Mr. Bojangles (song)

"Mr. Bojangles"
Single by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
from the album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy
B-side	"Uncle Charlie Interview #2/Spanish Fandango" (later replaced with "Mr. Bojangles" w/o prologue)
Released	September 1970
Recorded	1969
Genre	Country, folk
Length	5:15 3:35 (without prologue)
Label	Liberty
Songwriter(s)	Jerry Jeff Walker
Producer(s)	William McEuen
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band singles chronology
"Buy for Me the Rain" (1967) "Mr. Bojangles" (1970) "House at Pooh Corner" (1971)

"Mr. Bojangles" is a song written and originally recorded by American country music artist Jerry Jeff Walker for his 1968 album of the same title. It has since been recorded by other artists, including the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1969 (released September 1970).

Composition

Walker said he was inspired to write the song after an encounter with a street performer in a New Orleans jail. While in jail for public intoxication in 1965, he met a homeless man who called himself "Mr. Bojangles" to conceal his true identity from the police. Mr. Bojangles had been arrested as part of a police sweep of indigent people that was carried out following a high-profile murder. The two men and others in the cell chatted about all manner of things, but when Mr. Bojangles told a story about his performing dog who was killed by a car, the mood in the room turned heavy. Someone else in the cell asked for something to lighten the mood, and Mr. Bojangles obliged with a tap dance.^[1][2] The homeless "Mr. Bojangles", who was white, had taken his pseudonym from Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (1878–1949), a black entertainer.^[3]

Notable recordings

The song was first recorded by popular Austin performer Allen Wayne Damron during a live performance at the Chequered Flag folk club in Austin in 1967.^[4] Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his single version (with Bobby Woods, Charlie Freeman, Sandy Rhodes, Tommy McClure, Sammy Creason, and a string orchestra) in Memphis, Tennessee on June 7, 1968, and it was released by Atco Records on June 20. He also recorded a non-string version in New York City for his album Mr. Bojangles with David Bromberg, Gary Illingworth, Danny Milhon, Bobby Cranshaw, Jody Stecher, Donny Brooks, Ron Carter, Bill LaVorgna, and Jerry Jemmott. It was released by Atco on September 25, 1968.^{[citation needed]}

Other versions including those by

Since then, it has been recorded by many other artists, including US country rock band Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, whose version (recorded for the 1970 album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy) was issued as a single and rose to No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.

The band's single version begins with the Uncle Charlie interview (subtitled "Prologue: Uncle Charlie and his Dog Teddy") that also precedes the song on the Uncle Charlie album. It was originally backed with another interview with Uncle Charlie, also taken from the album. When "Mr. Bojangles" started climbing the charts, the B-side was re-pressed with the same song without the interview. NGDB guitarist Jeff Hanna performed most of the lead vocals on the track, with bandmate Jimmy Ibbotson performing harmony vocals; the two switched these roles on the last verse.^[6]

Nina Simone

Nina Simone recorded the song in 1971 and included it in her album of the same year “Here comes the Sun”, which consists of cover versions of songs by pop and rock musicians. The style of her interpretation of the song is much closer to the original Jerry Jeff Walker version than other covers of the song.^{[citation needed]}

Sammy Davis Jr.

The song became one of Sammy Davis Jr.'s signature performances,^[7][8] which he recorded for his 1972 album Portrait of Sammy Davis Jr.^[9] and sang at President Richard Nixon's invitation at a concert at the White House the following year.^[10]

Al Cherny

Canadian fiddler Al Cherney (recording as Al Cherny) reached number 45 on the Canadian RPM Top Country Singles charts, in December 1972, with his recording of the song.

Chart history