2011 YouTube Video Of The Wobble Line Dance (With Comments That Include Multiple Ways African Americans Say That A Person Dances Very Well)

 

WeSteppinItUp, December 31, 2011
-snip-
total # of YouTube views as of August 23, 2025 at 10:06 AM EDT=  952,667

total # of YouTube comments as of August 23, 2025 at 10:07 AM EDT= 726

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases a December 31, 2011 YouTube video of The Wobble line dance being performed at an African American formal social gathering. 

This post also includes selected comments from that video's discussion thread. Most of those comments focus on multiple African American Vernacular English (AAVE) ways of saying that a person or people are dancing (or danced) very well according to African American aesthetics.

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural, historical, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. 

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are featured in this showcased video, particularly the three African American men who are the focus of that video. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/how-wobble-line-dance-got-its-moves.html for the closely related pancocojams post "How "The Wobble Line Dance" Got Its Moves From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's 1990s "The Nasty Girl" Line Dance". 

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The 2011 YouTube video that is embedded in this pancocojams post shows some African Americans doing The Wooble line dance at a formal social gathering. This video focuses on a short African American man and two other African American men performing the Wobble on the dance floor along with other African American dancers.

All of these selected comments are from the discussion thread of that embedded video. 

Most of the comments in this compilation are examples of from that discussion thread of commenters' use of multiple African American Vernacular English (AAVE) sayings that mean that the person or the people danced very well).

This post doesn't mean to imply that these examples from that video's discussion thread are the only African American Vernacular English (AAVE) sayings with that meaning. 

**
These comments are given in relative chronological order with the oldest dated comments presented first except for replies.

The comments that consist of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) sayings or that include AAVE sayings aren't identified separately in this compilation.

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THIS SHOWCASED VIDEO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4obN3LzgttM&t=2s

2011

1. @boombostica416
"i love dis video the three guys   puttin a lot of pepper n the wobble"

**
2. @cosmohead
"this is what u call putting the stank on a dance lol..love it!"

**
3. @boombostica416
"the best dam wobble i have seen yet you go guys"

**
4. @rnscorpion67
"pops is gettin it IN!!!!!    ROFL     That CAN'T be water in that bottle he's holding!   LOL"

**
5. @detroiter4life
"LOL!!! You Betta Freak that Wobble All the way out!! Dude in the hat is Killin the floor!"

**
6. @ohsolovable29
"homie in the hat was killing that!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**
7/ @phdreed
"He making erbody else look like they aint doin it right!!!"

**
8. @Peacepw
"Awesome!!  Ole' Skool will show you how to do it and personify it...................Hey Hey get it BROTHERS!"

**
9. @goldenfox1
"go head cat daddy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

**
10. @TheMaverick_26
"LOL they were getting it in! But I don't think this is DC so before you make a negative comment bout my city get your facts straight boo boo!"

**
11. @greenblaze9189
"it had to be b'more, right?

trynna figure out who had the best suit tho."

**
12. @Sunshine423
"Atlanta is where they are...............".

**
13. @MsKISS6
"The dude in the hat is the truth. You betta do it bruh!"

****
2012

14. @celc100
"OMG this is so brilliant.  Guy in the hat totally killed it.

1:07 to 1:19 is the best."

**
15. @DieLon716
"dude wit tha hat knows he's a boss..."

**
Reply
16. @azariahyisrael3209, 2020
"All the way !"

**
Reply
17. @54andcounting17, 2020
"That's Chicago Westside all day long. Lol"

**
18. @MustafaAkamo
"old dude GETTING IT! I love it!"

**
19. @Asima817
"Get that daddy! Yall tore it up!"

**
20. @2smartpenny
"BROTHER IN THE HAT BURNING  IT UP!!!!

**
Reply
21. @syreetacarroll7414, 2020
"Wit his drink in his hand the whole time!!! 😁"

**
22. @Samone1Mur
"I love my people, I love my People!!! Them boys was gettin it!!!"

**
Reply
23. @aunteelele9072, 2020
"Yasssss we so extra and I am here for all of it!"

**
24. @NoSCRIPT32
"white shoes are indeed country, but BIG BOY is doin' it!"

**
25. @aqueencee1
"The  men were getting it, but lil man let them all have it!"

**
Reply
26. @LoveReigns8290, 2020
"He definitely didn’t come to play"

**
27. @paullee8454
"Old skool was getting down"

**
28. @2smartpenny
"men took it to another level!!"

****
2013

29. @MalcolmS428
"he was killing it, they all were dancing good but he stood out...too smooth lol"

**
30. @0680lola
"As my grandfather would say whenever he saw people who could dance and twist and turn and do crazy things with their bodies..."They ain't got no arthritis!"  Lol...I love you gramps!!"

**
31. @eddie486us
"Dude's timing is unreal."

**
Reply
32. @dawnpratt846, 2020
"Yesssss !"

**
Reply
33. @venisglover5603, 2020
"TRUTH!"

**
Reply
34. @kidd5952, 2020
"Facts"

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Reply
35. @kuriyahlahad9275, 2020
"Lmao fasho"

**
Reply
36. @mspuff9562, 2020
"Ok He feels the music...literally 🕺🏾"

**
Reply
37. @genevasutton3017, 2020
"FOR REAL THO."

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Reply
38. @violetcarson5532, 2020
"Yeeeesssssss.. sooooooo on point... looooovvvvveeeeee it."

****
2014

39. @scrubflex
"Lol, the brother can dance so good that he played around thru the whole step."

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Reply
40. @linellecameron3067, 2020
"On God he did. Whoever hes in a relationship with is happy as hell at home."

**
Reply
41. @kidd5952, 2020
"Facts"

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Reply
42. @darlenecobb7825, 2020
"Mac Smooth Kool 🕺🏽"

**
43. @HappyKattt
"Everybody got home that night going whose uncle was that?  LOL.  He kilt it tho..."

**
Reply
44. @TimothyYancy, 2020
" @MGateaux  Uncle Unc!!!!! The Ultimate Uncle."

**
Reply
45. @NicoleBusbee15
"Who is this Man? He is killing the Wobble!! Work it!!"

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46. @shanic9417
"Warren is killin these young kats! My dude! LoL"
-snip-
This comment appears to refer to the short man who was the focus of most of the comments in this video's discussion thread.

** 
Reply
47. @scifisister159
"So his name is Warren!!  Tell him he got some serious admirers!"

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48.  @gigimc
"what would make this even more perfect:  they weren't even invited to the wedding.  They just showed up!  HA!  Both sides of the families scratching their heads wondering if they're somebody's cousins or uncles... lmao"

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Reply
49. @darrylbranch6818, 2020
"Too funny!!!!!"

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Reply
50. @azariahyisrael3209, 2020
"At that point it didn't matter they were slamming it especially shorty and this put a big 😁 on my face whoa ! I mean smooooth."

****
2015

52. @terrymason8994
"Thats a original OG......   u go PLAYER...... I love u"

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53. @ahma3488
"That dude get down --- He was the boss man."

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54. @wonderj4452
"I call them the Brothers Uncle! Uncle Gallon, Uncle Liter & Uncle Half Pint! They kills it. And shorty is TOO SMOOTH!!!"

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Reply
55. @scottjohnson5303, 2017
"Wonder J im screaming laughing on the floor yo comment classic omg made my day"

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Reply
56. @andreabarnes5879, 2017
"Wonder J brothas, brothas. Swag, finesse, mooooovvvvvs. Too kool. Brothas getting down. People getting down and having a good time."

**
Reply
57. @andreabarnes5879, 2017
"👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏Applause."

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2016

58. @yollieursa3696
"Work it, Shawty!"

**
59. @demetricetumlin3518
"i watched this to improve my wobble n boy did i have to choose which of too smooth hat man moves to incorporate in my wobble for my cruise"

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2017

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2018

60. @samholder196
"this is as nasty as it gets.dude ad libs for like 4 or 13 or 15 beats and falls in perfectly whenever he feels it necessary. beyond smooth."

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61. @janicejohnson7478
"That brotha is bad to the bones. You all are right. I would love for him to teach me how to wobble like that."

**
62. @reneemonteiro
"the two in the back overdid it. unk was just cool"

**
Reply
63. @nellydavis7645
"Renee Monteiro over did it? They were smooth as hell."

**
64. @TREYCEMONE
"He's stone cold feelin it!!!  Brings me joy just to watch!!!"

**
Reply
65. @Maestroc828
"Holding his drink the entire time. Trust no one with your beverage! Old school for real!"

**
Reply
66. @DawnietotheMax, 2020
"LOL. I Didn't even notice that 😁😅😂🤣🙂"

**
67. @neneizzy9277
"This guy knows he's putting some moooves on them moves hitting all four corners to the beat!! Effortlessly😁"

****
2019

68. @Nawlinsfanforlife
"Short Playa did that!"

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2020

69. @Jojo77020
"That's the baddest wobble I've ever scene! Some of the other guys weren't playing either!"

**
70. @tinaw.7493
"We always have to put that stank on IT😄🔥"

**
71. @karataylor6197
"OMG! The short guy need his own show! I'm impressed!"

**
72. @lesliewicks7330
"Get it brother MAN! Doing yo own THANG❣️ Enjoyed watching you. U stole the show!"

**
73. @crystalmccormick8592
"These OG'S ain't even remotely playin games....🔥🔥🔥🔥"

**
74. @sebastianshaw5534
"Loved every minute of it.. that was Fire!!!"

**
75. @MsTeriBaby56
"The fact that lil man did not miss a step tho!!! LMAO He doin the damn thang!!!"

**
76. @bettyduncan8580
"All I can say is,  the brother got some strong knees."

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77. @348334nj
"Dude got moves!!"

**
78. @dwightpowell6673
"Go on man...you bad"

**
79. @firesign4297
"I'm in....LOVE!!!🥰♥️...

Lil Man🥰 DID!!! THAT!🤗😂🤗🥰"

**
80. @myrnamiranda3084
"He never fell out of step! No matter what was happening, he was there with it!!! He is THE BOSS!!!!! Old school making history!!!!!!!"

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81. @seredaparker8212
"They are having so much fun little man is getting on🤩🤩"

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82. @charlesbeam4450
"That short guy is no joke stay on beat"

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Reply
83. @azariahyisrael3209
"@charlesbeam4450  I liked the way he moved out and did his extra and moved smoothly back on beat ! That was a killer ! The world has been Africanized by us !! Haha oh man this is killing me."

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84. @hunnibon-y1s
"Stanky as hell at the end;doing all that movin round..go sat down in some bengay"

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85. @zettawatts3757
"My brothas getten down. LOVE EM"

**
86. @teelovingandlivinglife839
"What city is this?"

**
Reply
87. @kekejefferson9219
"Extra Wobble. This must be Chi town."

**
Reply
88. @joannelindsay4977
"This has to be Detriot because of how the men dress!"

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Reply
89. @charx9149
"Get it y'all!! Where is this Chicago? I swear they kilt that!! We extra in the midwest 🤷🏾‍♀️🤣❤💯🤴🏾✊🏽"

**
Reply
90. @erichairston2910
"Where I’m from MEN don’t wobble so these people must be in Atlanta!"

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91. @gailjackson-chapman7085
"There's always one in the family is extra, but you can't tell him he anything. He have some smooth moves😍😘🥰👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽❤️❤️🙏🏽"

**
92. @tricepugh5739
"I love my black ppl. We do the absolute most 😅😅😅😅 he did that"

**
Reply
93. @endigosun
"Yep...  that’s us! 😂😂😂 Gone ‘head brothas...  do y’all thang!"

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94. @t.r.s8138
"The cleanest wobble of all times!💯🔥🔥"

**
95. @maolabuckner1296
"He showing off!!!😍 Go head Brothers!!!😍"

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96.  @DiraLove
"Pop didn't come to play with nobody. He means business. Smoove cat daddy😊"

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97. @trisharlablair9831
"Now THIS Ladies and Gentlemen can ONLY BE DONE BY US!! This is what I call When YOUR STEP got it's OWN STEP!! WE WILL FOREVER BE THE ORIGINAL STEPPERS"

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98. @terrikitiona4611
"Mack daddy was gettin it in. You gotta love older cats like him"

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99. @ednajames3927
"alright now dad is showin outttt"

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100.  @leeslove1999
"Go Head I Love To See The Brothers Dance  ,and they sharp as they want be !!!!!"

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101. @keashasmith5607
"The men stole the show!!! They did that!!!"

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102. @Angela-fp9gr
"The dude wearing the hat is cold wit it!💃🏽"

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103. @wol3335
"The fellas are going in!!!"

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104. @noneya8273
"Dudes tearing it up and got his own swag going"

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105. @MsRaye-23
"Ol skool in the hat gittin It, ain’t he!! 😆🙌🏾 "

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106. @MI-vn4tp
"Everybody needs to sit down and give the floor to the three guys on the end. Especially the females."

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107.  @tricepugh5739
"I love my black ppl. We do the absolute most 😅😅😅😅 he did that"

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108. @blackcosmos
"Where they get them suits from hahaaa anyway, black folks undeniably have an impeccable sense of  rhythm n timing..."

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109. @msjay025
"I tell you no body, and I do mean nobody can do it like us, we have the imitators, and the wanna bees, but nobody can do it like black folks."

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110. @diamondgurl1978able
"They killed the wobble dance"

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111. @daphnesmith1812
"All 3 was getting those steps in...."

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112. @maymaystamps3365
"When he hit um with the shoulder lean🎤"

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113. @rootdoctorblackbirdshadera2092
"Old school got the moves"

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114. @cw4545
"Alright My Brother... Can't Nobody Touch That!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️"

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115. @MichaelLee-kf2ye
"Little guy is Murdering them!!! Thoroughly!! ...the other 2 dudes wanna suddenly act like they doing something.lol"

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116. @brendajenkins4742
"Smooth as wine... He killed that WOBBLE 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯💯"

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117. @rubytuesday5567
"My dude always fell back in step everytime! the 🤣"

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118. @drinkmorewater2798
"They flagrant for those zoot suits 🤣"

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119. @glambglam1717
"Reginald aka Cool not sure if it’s you are not but babe you got swag (The guy in the black suit)"

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120. @sharonchristie3704
"🙏💝💜❤Go on ZOOT SUIT PLAYER!"

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121. @shinecam1
"He has to beca Chicago Stepper!"

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122. @latonyasoloman5700
"Lord that's my UNCLE'S and auntie doing the dam thing miss those days clean fun steppin steppin"

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123. @izatrini439
"I also love their suits, does anyone know if those are Zoot Suits? Great dance move bros!"

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124. @deee.9779
"And he getting his wobble on."

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125. wol3335
"The fellas are going in!!!"

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126. @alifan3285
"The other two brothers could dance but the older gent was killin it...."

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127. @denise5523
"He ate and left no crumbs."

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128. @rondablackwell556
"DAMM,MY BROTHAS CAN MOVE!!!"

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129.  @msjay025
"I tell you, we as black people have so much suave in everything we do. Our moves are the bomb."

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130. @maesams6212
"Go shorty!!!👍👍👍👍

I luvv him😂😂🤣"

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131. @chelwesch68
"Man in the hat doing his own style. 😁"

 **
132. @choclatedrop66
"Never missed a beat though?!!! Awesome and creative"

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133. @keashasmith5607
"The men stole the show!!! They did that!!!"

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134. @ABi-xu5zq
"I like the slim lady, she just smooth and so unbothered by everyone else"

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135. @gjwilkins5888
"Warren, you "Go mack daddy!!!!!!!"

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136. @kellyaustin7487
"Everybody keep saying old dude in the hat was killing it. He's 35 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂"

**
Reply
137. @savoyaepps646
"I thought that he might not be old. It's I think his OG suit hat and persona. Smooth."

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Reply
138. @TimothyYancy
"Uncle Unc!!!!! The Ultimate Uncle."

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139. @sandrawinfrey5176
"Where did they buy those clothes, my guess, Atlanta 🥳"

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140. @diamondzonmywrist
"Ok, somebody tell me was this in Detroit or Chicago??? Cause we’re the only cities in the country that cut up like this 🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️🤦🏽‍♀️😂"

**
Reply
141. @ladybugbrack2834
"Exactly"
-snip-
More than any other city, the largest number of commenters in this video's discussion thread wrote that they believed that Chicago was the location for this video. However, it doesn't appear that the publisher of this video revealed where this video was taken.

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142. @alicenewell1569
"Chi town touch on the Wobble....heyyy

 Love From a Sista😊 From Brooklyn N.Y. C.

**
143. 😊@kymystry8645
"The bengay that must sell in that town .. I miss this ish"

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144. @itsamandaslife.6911
"How can someone be in step and out of step at the same time."

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145. @msylie436
"SOOO LIT!!!🔥🔥🔥"

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146. @baturaotara3064
"Our African DNA STRONG AND LASTING.  THEY SHOWING UP AND SHOWING OUT.  THEY BRO FRIENDS NOTICE THEY DRESSED TO THE NINES...AND ALL CARRYING A HANDKERCHIEF..

THEIR FLAGSTAFF...

WATUSI, WARRIORS, AFRICAN DANCERS.

GETTING IT.

MIGHTY MIGHTY"

**
147. @reneej1028
"Shorty was cutting it up!"

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148. @kimdixon4678
"Can't nobody do it like a brother"

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149. @truth4078
"He really wobbling"

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150. @ladyshorty6989
"HE DID DAT!!!!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😅😅🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌💙💙💙👏👏👏"

**
151. @donielledowling-taylor9648
"That SHORTY STOLE THE DANCE FLOOR SMOOTH AS SILK..."

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152. @veronicapowledge6125
"That  man was jamming  his  ass off!!

I don't  care he was wobbling  like  it  wasno nobody  business!! Lol

Go  on Mr. Smooth!! You got it......!! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐❤💜💜💜❤❤❤❤💜💜"

**
153. @darlenejohnson1721
"Smooth criminals😘😘😘 Miss family gatherings😪 I want my life back please👍"

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154. @jaythemachine3845
"Those outfits though 👌🏽 they look like some 1940s mobsters 🤌🏽 that style needs to come back"

 **
155. @callieduval3000
"They clean too"

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2021

154. @NyNy28
"get it unck!!"

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155. @waynewhite57
"Somebody needs to put more videos of UNC cutting the rug freestyle. He just did it cause he was in the flow. You can tell !!! Name somebody that flow like this and didn’t copy off something they seen on TV…..I’ll wait. This is dancing not that bubblegum stuff that’s in every production now. Choreographers belong in a studio ….not the dance floor. Bring back freestyle…!!!!"

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Reply
156. @NyNy28
"he a whole mood! love it😂"

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2022

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2023

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2024

157.@mikefongquee9645
"Uncle in the hat is the best!!!! ...those tall dudes behind him trying to hard . He natural with it! He in his own lane"

****
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1942 Soundie Of Dorothy Dandridge & Paul White Singing "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" (with lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post is part of an ongoing pancocojams series on the fashion attire known as "zoot suits".

This post provides an excerpt from an online article published by the Exploring The Arts Foundation about the 1941 Jazz song singing the 1941 song "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)". That excerpt includes Kay Kyser's version of that song's lyrics.

This post also showcases a 1942 1942 soundie (short music film) of Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White singing this song. That video includes information about Dorothy Dandridge.

My transcription of the lyrics to the Dorothy Dandridge/Paul White version of this song is also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of this featured song and thanks to Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White for their performing arts legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of this embedded YouTube video.

*Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/two-examples-of-1942-song-zoot-suit-for.html for a 2014 pancocojams post that showcases this song. That post doesn't include any lyrics for this song.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "A ZOOT SUIT (FOR MY SUNDAY GAL)
From http://www.electricka.com/etaf/muses/music/gone_but_not_forgotten/second_world_war_era/zoot_suit/zoot_suit.htm published by Electricka on behalf of the Exploring The Arts Foundation
“Zoot Suit
Are you in the groove? Can you "dig a zoot suit with a reet pleat and a drape shape and a stuff cuff to look sharp enough to see your Sunday gal?" Want to see more of this once-cool but now quaint jive talk?

If your answer is yes, the lyrics from a popular 1941 song called A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien make a great way to get in the groove. The version you are now hearing, one of the most popular of all the versions, is by the Big Band of Kay Kyser and his Orchestra. Vocal credits go to Sully Mason, Jack Martin, Ishkabibble, Dorothy Dunn, and Trudy Erwin.

Other Renditions
A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) was written by Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien. It received a lot of attention; it was one of the most popular tunes of its time. It was played on jukeboxes, in diners, bars, and juke joints everywhere. It seemed to say something valid and important about the music and spirit of the times.

The song was recorded by these artists in 1942:

Kay Kyser & His Orchestra, vocal by Sully Mason, Trudy, Jack Martin, Max Williams
The Andrews Sisters.
Paul Whiteman & And His Orchestra.
Bob Crosby & His Orchestra, vocal: by Nappy Lamare.
Ray Herbeck & His Orchestra, vocal by Hal Munbar & Yvonne Walker.
Harry Roy & His Band.
The song is still popular in some circles. In a recent performance, the song was played by Wendi Williams in the 1999 film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. It was also recorded by Benny Goodman and the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.
The Lyrics Examined [Pancocojams Editor’s note: This is Kay Kaiser’s arrangement]

[...]

First Half
The guy sings to The gal, who appears to be a seamstress, describing the clothes he wants her to make for him. If she makes them well, he can properly sport his favorite lady in the style he desires on Sunday, his day off. Of course, the style he wants is the zoot suit.
The gal assures him that she knows exactly the kind of clothes he wants by describing the outfit she's going to make for him. She's so in, he confirms his order. Then he asks her what she wants to wear.

Second Half
The gal answers by describing the outfit she's going to wear to please her man on Sunday, her day off. The guy realizes that her man wears a zoot suit and that she wars the female counterpart to the zoot suit. She must be in the groove.
The guy is now positive the gal knows the clothes he wants her to make for him and he reaffirms his order.

Lyrics From A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)
First Half
Guy:
I want a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal.

Gal:
You want a reef sleeve with a right stripe
And a rare square, so the gals will stare
When they see you struttin' with your Sunday pal.

Guy: (That's me).

Gal:
You wanta look keen so your dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau"
So keen that she'll scream, "Here comes my walkin' rainbow."

Guy:
So make a zoot suit with a reet pleat
And a drape shape, and a stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal
Now, what you want, baby?

Second Half
Gal:
I want a brown gown with a zop top
And a hip slip, and a laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man

Guy: (In his zoot suit).

Gal:
A scat hat and a zag bag
And a slick kiss, so the other chicks
Will be jealous when I'm with my Sunday fan
I wanta look keen so my dream will say
"Ain't I the lucky fellah"
So keen that he'll scream, "Baby's in Technicolor."

Guy:
So make a reet pleat with a drape shape
And a stuff cuff, to look sharp enough
To see my Sunday, Sunday gal.

More About The Song And Lyrics
Did you know that there are alternate versions of the lyrics? Different bands recorded the song and thought nothing of using their own variations on the lyrics when it pleased them to do so. The song was popular and received a lot of attention. It was played on music boxes in diners, bars, and juke joints everywhere."...
-snip-
Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien, the composers of this once very popular song, were White Americans.

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Dorothy DANDRIDGE "Zoot Suit" (1942) !!!



JUSTASITTINANDAROCK, Published on Feb 25, 2014

RARE OLDIES SOUNDIES WITH MISS DOROTHY DANDRIDGE !!! Dorothy Jean Dandridge (November 9, 1922 -- September 8, 1965) was an American actress and singer. Dandridge was the first black actress to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She performed as a vocalist in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater.
After many bit parts and a few minor roles, Dandridge landed her first notable film role in Tarzan's Peril (starring Lex Barker) in 1951. She won her first starring role in 1953, playing a teacher in Bright Road, a low-budget film with a nearly all-black cast, released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

In 1954 she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress and a BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for Carmen Jones. In 1959 she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for Porgy and Bess. In 1999 she was the subject of the HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, starring Halle Berry as Dandridge. She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Dandridge was married and divorced twice: first to dancer and entertainer Harold Nicholas (the father of her daughter, Harolyn Suzanne), then to Jack Denison. She died at age 42.
-snip-
I haven't found any information about Paul White except for this anonymous comment that was posted to the following blog post http://swingjazzblues.blogspot.com/2008/10/dorothy-dandridge-paul-white-zoot-suit.html

"Anonymous said...
Paul is /was a relative of mine.
I know that he moved to Denmak. His sister Meredith is still around, she was the night club singer in Pete Kellys Blues.

Thank you
Laura
[...]

MARCH 6, 2010 AT 11:37 PM"
-snip-
That comment includes an email address which I've not shared according to the policies of this pancocojams blog.

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LYRICS: A ZOOT SUIT (FOR MY SUNDAY GAL)*
(as sung by Dorothy Dandridge & Paul White)

Guy:
I want ah zoot suit with ah reet pleat
With ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal

I want ah reef sleeve with ah right stripe
And ah vest pressed in the glad plaid
in the latest fad to see my Sunday gal

I wanna look keen so my dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau."
So keen that she'll scream
"Ahh! Here comes my walking rainbow."

So make ah zoot suit with ah reet pleat
And with ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
To look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal

Gal:
I want ah brown gown with ah zop top
And ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man

I want ah scat hat with a trim brim
Ah sag bag with ah riff zip
to look plenty hip to see my Sunday Sam.

Justa wanna look keen so my dream will say
"Ain't I the lucky fellah"
So keen that he'll scream, "Baby, you sure look mellow".

So make ah brown gown with ah zop top
Ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday man

[Instrumental]

Guy:
I gotta zoot suit with ah reet pleat
With ah drape shape, and ah stuff cuff
So I look sharp enough to see my Sunday gal

I gotta brown gown with ah zop top
And ah hip slip, and ah laced waist
In the sharpest taste to see my Sunday Sam

I wanna look keen so my dream will say
"You don't look like the same beau."
So keen that I'll scream
"Here comes my walking rainbow"

I gotta zoot suit with the reet pleat
And the stuff cuff with the glad plaid
In the latest fad to see my Sunday gal [Girl sings "to see my Sunday guy".]
-snip-
This is my transcription of this Soundie. Additions and corrections are very welcome.

A commenter in one of the discussion threads for YouTube videos of this song with Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White transcribed "You don't look like the same beau" as "You don't look like Sambo". I can hear how that commenter arrived at that transcription. However, I'm very sure that "the same beau [with "beau" pronounced "boh" and meaning "boyfriend"] is the correct transcription, partly because the "the same beau" are the lyrics that are found in the Kay Kyser version and partly because the word "Sambo" (a negative caricature of a Black man) doesn't fit the words that were pronounced.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Excerpts From Various Online Articles Describing Zoot Suits (with A 1944 Film Clip Of Jazz Singer Cab Calloway Wearing A Zoot Suit)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post is part of an ongoing series on the fashion attire known as "zoot suits".

This post showcases a 1944 film clip of Jazz band leader/singer Cab Calloway wearing a zoot suit.

This post also provides excerpts from five online articles that describe zoot suits.

The Addendum to this post showcases a 1944 Tom & Jerry cartoon entitled "The Zoot Cat".

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to Cab Calloway and his band for their musical legacy and thanks to the publishers of these two embedded YouTube videos.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/two-examples-of-1942-song-zoot-suit-for.html for a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Two Examples Of The 1942 Song "Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal).

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: Cab Calloway & his Band - Geechy Joe - Stormy Weather (1943)



Bessjazz, Published on Apr 21, 2010

http://www.bojazz.com/ http://bjazz.unblog.fr/
Cab Calloway & his Band - Geechy Joe (Cab Calloway, Jack Palmer & Andy Gibson), with Lena Horne, dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, drummer Zutty Singleton, bassist Slam Stewart, Trumpeter Benny Carter...
in "Stormy Weather" (1943) by Andrew L. Stone, for Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Song: Geechie Joe (from the film Stormy Weather)
Artist: Cab Calloway
Album: The Hi-De-Ho Man
-snip-
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gullah
“The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of the U.S. states of Georgia and South Carolina, in both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands. They developed a creole language, the Gullah language, and a culture rich in African influences that makes them distinctive among African Americans.

Historically, the Gullah region extended from the Cape Fear area on North Carolina's coast south to the vicinity of Jacksonville on Florida's coast. Today, the Gullah area is confined to the Georgia and South Carolina Lowcountry. The Gullah people and their language are also called Geechee, which may be derived from the name of the Ogeechee River near Savannah, Georgia."...

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EXCERPTS DESCRIBING ZOOT SUITS
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

EXCERPT #1
"A zoot suit (occasionally spelled zuit suit[1]) is a men's suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing became especially popular among the Latino, African American, Italian American, and Filipino American communities during the 1940s.[2][3]

Some observers claim that the "Edwardian-look" suits with velvet lapels worn by Teddy Boys in Britain are said to be a derivative of the zoot suit.[4]

Zoot suits were first associated with African Americans in urban communities such as Harlem, Chicago, and Detroit, but were made popular by jazz musicians in the 1940s. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "zoot" probably comes from a reduplication of suit. The creation and naming of the zoot suit have been variously attributed to Harold C. Fox, a Chicago clothier and big-band trumpeter;[5] Charles Klein and Vito Bagnato of New York City;[6] Louis Lettes, a Memphis tailor;[7] and Nathan (Toddy) Elkus, a Detroit retailer.[8][9]

"A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" was a 1942 song written by L. Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien.[10]

Cab Calloway frequently wore zoot suits on stage and in the 1943 film Stormy Weather, including some with exaggerated details, such as extremely wide shoulders or overly draped jackets.

In 1943 during World War II there were a series of anti-Mexican youth riots in Los Angeles known as the Zoot Suit Riots. Norris J. Nelson, Los Angeles City Council member, proposed outlawing zoot suits after the Riots.The suits worn by many of the youth were seen by some as unpatriotic because of the amount of fabric they used, and in time, zoot suits were prohibited for the duration of the war,[11] ostensibly because of their wastefulness of cloth.[12]

Pachuco was a style of Mexican-American dress and culture, is which was associated with the zoot suit."...

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EXCERPT #2
From http://cdispatch.com/robhardy/article.asp?aid=15572 "Drape Shape and Reet Pleats" by Rob Hardy, February 9, 2012
....“There is much that is not known about the zoot suit, such as the true story of its origins. Different tailors or performers have been credited with being the inventor of the zoot suit, but it cannot be attributed to any one source. It did have antecedents. Voluminous pants were called "Oxford Bags" and had been a British University fad in the 1920s. The "English drape" style of jacket became popular in the 1930s, with wide shoulders and roomy armholes. Clark Gable's long frock coat with loosely draped trousers in Gone with the Wind may have played a role; Cab Calloway himself punned that sharp dressers "were so impressed with Gable's long coat that they just 'followed suit.'" One story of the outfit's origins is that a Beale Street tailor in Memphis lengthened the coat so as to hide the shine in the seat of the pants. Custom tailors were always ready to make suits with measurements to order, and when the style was eventually settled upon, ready-to-wear versions were available at department stores.

The design of the suit had many modifications, and came in all colors, but it consisted basically of "the long killer-diller coat with a drape shape and wide shoulders; pants with reet-pleats, billowing out at the knees, tightly tapered and pegged at the ankles; a porkpie or wide-brimmed hat; pointed or thick-soled shoes; and a long, dangling keychain." It took the idea of a suit and stretched it almost to caricature. In one way it was a practical garment. A regular suit during the forties would have been too confining for the gymnastic movies of swing and jitterbug. The zoot suit's roomy pants accentuated leg movement, and pegging them at the ankles meant that they didn't get tangled with the clothes of other dancers."...

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EXCERPT #3
From https://people.howstuffworks.com/zoot-suit1.htm "How Zoot Suits Work"
BY CHRIS WARREN
"History of Zoot Suits

[...]

Although a number of tailors around the country claimed to be the first designers of the suit, no credible evidence points to a single individual being responsible for the look. According to Kathy Peiss, a professor of American history at the University of Pennsylvania and author of "Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style," zoot suits were an exaggerated version of what was known as a drape suit -- zoot suits were called "extreme drapes," in fact, and were advertised as such in African-American newspapers at the time.

Made initially out of wool -- and later rayon, as rationing for World War II kicked in -- zoot suits had a number of defining characteristics. Suit pants were worn high on the waist and very tight; below the waist, the pants billowed like parachutes around the thighs and knees before being tied tight at the ankles. Zoot suit jackets also had exaggerated contours, with wide shoulders and sleeves that reached the wearer's fingertips [source: Unger]. Many zoot suiters also donned hats adorned with feathers, wore pointy shoes and sported key chains that dropped all the way to the knees to complete the look."...

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EXCERPT #4
From https://www.thoughtco.com/zoot-suit-history-4147678
"A Cultural History of the Zoot Suit" by Bob Strauss, Updated August 07, 2017
"In the 1944 Tom & Jerry short "The Zoot Cat"—only the thirteenth cartoon ever made starring that famous duo—Tom's would-be girlfriend lays it on him straight: "Boy, are you corny! You act like a square at the fair, a goon from Saskatoon. You come on like a broken arm. You're a sad apple, a long hair, a cornhusker. In other words, you don't send me!" The sad cat goes out and buys himself some new duds from Smiling Sam, the Zoot Suit Man, prompting his wide-eyed gal pal to do a one-eighty.

"You're really a sharp character! A mellow little fellow. Now you collar my jive!"

Around the same time on the American scene—but, culturally speaking, light-years away—a young Malcom X, then known as "Detroit Red," also sang the praises of the Zoot Suit, a "killer-diller coat with a drape shape, reet-pleats and shoulders padded like a lunatic's cell." (Apparently, people in the 1940's liked to rhyme more than they do today.) In his widely read autobiography, Malcolm X describes his first Zoot Suit almost in religious terms: "Sky-blue pants thirty inches in the knee and angle narrowed down to twelve inches at the bottom, and a long coat that pinched my waist and flared out below my knees...hat angled, knees drawn close together, feet wide apart, both index fingers jabbed toward the floor." (We won't even mention Cesar Chavez, the famous Mexican-American labor activist who wore Zoot Suits as a teen.)

What was it about Zoot Suits that united such disparate cultural icons as Malcom X, Cesar Chavez, and Tom & Jerry? The origins of the Zoot Suit, characterized by its wide lapels, padded shoulders, and baggy pants tapering down to narrow cuffs--and usually accessorized with a feathered hat and a dangling pocket watch—are shrouded in mystery, but the style seems to have coalesced in Harlem nightclubs in the mid-1930's, and then worked its way out into the wider urban culture."...

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EXCERPT #5 [Added October 8, 208]
From https://penntoday.upenn.edu/2011-04-07/research/zoot-suit-all-american-fashion-changed-history "The zoot suit: an all-American fashion that changed history" published on Penntoday on April 7, 2011
"With jacket arms that reached the fingertips and pants worn tight at the waist, bulging at the knees and choked at the ankles, it was nearly impossible to ignore a man wearing a zoot suit.
Accessorized with a key chain that extended to the knees and a fedora-like hat with a feather attached, the fashion certainly said something about those who sported it. But what statement were those who were donning the look in the late 1930s and early 1940s trying to make?

That’s one of questions Kathy Peiss explores in her new book, “Zoot Suit: The Enigmatic Career of an Extreme Style.” In the book, Peiss, the Roy F. and Jeannette P. Nichols Professor of American History in Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences, examines the fashion phenomenon that became so politically polarizing it played a part in sparking a vicious uprising in California, known as the Zoot Suit Riots.

“I argue that people [wore] it for a whole range of reasons,” she says. “It had many different meanings, including the pleasure of looking sharp and being part of a group of young people in the war years. The zoot suit should not be looked at solely as a costume that conveys political resistance.”

Peiss traces the creation of the zoot suit to Harlem in the mid to late 1930s, when tailors began making them out of wool or colorful varieties of rayon. Although its exact origin is unknown, the term “zoot suit” appears to have come from the rhyming slang, or jive, spoken in the African-American community at the time, Peiss says.

“They were generally worn by young men of African-American descent, initially,” Peiss says. “Mexican-American and white working-class men also would wear them. Typically they would buy them at local clothing shops and have them tailored to this oversized style.”

The suit’s rise in popularity coincided with the emergence of the jitterbug and other forms of swing dance music. The flowing look of the suit was particularly flashy on the dance floor, and young people took note. Their parents, however, were not quite as smitten by the style."...

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ADDENDUM: Tom And Jerry Cartoon The Zoot Cat



Joshua D. Jennings, Published on Jan 7, 2017

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Visitor comments are welcome.

Cab Calloway - "The Hi De Ho Man" (examples, information)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases three examples of Cab Calloway performing his 1934 song "The Hi De Ho Man". Information about Cab Calloway, and information about this song are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Cab Calloway for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CAB CALLOWAY
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway
"Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer.

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s. Calloway's band featured performers including trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie and Adolphus "Doc" Cheatham, saxophonists Ben Webster and Leon "Chu" Berry, New Orleans guitar ace Danny Barker, and bassist Milt Hinton. Calloway continued to perform until his death in 1994 at the age of 86...

The Cotton Club was the premier jazz venue in the country, and Calloway and his orchestra (he had taken over a brilliant, but failing band called "The Missourians" in 1930; later on, the band changed its name to Cab Calloway and His Orchestra)[4] were hired as a replacement for the Duke Ellington Orchestra while they were touring (he joined Duke Ellington and Mills Blue Rhythm Band as another of the jazz groups handled by Irving Mills). Calloway quickly proved so popular that his band became the "co-house" band with Ellington's, and his group began touring nationwide when not playing the Cotton Club. Their popularity was greatly enhanced by the twice-weekly live national radio broadcasts on NBC at the Cotton Club. Calloway also appeared on Walter Winchell's radio program and with Bing Crosby in his show at New York's Paramount Theatre. As a result of these appearances, Calloway, together with Ellington, broke the major broadcast network color barrier.

[INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHRASE "HI DO HO"]
In 1931 he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, along with "St. James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain, respectively. Through rotoscoping, Calloway not only gave his voice to these cartoons, but his dance steps as well. He took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher," he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man".
-snip-
Click http://www.releaselyrics.com/7548/cab-calloway-hi-de-ho-man/ for the lyrics to "The Hi De Ho Man".

Also, click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/cab-calloway-minnie-moocher-information.html for a pancocojams post about the song "Minnie The Moocher".

Both of these songs include lots of "jive talk". Read this pancocojams post about jive talk: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/various-meanings-of-word-jive-cab.html

And click http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/25/are-you-hep-to-the-jive-the-cab-calloway-hepster-dictionary/ for a listing of words and phrases from Cab Calloway's hepster dictionary.

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FEATURED VIDEOS
Example #1: Cab Calloway, "Hi-De-Ho"



morrisoncoursevids, Uploaded on Oct 5, 2008

This short film was released in 1934.

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Example #2: Cab Calloway's Hi De Ho - 1934



Tim Romano, Uploaded on Apr 13, 2010

Great old Paramount short film of Cab Calloway singing many of his hits.

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Example #3: Classic Sesame Street - Cab Calloway sings "Hi De Ho Man"



sawing14s Uploaded on Jul 16, 2007

Sesame Street has had guest stars from nearly all eras of the 20th century. It's extremely hard these days to find an entertainer with the impact and talent of someone like "Cabby" Calloway.

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Cab Calloway - Minnie The Moocher (information, lyrics, and examples)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases two examples of Cab Calloway performing his 1931 song "Minnie The Moocher". Information about Cab Calloway, as well as lyrics and information about this song are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Cab Calloway for his musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

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INFORMATION ABOUT CAB CALLOWAY
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cab_Calloway
"Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was a jazz singer and bandleader. He was strongly associated with the Cotton Club in Harlem, New York City, where he was a regular performer.

Calloway was a master of energetic scat singing and led one of the United States' most popular big bands from the start of the 1930s through to the late 1940s...

In 1931 he recorded his most famous song, "Minnie the Moocher". That song, along with "St. James Infirmary Blues" and "The Old Man of the Mountain", were performed for the Betty Boop animated shorts Minnie the Moocher, Snow White, and The Old Man of the Mountain, respectively. Through rotoscoping, Calloway not only gave his voice to these cartoons, but his dance steps as well. He took advantage of this and timed his concerts in some communities with the release of the films in order to make the most of the attention. As a result of the success of "Minnie the Moocher," he became identified with its chorus, gaining the nickname "The Hi De Ho Man"."
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/02/cab-calloway-hi-de-ho-man-examples.html for a pancocojams post on "The Hi De Ho Man"."

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MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "MINNIE THE MOOCHER"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnie_the_Moocher
"Minnie the Moocher" is a jazz song first recorded in 1931 by Cab Calloway and His Orchestra, selling over 1 million copies.[1] "Minnie the Moocher" is most famous for its nonsensical ad libbed ("scat") lyrics (for example, "Hi De Hi De Hi De Hi"). In performances, Calloway would have the audience participate by repeating each scat phrase in a form of call and response. Eventually Calloway's phrases would become so long and complex that the audience would laugh at their own failed attempts to repeat them.

"Minnie the Moocher" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.

The song is based both musically and lyrically on Frankie "Half-Pint" Jaxon's 1927 "Willie the Weeper"[2][3] (Bette Davis sings this version in The Cabin in the Cotton). The lyrics are heavily laden with drug references. The character "Smokey" is described as "cokey", meaning a user of cocaine; the phrase "kicking the gong around" was a slang reference to smoking opium.[4]"

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LYRICS: MINNIE THE MOOCHER
(Songwriter(s): Cab Calloway, Irving Mills, Clarence Gaskill, Joseph C. Liggins)

Folks, here´s a story about Minnie the Moocher
She was a red hot hoochie-koocher
She was the roughest, toughest frail
but Minnie had a heart as big as a wha-a-le

Hidee-Hidee-Hidee-hi
Hodee-hodee-hodee-ho
Heedey-hee-dee-hee-dee hee
Hidee-hidee-hidee-ho

She messed around with a bloke named Smoky
She loved him though he was cokey
He took her down to Chinatown
He showed her how to kick the gong around

Hidee-Hidee-Hidee-hi
Wooooooh
Heedey-hee-dee-hee-dee hee
Hidee-hidee-hidee-ho

She had a dream that the King of Sweden
He gave her things that she was needin´
He built her a house of gold and steel
A diamond car with platinum wheels

hidee-hidee-hidee-hidee-hidee-hidee-hi
hodee-hodee-hodee-hodee-hodee-hodee-ho
scoodley-woo-scoodley-woo-scoodley-woodley-woodley-
woo
zit-dit-dit-dit-dittle-but-dut-duttleoo-skit-dit-
skittle-but-dit-zoy

he gave her his townhouse and his racing horses
Each meal she ate was a dozen courses
She had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes
she sat around and counted them all a million times

Hidee-Hidee-Hidee-hi
Hodee-hodee-hodee-ho
Heedey-hee-dee-hee-dee hee
Hidee-hidee-hidee-ho

Now Min and Smokie, they started jaggin'
They got a free ride in a wagon
She gave him money to pay her bail
But he left her flat in the county jail

Whoooa, yeaaaah
Hey de he de he he
Whoa Whoa

Poor Min met old Deacon Lowdown
He preached to her that she ought to slow down
But Minnie wiggled her jelly roll
And Deacon Lowdown yelled, "Lord save my soul!"

Hi de hi de hi de hi
Ho de ho de ho de ho
Skiddley doodley doodly do
Skiddly diddly day

They took her where they put the crazies
Now poor Min's kicking up those daisies
You've heard my story this is her song
She was just a good gal, but they done her wrong

Hi de hi de hi de hi
Skooby de be do
He de he de he de he
Whoa, Whoa Whoa

Poor Min, Poor Min, Poor Min.
-snip-
Source: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/calloway-lyrics/minnie-the-moocher-lyrics.html

The word "frail" is "jive talk' for female, from the English word meaning "fragile".

Click http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/25/are-you-hep-to-the-jive-the-cab-calloway-hepster-dictionary/ for a listing of words and phrases from Cab Calloway's hepster dictionary.

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Cab Calloway - Minnie the Moocher



moontreal, Uploaded on Mar 18, 2008

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Example #2: Blues Brothers - Minnie the Moocher (Cab Calloway)



SantoriniAJC·Uploaded on Jan 22, 2012

'Minnie the Moocher' from the [1980] film Blues Brothers. I do NOT own the video.

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RELATED LINK
Cab Calloway songs include lots of "jive talk". Read this pancocojams post about jive talk: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2012/10/various-meanings-of-word-jive-cab.html

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Two Examples Of The 1942 Song "Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)

Edited by Azizi Powell

Revised October 7, 2018

This post showcases examples of the 1942 song "Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" by Paul White and Dorothy Dandridge (soundie)* and Kay Kyser & his Orchestra (sound file) with photographs. The Kay Kyser example is showcased on this blog in large part because of that examples' publisher summary which presents information about that song and zoot suit cultures.

Information about zoot suits and information about this song (and a link to a version of its lyrics) are also included in this post. A bonus video that showcases examples of zoot suits is also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers, vocalists, and musicians featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

*"Soundies were three-minute musical films, produced in New York City, Chicago, and Hollywood, between 1940 and 1946, often including short dance sequences, similar to later music videos. The completed Soundies were generally released within a few months of their filming; the last group was released in March 1947. The films were displayed on the Panoram, a coin-operated film jukebox or machine music, in nightclubs, bars, restaurants, factory lounges, and amusement centers." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soundies

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INFORMATION ABOUT ZOOT SUITS
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_suit
"A zoot suit (occasionally spelled zuit suit) is a men's suit with high-waisted, wide-legged, tight-cuffed, pegged trousers, and a long coat with wide lapels and wide padded shoulders. This style of clothing became popular within the African American, Chicano and Italian American communities during the 1940s.[1][2] In Britain the bright-coloured suits with velvet lapels worn by Teddy Boys bore a slight resemblance to zoot suits in the length of the jacket.

The zoot suit was originally associated with black musicians and their sub-culture. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word zoot probably comes from a reduplication* of suit."
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*Reduplication in linguistics is a ... process in which the root or stem of a word (or part of it) or even the whole word is repeated exactly or with a slight change" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reduplication

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "ZOOT SUIT (FOR MY SUNDAY GAL)"
From http://electricka.com/etaf/muses/music/gone_but_not_forgotten/second_world_war_era/zoot_suit/zoot_suit.htm
..." "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" was written by Wolfe Gilbert and Bob O'Brien. It received a lot of attention; it was one of the most popular tunes of its time. It was played on jukeboxes, in diners, bars, and juke joints everywhere. It seemed to say something valid and important about the music and spirit of the times...

A zoot suit (For My Sunday Gal) was an integral part of the Big Band era when it was cool to be cool in America, but only in certain circles. The vast majority of "circles" varied from conservative to ultra conservative. Most of America was square.

There were far more "not cool" people than cool people. Their differences rubbed some of them the wrong way, causing friction that gradually heated up until it boiled over into the streets of wartime Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and other cities. A succession of riots lead to some deaths and many arrests, rapidly bringing to a close this brief but colorful period in American history.

A zoot suit was not just a song, it was a style of dress and a symbol of a lifestyle that a group of people in search of their own identity used to distinguish themselves from others whom they believed to be "not cool."...

The mentality behind "A zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)" was an integral part of the zoot suit scene, which in turn was part of the Big Band era. Also part of the zoot suit scene was a now-famous series of riots that broke out in Los Angeles in 1943 between whites and Chicano zoot suiters. These riots became known as the Zoot Suit Riots."...
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The lyrics to the Kay Kyser version of this song can be found on that page.

Click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoot_Suit_Riots for information about the "Zoot Suit Riots". Here's an excerpt from that page:
"The Zoot Suit Riots were a series of riots in 1943 during World War II that broke out in Los Angeles, California, between Anglo American sailors and Marines stationed in the city and Latino youths, who were recognizable by the zoot suits they favored. Mexican Americans and military servicemen were the main parties in the riots, and some African American and Filipino/Filipino American youths were involved as well".

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FEATURED EXAMPLES
Example #1: Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White - Zoot Suit soundie



horrormovieshows, Uploaded on Oct 19, 2008

Dorothy Dandridge and Paul White strut their stuff in A ZOOT SUIT, an engaging Soundie from 1942.
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The sign at the beginning of this soundie reads
"Groove Clothiers
Our stitches are hep to the jive
for males and frails"
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This sign, written in "jive talk" of the 1940s, announces that the tailors are "hep to the jive", meaning they are up to date with the latest Jazz talk, and by extension, the latest Black urban fashions for men and women.

"Frails" was a jive talk referent for "women".

Click http://www.artofmanliness.com/2008/09/25/are-you-hep-to-the-jive-the-cab-calloway-hepster-dictionary/ for a listing of words and phrases from Cab Calloway's hepster dictionary.

Also, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_jive_talk for more information about 1940s Jive talk, a form of African American Vernacular English.

[Sentence revised October 7, 2018] Note that nowadays, particularly among African Americans, the word "jive" can also mean "something or someone that is worthless, or lame [not "hip”, not up to date with the latest fashions] OR something that is poorly made, cheap, or inauthentic

"Jive" is often given as "jive ass"

Example: He gave me a jive Mickey Mouse watch for my birthday. What a cheapskate!
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"Mickey Mouse" further reinforces the definition of "cheap", no good, since watches and other products sold by Disney franchises including clothing with depictions of Mickey Mouse characters were considered to be poorly made, and un-hip. (as per some African Americans from at least 1980s to date)

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Example #2: A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) ~ Kay Kyser & his Orchestra 1942



MrRJDB1969, Uploaded on Jan 12, 2010

"A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal) ~ Sully Mason w/ vocal group ~ Kay Kyser & his Orchestra ~January 16, 1942 ~ Columbia Records. The vocal group consisted of Trudy Erwin, Dorothy Crawford, Jack Martin, & Max Williams. Composed by L. Wolfe Gilbert & Bob O'Brien.

The history of what is known as a "Zoot Suit" finds some it's origins in France, then leads it's way into the "French Quarter" (due to it's once large French population) in New Orleans, Louisiana. Also, there is a link between the suits worn by The Southern Gentlemen of the deep South, such as South Carolina, Mississppi, etc. etc., during the 1800's and the Zoot Suit, similar minus some of the bag. During the late 1930's until just after the very beginning of WWII, the "Zoot Suit" found some minor popularity, but as a whole, it never really caught on and as rationing increased and with the Zoot Suits need of so much extra fabric , the Zoot Suit was slowly phased out .

As was common practice in the 1920's - 1930's - 1940's - 1950's, A ZOOT SUIT (For My Sunday Gal) had multiple versions recorded of it by a variety of top recording stars of the day, including : The Andrews Sisters, Bob Crosby's Orchestra, Art Kassell's Orchestra, Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, Benny Goodman's Orchestra, Ray Herbeck's Orchestra, & Harry Roy's Orchestra.

Though criticized by 1970's & 1980's music critics and being dubbed "Covering" or "Stealing" by these same people, who obviously had no knowledge of the history of the music business, multiple versions of the top songs of the day was common practice. It continued on into the 1950's. There was NO "stealing" or nothing racially motivated about the practice. Simple competition between record companies and the performers who recorded for them.
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This summary also stated that L. Wolfe Gilbert & Bob O'Brien, the composers of "A Zoot Suit (For My Sunday Gal)", were both white, as were most of those who recorded the song in 1942.
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[Added October 7, 2018] This summary is one opinion of the origin of zoot suits. Most researchers indicate that zoot suits originated among African Americans in the east coast of the United States. There's a famous photograph of Cab Calloway wearing a zoot suit in 2929.

TricksterDa, a commenter on this sound file's viewer comment thread, wrote "That's Cab Calloway in his gold colored zoot suit, which he had become famous for wearing. It had a matching wide brimmed hat, as well."
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The now famous photograph of African American Jazz singer, composer, and band leader Cab Calloway wearing a zoot suit first appears at .027 of that photographic collage.

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BONUS VIDEO: 1940's Zoot Suit Fashion



Patricia Fleming·6 videos
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I believe the music for this video is Cherry Poppin' Daddies - "Zoot Suit Riot"

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