Tweedle Dee
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tweedlee Dee is a catchy rhythm and blues nonsense 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] 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. It sold well but undoubtedly would have done better if it were not for white cover versions that followed.[4]
[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 complete. 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.[5] LaVern Baker's little girl charm was closely copyied by Georgia Gibbs.[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. In this case, Mercury Records did not ever bother to rework anything and essentially issued the same recording under their label with a different vocalist. According to Atlantic's engineer, Tom Dowd, Mercury hired the same arranger, the same musicians and tried to hire the same engineer.[2] Atlantic had to watch while Mercury took Atlantic's original releases up the charts.[4]
LaVern Baker attempted to get her congressman to introduce Federal legislation to prevent the wholesale copying of arrangements but was unsuccessful. To this day it is still not illegal to do so.[5]
[edit] Notes
- ^ Interview with Winfield Scott. www.elvis.com.au. Retrieved on 2006-11-20.
- ^ a b Jim Dawson, & Steve Propes (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber, p. 164-169. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
- ^ Winfield Scott. Retrieved on 2006-11-13.
- ^ a b c Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll, (2nd Ed.), New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press, p. 37-38, 52, 71, 130,. ISBN 0-306-80683-5.
- ^ a b Shaw, Arnold (1978). Honkers and Shouters. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, p. 174-176. ISBN 0-02-061740-2.
Elvis Presley recorded a version of Tweedle Dee.
