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..."
Shadrack
Louis Prima Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
They took a little trip to the land of Babylon
(Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon
(Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
Took a lot of gold and he made an idol
(Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
And he told everybody when they heard the music of the cornet...
And he told everybody when they heard the music of the clarinet...
And he told everybody when they heard the music of the horn...
You must bow down and worship the idol
Shadrach, (Meshach, Abednego)
But the children of Israel would not bow down
Not Shadrach, (Meshach, Abednego)
You couldn't fool them with no golden idol
Shadrach, (Meshach, Abednego)
The king put the children in the fiery furnace
(Oh Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
Heaped on the coals and the red-hot brimstone
(Oh Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
Seven times hotter, hotter than it oughta be
(Oh Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
Burnt up the soldiers that the king had put there
Shad(Shad)rach(rach), Meshach, Abednego
But the Lord sent an angel with snowy-white wings
Down in the middle of the furnace (Yeah!)
Talkin' to the children 'bout the power of the Gospel
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Couldn't even harm a hair on the head of
Shadrach, (Meshach, Abednego)
Laughin' and a-talkin' while the fire's a-chuggin' up
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Oh, Nebuchadnezzar called (Oh Yeah!)
When he saw the power of the Lord
And they had a big time in the house of Babylon
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
(Shadrach!)
Louis Prima's song "Shadrack" is a retelling of the biblical story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Three children from Israel - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego - take a trip to Babylon, where they catch the attention of the king, Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar creates an idol made of gold and commands his subjects to bow down and worship it. However, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to worship the idol, and as punishment, the king throws them into a fiery furnace.
Despite being in the furnace, the children remain unscathed due to an angel that the Lord sent to protect them. The king is amazed by their survival and calls for the children to come out of the furnace, and they emerge unharmed, to the amazement of everyone present. The song has a gospel feel to it, with the lyrics conveying the power of faith and the protection of God.
Line by Line Meaning
There were three children from the land of Israel
Three kids, known as Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, were originally from Israel
(Shadrach), Meshach, Abednego
These three names are repeated throughout the song, as they are the names of the three children.
They took a little trip to the land of Babylon
The three children went on a journey to Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar was the king of Babylon during this time
Took a lot of gold and he made an idol
The king made an idol out of gold and asked everyone to bow down to it
You must bow down and worship the idol
The king commanded everyone to bow down to the idol when they heard the music from certain instruments
But the children of Israel would not bow down
The three children refused to bow down to the idol
You couldn't fool them with no golden idol
The golden idol did not deceive these children
The king put the children in the fiery furnace
As punishment, the king threw the three children into a fiery furnace
Heaped on the coals and the red-hot brimstone
The furnace was heated to a much higher temperature than usual
Burnt up the soldiers that the king had put there
The soldiers who threw the children into the furnace were killed by the flames
But the Lord sent an angel with snowy-white wings
God sent an angel with wings to help the children
Talkin' to the children 'bout the power of the Gospel
The angel spoke to the children about the strength of their faith
Couldn't even harm a hair on the head of
The angel protected the children in every way possible, to the point that they were unharmed
Laughin' and a-talkin' while the fire's a-chuggin' up
The children laughed and talked while the flames grew even higher
Oh, Nebuchadnezzar called (Oh Yeah!)
The king saw the power of God, and was shocked
And they had a big time in the house of Babylon
The three children and the king spend some time together in Babylon
(Shadrach!)
The name of one of the children is shouted out at the end of the song
Contributed by Blake L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@maxerd
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) (x3)
Well down came a shining angel, and he flapped his powerful wings (x2)
Sent the heralds, spread the news, and goes thoughout the land
The heraldry traveled far and wide, to carry out the king's command
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) (x2)
Children, from the land of Judah
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Tied them up, their hands and all their garments
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) (x2)
Children of israel from the land of judah, refused to do the king's command
(Lord great almighty they refused to do the king's command)
Children of israel from the land of judah, refused to do the king's command
(Lord great almighty they refused to do the king's command)
There was the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was his name
He built the big gold idol, 'cause he thought it would bring him fame
He sent the heralds, spread the news, and goes thoughout the land
The heraldry traveled far and wide, to carry out the king's command
There was the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar was his name
He built the big gold idol, 'cause he thought it would bring him fame
He sent the heralds, spread the news, and goes thoughout the land
The heraldry traveled far and wide, to carry out the king's command
Children of israel from the land of judah, refused to do the king's command
(Lord great almighty they refused to do the king's command)
So the soldiers, seized the children, from the land of judah
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Tied them up, their hands and all their garments
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Stoken up the furnace, hotter than it ever was
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Till it burned up the soldiers that put them there
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Children, from the land of Judah
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Tied them up, their hands and all their garments
Well down came a shining angel, and he flapped his powerful wings (x3)
Well down came a shining angel, to carry out the king's command
Well down came a shining angel, and he flapped his powerful wings (x2)
Sent the heralds, spread the news, and goes thoughout the land
The heraldry traveled far and wide, to carry out the king's command
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) (x2)
Children, from the land of Judah
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego)
Tied them up, their hands and all their garments
(Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego) (x2)
@Wolfhoundersful
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
There was the King of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar was his name (That's Right!)
He built the big, gold idol
'Cause he thought it would bring him fame (That's right!)
He sent the herald to spread the news
And go throughout the land (That's right!)
The herald, he traveled out far and wide
To carry out the King's command!
(Yes, to carry out the King's command!)
But the children of Israel from the land of Judah
Refused to do the King's command!
(Lord, great God almighty they refused to do the King's command!)
So the soldiers seized the children from the land of Judah (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Tied them up in their hats and other garments (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Threw them in the burning, fiery furnace! (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Stoked up the furnace hotter than it ever was (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Till it burned up the soldiers that had put 'em there! (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Well, down came a shining angel (Yeah)
And he flapped his powerful wings (That's right!)
He flew down in the middle of the furnace
And the children, they were saved!
(Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!) [2x]
Well, you all heard the story of the children of Israel (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
And you all heard the story about the King of Babylon (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
He got him some gold and he built an idol (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
But the children wouldn't bow to the golden idol (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
I said they wouldn't bow to the golden idol!
Is that right? (That's right!) That's right! (That's right!)
Is that right? (That's right, that's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
So the King put the children in a fiery furnace (Oh!)
It was ten times hotter than it ever was (Oh!)
He peeped in the door to see what was going on (Oh!)
There was the children; sittin' there, cooling it! (Oh!)
Ooh, the King got mad and sent in the soldiers (Oh!)
Them cats never made it past the front door!
(Swoosh! They got wasted!)
(Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!) [2x]
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!) [5x]
@rogeralbors4886
There was the King of Babylon
Nebuchadnezzar was his name (That's Right!)
He built the big, gold idol
'Cause he thought it would bring him fame (That's right!)
He sent the herald to spread the news
And go throughout the land (That's right!)
The herald, he traveled out far and wide to carry out the King's command! (Yes, to carry out the King's command!)
But the children of Israel from the land of Judah
Refused to do the King's command! (Lord, great God almighty they refused to do the King's command!)
So the soldiers seized the children from the land of Judah (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Tied them up in their hats and other garments (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Threw them in the burning, fiery furnace! (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Stoked up the furnace hotter than it ever was (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Till it burned up the soldiers that had put 'em there! (Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
Well, down came a shining angel (Yeah)
And he flapped his powerful wings (That's right!)
He flew down in the middle of the furnace
And the children, they were saved! (Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!)
(Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!)
Well, you all heard the story of the children of Israel (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
And you all heard the story about the King of Babylon (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
He got him some gold and he built an idol (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
But the children wouldn't bow to the golden idol (That's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
I said they wouldn't bow to the golden idol!
Is that right? (That's right!) That's right! (That's right!)
Is that right? (That's right, that's right, Brother Louis, that's right!)
So the King put the children in a fiery furnace (Oh!)
It was ten times hotter than it ever was (Oh!)
He peeped in the door to see what was going on (Oh!)
There was the children; sittin' there, cooling it! (Oh!)
Ooh, the King got mad and sent in the soldiers (Oh!)
Them cats never made it past the front door!
(Swoosh! They got wasted!)
(Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!)
(Lord, great God almighty that sure was a mighty fine day!)
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
(Shadrack, Meshach, and Abednego!)
@laurenpinschannels
REAL lyrics (100% not misheard at all):
hey!
sh-
sh-
let's see, they danced na_ed
sh-
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego-oh..
well don came true to me (yeah!)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
well don came true to me (yeah!)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
set their hair and spread the noodles
ghost to be a man
merrily traveled upon mine,
to carry out the king's commands!
(yeah, to carry out the king's commands!)
well,
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
(children, from the land of judah!)
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
(tied them up and their hands are autonomous!)
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh...
children of israel from the land of judah refused to do the king's commands!
(oh, strip down the mannequin, refused to do the king's commands!-ands!-ands!-ands!-ands!-ands!-ands!-ands!)
children of israel from the land of judah refused to do the king's commands!
(oh, strip down the mannequin, refused to do the king's commands!)
(sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-sha-)
there was a kid who traveled a lot
nebuchadnezzar was his name (shadrack!)
he built the creep gold ladder
with a hollywood brim phase! (shadrack!)
set their hair and spread the noodles
ghost to be a man (shadrack!)
merrily traveled upon mine,
to carry out the king's commands!
(y-y-y-y-...)
there was a kid who traveled a lot
nebuchadnezzar was his name (shadrack!)
he built the creep gold ladder
with a hollywood brim phase! (shadrack!)
set their hair and spread the noodles
ghost to be a man (shadrack!)
merrily traveled upon mine,
to carry out the king's commands!
(yeah, to carry out the king's commands!)
(childr-childr-childr-childr-)
children of israel from the land of judah refused to do the king's commands!
(oh, strip down the mannequin, refused to do the king's commands!)
so to solve this, so-
children, from the land of judah
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
tied them up and their hands are autonomous!
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shach, and abednego!
shach, and abednego!
shach, and abednego!
shach, and abednego!
and abednego!
and abednego!
and abednego!
and abednego!
built up brutus, hotter than it ever was!
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
burnt up solely the boot and the day-oh
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
children, from the land of judah
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
tied them up and their hands are autonomous!
shack-shack-shack-shack-shack-shack-shack-shack-
well don came true to me (yeah)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
well don came true to me (yeah)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
well don came true to me (yeah)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
well don came true to me (to carry out the king's commands!)
well don came true to me (yeah)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
well don came true to me (yeah)
and he flapped his powerful wings (shadrack!)
set their hair and spread the noodles
ghost to be a man
merrily traveled upon mine,
to carry out the king's commands!
well,
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
(children, from the land of judah!)
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
(tied them up and their hands are autonomous!)
shadrack meshach, and abednego!
shadrack meshach, and abednego-oh...
@KurtisMuniz
>looks up a song
>there's a electro swing remix
>goosebumps
@rokurokuramoto8726
I just had a swing-gasm.
@federicoalbaphoto
Chiambretti supermarket !!!
@Vanvar
:D stesso motivo per cui mi trovo quì
@francescodistaso7733
idem
@MarcoBelliKiterstorm
Idem
@DariBenetka
Grazie Shazam <3
@acme_5475
I love this...
@18ambz2
by far my favorite
@Demonetized-oo7od
Best song yet