Black Strap Molasses is a novelty song by Carmine Ennis and Marilou Harrington, released in August 1951. It was recorded by the movie stars

Groucho Marx Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx (; October 2, 1890 – August 19, 1977) was an American comedian, actor, writer, stage, film, radio, singer, television star and vaudeville performer. He is generally considered to have been a master of quick wit an ...

Jimmy Durante James Francis Durante ( , ; February 10, 1893 – January 29, 1980) was an American comedian, actor, singer, vaudevillian, and pianist. His distinctive gravelly speech, Lower East Side accent, comic language-butchery, jazz-influenced song ...

, Jane Wyman, and

Danny Kaye Danny Kaye (born David Daniel Kaminsky; yi, דוד־דניאל קאַמינסקי; January 18, 1911 – March 3, 1987) was an American actor, comedian, singer and dancer. His performances featured physical comedy, idiosyncratic pantomimes, and ...

, with

chorus Chorus may refer to: Music * Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse * Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound * Chorus form, song in which all verse ...

and orchestra directed by Sonny Burke. The song was a popular success, reaching number 29 on the ''Billboard'' charts, but was banned from some radio networks because it was perceived as promoting commercial products.

Song

The song was recorded for

Decca Records Decca Records is a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis (Decca), Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934 by Lewis, Jack Kapp, American Decca's first president, and Milton Rackmil, who later became American ...

on August 12, 1951. It was sung by a "who's who" of show business at the time:

, Jane Wyman, and

. The vocalists were accompanied by a

and orchestra directed by arranger and producer Sonny Burke. The song's lyrics discuss popular health foods of the time. The verses make "absurd" claims about the supposed benefits of these foods, and the

runs: One contemporary review interpreted the lyrics as referring specifically to the "Live Longer" diet advocated by nutritionist Gayelord Hauser. Hauser, labeled a "quack" by the American Medical Association, gained widespread popularity in the mid-twentieth century promoting "wonder foods" including blackstrap molasses, wheat germ, and yogurt, as well as

brewer's yeast Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to constitu ...

and powdered milk. He was known as a nutrition guru to many Hollywood celebrities.

Release and reception

The version of ''Black Strap Molasses'' featuring Wyman, Durante, Marx, and Kaye was released in August 1951. It was released as the

B-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...

of a

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

, along with a recording of "How D' Ye Do and Shake Hands", from Disney's then-recent film ''

Alice in Wonderland ''Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (commonly ''Alice in Wonderland'') is an 1865 English novel by Lewis Carroll. It details the story of a young girl named Alice who falls through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world of anthropomorphic creatur ...

'', sung by the same "all-star" cast. As part of a promotion campaign for the single, Decca Records partnered with Balanced Foods, Inc., a company associated with Hauser's diets, to provide DJs and record distributors with pint bottles of blackstrap molasses and loaves of wheat germ bread. ''Black Strap Molasses'' was catalogued in 78rpm record format as Decca 27748, and in 45rpm format as Decca 9-27748. The song was a hit in the U.S., reaching number 29 on the overall Billboard charts on September 22, 1951. ''Billboard'' magazine's staff review called it "catchy" and a "

sock A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...

performance", giving it an aggregated rating of "excellent". Film writer Allan Eyles wrote that the song represented Marx's "greatest success as a singer". The song was banned by some radio networks because it was perceived as containing "free plugs" for molasses and the patent medicine Hadacol; ABC agreed to program it only after a reference to Hadacol was removed. CBS banned it entirely, on the grounds that it contained "medical advice" which could lead listeners to believe that molasses was "good for sexual debility, insomnia, nerves and underweight condition." A different version of ''Black Strap Molasses'', a "rhythm paean to Gaylord Hauser" by Tommy Dorsey and his orchestra, had been released earlier and reviewed in ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' as "a rambling, rather dull slice." Dorsey's version had been banned from programming by NBC and ABC because, representatives said, the song mentioned commercial products in competition with the networks' sponsors. The single was released in the UK, catalogued as Brunswick 04794, and later re-released on several record and CD collections.

References

{{authority control 1951 songs Decca Records singles Novelty songs