_JPG.jpg)
Way back in the 1840s, the name "Jim Dandy" started showing up in both British and American slang as a term for "an outstanding person or thing." Entomologists believe it developed from an old song called "Dandy Jim from Caroline."
As it became more widely used over the decades, it was only a matter of time before "Jim Dandy" itself became the title of a song. About 110 years, to be exact. :-)
In early 1956, Laverne Baker released a song by that name that not only reached the top of Billboard's Rhythm & Blues Chart, but #17 on The Hot 100.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame eventually added it to their list of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock & Roll," and it spent decades on Rolling Stone's "Top 500 of All Time," until it fell off the list with the latest update in 2021.
In 1973, Black Oak Arkansas, whose lead singer (Jim Mangrum) was already using Jim Dandy as his stage name," released a fantastic cover version of the song, bringing it up to date with a blistering Southern rock & roll vibe...as Jim and group member Ruby Starr traded off some high-powered vocals... backed by some smoking guitar!
It's a "Great Party Song of the ''70s" with 130-year-old roots!
Black Oak Arkansas (1973):
Lavern Baker (1956):
"Dandy Jim From Caroline:"
Comments