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A African-American Vernacular Dance. The first written mention of 'the Mess Around' in song came from Perry Bradford in 1912, however Bradford is quoted as saying that it was around for a few years before he wrote the song. The song became a small hit when Ethel Waters sang it on the T.O.B.A. Circuit. The song suggest the dance came from a gal named the Mojo Queen, the shimmyist Gal ever seen... Went down to the Virgin Islands and learned the native style.
This dance consists of a rather complex step rather than a dance routine. The key movement is the 'Twist': Your hands go on your hips, the pelvis or backside, then move your hips in a wide horizontal circular motion, all the while doing a rhythmic bounce on the ball of the feet .... trying to keep the rest of the body quiet (still) that's the Mess Around.
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| The dance was used a lot by many dancers and singers of the day in their performances as well as the general African-American dance population. The Black Bottom song written in 1926 by DeSylva, Brown and Henderson mentions the Louisiana Mess Around which is the same as above only done on the Heels rather than the balls of the feet.
The dance became extremely popular over the years and was revitalized in the 1950s by Ray Charles in his version of the song. The Swing dance version is basically a lean forward towards your partner, they lean away, for eight (8) counts, then repeat other direction, both leans using a slight bounce with a slow contra body hip roll, can be done in double time rhythm as well, arms can be up, middle or down or mixture, plus other variations can be done.
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Birth Place |
Creation Date |
Creator |
Dance Type |
| Virgin Islands |
pre 1912 |
n/a |
Swing / Folk |
Posters, Lobby Cards etc. |
Sheet Music Covers |
Other |
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Various Music Titles |
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All I Want Is To Mess Around (M.Cee) |
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Mess Around (Animals) |
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Mess Around (Professor Longhair) |
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Black Bottom (Mentions the dance) |
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Mess Around (Alvin and the Chipmunks) |
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Mess Around (Rhythm 55) Rockabilly |
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Beale Street Mess Around (Memphis Jug Band) |
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Mess Around (Bobby Freeman) |
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Messin' Around [mp3] (Slim) |
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Come On Boys Let's Do That Messin' Around (Blake) |
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Mess Around (Dr. John) |
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Messin' Around - take 1 (Trixie Smith) |
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Dance the Mess Around (Checker) |
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Mess Around(Ray Charles) 1953 [mp3] |
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Messin around with the blues(Waller) |
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Dance this Mess Around (b-52's) |
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Messin' Around (Bradford) [mp3] |
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Messin' 'Round With The Boogie (Cheatham) |
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Don't Forget to Mess Around (Louis Armstrong) |
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Mess Around (Marmalade) |
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That Dance Called Messin' Around (Martin) |
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Ev’rybody Mess Aroun’ (Strutters) |
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Mess Around (John Mayall) |
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Fourth Street Mess Around (Sausage Grinder) |
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Mess Around (Larry Harlow) |
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Gonna Boogie Down & Mess Around(Backwell) 1978 |
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Mess Around (Paolo Nutini) |
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Mess Around (Algirdas Suminskas & Keksi) |
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Night Clubs |
Theaters |
Locations |
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*Hudson Theatre |
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Films / Movies |
Stage |
| Devil In A Blue Dress (Song featured only) |
*1929 - Messin' Around (4/22/1929-5/1929) |
| Mod Squad (Song Featured only) |
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Publications |
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Books, Magazine Articles on the dance... |
| Title |
Author |
Date Published |
Publisher |
| $ Jazz Dance: The Story of American ... |
Stearns, Marshall |
1994 |
Da Capo Press |
| Low Down Dancing |
Elsie Marcus |
1920s? |
?? |
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Musicians/ Bands |
Composers |
Singers |
Poets / Writers |
| Animals, the |
Jack Cortes |
Bobby Freeman |
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| B-52's |
$ Perry Bradford (1893-1970) |
Chubby Checker |
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| Big Joe Turner |
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Ethel Waters |
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| Blind Blake |
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Sammy Davis Jr. |
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| Doc Cook's Dreamland Orchestra |
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Sara Martin |
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| Fats Waller |
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Suzi Quatro |
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| Freddie Keppard |
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| Georgia Strutters |
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| Ivan Matias (Mod Squad Soundtrack) |
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| Jeannie & Jimmy Cheatham |
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| John Mayall |
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| Memphis Slim |
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| Professor Longhair |
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| Ray Charles |
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| Red Beans & Rice |
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Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches |
| Vernacular Dances |
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| Voodoo dances |
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| Other... |
Original
Song Lyrics: (12 bar blues style)"#CCFF66">by Perry Bradford
Verse:
"Mojo Queen, the shimmyist Gal ever seen...Went down to the Virgin Islands and learned the native style" Chorus:
Now anyone can learn the knack,
Put your hands on your hips and bend your back,
Stand in one spot, nice and light,
Twist around with all your might,
Messin' round, they call the messin' round.
Ray Charles 'Mess Around' Lyrics:
Ah, you can talk about the pit, barbecue,
The band was jumpin', the people too,
Ah, mess around,
They doin' the mess around,
They doin' the mess around,
Everybody doin' the mess around,
Ah, everybody was juiced, you can, bet your soul,
They did the boogie-woogie, with a steady roll,
They mess around,
They doin' the mess around,
They doin' the mess around,
Everybody doin' the mess around,
Now, ah, when I say stop don't you move a peg,
When I say go, just ah, shake your leg,
And do the mess around,
I declare, do the mess around,
Yeah do the mess around,
Everybody's doin' the mess around,
Now let me have it there boy,
[Piano
Solo]>
Now you got it boy>...
[Sax Solo] (Yeah, ah,
mess around, go on mess around)
(Mess around, boy)
Now this band's goin' to play from, 9 to 1,
Everybody here's gonna have some fun ,
Doin' the mess around,
Ah, doin' the mess around,
They doin' the mess around,
Everybody doin' the mess around,
Now you see that girl, with that, diamond ring,
She knows how to, shake that thing,
Mess around,
I declare, she can mess around,
Ah, mess around,
Everybody do the mess around, | |
Ballrooms
