Will Bradley will always be remembered most for his boogie-woogie orchestra of the early 1940s. Bradley himself, however, preferred to play ballads and had a long and successful career as a trombonist outside of his band. Bradley was a busy studio musician throughout the 1930s, working with such artists as Red Nichols, Eddie Cantor, Victor Young. Jacques Renard, Nat Shilkret, Andre Kostelanetz, Raymond Paige, Kate Smith, and Al Jolson. In 1935 Glenn Miller, who thought Bradley the best trombonist in the business, hired him to play in Ray Noble's American band, which Miller was organizing. He left Noble the following year, however, and returned to studio work. Bradley also played with Milt Shaw's orchestra in 1931, where he met drummer Ray McKinley.
Bradley's name was unknown to the general public when in 1939 William Morris talent agent Willard Alexander suggested he form a swing orchestra. Trombone-playing leaders, such as Miller and Tommy Dorsey, were currently popular, and Alexander felt Bradley would do well on his own. Drummers were also the rage, and Alexander teamed Bradley with old bandmate McKinley, who was then with Jimmy Dorsey. Backed by a powerful publicity campaign the duo's orchestra debuted in 1939 under Bradley's name and soon had its first big hit in ''Celery Stalks.''
The band initially featured pianist Freddie Slack and a young Peanuts Hucko on tenor sax. Trumpeters Lee Castle and Pete Candoli later played with the group. Arrangements were provided by Hugo Winterhalter, Leonard Whitney, and Al Datz. McKinley sang on the more swinging numbers. Other vocalists included Carlotta Dale, Phyllis Miles, Louise Tobin, Larry Southern, and Jimmy Valentine. The group's first recordings were on the Vocalion and Okeh labels. Subsequent releases were on Columbia.
In 1940 Bradley and McKinley began to feature the boogie woogie sound in their arrangements. Initial success with the song ''Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar'' sparked a slew of similar recordings, such as ''Bounce Me Brother, with a Solid Four'' and ''Scrub Me Mama, with a Boogie Beat.'' The new style proved popular with the public, and the band quickly developed a niche following. By early 1942, however, Bradley had tired of boogie-woogie and wanted to focus more on ballads. McKinley disagreed and left to form his own band.
Bradley set about reforming his orchestra but was forced to hang up his baton after only six months due to the war. He lost too many musicians in the draft and was unable to replace them. The new orchestra did not enter the studio. Vocalists were Terry Allen and Lynn Gardner
Bradley continued to record under his own name during the war, using studio musicians, on the Signature label. Ironically, considering the cause of his orchestra's break-up, in 1944 he released material on the Beacon/Celebrity label as Will Bradley and His Boogie Woogie Boys. In 1947 he also recorded with vocalist Anita O'Day on Signature, and in the 1950s he released three albums, which included one RCA collection of boogie woogie songs.
Bradley worked often as a studio musician after the war and spent many years in the Tonight Show orchestra in the Johnny Carson era. In 1953 he had a brief spell with the Sauter-Finegan Band and also composed several classical works in his later years.
Down the Road Apiece
Will Bradley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's just an old piano and a knocked out bass
The drummer man's a guy they call eight beat Mac
You remember Doc and old Beat Me Daddy Slack
Mammy's sellin' chicken fried in bacon grease
Well come along with me boys it's just down the road a piece.
Now there's a place you really get your kicks
If you want to hear some boogie then you'll get your fill
Puts the eight beat to you like an old steam mill
Come along with me boys 'fore they lose their lease
It's just down the road, down the road a piece.
The lyrics to Will Bradley's song "Down the Road Apiece" express an invitation to join in on the fun at a local music hotspot. The singer knows just the place if you want to hear some Boogie, it's a place with a rundown piano and a knockout bass where the drummer man, Eight Beat Mac, accommodates the audience with his lively drumming skills. The lyrics paint a picture of the scene where Mammy sells chicken fried in grease, and the music fills the air with energy that invites all to come along with the singer and share in the boogie.
The lyrics also depict the location as a place where one can find a thrill, open every night from twelve to six, where the most significant feature is getting the kicks. Eight Beat, the drummer, sets the tone for the environment by playing a style of Boogie that reverberates through the room. The singer invites the audience to join him and not miss the opportunity to be part of the experience. The song's theme is a call to action that encourages everyone to tap into the energy that the Boogie creates and live life to the fullest.
Line by Line Meaning
If you want to hear some Boogie, then I know the place
I can direct you to a venue where you can listen to lively and rhythmic music
It's just an old piano and a knocked out bass
The musical instruments being used are only an old piano and a damaged bass guitar
The drummer man's a guy they call eight beat Mac
The person in charge of playing the drums is referred to as eight beat Mac
You remember Doc and old Beat Me Daddy Slack
The attendees know Doc and old Beat Me Daddy Slack well
Mammy's sellin' chicken fried in bacon grease
One of the food vendors is selling chicken cooked in bacon grease
Well come along with me boys it's just down the road a piece.
I encourage you to follow me to the venue which is located nearby
Now there's a place you really get your kicks
The venue is an exciting place to be
It's open every night about twelve to six
The venue is open from midnight to six in the morning, every day
If you want to hear some boogie then you'll get your fill
If you are looking to hear invigorating music, then this is the place for you
Puts the eight beat to you like an old steam mill
The eight beat sound produced by the drummer is powerful and strong like an old steam mill
Come along with me boys 'fore they lose their lease
I urge you to accompany me to this venue before they potentially lose their rental agreement
It's just down the road, down the road a piece.
The venue can be found nearby
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DON RAYE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tattyshoesshigure5731
Absolutely delightful… a real ‘lift you up’ tonic to hear!
@xtgold2
I remember the very first time I heard this. I was sitting in a brand new 1940 Chevy with the radio tuned to a top 40 station. I fell in love with boogie Woogie from the gitgo.
@hyzercreek
You must be 100 years old
@hilmarwensorra1215
In VERY loving memory of Mr. Freddie Slack (1910 - 1965 R.I.P. Gone but NOT forgotten).
@weehudyy
A few of the British Beat groups recorded this , a friend had the Manfred Mann cover and my older brother the Stones version . My dear old dad scoffed and brought out the Will Bradley 78 acquired in NZ's capital Wellington during WW 2 . He was in DivSigs at Army HQ and the US marines were in town to prepare for their ill fated invasion of Tarawa .
@bdo7765
One of my favorite recordings of all time. I discovered it by accident, tucked away in a video game mod ("Big Band Radio" mod for Fallout New Vegas) - along with a ton of other great music. The original Fallout game ignited my love of 1940s music when it released in 1997. The game's title sequence includes the Ink Spots song "Maybe" (1940), and the sequel used the Louis Armstrong song "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" in its title sequence. I've been listening to music from the period ever since.
@hyzercreek
I discovered it by accident as well, when I heard a tape of a WWII radio program, Harry "the Hipster" Gibson was playing a jived out version of this song and the lyrics were about Eight Beat Mack and Beat me Daddy Slack, all I knew was the Chuck Berry version with "McCoy the old rubber legged boy" and I had to find out who these Mack and Slack were. My first guess was "Slack" was probably Freddy Slack which lead me to the Will Bradley Trio. Of course there was no internet in those days so I had to use books and "record finders" to find the "record" if you remember what those were. This record was a smash hit so it's easy to find.
@donrobertson4611
Wow, great piano by Freddie Slack!
@hyzercreek
Beat Me Daddy!
@tippimail1
One of my favorite Rolling Stones covers,but i love the original too!