In his youth, Prima played trumpet with Irving Fazola, his brother's band, and the pit band of the Saenger Theater. In 1933 he began his busy recording career, as part of the David Rose orchestra at station WGN, Chicago; he was also part of the small recording group The Hotcha Trio, with Rose on piano and Norman Gast on violin. In 1934 Prima moved to New York, working regularly on 52nd Street with old New Orleans friends like Eddie Miller (tenor sax and clarinet) and George Brunies (trombone), and also new acquaintances like Pee Wee Russell (clarinet). Prima's informal jazz group was known as Louis Prima and His New Orleans Gang, and this band recorded prolifically for Brunswick through 1936, and then for Vocalion and Decca.
Prima's 1936 composition, "Sing Sing Sing", which he had released with the New Orleans Gang in March, 1936 as a Brunswick 78, Brunswick 7628, with "It's Been So Long" as the B side, became one of his biggest hits and one of the most covered standards of the swing era; Benny Goodman's performance of the song at Carnegie Hall with a featured performance by Gene Krupa on drums has become iconic.
Louis Prima and His Band
Prima moved to Los Angeles to headline at the Famous Door nightclub. He appeared in several Hollywood movies, including a featured performance with Bing Crosby in the 1936 film Rhythm on the Range. Prima and his Dixieland Gang continued to play club dates across the nation, including a 1939 stint at New York's Hickory House.
Big bands were big business then, and Prima apparently bowed to pressure from booking agents and formed a conventional big band in 1940. He exploited a distinctive, shuffling beat (which he called "Gleeby Rhythm"); this trademark Prima shuffle remained part of his repertoire for two decades. Prima sang most of the band vocals, with Lily Ann Carol as the "girl singer." Prima's high-powered drummer at this time was Jimmy Vincent, an energetic teenager who remained with the Prima band for many years.
In 1947 he added singer Cathy Ricciardi, who recorded under the name Cathy Allen. She was succeeded in 1949 by Keely Smith (who was to become his fourth wife), and the band concentrated on novelty songs like "Civilization (Bongo Bongo Bongo)" and "All Right, Louis, Drop the Gun." Prima's big band continued into the early 1950s, with a series of novelty recordings supervised (sometimes heavy-handedly) by record producer Mitch Miller.
Vegas years
The popularity of the big-band sound started to wane, and Prima began losing money, just as he needed it to support the pregnant Smith. Prima found work with Smith in small venues all over the East Coast. Eventually he called up his friend Bill Miller, who was then entertainment director of The Sahara nightclub and casino in Las Vegas, and asked for a job. His friend Cab Calloway warned him against the cramped Sahara lounge, but the financial pressure was too great. Prima telephoned saxophonist Sam Butera and instructed him to pick up a few musicians and go to Las Vegas in time for Prima's debut.
Prima acknowledged his new musicians for the opening-night crowd, and spontaneously asked Butera what the name of the band was. Butera ad-libbed, "The Witnesses!" From then on, Sam Butera and the Witnesses backed Prima and Smith on stage and records.
Prima and Smith worked hard throughout the 1950s, performing multiple shows a night and finishing at 6 a.m. Their efforts were rewarded with a resurgence in their popularity, and they were at least partly responsible for making the lounge at The Sahara a hotspot. On stage, Prima insisted on Smith adopting a humorless, poker-faced character that would play straight to Prima's zany ad libs. Smith actually had a fine sense of comedy that is often audible on the team's recordings; no matter how much the incorrigible Prima tried to disrupt her vocals, Smith would often come back with a funny remark of her own.
Louis Prima and Keely Smith were very much the model for Sonny & Cher: the exuberant Italian musician and the serious, exotic female singer, Smith and Cher both being of Cherokee descent (although Cher's heritage is primarily Armenian). Similarly, echoes of the stage banter between Prima and Butera would be heard years later in the early performances of the E Street Band and the interplay between Bruce Springsteen and Clarence Clemons.
In 1959, Prima and Smith won the Grammy Award for Best Performance by a Vocal Group or Chorus for "That Old Black Magic."
In 1956 the Prima ensemble performed at the Sahara Hotel and Casino to record tracks for the album The Wildest!. It was an attempt by Capitol Records to capture the essence of the Vegas act. Over the next nine years, Prima and Smith raised two children, while he made scores of records, owned racehorses, appeared on television, and even opened a golf course. They outgrew the lounge and were promoted to the big room. They appeared in a few quickie musical films, including Senior Prom and Hey Boy! Hey Girl! Prima co-produced the feature Twist All Night, in which his band also appeared.
During this whirlwind of activity, according to Smith, the couple drifted farther and farther apart. One night, he refused to conduct for one of Smith's performances, delegating to Butera instead. A few days later they were in court, petitioning for divorce.
Later years
Following the divorce, he began dating Gia Maione. Maione was a long-time fan of Prima's, was already familiar with all the arrangements to his songs, and even kept a signed photo of him in her purse. She eventually became Prima's fifth and final wife, and was with the band right up until 1975. By this point, the band was putting out a markedly different and more contemporary sound, with electric organs and synthesizers, even dabbling in progressive rock.
In 1967 Prima's distinctive voice and jazzy delivery landed him a role in Walt Disney's animated feature The Jungle Book, as the raucous orangutan King Louie. He performed the hit song "I Wanna Be Like You" on the soundtrack, leading to the recording of two albums with Phil Harris: The Jungle Book and More Jungle Book, on Disneyland Records. He can also be heard on the soundtrack of another cartoon feature, The Man Called Flintstone.
He suffered a mild heart attack in 1973. In 1975, following headaches and episodes of memory loss, Louis Prima sought medical attention, and found out he had a stem brain tumor. He suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and went into a coma following surgery to remove the tumor. He never recovered, and died three years later, having been moved back to New Orleans. He was buried in Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans; his gray marble crypt is topped by a figure of Gabriel, the trumpeter-angel. The inscription on the crypt's door quote the lyrics from one of his hits: "When the end comes, I know, they'll all say 'just a gigolo' as life goes on without me. Lovingly, your little family..."
Oh Babe
Louis Prima Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then ya get mellow!
Mustn't be lazy!
Gotta be crazy!
Once you get started
This is what'll happen to you
Ya shake it an' ya break it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya swing it an' ya sing it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya skip it an' ya dip it an' ya, Oh Babe
The world turns upside down
When ya holler Oh Babe.
Ya wiggle an' ya giggle an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya shuffle an' ya scuffle an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya romp it an' ya stomp it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya move it an' ya groove it an' ya, Oh Babe
The world turns upside down
When ya holler Oh Babe
Ya shake it an' ya break it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya knock it an' ya rock it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya swing it an' ya sing it an' ya, Oh Babe
Ya skip it an' ya dip it an' ya, Oh Babe
The world turns upside down
When ya holler Oh Babe.
Oh Babe!
The lyrics of Louis Prima's song "Oh Babe" are all about letting go and having a good time on the dance floor. The song starts off with the instruction to say hello and get mellow, but not to be lazy - instead, one must be crazy. The suggestion is that once you get started moving, it will be impossible to stop. This idea is reinforced in the chorus, where the lyrics are all about shaking it, knocking it, swinging it, and skipping it. The repetition of the phrase "Oh Babe" is used to punctuate each action and to emphasize the playfulness and lightheartedness of the song.
Throughout the song, the lyrics suggest that dancing can turn the world upside down. When you holler "Oh Babe," you wiggle, giggle, shuffle, scuffle, romp, stomp, move, and groove. The idea is that dancing is a transformative experience that can change your outlook and your energy. The repetition of the chorus highlights the idea that the world can be turned upside down just by letting go and having a good time.
Overall, "Oh Babe" is a fun, upbeat song that encourages listeners to dance and let loose. The lyrics suggest that dancing can be a transformative experience that can change your mood and perspective. The repetition of "Oh Babe" in the chorus adds to the playful and catchy nature of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
First you say hello!
Begin the conversation with a cordial greeting.
Then ya get mellow!
As the conversation progresses, relax and become more comfortable.
Mustn't be lazy!
Don't be idle or lethargic, keep moving and stay active.
Gotta be crazy!
You need to be spontaneous, adventurous, and willing to take risks in life.
Once you get started This is what'll happen to you
When you start to move and groove, you'll experience something incredible.
Ya shake it an' ya break it an' ya, Oh Babe
Move your body, shake it and break it down, and have a good time.
Ya knock it an' ya rock it an' ya, Oh Babe
Hit the beat, rock the rhythm, and feel the music.
Ya swing it an' ya sing it an' ya, Oh Babe
Swing your hips, sing along with the melody, and enjoy the song.
Ya skip it an' ya dip it an' ya, Oh Babe
Skip and hop to the rhythm, and dip down low to the funky beat.
The world turns upside down When ya holler Oh Babe.
When you shout out 'Oh Babe', things get wild, crazy, and upside down!
Ya wiggle an' ya giggle an' ya, Oh Babe
Wiggle your body, giggle with joy, and let your hair down.
Ya shuffle an' ya scuffle an' ya, Oh Babe
Shuffle your feet, scuffle to the rhythm, and dance like nobody's watching.
Ya romp it an' ya stomp it an' ya, Oh Babe
Jump up and down, stomp your feet, and take the floor like a boss.
Ya move it an' ya groove it an' ya, Oh Babe
Move your body, groove to the beat, and let the music take over.
Oh Babe!
An exclamation of joy, excitement, and happiness.
The world turns upside down When ya holler Oh Babe.
When you shout out 'Oh Babe', things get wild, crazy, and upside down!
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG Rights Management
Written by: LOUIS PRIMA, MILTON KABAK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@evanwall7589
Such a bummer this version isn’t on streaming platforms, easily the best one
@johnfisher7599
Thank goodness for Louis Prima. This is refreshing as there were so few rockin' recordings in 1950.
@stevecarlson6462
Louis Lived and died for the trumpet. I'm not joking at all. He was one of the great ones.
@ModernMythMuseum
And let's hear it for Keely Smith.
@Joshster-si6ov
Nice :)
@priscillageluk4611
Eindelijk Robin Hood gevonden
@chucosostenes7018
HOMO DANCING AUTÉNTICUS ÑIS.