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"One Mint Julep"
Single by the Clovers
B-side"Middle Of The Night"
ReleasedMarch 1952
RecordedDecember 19, 1951
Studio Atlantic Studios, New York City
Genre R&B
Length2:27
Label Atlantic
Songwriter(s) Rudy Toombs
The Clovers singles chronology
" Fool, Fool, Fool"
(1951) 		"One Mint Julep"
(1952) 		" Ting-A-Ling"
(1952)
"One Mint Julep"
Single by Ray Charles
from the album Genius + Soul = Jazz
B-side"Let's Go"
ReleasedFebruary 1961
Recorded1960
Genre Rhythm and blues
Length3:02
Label Impulse!
Songwriter(s) Rudy Toombs
Ray Charles singles chronology
"Them That Got"
(1960) 		"One Mint Julep"
(1961) 		"I've Got News for You"
(1961)

"One Mint Julep" is a R&B song, written and composed by Rudy Toombs, that became a 1952 hit for the Clovers. [1] The song has received over 100 cover versions, both with lyrics and as an instrumental. [2]

History

"One Mint Julep" was recorded on the Atlantic Records label in New York City on December 19, 1951, and released in March 1952. It was one of the first " drinking songs" to become a hit and one of the first to feature a tenor saxophone solo. It was an important step in the history of Ahmet Ertegun and Atlantic Records in its quest to become a hot rhythm and blues label. [3] Stylistically, the Clovers were moving away from the sentimental lyrics of the romantic doo-wop group songs and adapting a cooler group style, emphasizing rhythm more, nearing the style of a jump blues combo. [4]

Toombs had been hired by the Atlantic Records label to write and compose humorous up-tempo rhythm and blues novelty songs. Atlantic wanted material that was true to life, but also funny. The humor in this song comes in part from the idea of a young black man getting drunk on mint juleps, traditionally thought of as an aristocratic southern white woman's drink. [3] The Atlantic B-side was "Middle of the Night" by "Nugetre", Ertegun spelled backwards.

Lyrics content

The story line is a classic one of a man who falls for the charms of a young woman only to realize a few years later that he has a ring on his finger. He remembers that it all started with "One Mint Julep." [5] [1]

Drinking songs

"One Mint Julep" was the first of several successful up-tempo drinking songs by Toombs, who went on to write and compose " One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" for Amos Milburn, "Fat Back and Corn Likker" for Louis Jordan, and "Nip Sip" for the Clovers. [4]

Ray Charles cover version

In 1961 "One Mint Julep" finally reached a mass audience when Ray Charles's organ-and-big-band instrumental version reached No. 1 on the R&B charts, and also reached No. 8 on the pop chart. [3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 3 - The Tribal Drum: The rise of rhythm and blues. [Part 1]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  2. ^ "One Mint Julep". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved April 1, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c Propes, Steve; Dawson, Jim (1992). What Was the First Rock'n'Roll Record. Boston & London: Faber & Faber. pp. 99–101. ISBN  0-571-12939-0.
  4. ^ a b Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll ((2nd Ed.) ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 135, 165. ISBN  0-306-80683-5.
  5. ^ Gillett, Charlie (1996). The Sound of the City: The Rise of Rock and Roll ((2nd Ed.) ed.). New York, N.Y.: Da Capo Press. pp. 165, 202. ISBN  0-306-80683-5.

External links

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