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Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
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Wikipedia article
"'Choo Choo Ch'Boogie'" is a popular song written by Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, and Milt Gabler.
The song was recorded in January 1946 by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five and released by Decca Records. It topped the R&B charts for 18 weeks from August 1946, a record equalled by only one other hit, "The Honeydripper." The record was one of Jordan's biggest hits with both black and white audiences, peaking at number seven on the national chart and provided an important link between blues and country music, foreshadowing the development of "rock and roll" a few years later.
History and background
Although "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" is now seen as epitomising the style known as jump blues, it was written by white songwriters whose background was in country and western music. The song is credited to Darling, Horton and Gabler. Denver Darling (19091981) was a "hillbilly" guitarist and songwriter,[https://books.google.com/books?id=UWmyUQVUqhQC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=%22Denver+Darling%22&source=web&ots=9DAm3wx_ru&sig=g_9nUpe3fV1dAmER4bSxg6lvnW8&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=9&ct=result#PPA96,M1 Richard Carlin, 'Country Music: A Biographical Dictionary', p. 96][http://www.hillbilly-music.com/artists/story/index.php?id=10050 Denver Darling profile at Hillbilly-music.com] as was his occasional songwriting partner Vaughn Horton (19111988). Horton's first writing success was with "Mockin' Bird Hill," and as well as working with Darling on such songs as "Address Unknown," a 1939 hit for The Ink Spots, also worked with Gene Autry. His other writing successes included "Dixie Cannonball" and "Muleskinner's Blues."[http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/site/inductees.aspx?cid=129# Vaughn and Roy Horton at Country Music Hall of Fame] [https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/5725 Vaughn Horton at Find-a-grave.com] The third credited songwriter was Milt Gabler (19112001), then the vice-president of Decca Records and Louis Jordan's record producer. A few years later, still at Decca, Gabler was also responsible for producing Bill Haley's epoch-defining "Rock Around The Clock" (and Haley, in turn, recorded a version of "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" for his album, 'Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show').
The song summed up the feelings of excitement followed by disillusionment felt by many who were returning from serving in the Second World War:
Other performances
*The country swing group Asleep at the Wheel recorded the song in 1974.
*In the 1980s, Linda Ronstadt performed it in concert with Nelson Riddle's orchestra.
References
Category:1946 songs
Category:Blues songs
Category:Louis Jordan songs
Category:Asleep at the Wheel songs
Category:Songs with lyrics by Milt Gabler
Category:Songs about trains
Category:Songs written by George Vaughn Horton
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