Lyr Add: Charleston (Made in South Caroline)

Subject: Lyr Add: Charleston (Made in South Caroline)
From: chico
Date: 20 Jan 06 - 10:21 PM

    A           C#7        F#7
  Charleston, Charleston, made in Carolina
   B7          E9           A6     F#°               E7
  Some dance, some prance, I'll say there's nothing finer than the
  Charleston, Charleston, Lord how you can shuffle
   C#m               G#7                       
  Ev'ry step you do leads to something new,
  C#7                  E7
  Man I'm telling you, it's a lapazoo,
  
  Buck dance, wing dance, will be a back number,
  But the Charleston, the new Charleston, that dance is surely a comer,
   A       7                D       Dm
  Sometime, you'll dance it one time, the dance called
   A6       F#° E7                   A   (7 D Dm A)
  Charleston, --- made in South Caroline. 
  

["Dance sensation that best typified the flamingly youthful spirit of the 1920's was the high-kicking Charleston, which also happened to be the name of a song. Introduced in the 1923 all-Negro revue Runnin' Wild, the dance very soon replaced the shimmy as the favorite gyrational exercise in ballrooms across the nation" -- Reader's Digest Family Songbook (1969)]

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charleston (Made in South Caroline)
From: Azizi
Date: 20 Jan 06 - 10:39 PM

"The Charleston may have a long history. The Branle of 1520 is presumed to be very similar to the Charleston. As far as an African-American influence, most dance historians summarize that the "Ash-Ante (Ashanti) Peoples" of Africa to be the originator. On the other hand, there are descriptions and pictures to a dance in the Harper's Weekly Magazine (October 13th. 1866) that is very similar to the Charleston (which was most likely the Branle).

-- Nevertheless, the Charleston dance became established (worldwide) during the Ragtime-Jazz period. The series of steps are thought to have originated with the African-Americans who were living on a small island near Charleston, South Carolina. And some say it is from the Cape Verde Islands in Western Africa. The Charleston, was performed as early as 1903 in the Southern States. As time went on it was being used as a regular cotillion step and finally made its way, all dressed up, (as we know it today) into Harlem stage productions by 1913 says James P. Johnson. Henry " Rubberlegs" Williams says it was the first dance he won a contest in the mid teens.

-- The 5/1921 show called 'Shuffle' Along' also had some Charleston dancing, but not yet recognized as such. In 1922/3, it was introduced to the theater going public at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York when the "Ziegfeld Follies," staged a dance act that featured the Charleston. Ned Wayburn was the choreographer, and Sissle (1889-1975) and Blake introduced a young African-American boy to Wayburn. The boy demonstrated what was to be the signature step of the Charleston. Wayburn supposedly choreographed a few more steps and Sissle and Blake wrote the songs ... it was an immediate hit.

-- In that same year, (11/1922) a stage play by the name of "Liza" had introduced the dance done by Rufus Greenlee and Maude Russell but went un-noticed. And yet again on October 29th, 1923 with the Flournoy Miller / Aubrey Lyles Broadway show "Runnin' Wild." Runnin' Wild was produced by George White who introduced a song and dance called the "Charleston" which was written by James P. Johnson. Elida Webb did the Choreography as well as alleging to have invented it (not true). The dancing was done by the shows chorus boys called the "Dancing Redcaps," who used no musical accompaniment except hand clapping and foot stamping. Edith Mae Barnes claimed it was she who introduced the dance in the 1923 show 'Runnin Wild' where it recieved its greatest acclaim.

-- In the 1920's, Women who did the Charleston were called "Flappers" because of the way they would flap their arms and walk like birds while doing the Charleston. Many Collegiate's of the period, predominantly the men wore Raccoon Coats and Straw Hats. The Charleston changed many things in the dance community, namely dance was now not just something you did or watched, you could do both."

Source: http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3chrlst.htm

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: Charleston (Made in South Caroline)
From: Snuffy
Date: 21 Jan 06 - 08:42 AM

As I remember it from a Temperance Seven single (ca 1961?) it had an introductory verse:

Carolina, Carolina,
At last you're on the map.
With a new tune, funny blue tune,
With a peculiar snap.
You may not be able to buck a wing.
Foxtrot, two-step or even swing.
You don't bop[?] religion in your feet
But you can do this dance, and do it neat:

Charleston, Charleston, made in Carolina
Some dance, some prance, I'll say there's nothing finer
Than the Charleston, Charleston, Lord how you can shuffle
Ev'ry step you do leads to something new,
Man I'm telling you, it's a laugh to do.
Buck dance, wing dance, will be a back number,
But the Charleston, the new Charleston,
That dance is surely a comer,
Sometime, you'll dance it one time,
The dance called the Charleston,
Made in South Caroline.

Subject: RE: Lyr Add: CHARLESTON (Mack/Johnson)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 30 Dec 18 - 12:19 PM

These words are from the sheet music at the University of Maine:


CHARLESTON
From the musical production “Runnin’ Wild”
Words and music by Cecil Mack & Jimmy Johnson*, 1923.

Carolina, Carolina, at last they’ve got you on the map
With a new tune, funny blue tune, with a peculiar snap!
You may not be able to buck or wing,
Foxtrot, two-step, or even sing.
If you ain’t got religion in your feet,
You can do this prance and do it neat.

Charleston! Charleston! Made in Carolina,
Some dance; some prance; I’ll say there’s nothing finer
Than the Charleston, Charleston; Lord, how you can shuffle!
Ev’ry step you do
Leads to something new.
Man, I’m telling you,
It’s a lapazoo.**
Buck dance, wing dance, will be a back number,
But the Charleston, the new Charleston, that dance is surely a comer.
Sometime, you’ll dance it one time,
The dance called the Charleston, made in South Caroline.


* Wikipedia identifies him as James P. Johnson.
** I figure “lapazoo” must be related to “lalapalooza.”