DARKTOWN STRUTTERS' BALL, THE
(Shelton Brooks)

Original Dixieland Jass Band (Instr.) - 1917
Six Brown Brothers - 1917
Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan - 1918
Jaudus' Society Orch. (Instr.) - 1918
Lt. Jim Europe's 369th Infantry "Hell Fighters" Band (Instr.) - 1919
Savoy Quartet - 1919
Ted Lewis & His Band - 1927
Bing Crosby & The Rhythm Boys (Radio Transcript) - 1930
The Boswell Sisters - 1934
Luis Russell & His Orch. (vocal: Sonny Woods) - 1934
Chick Webb's Savoy Orch. (Instr.) - 1934
Benny Goodman & His Orch. - 1935
Henry Busse & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1935
Ella Fitzgerald & Her Savoy Eight - 1936
Hoosier Hot Shots - 1936
Fats Waller & His Rhythm - 1939
Jimmy Dorsey & His Orch. - 1939
Svend Asmussens Quintet - 1942
Harry Parry & His Radio Sextet - 1943
Charlie Barnet & His Orch. (Instr.) - 1946
Alan Dale & Connie Haines - 1948
Deek Watson & The Brown Dots - 1948
Hoagy Carmichael & Matty Malneck's Allstars - 1950
Pee Wee Hunt & His Orch. - 1951
The Globe Trotters (Instr.) - 1953
Joe "Fingers" Carr - 1953
Dean Martin - 1954
Lou Monte (with Hugo Winterhalter's Orch.) - 1954
Tony Romano - 1954
Ray Anthony & His Orch. - 1954
Sylvia Sims & The Carillons (with Larry Clinton's Orch.) - 1954
Willie "The Rock" Knox - 1955
Earl "Fatha" Hines (Instr.) - 1956
The Platters - 1957
Frances Faye - 1957
Karel Krautgartner & His Orch. - 1957
Laurie London & The Rita Williams Singers - 1958
Al Caiola's Magic Guitars - 1958
Julie London (with Jimmy Rowles' Orch.) - 1959
Al Hirt (Instr.) - 1959
Joe Brown & The Bruvvers - 1960
Dave Brubeck Quartet - 1960
Ted Heath & His Music (Instr.) - 1960
Ed Reed & The Riverboat Five - 1961
Danny Davis Y Los Titanes - 1961
Leonard Gaskin - 1962
The Jumping Jewels - 1963
Los Indios Tabajaras - 1965
The Five Bells - 1969
D & The Girls - 1973
Ricky Skaggs - 1975
The Ted Mulry Gang - 1975


Also recorded by:
Guy Lombardo & His Royal Canadians (vocal: Cliff Grass); Red Nichols;
Bunk Johnson & His New Orleans Band; Johnny Otis; The Charioteers;
Jerry Gray & His Orch.; Joe Liggins & His Honey Drippers; Punch Miller;
Georgie Auld; Paul Barbarin; Chris Barber; Count Basie Orch.; Al Caiola;
Tiny Bradshaw; Shelton Brooks; Milton Brown; Beryl Bryden; Max Collie;
Muggsy Spanier; The Three Suns; Billy Ternent & His Orch.; Bill Williams;
The Beatles with Tony Sheridan; Sidney Bechet with Art Hodes' Hot Five;
Albert Burbank; Renato Carosone; Brian Carrick; Sid Phillips & His Band;
The Delta Rhythm Boys; Dixieland Ramblers; Fats Domino; Arthur Smith;
Jamey Aebersold; Oscar Alemán; Steve Allen; Ray Anthony; Chet Atkins;
Dukes of Dixieland; Fred Elizalde & His Orch.; Cliff "Ukulele Ike" Edwards;
Johnny Costa; D-Formation; Joe Daniels & His Hotshots; Katherine Davis;
Robert Farnon Orch.; Pete Fountain; Charlie Gracie & The Jumpin' Shoes;
Ken Colyer; Eddie Condon; The Coon-Sanders Nighthawks; Martha Flynn;
Frank Quill; Django Reinhardt; The Skillet Lickers; Willie "The Lion" Smith;
Miff Mole & His Molers; Turk Murphy's Jazz Band; Lester Lanin & His Orch.;
Lizzie Miles ............. and many others.



I've got some good news, honey
An invitation to the Darktown Ball
It's a very swell affair
All the highbrows will be there
I'll wear my high silk hat and frock tail coat
You wear your Paris gown and your new silk shawl
There ain't no doubt about it, babe
We'll be the best dressed in the hall

I'll be down to get you in a taxi, honey
You better be ready about half past eight
Now dearie, don't be late
I wanna be there when the band starts playing
Remember when we get there, honey
The two-steps, we're gonna have 'em all
Goin' to dance off both my shoes
When they play the "Jelly Roll Blues"
Tomorrow night, at the Darktown Strutters' Ball

We'll meet our hightoned neighbours
An exhibition of the "Baby Dolls"
And each one will do their best
Just to outclass all the rest
There'll be dancers from ev'ry foreign land
The classic buck and wing and the wooden clog
We'll win that fifty dollar prize
When we step out and "Walk The Dog"

I'll be down to get you in a taxi, honey
You better be ready about half past eight
Now dearie, don't be late
I wanna be there when the band starts playing
Remember when we get there, honey
The two-steps, we're gonna have 'em all
Goin' to dance off both my shoes
When they play the "Jelly Roll Blues"
Tomorrow night, at the Darktown Strutters' Ball


(Contributed by Paul Molloy - September 2002)
(Updated by Mel Priddle - October 2013)