Rag Mop
Encyclopedia
"Rag Mop" was a popular
American song
of the late 1940s-early 1950s.
The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Johnnie Lee Wills
and Deacon Anderson and published in 1949
. Considered a novelty song
, the lyrics consisted mostly of spelling out the title of the song; because of the spelling used in the song, it is sometimes referred to as "Ragg Mopp."
The most popular version of this song was recorded by The Ames Brothers, and released by Coral Records
as catalog number
60140. The song was part of a double-sided hit; the flip side was "Sentimental Me
." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 6, 1950 and lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. The song was re-released in 1951
by Coral as catalog number 60397, with the flip side "Hoop-Dee-Doo
". The group re-recorded the song several times. The 1950 recording is considered an example of proto-rock and roll as it contained elements that would later go into the defining of the genre.
covered the song for their 1965 album The Chipmunks Sing with Children
.
This song was played on M*A*S*H in Season 9, Episode 6, after Hawkeye and BJ ordered a radio from the Sears Catalog. The song drives Major Winchester nuts as he is a strict classical music lover ("Those people cannot sing nor spell!")
Lou Monte
recorded an English/Italian version in 1960 on his album "Italiano USA".
Allan Sherman
parodied this song in 1963
for his album My Son, the Nut; he renamed it Rat Fink. Sherman's parody was covered in 1979 by American Punk Rock Band The Misfits, which in turn has since been covered by other Punk Rock bands.
According to numerous biographies, "Rag Mop" was also one of the first songs Elvis Presley
tried out at his first Sun Records
recording session in 1954, although no actual recording of him performing the song has to date surfaced.
Rag Mop was performed by a group of dancing mops on The Muppet Show
.
"Rag Mop" by the Ames Brothers was the last single release to hit #1 on the popular charts (Billboard) that was released only on "78" speed at the time of its popularity. After this point in popular music history, every song to hit #1 was released on a 45 rpm record.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
American song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
of the late 1940s-early 1950s.
The song, a 12-bar blues, was written by Johnnie Lee Wills
Johnnie Lee Wills
Johnnie Lee Wills was an American Western swing fiddler popular in the 1930s and 1940s.-Biography:Wills was born in Jewett, Texas, and was the younger brother of Bob Wills. He played banjo with Bob as a member of the Texas Playboys starting in 1934, the year the ensemble began playing on KVOO-AM...
and Deacon Anderson and published in 1949
1949 in music
-Events:*February 4 – Ljuba Welitsch makes her Metropolitan Opera début in Salome.*September 5 - Wagnerian tenor Walter Widdop appears at The Proms, singing "Lohengrin's Farewell", the day before his sudden death at the age of 51....
. Considered a novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
, the lyrics consisted mostly of spelling out the title of the song; because of the spelling used in the song, it is sometimes referred to as "Ragg Mopp."
The most popular version of this song was recorded by The Ames Brothers, and released by Coral Records
Coral Records
Coral Records was a Decca Records subsidiary formed in 1949. It recorded pop artists McGuire Sisters and Teresa Brewer, as well as rock and roller Buddy Holly....
as catalog number
Catalog numbering systems for single records
This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
60140. The song was part of a double-sided hit; the flip side was "Sentimental Me
Sentimental Me
"Sentimental Me" is a popular song.It was written by James T. Morehead and James Cassin and published in 1949.The most popular version was recorded by The Ames Brothers. Other versions were recorded by Elvis Presley, the Russ Morgan Orchestra and in England by Jackie Brown and his Quartet.The Ames...
." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on January 6, 1950 and lasted 14 weeks on the chart, peaking at #1. The song was re-released in 1951
1951 in music
-Events:*January 29 – Nilla Pizzi wins the first annual Sanremo Music Festival with "Grazie dei fiori".*February – The first complete performance of Charles Ives's Second Symphony is given in Carnegie Hall by the New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Leonard Bernstein.*March – Alan...
by Coral as catalog number 60397, with the flip side "Hoop-Dee-Doo
Hoop-Dee-Doo
"Hoop-Dee-Doo" is a popular song published in 1950 with music by Milton De Lugg and lyrics by Frank Loesser.The lyrics of this song are sometimes cited for their use of the phrase "soup and fish", meaning a man's formal dinner suit. This phrase is commonly thought to have originated with P.G...
". The group re-recorded the song several times. The 1950 recording is considered an example of proto-rock and roll as it contained elements that would later go into the defining of the genre.
In popular culture
Alvin and the ChipmunksAlvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
covered the song for their 1965 album The Chipmunks Sing with Children
The Chipmunks Sing with Children
The Chipmunks Sing with Children is an album by Alvin and the Chipmunks with David Seville. It was released on January 1, 1965 by Liberty Records.- Side one :# "Do-Re-Mi"# "Rag Mop"# "Me Too "# "Mister Sandman"# "Hello Dolly"...
.
This song was played on M*A*S*H in Season 9, Episode 6, after Hawkeye and BJ ordered a radio from the Sears Catalog. The song drives Major Winchester nuts as he is a strict classical music lover ("Those people cannot sing nor spell!")
Lou Monte
Lou Monte
Lou Monte born Louis Scaglione, was an Italian American singer best known for a number of best-selling, Italian-themed novelty records which he recorded for both RCA Records and Reprise Records in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
recorded an English/Italian version in 1960 on his album "Italiano USA".
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman
Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time...
parodied this song in 1963
1963 in music
-Events:*January 1 – The Beatles start a 5-day tour in Scotland to support the release of their new single, "Love Me Do".*January 4 – At Cortina d'Ampezzo in Italy, Dalida receives a Juke Box Global Oscar for the year's most-played artist on juke boxes....
for his album My Son, the Nut; he renamed it Rat Fink. Sherman's parody was covered in 1979 by American Punk Rock Band The Misfits, which in turn has since been covered by other Punk Rock bands.
According to numerous biographies, "Rag Mop" was also one of the first songs Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
tried out at his first Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
recording session in 1954, although no actual recording of him performing the song has to date surfaced.
Rag Mop was performed by a group of dancing mops on The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show is a British television programme produced by American puppeteer Jim Henson and featuring Muppets. After two pilot episodes were produced in 1974 and 1975, the show premiered on 5 September 1976 and five series were produced until 15 March 1981, lasting 120 episodes...
.
"Rag Mop" by the Ames Brothers was the last single release to hit #1 on the popular charts (Billboard) that was released only on "78" speed at the time of its popularity. After this point in popular music history, every song to hit #1 was released on a 45 rpm record.