Cow-Cow Boogie

1942 song

"Cow-Cow Boogie"

Song
Language| English
Published| 1942
Composer(s)| Don Raye
Lyricist(s)| Benny Carter
Gene De Paul

"Cow Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)" is a "country-boogie"-style blues song, with music was written by Don Raye, and lyrics were written by Benny Carter and Gene De Paul.[1] The song was written for the 1942 Abbott & Costello film Ride 'Em Cowboy, which included Ella Fitzgerald as a cast member, but was cut from the movie.

## Background

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The song utilizes the folklore of the singing cowboy in the American West. In the lyrics, the cowboy is from the city and tells his "dogies" (motherless calves)[2] to "get hip."

## First recording

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The first recording was by Freddie Slack & his Orchestra, featuring vocalist Ella Mae Morse in 1942. The record was the second release by Capitol Records and their first million-seller/ number one on the charts record. Morse learned the song from hearing Fitzgerald on a soundtrack she had acquired, even though the song had been cut from the movie. Morse also recalled recording the song in a single take, which she had thought was only a rehearsal.[3]

## Other recordings

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* The November 3, 1943 collaboration between The Ink Spots and Ella Fitzgerald[4] resulted in a number-one hit on the Harlem Hit Parade and a number-10 hit on the pop chart.[5]
* Frankie Laine (1961) (included in the Bear Family Records 9-CD set Rawhide)[6]
* The Mills Brothers \- for the album San Antonio Rose (1961).[7]
* Ray Stevens covered the song for his album Misty (Ray Stevens album) (1975).
* Mel Torme \- included on the album Mel Tormé, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass (1986).[8]
* Mother-daughter duo The Judds recorded the song for their 1987 album Heartland.[9]

## Popular culture

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* The Ella Mae Morse version was later re-recorded as a "soundie," an early form of music video.

## References

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1. ^ "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
2. ^ "Dictionary definition of "Dogies"". Merriam Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 11, 2012.
3. ^ Gilliland, John (1994). Pop Chronicles the 40s: The Lively Story of Pop Music in the 40s (audiobook). ISBN 978-1-55935-147-8. OCLC 31611854. Tape 1, side A.
4. ^ "The Online Discographical Project". 78discography.com. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 204.
6. ^ "Bear Family Records". bear-family.com. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
7. ^ "Discogs.com". Discogs.com. 1961. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
8. ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
9. ^ "allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved January 7, 2019.

## External links

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* Ella Mae Morse and Freddie Slack video on YouTube
* Dorothy Dandridge "soundie" on YouTube

* v
* t
* e

Benny Carter

Years given are for the recording(s), not first release.

As leader
or co-leader|

* Alone Together (1952)
* Cosmopolite (1952–54)
* Benny Carter Plays Pretty (1954)
* New Jazz Sounds (and Dizzy Gillespie, Bill Harris, 1954)
* Urbane Jazz (and Roy Eldridge, 1955)
* Jazz Giant (1957–58)
* Swingin' the '20s (and Earl Hines, 1958)
* Further Definitions/Additions to Further Definitions (1961/1966)
* Carter, Gillespie Inc. (and Dizzy Gillespie, 1976)
* Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson (1986)
* Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter (1986)

Songs|

* "Cow-Cow Boogie" (1942)

* v
* t
* e

Ella Mae Morse

Singles|

* "Cow-Cow Boogie"
* "Mr. Five by Five"
* "Shoo Shoo Baby"
* "Buzz Me"
* "The House of Blue Lights"
* "The Blacksmith Blues"
* "Oakie Boogie"

Related articles|

* Freddie Slack

* v
* t
* e

The Ink Spots

* Bill Kenny
* Charlie Fuqua
* Deek Watson
* Hoppy Jones

* Jerry Daniels
* Bernie Mackey
* Cliff Givens
* Billy Bowen
* Huey Long
* Herb Kenny

Singles|

* "If I Didn't Care"
* "My Prayer"
* "Memories of You"
* "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You"
* "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano"
* "Whispering Grass (Don't Tell the Trees)"
* "Maybe"
* "We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me)"
* "Java Jive"
* "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"
* "I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire"
* "Don't Get Around Much Anymore"
* "I Can't Stand Losing You"
* "Cow Cow Boogie (Cuma-Ti-Yi-Yi-Ay)"
* "A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening"
* "I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You)"
* "I'm Making Believe"
* "Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall"
* "I'm Beginning to See the Light"
* "The Gypsy"
* "Prisoner of Love"
* "To Each His Own"
* "The Best Things in Life Are Free"
* "You're Breaking My Heart"
* "Echoes"
* "If"
* "It Is No Secret" (Bill Kenny solo)
* "Trying"
* "Address Unknown"

Albums|

If I Didn't Care (1979)

Related topics|

* The Great American Broadcast
* Pardon My Sarong
* The Brown Dots
* The Four Tunes
* The Bill Kenny Show

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz work

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