Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy – The Andrews Sisters
“Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” was a major hit for The Andrews Sisters and an iconic World War II tune. It can be considered an early jump blues recording. The song is ranked No. 6 on Songs of the Century. Bette Midler’s 1972 recording of the song reached the top ten on the U.S. pop singles chart.
The 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 but after the start of a peacetime draft to expand the armed forces in anticipation of American involvement. The flip side was “Bounce Me, Brother, With a Solid Four”. The Andrews Sisters introduced both songs in the Abbott and Costello film, Buck Privates (released January 1941), 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.