Misplaced Pages

#769230

60-481: Allen Richard Toussaint ( / ˈ t uː s ɑː n t / ; 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, described as "one of popular music's great backroom figures." Many musicians recorded Toussaint's compositions. He was a producer for hundreds of recordings:

120-399: A Cigarette) " (covered by The O'Jays , Ringo Starr , and Alex Chilton ) and the simple but effective " Fortune Teller " (covered by various 1960s rock groups, including The Rolling Stones , The Nashville Teens , The Who , The Hollies , The Throb , and The Searchers founder Tony Jackson ). "Ruler of My Heart", written under his pseudonym Naomi Neville, first recorded by Irma Thomas for

180-499: A band including Alvin "Red" Tyler (baritone sax), either Nat Perrilliat or Lee Allen (tenor sax), either Justin Adams or Roy Montrell (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), and Charles "Hungry" Williams (drums). The recordings included Toussaint and Tyler's composition " Java ", which first charted for Floyd Cramer in 1962 and became a number 4 pop hit for Al Hirt (also on RCA) in 1964. Toussaint recorded and co-wrote songs with Allen Orange in

240-493: A blues style. Barrelhouse pianists were considered semi-professional and played for drinks, food, or tips. Roy Brown , Dave Bartholomew , Paul Gayten , Smiley Lewis , Fats Domino , Annie Laurie , and Larry Darnell were the primary artists who achieved national fame. Roy Brown is considered to be one of the pioneers of the New Orleans Urban Blues as one of the first singers to blend elements of gospel into

300-740: A crucial role in countless classic songs popularised by other artists." He had written so many songs, over more than five decades, that he admitted to forgetting quite a few. Toussaint was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, the Songwriter's Hall of Fame , and the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011. In 2013 he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Barack Obama . In 2016, he posthumously won

360-524: A dozen times. In 1956, he was the first black artist to make an appearance on the Steve Allen Show . He would later make appearances on the Perry Como Show , The Big Beat, and Dick Clark's American Bandstand . Domino's voice was a unique blend of creole intonations, nasal scat singing , and a warm tone. He was known for using triplet piano figures in many of his songs. The "New Orleans" sound

420-605: A heart attack at his hotel and was pronounced dead on his arrival at the hospital. He was 77. He had been due to perform a sold-out concert at the EFG London Jazz Festival at The Barbican on November 15 with his band and Theo Croker . He was also scheduled to play with Paul Simon at a benefit concert in New Orleans on December 8. His final recording, American Tunes , titled after the Paul Simon song, which he sings on

480-679: A lucky break at age 17, in which he stood in for Huey "Piano" Smith at a performance with Earl King 's band in Prichard, Alabama , Toussaint was introduced to a group of local musicians led by Dave Bartholomew , who performed regularly at the Dew Drop Inn , a nightclub on Lasalle Street in Uptown New Orleans . His first recording was in 1957 as a stand-in for Fats Domino on Domino's record " I Want You to Know ", on which Toussaint played piano and Domino overdubbed his vocals. His first success as

540-556: A performer.... My comfort zone is behind the scenes." In 2013 he collaborated on a ballet with the choreographer Twyla Tharp . Toussaint was a musical mentor to Swedish-born New Orleans songwriter and performer Theresa Andersson . Toussaint's two marriages ended in divorce. Toussaint died in the early hours of November 10, 2015, in Madrid , Spain, while on tour. Following a concert at the Teatro Lara on Calle Corredera Baja de San Pablo, he had

600-544: A producer came in 1957 with Lee Allen's "Walking with Mr. Lee". He began performing regularly in Bartholomew's band, and he recorded with Fats Domino, Smiley Lewis , Lee Allen and other leading New Orleans performers. After being spotted as a sideman by the A&;R man Danny Kessler, he initially recorded for RCA Records as Al Tousan . In early 1958 he recorded an album of instrumentals, The Wild Sound of New Orleans , with

660-503: A record label, Sansu, variously known as Tou-Sea, Deesu, or Kansu, and recorded Lee Dorsey, Chris Kenner, Betty Harris , and others. Dorsey had hits with several of Toussaint's songs, including "Ride Your Pony" (1965), " Working in the Coal Mine " (1966), and " Holy Cow " (1966). The core players of the rhythm section used on many of the Sansu recordings from the mid- to late 1960s, Art Neville and

SECTION 10

#1733084857770

720-519: A residency at the Club Robin Hood. In 1947, his band recorded the two R&B hits "True (You Don't Love Me)" and " Since I Fell for You " with singer Annie Laurie for DeLuxe. When DeLuxe Records was bought out by King Records , the Braun brothers placed a new focus on Gayten's production skills. Soon after, he became the director for Chess Records . Overton Amos Lemons, also known as Smiley Lewis ,

780-472: A song by New Orleans musician and resident Fats Domino , " I Want to Walk You Home ", as their contribution to Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino on Vanguard . In 2008, Toussaint's song "Sweet Touch of Love" was used in a deodorant commercial for the Axe (Lynx) brand. The commercial won a Gold Lion at the 2008 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival . In February 2008, Toussaint appeared on Le Show ,

840-461: A standard three-stanza form that contains tonic, subdominant, and dominant chords. Within these chords, the three "blue notes", also known as flatted notes, are the third, fifth, and seventh scale degrees. In New Orleans R&B, the flatted third is particularly notable. New Orleans rhythm and blues was pioneered by local barrelhouse pianists Champion Jack Dupree , Archibald , and Professor Longhair . Professor Longhair, otherwise known as "Fess",

900-664: Is Success". The River in Reverse , Toussaint's collaborative album with Elvis Costello , was released on May 29, 2006, in the UK on Verve Records by Universal Classics and Jazz UCJ . It was recorded in Hollywood and at the Piety Street Studio in the Bywater , as the first major studio session to take place after Hurricane Katrina. In 2007, Toussaint performed a duet with Paul McCartney of

960-525: Is credited to Tony Sheridan & "The Beat Brothers" who are often wrongly believed to be the Beatles . But the fledgling British group had no involvement in recording this track although " Sweet Georgia Brown ", included on this disc, is indeed recorded by them. 7-inch EP Polydor – 21 485 (1962, Germany.) In 1964, "Ya Ya" (Part 1) was included as filler on the German compilation album " The Beatles' First! " and

1020-571: Is heard in his cover of Smiley Lewis 's " Blue Monday ", with his combination of parade rhythms and barrelhouse blues. Fats Domino was described by Dave Bartholomew as the "cornerstone" of Rock 'n' Roll. Cosimo Matassa was the leading record producer in New Orleans between 1940 and 1960. He created the "cosimo sound" with guitar, baritone saxophone, and tenor saxophone doubling the bass line. He also owned J&M Studio and Jazz City studio, where he recorded nearly all R&B hits in New Orleans between 1940-1960. David and Julian Braun, also known as

1080-689: The Harry Shearer show broadcast on KCRW . He appeared in London in August 2008, where he performed at the Roundhouse . In October 2008 he performed at Festival New Orleans at The O 2 alongside acts such as Dr. John and Buckwheat Zydeco . Sponsored by Quint Davis of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Philip Anschutz , the event was intended to promote New Orleans music and culture and to revive

1140-675: The Pinetop Perkins Piano Player title at the Blues Music Awards . In January 2022, the New Orleans City Council voted unanimously to rename one of the city's thoroughfares, Robert E. Lee Boulevard, to Allen Toussaint Boulevard in his honor. New Orleans rhythm and blues New Orleans rhythm and blues can be characterized by predominant piano, "singing" horns, and call-and-response elements. Clear influences of Kansas City Swing bands can be heard through

1200-534: The 1970s, he developed a funkier sound, writing and producing for a host of artists, such as Dr. John (backed by the Meters, on the 1973 album In the Right Place , which contained the hit "Right Place, Wrong Time") and an album by The Wild Tchoupitoulas , a New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians tribe led by "Big Chief Jolly" (George Landry) (backed by the Meters and several of his nephews, including Art and Cyril Neville of

1260-526: The 2005 documentary film Make It Funky! , which presents a history of New Orleans music and its influence on rhythm and blues , rock and roll , funk and jazz . In the film, he performed a medley of his compositions " Fortune Teller ", " Working in the Coal Mine " and " A Certain Girl ". He also performed " Tipitina " in a piano duo with Jon Cleary , and accompanied Irma Thomas on "Old Records", Lloyd Price on " Lawdy Miss Clawdy ", and Bonnie Raitt on "What

SECTION 20

#1733084857770

1320-558: The Beatles regularly performed "Ya Ya", live from 1961 to 1962 in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere. John Lennon was always the lead vocalist on this number but no recorded version is known to exist. However, Tony Sheridan , the Beatles' close associate, recorded a live version of the song for Polydor Records which was released in October 1962 on the A-side of a German extended play . This 45RPM

1380-546: The Braun brothers, owned an independent record label called " DeLuxe " which was based in Linden, New Jersey . Seeing that New Orleans was overflowing with talent, they decided to visit the city in 1947 with hopes of signing some new artists. DeLuxe signed Dave Bartholomew , Paul Gayten , Smiley Lewis , Roy Brown , and Annie Laurie . In 1949 DeLuxe Records was bought out by Syd Nathan , owner of King Records . Lew Chudd founded Imperial Records in 1947. During its early years,

1440-519: The Hideaway Club to listen to Fats Domino sing. They were impressed with his version of " Junkers Blues " and immediately signed him to Imperial Records . That same year, Domino did his first recording session at the J&;M studio under the direction of Dave Bartholomew . Of the eight songs that were cut during the session, " The Fat Man " was chosen as Domino's first big hit. A distinguishing element of

1500-507: The Meters and their brothers Charles and Aaron , who later performed and recorded as The Neville Brothers ). In the 1970s, Toussaint began to work with artists from beyond New Orleans artists, such as B. J. Thomas , Robert Palmer , Willy DeVille , Sandy Denny , Elkie Brooks , Solomon Burke , Scottish soul singer Frankie Miller ( High Life ), and southern rocker Mylon LeFevre . He arranged horn music for The Band 's albums Cahoots (1971) and Rock of Ages (1972), as well as for

1560-644: The Minit label in 1963, was adapted by Otis Redding under the title "Pain in My Heart" later that year, prompting Toussaint to file a lawsuit against Redding and his record company, Stax (the claim was settled out of court, with Stax agreeing to credit Naomi Neville as the songwriter). Redding's version of the song was also recorded by The Rolling Stones on their second album and was in the Grateful Dead 's early repertoire. In 1964, "A Certain Girl" (originally by Ernie K-Doe)

1620-466: The R&;B hit was Domino's horn-like scat singing . Following the success of "The Fat Man", Domino toured with Jewel King and Dave Bartholomew's band. When his song " Goin' Home " reached number one in the R&B charts in 1952, his status as a star was confirmed. The biggest hit of his career however, was " Blueberry Hill ". Between the years of 1950 and 1955, he continued to make the R&B charts over

1680-462: The Sounds, consisted of Art Neville on keyboards, Leo Nocentelli on guitar, George Porter Jr on bass, and Zigaboo Modeliste on drums. They later became known as The Meters . Their backing can be heard in songs such as Dorsey's "Ride Your Pony" and "Working in the Coal Mine", sometimes augmented by horns, which were usually arranged by Toussaint. The Toussaint-produced records of these years backed by

1740-560: The album Notice to Appear . In 1973 Toussaint and Sehorn created the Sea-Saint recording studio in the Gentilly section of eastern New Orleans. Toussaint began recording under his own name, contributing vocals as well as piano. His solo career peaked in the mid-1970s with the albums From a Whisper to a Scream and Southern Nights . During this time he teamed with Labelle and produced their acclaimed 1975 album Nightbirds , which contained

1800-598: The album, was released by Nonesuch Records on June 10, 2016. He was survived by his three children, Clarence (better known as Reginald), Naomi, and Alison, and several grandchildren. His children had managed his career in his last years. Writing in The New York Times , Ben Sisario quoted Quint Davis , producer of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival: "In the pantheon of New Orleans music people, from Jelly Roll Morton to Mahalia Jackson to Fats —that's

1860-530: The best known are " Right Place, Wrong Time ", by longtime friend Dr. John , and " Lady Marmalade " by Labelle . The youngest of three children, Toussaint was born in 1938 in New Orleans and grew up in a shotgun house in the Gert Town neighborhood, where his mother, Naomi Neville (whose name he later adopted pseudonymously for some of his works), welcomed and fed all manner of musicians as they practiced and recorded with her son. His father, Clarence, worked on

Allen Toussaint - Misplaced Pages Continue

1920-486: The blues. His "crying" sound became his signature. In March 1947, Cecil Gant heard Brown sing " Good Rockin' Tonight " during a set break at a club called the Rainbow Room . Cecil enjoyed the song so much that he had Brown sing it over the phone for De Luxe Records . Brown signed a contract with DeLuxe, and recorded the song at J&M Studio . " Good Rockin' Tonight " was an immediate success in New Orleans, and reached

1980-404: The brothels of Storyville. Because they were more skilled, audiences expected them play any request that was thrown their way. Notable "professor" pianists include Buddy Christian , Clarence Williams , Alton Purnell , Spencer Williams , and Jelly Roll Morton . Barrelhouse pianists were often untrained with little to no background in music theory. They were mostly self-taught and played mostly in

2040-419: The complete recording can be heard on The Early Tapes of the Beatles , the 1984 CD reissue of this album. In 1974, John Lennon included a snippet of the song on the album Walls and Bridges with himself on vocals and piano, credited as "Dad", and his 11 year old son Julian on the snare drum . Lennon covered the song fully on his 1975 album Rock 'n' Roll . French singer Johnny Hallyday covered

2100-437: The documentary film The Last Waltz (1978). Boz Scaggs recorded Toussaint's "What Do You Want the Girl to Do?" on his 1976 album Silk Degrees , which reached number 2 on the U.S. pop albums chart . The song was also recorded by Bonnie Raitt for her 1975 album Home Plate and by Geoff Muldaur (1976), Lowell George (1979), Vince Gill (1993), and Elvis Costello (2005). In 1976 he collaborated with John Mayall on

2160-886: The early 1960s. In 1960, Joe Banashak, of Minit Records and later Instant Records , hired Toussaint as an A&R man and record producer . He did freelance work for other labels, such as Fury . Toussaint played piano, wrote, arranged and produced a string of hits in the early and mid-1960s for New Orleans R&B artists such as Ernie K-Doe , Chris Kenner , Irma Thomas (including " It's Raining "), Art and Aaron Neville , The Showmen , and Lee Dorsey , whose first hit " Ya Ya " he produced in 1961. The early to mid-1960s are regarded as Toussaint's most creatively successful period. Notable examples of his work are Jessie Hill 's " Ooh Poo Pah Doo " (written by Hill and arranged and produced by Toussaint), Ernie K-Doe's "Mother-in-Law", and Chris Kenner's " I Like It Like That ". A two-sided 1962 hit by Benny Spellman comprised " Lipstick Traces (on

2220-568: The early stages of his career, between 1939 and 1942, he played on the SS Capitol riverboat with Fats Pichon . Toward the end of his residency, Pichon resigned to take a solo gig at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans. Bartholomew took over the riverboat band until he was drafted in 1942. While serving in the army, he learned how to arrange music as a member of the 196th AGF band. Upon discovering his passion for arranging and band leading, he

2280-778: The end of his career. During his early career, Longhair visited the Caldonia Inn to listen to Dave Bartholomew's band. When he sat in for Bartholomew's pianist, a large crowd suddenly flooded the venue. He then decided to start his own band called the Four Hairs combo. Soon after, the band recorded their first four tunes at the Hi-Hat club for the Star Talent Label. In 1950, Longhair worked briefly with Mercury Records and recorded "Baldheaded". The song reached No.5 on Billboard's R&B chart. Due to financial complications, his work with Mercury

2340-413: The extensive use of trumpet and saxophone solos. A "double" bass line, when the guitar and bass play in unison, was combined with a strong backbeat to make the music easy to dance to. It is also common to hear the influence of Caribbean rhythms such as the mambo , rhumba , and the calypso . In addition, the usage of blue notes is characteristic. Like most blues, New Orleans R&B typically follows

2400-583: The hurricane was on the September 7, 2005, episode of the Late Show with David Letterman , sitting in with Paul Shaffer and his CBS Orchestra . Toussaint performed regularly at Joe's Pub in New York City through 2009. He eventually returned to New Orleans and lived there for the rest of his life. Toussaint is interviewed on screen, served as a musical director, led his band and appears in performance footage in

2460-415: The label centered around country music and west coast jump bands. Looking to expand his business, Chudd reached out to Dave Bartholomew . They decided that they would work together and explore the up-and-coming R&B scene. They recorded their first R&B studio session with Jewel King and Tommy Ridgley at J&M studio. Ya Ya (Lee Dorsey song) " Ya Ya " is a song by Lee Dorsey . The song

Allen Toussaint - Misplaced Pages Continue

2520-446: The members of the Meters, with their increasing use of syncopation and electric instrumentation, built on the influences of Professor Longhair and others before them, but updated these strands, effectively paving the way for the development of a modern New Orleans funk sound. Toussaint continued to produce The Meters when they began releasing records under their own name in 1969. As part of a process begun at Sansu and reaching fruition in

2580-405: The national charts about one year later. It became his biggest hit, and was successful enough for Brown and his band "The Mighty Men" to tour across California and the southwestern United States. " Good Rockin' Tonight ," made a reappearance in the charts in 1949 after DeLuxe was sold to King Records , who did their best to promote it, something that was not easy because at the time the word "rock"

2640-492: The number one hit " Lady Marmalade ". The same year, Toussaint collaborated with Paul McCartney and Wings for their hit album Venus and Mars and played on the song " Rock Show ". In 1973, his "Yes We Can Can" was covered by The Pointer Sisters for their self-titled debut album; released as a single, it became both a pop and R&B hit and served as the group's introduction to popular culture. Two years later, Glen Campbell covered Toussaint's " Southern Nights " and carried

2700-561: The once lucrative tourist trade that had been almost completely lost following the flooding that came with Hurricane Katrina. After his second performance at the festival, Toussaint appeared alongside Louisiana Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu . Toussaint performed instrumentals from his album The Bright Mississippi and many of his older songs for a taping of the PBS series Austin City Limits , which aired on January 9, 2015. In December 2009, he

2760-554: The place where Allen Toussaint is..." Paul Simon said, "We were friends and colleagues for almost 40 years.... We played together at the New Orleans jazz festival. We played the benefits for Katrina relief. We were about to perform together on December 8. I was just beginning to think about it; now I'll have to think about his memorial. I am so sad." The Daily Telegraph described Toussaint as "a master of New Orleans soul and R&B, and one of America's most successful songwriters and producers," adding that "self-effacing Toussaint played

2820-648: The pseudonym "Naomi Neville". These include "Fortune Teller", first recorded by Benny Spellman in 1961, "Pain In My Heart," first a hit for Otis Redding in 1963, and "Work, Work, Work", recorded by The Artwoods in 1966. Alison Krauss and Robert Plant covered "Fortune Teller" on their 2007 album Raising Sand . Toussaint was drafted into the United States Army in 1963 but continued to record when on leave. After his discharge in 1965, he joined forces with Marshall Sehorn to form Sansu Enterprises, which included

2880-469: The railway and played trumpet. Allen Toussaint learned piano as a child and took informal music lessons from an elderly neighbor, Ernest Pinn. In his teens he played in a band, the Flamingos, with the guitarist Snooks Eaglin , before dropping out of school. A significant early influence on Toussaint was the syncopated " second-line " piano style of Professor Longhair . Toussaint was raised Catholic . After

2940-483: The song to number one on the pop, country, and adult contemporary charts. Toussaint's song "I'll Take A Melody" figured permanently in the repertoire of the Jerry Garcia Band . In 1987, he was the musical director of an off-Broadway show, Staggerlee , with a score composed of songs from his catalog, which ran for 150 performances. Like many of his contemporaries, Toussaint found that interest in his compositions

3000-472: Was a slang for "sex", which many people believed the song implied. In 1950, Brown climbed his way up the charts once again with his song " Hard Luck Blues ". Other popular tunes by Roy Brown include "Boogie at Midnight", "Love Don't Love Nobody", "Long About Sundown", "Cadillac Baby", " Party Doll ", "Let the Four Winds Blow", and "Saturday Night". Dave Bartholomew was a bandleader and trumpet player. In

3060-506: Was considerably influential in the development of the New Orleans R&;B sound. Allen Toussaint , an important figure in New Orleans R&B, described him as "The Bach of Rock 'n' Roll". He combined Caribbean and boogie-woogie rhythms to create his signature style. The result was a usage of polyrhythms that he often whistled while playing. Although he was admired by other New Orleans musicians, he did not gain national attention until

SECTION 50

#1733084857770

3120-405: Was cut short. During the 1950s, he worked with Atlantic Records and recorded " Tipitina ", which at the time was only a local hit, but today is recognized as a New Orleans R&B classic. There were two types of local pianists in New Orleans; "professor" pianists and "barrelhouse" pianists. Professors were often classically trained and understood music theory. They played in a variety of styles in

3180-486: Was eager to return to New Orleans and make a name for himself. In 1949, Bartholomew and his band recorded the hit song "Country Boy", while signed with DeLuxe. His true calling however, was to be involved with music production. He established himself as a band leader who arranged, produced, and scouted talent. During the 1950s, Bartholomew co-wrote most of the hits coming out of New Orleans. Paul Gayten moved with his trio to New Orleans in his early twenties and established

3240-637: Was featured on Elvis Costello 's Spectacle program on the Sundance Channel , singing "A Certain Girl". Toussaint appeared on Eric Clapton 's 2010 album, Clapton , in two Fats Waller covers, "My Very Good Friend the Milkman" and "When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful". His late-blooming career as a performer began when he accepted an offer to play a regular Sunday brunch session at an East Village pub. Interviewed in 2014 by The Guardian ′ s Richard Williams , Toussaint said, "I never thought of myself as

3300-597: Was known for singing and playing guitar at nearly every venue in New Orleans early in his career. He had an extensive vocal range and a deep voice that could fill a room without any amplification. After the war, he formed a trio with Herman Seals and Tuts Washington . The two became very popular locally. While scouting for talent, the Braun brothers were impressed by Smiley and signed them to DeLuxe in 1947. Three years later, he signed to Imperial Records whom he worked with for ten years. He found moderate success with his songs " I Hear You Knockin' " and "The Bells Are Ringing". He

3360-405: Was overshadowed by Fats Domino who was also signed to Imperial and achieved national recognition for his cover of "I Hear You Knockin'". Elvis Presley's hit " One Night (of Love)", was originally recorded by Lewis and was titled, "One Night (of Sin)". Similarly, Gale Storm's cover of "I Hear You Knockin'" made Billboard's Hot 100 Charts. In 1949, Dave Bartholomew and Lew Chudd visited

3420-648: Was rekindled when his work began to be sampled by hip hop artists in the 1980s and 1990s. Most of Toussaint's possessions, including his home and recording studio, Sea-Saint Studios , were lost during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. He initially sought shelter at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel on Canal Street . Following the hurricane, whose aftermath left most of the city flooded, he left New Orleans for Baton Rouge, Louisiana , and for several years settled in New York City . His first television appearance after

3480-583: Was released on February 7, 1961. It was released as a single 5 months later on July 29, 1961. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 and number one on the R&B singles chart in 1961. In addition to the 1973 American Graffiti soundtrack album (MCA2-8001), the song appears on the 1962 compilation Alan Freed's Top 15 (End LP 315). According to author Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicles (p. 365),

3540-652: Was the B-side of the first single release by The Yardbirds . The song was released again in 1980 by Warren Zevon , as the single from the album Bad Luck Streak in Dancing School ; it reached 57 on Billboard's Hot 100 . Mary Weiss , former lead singer of The Shangri-Las , released it as "A Certain Guy" in 2007. Linda Ronstadt released a jazzy version of "Ruler of my Heart" in 1998 on We Ran . Toussaint credited about twenty songs to his parents, Clarence and Naomi, sometimes using

3600-566: Was written by Dorsey, C. L. Blast , Bobby Robinson , and Morris Levy . Levy's participation in the writing has been called into question; the Flashback release of the single lists only Dorsey and Blast as writers, as do the liner notes to the American Graffiti soundtrack . The song was inspired by a children's nursery rhyme , and includes session guitar player Jimmy Spruill on it. The song first appeared on Dorsey's titular album when it

#769230