Cow Cow Boogie – 1954
Ella Mae Morse
The swing vocalist sings her big hit
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Ella Mae Morse (1924-99) was a well-rounded jazz and swing singer who gained initial fame singing with Freddie Slack’s Orchestra in the mid-1940s.
Her big hit was “Cow Cow Boogie,” a song that was originally written for Ella Fitzgerald for the Abbott & Costello movie “Ride ‘Em Cowboy” but was cut out of the film.
Morse’s 1942 recording with Slack was very popular, and she regularly performed “Cow Cow Boogie” (with lyrics co-written by Benny Carter) for the next 20 years.
This rare television appearance from 1954 features the 30-year-old singer performing on a show hosted by Liberace.
-Scott Yanow
Stan Getz