Early Cajun Music: "I Went To The Dance" - Iry Lejeune
J'Ai Ete au Bal! First recorded by Iry in 1957 for Ed Shuler's label Goldband, this song is one of the most covered and recorded Cajun tunes today. The title would be used in several Cajun music compilations and a documentary film on Louisiana French and Zydeco music produced in 1989 by Les Blank, Chris Strachwitz and Maureen Gosling.
Re: Early Cajun Music: "I Went To The Dance" - Iry Lejeune
I've been listening to a lot of very old songs lately, and i found two that are the same tune but recorded before Iry. One by Joe and Cleoma Falcon, which is the same tune, and almost the same lyrics, but called "Ne Buvez P'us Boire. The other was recorded by Bixy Guidry and Percy Babineaux and they called it "J'va Jouer Cela Pour Toi", same tune but different lyrics.
Re: Early Cajun Music: "I Went To The Dance" - Iry Lejeune
Thanks for that info WF, I love this tune, play and sing it on my D box, now trying to incorporate the key change. As your article confirms- I always thought it sounded like Oh Susannah and used that as a reference in my head to remember the tune when I was first learning it. Amused to find out theres a place called China in Louisiana as it would cause some confusion to see the words "Made in China, LA" on an accordion!
Re: Early Cajun Music: "I Went To The Dance" - Iry Lejeune
Good catch. According to the archives at UNC, the records show Ed recorded them earlier and then released them much later, which is what I should have said. I believe Shuler talks about this in an interview.
"After he got killed, I threw all his records back in the corner and forgot about it, ‘cause I heard when one of them died, you couldn’t give his records away. Well, a couple of years later, maybe not that long, they come around here and want to hear Iry’s records. Some of ‘em were six foot two, weighed 280 pounds...I’d get one of the records out and play it, and stand up there and cry like a baby. I started reissuing his records then. " -Ed Shuler
I assume the listing shows the re-issue date. I'll make the correction. Thanks! :D