Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
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"Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy", a song about a virtuoso trumpet player, was a major hit for the Andrews Sisters and an iconic World War II tune.
This song was written by Don Raye and Hughie Prince, and was recorded at Decca's Hollywood studios on January 2, 1941, nearly a year before the United States entered World War II. The sisters introduced the song in the 1941 Abbott and Costello film Buck Privates, which was in production when they made the record. "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song.
The song is closely based on an earlier Raye-Prince hit, "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," which is about a virtuoso boogie-woogie piano player.
In an interview broadcast July 3, 2006 on CNN, World War II veteran Bill Arter said he often played in jam sessions with the black unit in Company C, who gave him the nickname Bugle Boy from Company B. Arter was a medic who landed during D-day. There is no evidence that he was the inspiration for the song, however, since it was written before the U.S. entered the war. He may have been dubbed the Bugle Boy from Company B in reference to the song, not the other way around.
It was re-recorded by Bette Midler, who took it to the top ten on the U.S. pop singles charts in 1973.
In 1976, MCA Music sued Earl Wilson and his associates for copyright infringement over a sexually explicit parody in Phil Oesterman's musical Let My People Come.
The all-female R&B group En Vogue recorded an updated version of the song on their 1990 debut album Born To Sing.
In the early 1990s the group 2 In A Tank created a re-mix of the song. It is very rare, usually only found on records[referenece needed].
In 2006, The Puppini Sisters covered the song for their debut single. It was predicted to be "the big hit of the summer" by the Evening Standard.
Pop singer Christina Aguilera has a song off of her 2006 album "Back to Basics" called "Candyman" which is influenced by Bugle Boy. The song went on to become the third single off of the album and is a fan favorite, as well as a favorite of the singer.
- MCA Music v. Earl Wilson Columbia Law School Arthur W. Diamond Law Library Music Plagiarism Project.
- Listen to the song online (includes lyrics)
- lyrics, sample, and label shot
- The Puppini Sisters' official website (featuring a sample of their version)