"Go to the Mardi Gras" or "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" is a

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...

-themed R&B song that was performed by Professor Longhair (real name Henry Roland Byrd) and recorded several times since 1949. He co-wrote the song with Theresa Terry. The song was covered by

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

and released as a single in 1953. It is now considered an iconic festive song of the

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

Carnival season.

Background

Henry Roeland Byrd, Better known as Professor Longhair (or nickname "Fess"), was born in

Bogalusa Bogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,232 at the 2010 census. In th2020 censusthe city, town, place equivalent reported a population of 10,659. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolit ...

and moved to New Orleans with his family as an infant. He reportedly learned to play his instrument on a piano lacking several keys, which some have credited for his unusual technique. He would keep time by kicking his foot against the piano's base. He developed a unique "rhumba boogie" style that combined elements of blues, barrelhouse, and Caribbean influences. He was a pivotal link between early New Orleans piano pioneers such as

Tuts Washington Isidore "Tuts" Washington (January 24, 1907 – August 5, 1984) was an American blues pianist from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. He taught himself to play the piano at age 10 and studied with the New Orleans jazz pianist Joseph Louis "R ...

and later names such as

Art Neville Arthur Lanon Neville Jr. (December 17, 1937 – July 22, 2019) was an American singer, songwriter and keyboardist from New Orleans. Neville was a staple of the New Orleans music scene for over five decades. He was the founder of the funk band ...

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

and

Dr. John Malcolm John Rebennack Jr. (November 20, 1941 – June 6, 2019), better known by his stage name Dr. John, was an American singer and songwriter. His music encompassed New Orleans blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. Active as a session musician from t ...

. His 1950 single "Bald Head" hit No. 5 on the R&B charts, and became his only national hit. The song's lyrics advise anyone wishing to visit New Orleans to go to the Mardi Gras celebration and witness its various sights, such as to "see the Zulu King on Saint Claude and Dumaine." In 1959, at time of the recording, the Zulu parade, hosted by the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club, took an improvised route each year on the day of Mardi Gras, which would often pass this street intersection. "Go to the Mardi Gras," along with a later record "Big Chief," released in 1964, has become an iconic standard of the Carnival season.

Release

The song was first released as ''Mardi Gras in New Orleans'' by Professor Longhair and His Shuffling Hungarians in 1949 on a Star Talent 10" 78 RPM single. A version recorded in November 1949 and produced by Ahmet Ertugun and Herb Abramson was released as a 10" by Professor Longhair and his New Orleans Boys on Atlantic in February 1950. A third 1949 recording of the song has also been released. In 1959, Byrd re-recorded the song as ''Go to the Mardi Gras'', which was produced by Joe Ruffino and released in December as a 7" and 10" on Ruffino's label, Ron Records. It featured Mac Rebennack on guitar, long before he became known as

. The song was also re-recorded in 1971 and released in 1991 on the album ''Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge''. Another version was recorded in 1974 and included on the remixed 1985 version of his ''Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo'' album. Numerous live recordings of the song have also been released. The song also appeared on numerous compilation albums, including ''The Devil's Music -

Keith Richards Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943), often referred to during the 1960s and 1970s as "Keith Richard", is an English musician and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the co-founder, guitarist, secondary vocalist, and co-princi ...

' personal compilation of Blues, Soul and R&B Classics''.

Discography

*1949 "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" b/w "Professor Longhair's Boogie" (Star Talent 808) 10" *02-1950 "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" b/w "She Walks Right In" (Atlantic 879) 10" *12-1959 "Go to the Mardi Gras" b/w "Everyday Everynight" (Ron 329) 7"/10" *1985 "Rock 'n' Roll Gumbo" (Dancing Cat Records) lp/cd *1991 "Mardi Gras in Baton Rouge" (Rhino Records/Bearsville) cd

References

{{authority control 1949 songs Songs about New Orleans Rhythm and blues songs Mardi Gras songs