While attending the Alabama State Teachers College, he became the leader of the college band, the Bama State Collegians. They went to New York in 1934, became the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra, started making records in 1936 and by 1938 were quite successful. The first formal appearance of Erskine Hawkins and his Orchestra was in 1938 when the band won a recording contract with RCA Victor. However, the inception of the band had occurred two years earlier when it was known as The 'Bama State Collegians.
Hawkins, whose biggest influences were Louis Armstrong records, skipped out on a 'Bama State Collegians band trip to New Jersey so he could play some gigs in New York. At one of these early shows, Armstrong surprised him backstage at the Apollo Theater. From then on, whenever Hawkins came to New York, Armstrong would also take the stage at the Savoy Ballroom, where Hawkins' dance band attracted a loyal following.
Hawkins had three major hits (”Tuxedo Junction,” “After Hours” and “Tippin' In”) and was able to keep the big band together all the way until 1953. Hawkins' band was so popular that he was able to retain a permanent roster of players, most of whom were from Birmingham. The style was “down-home” and blues-inspired, but it could still swing and lay down a great dance beat. Two of his chief arrangers were pianist Avery “After Hours” Parrish and trumpeter Sammy Lowe. (See Sammy Lowe's biography, also on this website.) Baritone saxophone soloist Haywood Henry, who stayed with Hawkins until the band broke up in 1953, anchored the music securely in a solid harmony. During the band's heyday, the 1930s and 40s, Hawkins featured vocalists Ida James, Delores Brown and Della Reese. ROCKIN ROLLERS JUBILEE (1938) was ahead of its time, but TUXEDO JUNCTION (1939) became the anthem of American GIs in Europe during the early years of WWII.
In 1978, Erskine Hawkins became one of the first five artists inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame. He died in 1993 in Willingboro, New Jersey. Hawkins was an exact contemporary of another Birmingham jazz great, Sun Ra.
Night After Night
Erskine Hawkins & His Orchestra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh yeah
Oh last night
Oh yeah
It's difficult to provide an interpretation of these lyrics without any additional context or information about the rest of the song. However, one possible interpretation is that the repetition of "last night" and "oh yeah" could suggest a feeling of excitement or satisfaction about a particular experience or event that occurred the previous evening. This could be anything from a romantic encounter to a night out with friends.
The lyrics could also be interpreted as a form of emphasis or emphasis on the passage of time. By repeating "last night" twice and adding "oh yeah" after each repetition, the singer may be indicating that the events of the previous evening were particularly memorable or significant.
Overall, the nature of this song's lyrics is somewhat ambiguous without further context or analysis. However, the repetition of certain phrases and words throughout the song suggests a particular meaning or feeling that the artist is trying to convey to their audience.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh last night
Memories of the previous night, still fresh in the mind
Oh yeah
Expressing enthusiastic agreement with the statement
Oh last night
Reiterating the remembrance of the previous night
Oh yeah
Expressing the artist's continued enthusiasm and agreement
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: T BONE BURNETT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind