"Knock Me a Kiss"
Single by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
B-side"I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town"
Released1942
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)Mike Jackson, Andy Razaf

"Knock Me a Kiss" is a song written by Mike Jackson (music) and Andy Razaf (lyrics).[1] It was performed by Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five, recorded in November 1941, and released on the Decca label (catalog no. 8593). The B-side was "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town".

The record was a hit,[2] but was released prior to the creation of the Harlem Hit Parade chart in late October 1942.[3] Despite the lack of precise chart information, music historians William and Nancy Young wrote: "The recording took off as an immediate hit; its ... slangy lyrics (or jive, to use the language of the time) ... proved irresistible to record buyers and made Jordan and his band a force in the marketplace."[1]

The song was one of the twenty songs included in the 1977 MCA collection The Best of Louis Jordan[4] and in many other Jordan compilations.[5]

Ella Fitzgerald recorded this for her 1958 album Ella Swings Lightly on Verve Records.

References

  1. ^ a b William H. Young; Nancy K. Young (2008). Music of the World War II Era. Greenwood Press. p. 80. ISBN 978-0-313-33891-5.
  2. ^ M. H. Orodenker (November 14, 1942). "On the Records". The Billboard. p. 22.
  3. ^ Joel Whitburn (1988). Top R&B Singles 1942–1988. Record Research, Inc. ISBN 0-89820-068-7.(introductory section on "Researching The Billboard R&B Charts")
  4. ^ "The Best of Louis Jordan - Louis Jordan | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic" – via www.allmusic.com.
  5. ^ "Louis Jordan | Album Discography". AllMusic.
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