"Oakie Boogie" (sometimes "Okie Boogie") is a Western swing dance song written by
Johnny Tyler in 1947. It is recognizable by its refrain:
Jack Guthrie's version (Capitol 341) reached number three on the charts in 1947 and is often included in the list of the first rock and roll songs. The singing of "Oakie Boogie" is the only performance by Guthrie in a film—
Ernest Tubb
Ernest Dale Tubb (February 9, 1914 – September 6, 1984), nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, " Walking the Floor Over You" (1941), ...
's ''Hollywood Barn Dance'' in 1947.
Ella Mae Morse
Ella Mae Morse (September 12, 1924 – October 16, 1999) was an American singer of popular music whose 1940s and 1950s recordings mixing jazz, blues, and country styles influenced the development of rock and roll. Her 1942 recording of "Cow-Cow ...
also recorded a version for Capitol which reached number 23 in 1952. Her version was one of the first songs arranged by
Nelson Riddle.
[Levinson, ''September in the Rain'', p. 104: "... he contacted Nelson iddleto write for Ella Mae Morse. Their first endeavor together was 'Oakie Boogie,' which turned out to be a minor hit."] Speedy West played pedal steel guitar on the recording.
The song has been recorded by many artists over the years.
References
Bibliography
*Levinson, Peter. ''September in the Rain: The Life of Nelson Riddle''. Billboard Books, 2001.
*Lonergan, David F. ''Hit Records, 1950-1975''. Scarecrow Press, 2004.
*Pugh, Ronnie. ''Ernest Tubb: The Texas Troubadour''. Duke University Press, 1996.
*Whitburn, Joel. ''The Billboard Book of Top 40 Country Hits''. Billboard Books, 2006.
Western swing songs
1947 songs
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