Welcome to old and new friends who are interested in discussing Cajun and other diatonic accordions, along with some occasional lagniappe....



CAJUN ACCORDION DISCUSSION GROUP

 

General Forum
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
View Entire Thread
Re: Johnny Can't Dance

Yep, proving where a song came from in Cajun music is an exercise in speculating. We can usually show who first recorded it, but whether that person "made" the song is totally up for speculation, it's influence could have come from any of many sources. What was common for the old players, especially Lawrence Walker, was the ability to take a song that may have come from anywhere, and Cajunized it on the accordion, and added his own lyrics. Cajun music is truly a gumbo of whatever ingredients were handy.

Like Greezy, at first Lawrence didn't really get my attention, until I began playing accordion. I then realized the genius of his playing. Not as fancy as many of today's players, but I'm more amazed that those old guys played as well as they did not having a lot to learn from, considering the late arrival of the accordion into Cajun music.

What is everyones favorite version/recording?

Wherever it came from, it sure is a great song. I used to think it might have been based on the old Western Swing song, "Dance All Night, Stay A Little Longer". I heard someone play the music in more or less the usual way, but they put the english words to Dance All Night with it. I know that Cajun music was greatly influenced by Western Swing during the 1930's, when the accordion kind of declined in popularity for a while. Maybe that's when someone brought in Dance All Night at that time, and then it kind of evolved into Johnny Can't Dance after some years went by?

I have heard so many renditions and I can't keep them straight. What is everyone's favorite version?



Re: What is everyones favorite version/recording?

The benchmark, in my estimation, is the YouTube recording of Ray Abshire and Courtney Granger in Stockholm, Sweden around 2009. Link #1.

Re: What is everyones favorite version/recording?

Thanks everyone for the awesome information about Johnny.
If you read the story I posted earlier we all know that Johnny Broussard must have composed that song
Ned's suggestion with Ray Abshire is great but the one with Octa Clark in the kitchen(link#2) is also fantastic. Love them both.
Laughing and playing accordion like that when you're 91 years old must be great.
Ned's video at link#3.
If you want a direct link to something, you have to remove "https://" and only paste www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSDtJqLtvNs into the website link.

Re: Johnny Can't Dance

While we're at it, let's not forget Pay Day in the Army or The Eight of January. They all seem to be variants on the same song.

Re: Johnny Can't Dance

The Battle of New Orleans is a version of Soldier's Joy aka. Payday in the Army and who knows before that.

Cross culture tune sharing is one of the great things about music.



Jamey Hall's most excellent Cajun Accordion Music Theory

Brett's all new Cajun Accordion Music Theory for all keys!

LFR1.gif - 1092 Bytes The April 2011 Dewey Balfa Cajun & Creole Heritage Week

augusta.gif - 6841 Bytes

Listen to Some GREAT Music While You Surf the Net!!
The BEST Radio Station on the Planet!