Tune Tuesday – Shake a Tail Feather

I miss a good movie soundtrack album!  There was a time where soundtracks from movies were just as big as the movie itself.  If I had to pick my Top 10 movie soundtracks, The Blues Brothers would be in the Top 5!

The Blues Brothers Band was made up of some of the most amazing players – Matt “Guitar” Murphy, “Blue” Lou Marini, Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Alan “Mr. Fabulous” Rubin, and Tom “Bones” Malone.  The movie itself featured cameos from some of the greatest R&B artists – Aretha Franklin, Cab Calloway, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, and Ray Charles.  Many of the artists sang songs they were known for (Aretha – Think, John Lee – Boom Boom, Cab – Minnie the Moocher), but Ray performed today’s Tune Tuesday song – “Shake a Tail Feather.”

The song was originally done in 1963 by the Five Du-Tones.  The bigger hit was done a few years later (in 1967) by James and Bobby Purify and it reached #25 on the charts.  Ray Charles’ version with the Blues Brothers, in my opinion, is the best version.  First of all, you have the vocals of Ray Charles!  They call him “the Genius”, and he is!  You have the playful vocals from Jake and Elwood, and the great horn line from the band.  It’s just a damn fun song!

For the video, I was lucky enough to find the actual movie clip.  Murph says the “action” on the keyboard isn’t that great.  Ray comes out to show them that there’s nothing wrong with “the action on this piano” and the song begins!  In the song there are references to many of the old dances from the 50’s and 60’s and the crowd dancing outside the music store does those dances along with the song.

Take it away, Brother Ray …..

Shake A Tail Feather

Well I heard about the fellow you’ve been dancing with
All over the neighborhood
So why didn’t you ask me baby
Or didn’t you think I could?

Well I know that the boogaloo is out of sight
But the Shingaling’s the thing tonight
But if that was you and me a now baby
I would have shown you how to do it right
Do it right (U-huh)
Do it right (Do it right)
Dot it right
Do it right
Do it right
Ah

Twist it, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de la
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Ah

Twist it, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby
Hey we gonna loop de loop
Shake it out baby
Hey we gonna loop de la
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Bend over let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Come on let me see ya shake your tailfeather
Ah

Come on, come on baby
Come on, yeah, come on babe, all right

Do the Twist
Do the Fly
Do the Swim
And do the Bird
Well do the Duck
Ah, and do the Monkey
Hey hey, Watusi
And a what about the Frug
Do the Mashed Potato
What about the Boogaloo
Oh, the Bony Marony
Come on let’s do the Twist
Ah

Twist it, shake it shake it shake it shake it baby