Tweedlee Dee
"Tweedlee Dee" (also "Tweedly Dee") is a rhythm and blues novelty song with a Latin-influenced riff written by Winfield Scott[1] for LaVern Baker and recorded by her at Atlantic Records' studio in New York City in 1954. It was her first hit,[2] reaching #4 on Billboard's R&B chart and #14 on its Pop chart. It was also Winfield Scott's first successful song.[3]
The arrangement and vocal style of the song was an attempt to adapt the black vocal style to one that would satisfy the tastes of the white record-buying market, featuring a light tone and a frisky rhythm beat.
[edit] Cover version
Although Baker had closely approached a pop style in this recording, a cover of the song was quickly recorded by Georgia Gibbs on the Mercury Records label. Because a major label like Mercury had a superior distribution system, Atlantic's independent label could not compete. The white cover version used not only the lyrics but closely imitated the style and arrangement of the original and became a Gold Record for Gibbs, thus ruining any chance of Baker's recording becoming a pop hit.[4]
It was common at that time for major record companies to cover R&B hits generally appealing to blacks with their own more polished arrangements aimed at the wider white audience, a practice not forbidden by United States copyright law. According to Atlantic's engineer, Tom Dowd, Mercury hired the same arranger, the same musicians and tried to hire the same engineer.[2]
Baker attempted to get her congressman to introduce legislation to prevent the copying of arrangements but was unsuccessful.[citation needed]
Numerous performances of the song have been released by artists ranging from Elvis Presley (a 1955 live performance first released commercially in the 1980s), Teresa Brewer also in 1955, Ike & Tina Turner, Alma Cogan and Little Jimmy Osmond to Bill Haley & His Comets (recorded in 1979 for Haley's final album, Everyone Can Rock and Roll). Presley also recorded a number of Scott's compositions in the 1960s. The Crests recorded a cover version for their 1960 album The Crests Sing All Biggies.
[edit] See also
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Interview with Winfield Scott". www.elvis.com.au. http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/elvisnews_qandawithwinfieldscott.shtml. Retrieved 2006-11-20.
- ^ a b Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 164–169. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
- ^ "Winfield Scott". http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/elvisnews_qandawithwinfieldscott.shtml. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
- ^ Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company. pp. 174–176. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.
