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Mr. Bojangles (song)

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For the 1936 song, see Swing Time (film) § Musical_numbers.
"Mr. Bojangles"
Single by Jerry Jeff Walker
ReleasedJune 20, 1968
RecordedJune 7, 1968
StudioPhillips Recording, Memphis, Tennessee[1]
GenreCountry, folk
LabelAtco
Songwriter(s)Jerry Jeff Walker
Jerry Jeff Walker singles chronology
"Mr. Bojangles"
(1968) 		"L.A. Freeway"
(1972)
Jerry Jeff Walker, the writer of the song
"Mr. Bojangles"
Single by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
from the album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
B-side"Uncle Charlie Interview #2/Spanish Fandango" (later replaced with "Mr. Bojangles" w/o prologue)
ReleasedSeptember 1970
Recorded1969
GenreCountry, folk
Length5:15
3:35 (without prologue)
LabelLiberty
Songwriter(s)Jerry Jeff Walker
Producer(s)William McEuen
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band singles chronology
"Buy for Me the Rain"
(1967) 		"Mr. Bojangles"
(1970) 		"House at Pooh Corner"
(1971)

"Mr. Bojangles" is a song written and originally recorded by American country music artist Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1968 album of the same title. It has since been recorded by other artists, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1969 (released September 1970).

Composition

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Walker said he was inspired to write the song after an encounter with a street performer in a New Orleans jail. While in jail for public intoxication in 1965, he met a homeless man who called himself "Mr. Bojangles" to conceal his true identity from the police. Mr. Bojangles had been arrested as part of a police sweep of indigent people that was carried out following a high-profile murder. The two men and others in the cell chatted about all manner of things, but when Mr. Bojangles told a story about his performing dog who was killed by a car, the mood in the room turned heavy. Someone else in the cell asked for something to lighten the mood, and Mr. Bojangles obliged with a tap dance.[2][3] The homeless "Mr. Bojangles", who was white, had taken his pseudonym from Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878–1949), a black entertainer.[4]

Notable recordings

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The song was first recorded by popular Austin performer Allen Wayne Damron during a live performance at the Chequered Flag folk club in Austin in 1967.[5] Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his single version (with Bobby Woods, Charlie Freeman, Sandy Rhodes, Tommy McClure, Sammy Creason, and a string orchestra) at Phillips Recording[1] in Memphis, Tennessee on June 7, 1968, and it was released by Atco Records on June 20. He also recorded a non-string version in New York City for his album Mr. Bojangles with David Bromberg, Gary Illingworth, Danny Milhon, Bobby Cranshaw, Jody Stecher, Donny Brooks, Ron Carter, Bill LaVorgna, and Jerry Jemmott. It was released by Atco on September 25, 1968.[citation needed]

Other versions were also recorded, including those by Frankie Laine and Harry Belafonte. Bob Dylan recorded the song in 1970 while working on his New Morning album, but his version was not released until it was included on the album Dylan in 1973.[6] Other artists who covered "Mr. Bojangles" include Harry Nilsson on his album Harry, and Neil Diamond on his album Touching You, Touching Me, both released in 1969. John Denver recorded the song and released it on his 1970 album Whose Garden Was This?, and Robbie Williams covered it in 2001 on Swing When You're Winning.

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

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Since then, it has been recorded by many other artists, including US country rock band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose version (recorded for the 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy) was issued as a single and rose to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.

The band's single version begins with the Uncle Charlie interview (subtitled "Prologue: Uncle Charlie and his Dog Teddy") that also precedes the song on the Uncle Charlie album. It was originally backed with another interview with Uncle Charlie, also taken from the album. When "Mr. Bojangles" started climbing the charts, the B-side was re-pressed with the same song without the interview. NGDB guitarist Jeff Hanna performed most of the lead vocals on the track, with bandmate Jimmy Ibbotson performing harmony vocals; the two switched these roles on the last verse.[7]

Nina Simone

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Nina Simone recorded the song in 1971 and included it in her album of the same year Here comes the Sun, which consists of cover versions of songs by pop and rock musicians.

Sammy Davis Jr.

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The song became one of Sammy Davis Jr.'s signature performances,[8][9] which he recorded for his 1972 album Portrait of Sammy Davis Jr.[10] and sang at President Richard Nixon's invitation at a concert at the White House the following year.[11]

Al Cherny

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Canadian fiddler Al Cherney (recording as Al Cherny) reached number 45 on the Canadian RPM Top Country Singles charts in December 1972 with his recording of the song.

Chart history

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Al Cherny

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Chart (1972) Peak
position
Canada (RPM) Top Country Singles[26] 45

Nina Simone

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Chart (1988) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart (OCC)[27] 96

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sam Phillips Recording Service". scottymoore.net. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ^ Walker, Jerry Jeff (2000). Gypsy Songman. Woodford Press. ISBN 978-0-942627-57-2.
  3. ^ The Man Who Was Bojangles. BBC Radio 4. 11.30, August 23, 2008
  4. ^ Schudel, Matt (October 24, 2020). "Jerry Jeff Walker, Texas troubadour who wrote 'Mr. Bojangles,' dies at 78". Washington Post. Retrieved October 27, 2020.; Hoffman, Jordan (October 24, 2020). "Singer-Songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker Dies at Age 78". Vanity Fair. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  5. ^ The Handbook of Texas: Damron, Allen Wayne Linked September 16, 2016
  6. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2022). Bob Dylan: All the Songs. Running Press. ISBN 9780762475728.
  7. ^ Hanna, Jeff (2013). "The Making of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's 'Mr. Bojangles.' " Grammy.com (December 27, 2013). Retrieved May 29, 2016.
  8. ^ Jones, Peter (August 17, 1974). "Talent in Action". Billboard. p. 18. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  9. ^ Contemporary Musicians. Gale Research, Incorporated. 1989. p. 76. ISBN 978-0-8103-2214-1. Davis ... performed a number of signature songs. Chief among these were his tribute to Bill Robinson, "Mr. Bojangles"
  10. ^ Ruhlmann, William. "Portrait of Sammy Davis, Jr. Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  11. ^ "Sammy Davis Jr.: Soulin' at the White House". Ebony. May 1973. pp. 98, 101. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
  12. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 893.
  13. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - August 19, 1968" (PDF).
  14. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 219. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  15. ^ "RPM100 Singles" (PDF). RPM. February 27, 1971. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  16. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Nitty Gritty Dirt Band" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  17. ^ Flavour of New Zealand, May 31, 1971
  18. ^ "The Hot 100". Billboard. February 27, 1971. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  19. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 177.
  20. ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 27, 1971". Archived from the original on June 7, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  21. ^ "Top RPM Country Tracks: Issue 1592." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. August 10, 1991. Retrieved September 8, 2013.
  22. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  23. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012.
  24. ^ "Top Pop 100 Singles" (PDF). Billboard - Talent in Action (supplement). December 25, 1971. p. TA-36. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
  25. ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 25, 1971". Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
  26. ^ "RPM Top 65 Country Singles - December 16, 1972" (PDF).
  27. ^ "mr bojangles | full Official Chart History". Officialcharts.com.
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