Jean popkey and james hodges8/19/2023 ![]() THE REAL ORIGIN?īut the earliest accurate record, so far, of the song we all know and love is from an account, dated 1857, of two sisters from Canterbury, England, on a trip to Bridgewater, New Hampshire. Similar dances and songs were recorded in Robert Chambers's Popular Rhymes of Scotland (1826) other versions have been traced to 17th-century minstrels. The dance that goes along with the song-in which the participants all dance in a ring, putting the relevant arm or foot in or out, and then shaking it around-goes back a fair way, too. "Hocus pocus" derives, in turn, from a Latin line in the Catholic Mass, "Hoc corpus meum" ("This is my body"), indicating the transformation of the communion "bread" into the body of Jesus Christ. Some argue that "The Hokey Pokey" (or "Cokey") is a corruption of "hocus pocus," the familiar term used by magicians. The origins of the song, though, go back even further. In 1953, Ray Anthony's orchestra recorded it-a double A-side single with "The Bunny Hop"-and it made it to #13 on the charts. The recording flopped, but Degan and Brier found out about it and sued Laprise for ripping off their "Hokey-Pokey Dance." Despite the fact that his version came out after theirs, Laprise won the rights to anything having to do with "The Hokey Pokey." The song was a hit at the resorts, so Laprise recorded it. The general belief is that Charles Mack, Taft Baker, and Larry Laprise wrote the American version of the song "The Hokey Pokey" in 1949 to entertain skiers at the Sun Valley Resort in Idaho. To confuse matters even more, British bandleader Gerry Hoey also claimed to have authored a similar tune, "The Hoey Oka," in 1940. The song was a regional favorite at dances and resorts for the rest of the 1940s, but that still isn't the song we know today. In 1946, totally unaware of the British "Hokey Cokey" and "Hokey Pokey," two Scranton, Pennsylvania musicians-Robert Degan and Joe Brier-recorded "The Hokey-Pokey Dance" to entertain summer vacationers at Poconos Mountains resorts. MEANWHILE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE POND. Written to entertain Canadian troops stationed in London, the song was similar to the "Hokey Pokey" we all know today.Ĭomposer Al Tabor was also entertaining Canadian troops in wartime London, and in 1942 he wrote a participation dance song called "The Hokey Pokey." He claims the name came from the London ice cream vendors of his youth, called "Hokey Pokey Men." The accompanying dance was very similar to Kennedy's. In 1942, Irish songwriter and publisher Jimmy Kennedy, best known for "The Teddy Bear's Picnic," created a dance, and an instructional song to go with it, called "The Hokey Cokey." ![]() Other artists including Bobby Womack, and Sylvester used them on sessions, but after a few more years of the same the trio disbanded, never having achieved the success they and Stevenson tried so hard to obtain.No other song seems to symbolize a good time for people and bring smiles to their faces to quite the same extent as "The Hokey Pokey." But where did this quirky song come from? It's complicated. ![]() During 1977, they had a few singles that nested in the nose-bleed section of the charts: "Don't Take Away Your Love," and a medley "Since I Fell for You/I'm Falling in Love," but no major busters. A second London release What Have You Done for Love, met a similar fate. What's on Your Mind received quite a bit of promotion and acclaim that, unfortunately, didn't transform into sales. In 1976, they signed with London Records. The lack of recording success though, didn't douse HJS' flame they continued traveling, doing the plum gigs. Another 20th Century album, 1975's Power in Your Love, disappeared so fast that most people can't recall its title. Although a solid album, it just didn't get a decent push. They played the sweet gigs throughout Europe and recorded Incredible on 20th Century Fox in 1973, but the only thing incredible about it was the speed it reached cutout bins at discount record stores. He created a snazzy nightclub act for them that rivaled the Supremes. Mickey Stevenson had a great vision for HJS and groomed them to play the top, plush clubs. James studied ballet and tap dancing, while Smith had a gospel background. Hodges played the clarinet in a local band, then attended college and earned a B.A. All Detroit natives, Pat Hodges, Denita James, and Jessica Smith were handpicked by Stevenson, though they each took different routes to get there. Hodges, James & Smith (HJS) was the brainstorm of producer/writer William "Mickey" Stevenson, Motown's A&R Director during their glory years.
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