"Organ Grinder's Swing" is a song composed byWill Hudson, with lyrics credited toMitchell Parish andIrving Mills (Mills was the publisher), published in 1936. It became associated with theJimmie Lunceford orchestra.[1] Hudson based the "Organ Grinder's Swing" on the nursery rhyme "I Love Coffee, I Love Tea".[2]
Ella Fitzgerald recorded the song in November 1936 with her Savoy Eight, and recorded it for a second time with theCount Basie Orchestra for her last album with Basie, 1979'sA Classy Pair. Other contemporary versions were recorded byBenny Goodman,Django Reinhardt and theMills Brothers. It was also featured in a 1937Popeye short Organ Grinder's Swing.
OrganistJimmy Smith recorded "Organ Grinder's Swing" on his 1965 albumOrgan Grinder Swing. VibraphonistMilt Jackson recorded it again in 1976 live at the Kosei Nenkin,Tokyo, withTeddy Edwards,Cedar Walton,Ray Brown andBilly Higgins.
In the 1935 filmThe Littlest Rebel,Shirley Temple andBill "Bojangles" Robinson tap dance to the tune in order to get enough money for train fare to Washington, DC.[3]Ina Ray Hutton and herMelodears performed it in a medley with "Stardust" in their 1937 shortSwing Hutton Swing.[4]
