EE-BA-BA-LEE-BA

Created on 28/05/2001
Latest update on 13/12/2023

Artist: Tina Dixon
Author: Tina Dixon
Label: Hallmark
Year: 1945

For the Jubilee Radio Show with Jimmie Lunceford's orchestra. Saved up for Jimmie Lunceford's The Minor Riff cd (2010). Pre Aladdin and pre Mercury jump blues. Oldest influence of bebop on rhythm & blues. Inspired by scat lyrics. Precursor of shouts like Be Bop A Lula (Gene Vincent) and A Wop Bop A Loo Bop A Lop Bam Boom (Little Richard).

Covers:

1945:

Helen Humes with Bill Doggett Octet [n°3 R&B as Be-Baba-Leba]

1945:

Lionel Hampton [n°1 R&B as Hey! Ba-Ba-Re-Bop; the first to invite his audience to participate shouting]

1946:

Glenn Miller Orch. [under Tex Beneke, as Ba Ba Re Bop, first post-war white rip-off]

1946:

Big Jim Wynn [as Ee-Bobaliba; real author - see footnote]

1946:

Wynonie Harris [with Hampton's band]

1946:

Bull Moose Jackson [as Oo-Oo-Ee-Bob-A-Lee-Bob]

1947:

Ramblers [as Hey-ba-ba-re-bop; vocal: Ferry Barendse; credits: Curley Hamner/Lionel Hampton]

1957:

Jacques Hélian

1958:

Thurston Harris [as Be Baba Leba]

1958:

Lillian Briggs

1964:

Blue Diamonds [as Be-Baba-Leba]

1964:

Freddy Sunder [idem]

1965:

Tony Sheridan

1968:

Frankie Yankovic [as Hey Baba Reba (Cafe Polka)]

1970:

Capt. Beefheart & The Magic Band [on Lick My Decals Off, Baby]

1978:

Father Abraham & The Smurfs

1981:

Peter Koelewijn [as Klap Maar In Je Handen using GLORIA's riff]

1987:

Brave Combo

2000:

Tee [intro Oh Well]

Texan saxophone player and bandleader Big Jim Wynn, one of the first 'honkers', had a band in the early forties named The Bobalibans who sang a similar theme full of nonsense scat. Due to shellac shortage he couldn't record his potential novelty hit. And so he was forced to cover his own thing in the slipstream of the hit versions.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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