Born in Utah, Nichols studied music under his father, a college music professor, and mastered a variety of instruments. After working in a number of pit orchestras, he joined a Midwestern band called The Syncopating Seven.
In 1923 Nichols moved to New York and soon teamed up with trombonist Miff Mole. Nichols most famously recorded under the name Red Nichols and His Five Pennies, but the same group of musicians also recorded under many different pseudonyms, including the Louisiana Rhythm Kings, the Charleston Seven, the Arkansas Travelers, Miff Mole and His Molers, the Hottentots, and the Red Heads. These sessions at first featured trombonist Miff Mole with Jimmy Dorsey on alto and clarinet, and later in the decade featured a virtual who's who of great white jazz musicians including Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden, Pee Wee Russell, Joe Venuti, Eddie Lang, Adrian Rollini and Gene Krupa.
Nichols survived the Depression by working in Broadway shows, even leading the pit orchestra for two of George Gershwin's shows; "Girl Crazy" and "Strike Up the Band". In 1934 Red fronted a band for a radio show sponsored by Kellogg's Cereal and led many studio orchestras, including one for the Bob Hope Show.
Around 1940 Nichols took advantage of the swing craze and tried updating his sound. The orchestra soon floundered and Nichols sold the band in 1942.
Nichols briefly found work as a member of the Casa Loma Orchestra before retiring to Hollywood, where he led several small groups throughout the rest of the 1940s and into the 1950s. The highly-fictionalized 1959 film, The Five Pennies, starring Danny Kaye, prompted Nichols to put together a new Five Pennies. Nichols died suddenly from a heart attack while on tour in Las Vegas in 1965.
Riverboat Shuffle
Red Nichols Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mississippi floaters,
Gather all about!
Gather all about!
Got some things to tell ya.
Not a thing to sell ya.
Listen and you'll all find out.
What I'm about to say
So, come a little closer,
Just a little closer,
Got a lotta news to shout! Say!
Good people, you're invited tonight
To the Riverboat Shuffle!
Good people, we got rhythm tonight
At the Riverboat Shuffle!
They tell me that slidepipe tooter is grand,
Best in Loosianna;
So bring your freighter, come and alligator that band.
Mister Hawkins on the tenor!
Good people, you'll hear Milenberg Joys
In a special orches-stration!
Even Mamma Dinah will be there to strut for the boys
I'n a room full of noise.
She'll teach you to shuffle it right,
So, bring your baby;
Red Nichols's song Riverboat Shuffle was released in 1927 and is a classic example of Dixieland jazz. The lyrics of the song speak directly to the workers of the Mississippi River, calling out to the "cotton toters" and "Mississippi floaters" to gather around and listen to the exciting news that the singer has for them. The song has an infectious upbeat rhythm that is perfect for dancing, and the lyrics encourage the listener to come a little closer and pay attention to the news being shared.
The news being shared with the listener is not news of any profitable offers but is inviting them to a party. Red Nichols is inviting them to a gathering on a riverboat, where they will find amazing music, performers and possibly some other surprises. The singer ticks off a list of the performers to be expected, and the evocative lyrics depict just how exciting and lively the atmosphere on the riverboat will be. The song glorifies the lifestyle aboard the riverboat, emphasizing the opportunity that it gave to ordinary people to escape the humdrum of everyday life and be transported into a joyful and exhilarating world.
Line by Line Meaning
All you cotton toters,
Hey, all you folks carrying these heavy bales of cotton,
Mississippi floaters,
Those who float on Mississippi,
Gather all about!
Listen carefully, everyone gather here!
Gather all about!
Listen carefully, everyone gather here!
Got some things to tell ya.
I have some vital information to share with you.
Not a thing to sell ya.
I'm not selling or promoting anything; it's just to share some music news.
Listen and you'll all find out.
If you listen to me for a minute, you'll understand what I want to say.
What I'm about to say
The news I am about to share
WIll take your breath away,
It will amaze and excite you.
So, come a little closer,
Please move in a little closer to hear me better.
Just a little closer,
A bit closer so that you don't miss a single word I say.
Got a lotta news to shout! Say!
I want to share some music news that will make you shout with joy!
Good people, you're invited tonight
Folks, I invited you here tonight
To the Riverboat Shuffle!
To attend the Riverboat Shuffle event!
Good people, we got rhythm tonight
Listen folks, we have fantastic music here tonight!
At the Riverboat Shuffle!
It's the Riverboat Shuffle event!
They tell me that slidepipe tooter is grand,
I have heard that the slidepipe tooter is magnificent.
Best in Loosianna;
Best in music ever heard in Loosianna.
So bring your freighter, come and alligator that band.
Come and bring your boat, and enjoy the music on the riverbank.
Mister Hawkins on the tenor!
You'll hear Mr. Hawkins on the tenor saxophone!
Good people, you'll hear Milenberg Joys
Folks, You'll listen to Milenberg Joys.
In a special orches-stration!
This will be an exceptional arrangement of beautiful music.
Even Mamma Dinah will be there to strut for the boys
Even Mamma Dinah will be playing her part and dance along with the band, and the crowd will love it!
I'n a room full of noise.
You'll all be in a crowded space full of the finest music, where the noise equals sweet melodies.
She'll teach you to shuffle it right,
Mamma Dinah is a legend in music, and she will teach you how to shuffle better.
So, bring your baby;
Bring your date or loved one along and dance together.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Mills, Mitchell Parish, Dick Voynow
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@binkydrumms
All the solos are great but I think McDonough’s solo is a great single string solo, with such a colorful break.
@louispanico2845
Fun had by all, including Pee Wee Russell at 0:23, Dick McDonough at 1:11, Miff Mole at 1:36, and Red Nichols at 2:02. Fud Livingston did the arrangement for this song, and I love the ending especially. Thank you Atticus for sharing these precious recordings!!! :^D 🎺 LP
@johnwhitehead3360
Thank You