The Jive Bombers - Bad Boy
Next week, I'll be DJing as part of an evening dedicated to the filmmaker John Waters. Inspired by that, I've been digging out some of the records featured in his films. Since they've been gathered together at the front of my record box, several are going to pop up here in the next little while, starting right now.
Doo-wop group The Jive Bombers had their biggest success with today's selection, which was later used in the musical flick, Cry Baby. The song, originally entitled Brown Girl, was written and recorded in 1936 by Lil Hardin Armstrong, the second wife of Louis Armstrong. An earlier incarnation of The Jive Bombers recorded a version called Brown Boy for Coral in 1949. So, by the time they were recording their first single for Savoy in 1956, I guess they knew the tune pretty well. They also had the sense to change its title to the more politically correct, Bad Boy.
Labels: doo wop, rhythm and blues, soundtrack