"Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar" is a song written in 1940 by Don Raye,

Hughie Prince Hugh Durham Prince, also known as Hughie Prince, (9 August 1906 – 15 January 1960) was an American film composer and songwriter. He composed "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" with lyricist Don Raye for the movie comedy, ''Buck Privates'', which was no ...

, and

Ray McKinley Ray McKinley (June 18, 1910 – May 7, 1995) was an American jazz drummer, singer, and bandleader. He played drums and later led the Major Glenn Miller Army Air Forces Orchestra in Europe. He also led the new Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1956. ...

. It follows the American

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...

tradition of syncopated piano music.

Background

The title adopts 1940s' hipster slang coined by Raye's friend, Ray McKinley, a drummer and lead singer in the

Jimmy Dorsey James Francis Dorsey (February 29, 1904 – June 12, 1957) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and big band leader. He recorded and composed the jazz and pop standards " I'm Glad There Is You (In This World of Ordinary Peop ...

band in the 1930s. McKinley kicked off certain uptempo songs by asking pianist Freddie Slack (nicknamed "Daddy") to give him a boogie beat, or "eight to the bar". McKinley, in a discussion with the jazz writer George Simon relates, "We were playing one of them (a boogie, blues) one night at the Famous Door and two songwriters, Don Raye and

, were there. There was one part where I had a drum break, and for some reason or other that night, instead of playing the break, I sang out, "Oh, Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar." After the set, Hughie called me over to the table and asked if they could write a song using that break. I told him to go ahead and they offered to cut me in on the tune. That was fine with me."Simon, George T., The Big Bands, 4th Edition, Introduction by Frank Sinatra,Schirmer Books, New York, 1981 p. 95 For that reason Raye gave a partial songwriting credit to McKinley. The song was formally published under McKinley's wife's name, Eleanore Sheehy, because McKinley was under a songwriting contract with another publisher. The nickname "Daddy Slack" was also used in the 1941 recording by "Pig Foot Pete" with Don Raye singing in Slack's band. It is commonly accepted by jazz historians that this song is in reference and tribute to

Peck Kelley John Dickson "Peck" Kelley (October 22, 1898 – December 26, 1980) was an American jazz pianist. He was best known for his 1920s band Peck's Bad Boys, which included Jack Teagarden, and Pee Wee Russell. Early life John Dickson "Peck" Kelley w ...

, a 1920s jazz pianist. However McKinley, talking to George Simon says, "A lot of people seem to think I was referring to

, and some years later Peck even thanked me for it. But, you know, I didn't have anybody - Peck or anybody else - in mind, just an imaginary piano player in an imaginary town." The song was first recorded in 1940 by the

Will Bradley Wilbur Schwichtenberg (July 12, 1912 – July 15, 1989), known professionally as Will Bradley, was an American trombonist and bandleader during the 1930s and 1940s. He performed swing, dance music, and boogie-woogie songs, many of them written b ...

orchestra, featuring drummer McKinley on vocals and

Freddie Slack Frederick Charles Slack (August 7, 1910 – August 10, 1965) was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader. Life and career Slack was born in Westby, Wisconsin, United States. He learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took up ...

on piano.

Charts

The single placed in '' Billboard''s "Leading Music Box Records of 1941" at number ten.

Recordings

and His Orchestra in 1940 on Columbia Records, set C-123. * Andrews Sisters, first in 1940; their 1941 hit, "

Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" is a World War II jump blues song written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince which was introduced by The Andrews Sisters in the Abbott and Costello comedy film, '' Buck Privates'' (1941). The Andrews Sisters' Decca recording r ...

", which praises a fictional trumpet player, resembles this hit. Both songs were written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince. * Glenn Miller and His Orchestra in 1940 on RCA Victor Bluebird. *

Woody Herman Woodrow Charles Herman (May 16, 1913 – October 29, 1987) was an American jazz clarinetist, saxophonist, singer, and big band leader. Leading groups called "The Herd", Herman came to prominence in the late 1930s and was active until his dea ...

in 1940 on Decca. *

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, in ...

recorded this song with arrangements by Russell Garcia on her

Verve Verve may refer to: Music * The Verve, an English rock band * ''The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve * ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album) * Verve Records, an American jazz record label Businesses * Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee ho ...

release '' Get Happy!'' (1959). *

Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen were an American rock band founded in 1967. The group's leader and co-founder was pianist and vocalist George Frayne IV, alias Commander Cody (born July 19, 1944 in Boise, Idaho, died September 26, 2021 ...

on their album ''

Lost in the Ozone ''Lost in the Ozone'' is an album by American rock band Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen. Their first album, it was released in 1971. it contains their hit cover version of "Hot Rod Lincoln" as well as the band's live staples "Lost in t ...

'' (1971). (#82 Canada) *

Big Joe Duskin Joseph L. "Big Joe" Duskin (February 10, 1921 – May 6, 2007) was an American blues and boogie-woogie pianist. He is best known for his debut album, ''Cincinnati Stomp'' (1978), and the tracks "Well, Well Baby" and "I Met a Girl Named Martha". ...

on the 1979 album ''Cincinnati Stomp''. * Asleep at the Wheel released it on their 1990 album ''Keepin' Me Up Nights''. *

Deanna Bogart Deanna Bogart (born September 5, 1959, Detroit, Michigan, United States), is an American blues/fusion singer, pianist, and saxophone player/composer/arranger/producer. Background She began her career in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. area of ...

on her debut 1991 album ''Out to Get You''.

References

{{authority control Songs of World War II 1940 songs Blues songs Pop standards Songs written by Don Raye Boogie-woogie songs Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen songs Songs written by Hughie Prince Columbia Records singles