CHOO CHOO CH’BOOGIE
“Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” is a popular song first recorded in January 1946 by Louis Jordan
& His Tympany Five. It topped the R&B charts for 18 weeks from August 1946, a record
only equaled by one other hit, “The Honeydripper“.
Although “Choo Choo Ch’Boogie” is now seen as epitomizing 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 was a hillbilly
guitarist and songwriter, as was his occasional songwriting partner Vaughn Horton.
Horton’s first writing success was with “Mockingbird 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. The third credited songwriter was Milt Gabler, 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,
in lyrics such as :
You reach your destination, but alas and alack! /You need some compensation to get
back in the black
You take your morning paper from the top of the stack / And read the situation from the
front to the back
The only job that’s open needs a man with a knack / So put it right back in the rack, Jack!
The record was one of Jordan’s biggest ever hits with both black and white audiences,
reaching # 7 on the pop charts. It provided an important link between blues and country
music, foreshadowing the development of “rock and roll” a few years later.
Headin’ for the station with a pack on my back
I’m tired of transportation in the back of my hack
I love to hear the rhythm of the clickety clack
And hear the lonesome whistle, see the smoke from the stack to pal around
With democratic fellow named Mac
So take me right back to the track, Jack
Choo-choo, choo-choo, ch’boogie, woo-woo
Woo-woo, ch’boogie, choo-choo, choo-choo, ch’boogie
Take me right back to the track, Jack
You reach your destination but you don’t go back
You need some compensation to get back in the black
You take a morning paper from the top of the stack
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Asleep At the Wheel………https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZM3_noPyiU