Monday, April 28, 2014

Monday Morning Music Break ~ A Little Wang Dang Doodle with My Koko Koffee Break!


There's just something about the blues!
It's raw.
It's real.

But the blues is not always blue.
Sometimes it's downright fun and funny.

Some mornings I just have to get up and play
Koko Taylor's recording of Wang Dang Doodle.
It gets me hopping and happy.




Source:  You Tube ~ ThomShelford 




And what is a Wang Dang Doodle?

About.com/Blues defines it as
"An African-American slang term for a party."

But I think Urban Dictionary 
captures the essence of the term best:

"To a pitch a wang dang doodle 
is to have a good old fashioned Saturday night 
filled with drunken revelry, 
which may include but is not limited 
to fighting, dancing, singing and the like."

Sounds like some Saturday nights I enjoyed
in Westport, White Bay, Newfoundland!  




Source:  Amazon ~ Koko Taylor




Koko Taylor was known as the Queen of the Blues.

Daughter of a Tennessee sharecropper,
Koko arrived in Chicago 
with her truck-driving husband in 1952.
A few years later Koko began singing in Chicago blues clubs.

Willie Dixon discovered her in 1962. 
This led to her signing with Chess Records in 1965,
where she recorded Dixon's song Wang Dang Doodle.
It became a hit on the R&B and pop charts.
Her career was off and running!
Source:  Wikipedia





I discovered Koko Taylor
while watching Blues Brothers 2000.

Koko performed 
with B. B. King,
Eric Clapton, 
Clarence Clemons,
and other blues greats
in the supergroup
Louisiana Gator Boys
(created for the movie).
Source:  wikipedia




Blues Brothers 2000 
has a ridiculous plot,
but I found it 
irresistibly funny,
and the music was awesome!

And it introduced me
to Koko Taylor!
Source:  Wikipedia  








The lyrics in Wang Dang Doodle 
are colorful and authentic.
I would have shared them 
in a writing lesson with my third graders
had they been age-appropriate.
Here's a brief sample:

"Tell automatic Slim
Tell razor totin' Jim
Tell butcher knife toting Nanny 
Tell fast talking Fanny 
We're gonna pitch a ball 
Down to the union hall 
We're gonna romp and trump till midnight 
We're gonna fuss and fight till daylight 
We're gonna get your wang dang doodle all night long"
~ Willie Dixon


If you have time
(I'm making time!)
for a second cup of Koko Koffee,
here's a short clip 
from the Blues Brother 2000 movie.

It features the Louisiana Gator Boys 
and the Blues Brothers
performing New Orleans
in an infectious Battle of the Bands.

Koko is on the left in a red and white dress.
The music begins at 2:21 minutes.  



Source:  You Tube ~ sotirisgorgogetas


I double dare you 
to sit through the blues jam
without moving a muscle!

I'm going for a third cup this Monday morning!

24 comments:

  1. Bummer! The clip isn't there for me. Maybe it's my iPad - I'll look again on my computer. I was all ready for a Wang Dang Doodle!

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    1. So sorry, Terry! I hope you find it! Happy Monday to you!

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  2. Thanks so much for sharing this, am looking now!

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    1. I hope you enjoyed it, Linda! Have a good one!

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  3. I didn't know about Koko! thanks for this.. ahh the music is great, sweet blues jam!
    You know.. I've never sat through this entire film, I really must watch it right through, I remember it being quite funny

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    1. I'm so glad I got to introduce you to someone new! Yay! I've never been able to sit through the movie ~ I have to get up and dance! have a great evening!

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  4. First time I've heard that one I think. Wang dang doodle doesn't sound like a party, more like something that came out of the back end of a poodle lol

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    1. Yes!!!!! You're usually way ahead of me! I hope you are having a happy day at your bay!

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  5. Yes, Koko Taylor may be the Queen of the Blues but Bessie Smith was and always will be The Empress of the Blues. I bow before you, Empress!

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    1. Bessie Smith is definitely the Empress! Have a good one!

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  6. "Wang Dang Doodle" First time I've ever heard that. I've never heard of Koko, but what a voice on that woman!

    I still haven't seen the movies 'The Blues Brothers' or 'Blues Brothers 2000'!

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    1. Koko has a set of pipes, no doubt about it, Martha! Once you've heard it, it's hard to forget the phrase "Wang Dang Doodle." I hope you get a chance to see the Blues Brothers some day. Some awesome blues artists perform in the movies. Take care

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  7. I love how I learn so much from you. You are certainly expanding little Dreaming's musical knowledge!!

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  8. Thanks, Dreaming! I am an omnivore when it comes to music!
    I was in Parker today and drove east on Main Street from Rowley Downs to see if I could spot the white muley in the vicinity of the LDS church. Was I shocked! I had no idea there had been so much development. I had no clue where I was other than a vague sense of direction. Ended up by Legend High School which I had never hear of and found my way back to Parker Road via Hilltop. It's mind boggling ~ all those big houses! No muley, but he had a lot of greenbelts and parks to roam on.
    Have a great evening!

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  9. Koko is amazing - she rocks, but my wang dang doodle hurts. Howlin' Wolf version is cool too. :) Best!

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    1. Hi Mark! Sorry your wang dang doodle hurts! I like Howlin' Wolf's too. Take care!

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  10. I love this post!
    I loved the Blues Brothers AND the second one that they did, Blues Brothers 2000 also. Loved all the real musicians and singers that they used. Our son loved them both too, so many influences went into his musical tastes, and it shows in his great music too! xx

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    1. I'm so glad that you enjoyed my post, Kay! The musicians and singers made the movies! There is so much wonderful music to enjoy in this world. I'm not surprised to hear that Christopher has a broad range of musical tastes ~ I'll bet you had a lot to do with that! Take care!

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  11. I listened, but haven't come across that artist before nor the Wang Dang Doodle song. You learn something new every day.

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    1. Isn't that a fun thing about life? You get the chance to learn every day! Thanks for following my blog! Have a good one, J.L.!

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  12. Wang dang doodle. They should name couple that with a noodle. Ok now I am taking Pat's cue and commenting in rhyme. I promise not to do this all the time.

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    1. Too funny, Keith! Wang dang doodle is hard to resist. And Pat rubs off on all of us! I hope you enjoyed Hump Day!

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Thank you for your comments! I appreciate them very much.