song was re-released in 1951 by Coral as catalog number 60397, with the flip side "Hoop-Dee-Doo".[2] The group re-recorded the song several times. The 1950 recording is considered an example of proto-rock and roll as it contained elements that would later go into the defining of the genre.
In popular culture
On The Honeymooners episode "Battle of the Sexes" Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton sing the song as they dance and clean the Kramden's apartment.[3]
On the Beany and Cecil cartoon show, Cecil the sea-sick sea serpent would frequently sing the song.
Alvin and the Chipmunks covered the song for their 1965 album The Chipmunks Sing with Children.
This song was played on M*A*S*H in Season 9, Episode 6 ("A War for All Seasons"), after Hawkeye and BJ ordered a radio from the Sears Catalog. The song irritates Major Winchester, as he is a strict classical music lover ("Those people can neither sing nor spell!"). In Season 11, episode 1 ("Hey, Look Me Over"), Nurse Kellye accuses Hawkeye of treating her like a rag mop; when he is taken aback by her comment, she elaborates "That's right! R-A-G-G M-O-P-P, rag mop!" ”...
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That Wikipedia page doesn't include any information about Henry Allen's 1946 song "Get The Mop" and the law suit that Henry Allen won which concluded that the 1949 song "Ragg Mobb" was based on that 1946 song.
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LYRICS: RAGG MOPP
M
I say M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P
Mop
M-O-P-P
Mop Mop Mop Mop
R
I say R-A
R-A-G
R-A-G-G
Rag
R-A-G-G M-O-P-P
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
R-A-G-G M-O-P-P
Rag Mop!
A
I say A-B
A-B-C
A-B-C-D
A-B-C-D-E
A-B-C-D-E-F-G-H
I
I say M-O
M-O-P
M-O-P-P
Mop
M-O-P-P
Mop Mop Mop Mop
R
I say R-A
R-A-G
R-A-G-G
Rag
R-A-G-G M-O-P-P
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
Rag Mop
Doo-doo-doo-DAH-dee-ah-dah
R-A-G-G M-O-P-P
Rag Mop!
Source: https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/17331089/The+Ames+Brothers/Rag+Mop
-snip-
"Ragg Mopp" is usually credited to Johnnie Lee Wills and Deacon Anderson. However, there's no doubt that that song's tune and words owe a lot to Henry "Red" Allen's song "Get That Mop".
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This concludes Part I of this two part series.
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