"Wang Dang Doodle" is a cornerstone of Chicago blues, written by the prolific songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon. The song is celebrated as an "urban party song" known for its rolling beat and colorful cast of characters like "Automatic Slim" and "Razor Totin' Jim". Origin and Meaning
- Composition: Dixon wrote the song in the 1950s, basing it on a "bawdy toast" or "old-timey" levee camp number he remembered from his youth.
- The Phrase: According to Dixon, "wang dang doodle" simply means a "good time" or having a ball with lots of dancing.
- Sanitization: Dixon's published version was a "sanitized" adaptation of more obscene street rhymes, such as "The Bull Dagger's Ball," transforming provocative characters into the ones heard in the final lyrics.
Key Recordings
- Howlin' Wolf (1960): The first to record the song for Chess Records. Wolf famously disliked the track, calling it "too old-timey," but Dixon and label owners persuaded him to record it during the same sessions that produced "Back Door Man".
- Koko Taylor (1965): The definitive version that catapulted the song to fame. Recorded for the Chess subsidiary Checker Records, Taylor’s raw, powerful delivery turned it into a million-selling hit. It peaked at #4 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1966 and became her signature song.
- Pointer Sisters (1973): Their high-energy version reached #24 on the R&B charts and introduced the song to a new generation.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
- Preservation: In 2023, Koko Taylor’s version was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry as an "audio treasure".
- Rock Covers: The song became a staple for rock bands, most notably the Grateful Dead, who performed it nearly 100 times between 1983 and 1995. Other notable covers include Savoy Brown, PJ Harvey, and Ted Nugent