Babs' Three Bips and a Bop: Oop-pop-a-da
Track
Oop-pop-a-da
Group
Babs' Three Bips and a Bop
CD
Bebop Spoken Here (Proper Box 10)
Musicians:
Babs Gonzales (vocals), Rudy Williams (alto sax), Tadd Dameron (piano, vocals),
William “Pee Wee” Tinney (vocals, guitar), Arthur Phipps (bass), Charles Simon (drums)
.Arranged by Tadd Dameron
.Recorded: New York, February 24, 1947
Rating: 90/100 (learn more)
First, Newark-born Lee Brown morphed into turban-clad Ram Singh to chauffeur matinee idol Errol Flynn around Hollywood. Then, as zoot-suited Babs Gonzales, the ex-driver authored his scholarly Be-Bop Dictionary and History of its Famous Stars (1947). Finally, hoping to become one such Famous Star, the loony lexicographer formed Three Bips & A Bop, whose "Oop-pop-a-da" includes the immortal refrain "Ye-didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'didily-a'dudily-a'didily- a'dudily-a'la-d'la-la." Babbling Babs's cheerful wackiness never quite caught on, and his book is long out of print, but as far as we're concerned, Babs Gonzales is one of bop's Famous Stars. Besides, are there any other kind?
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Tags: vocal groups
Comments are closed.