Cab Calloway - Kickin' The Gong Around

[@aliciasidar]

In my opinion, Cab was the first Rock and Roll star. This man had so much charisma. He's timeless.

[@JustJazzuki]

I wouldn't say Rock and roll. I would say maybe Jazzy genious

[@steplumpkin5432]

LEGEND!!!!!!!!!!

[@roseroyce6874]

You Mean Jazz That would be Chuck Berry or Little Richard Cab is the King of Jazz but I do agree.

[@unseenmarauder]

Well he has been called the first frontman

[@kerencanelo8580]

He invented rock n roll.

[@mdt471]

Younger folks today who believe they know what cool is should get a load of Cab Calloway who set the standard.

[@jaylenharris2150]

Fr I'm 17 and I'm like wow more people need to know who this is

[@ndegwa7963]

Swag personified

[@AnnaCookieZeman]

WOW! 😮😊

[@AlexanderBartolini]

I am 14 yrs old and love cab but I agree.

[@dbohnenberger]

Filmed 90 years ago and still kicks butt

[@stephenvernillo4357]

You're right

[@vialgabravo159]

Nono, it kicks the gong

[@rebeccavega8329]

Love it he was fo fine and so talented ❤

[@FoxNHound]

Lord this man was so handsome in the 20’s and 30’s.

[@MelanieNevaeh227]

You were reading my mind 😩

[@FoxNHound]

@@MelanieNevaeh227nah cause he can have me

[@tyeshab2010]

right they knew to make me a 90s baby ... cause sir 🥰

[@isaacduvon]

He's still hansom, I'd kiss his skeleton or smooch his ashes 😅

[@baraskparas9559]

No one has ever been more flamboyant than Cab Calloway.

[@renwalda]

No bones! I love when he dances like he's suspended by wires, completely defying gravity. Lucky, lucky people who got to see him live.

[@utube9416]

Dude I knowwwww you couldn’t have said it any better. I’d give anything to se him perform live just one time 😭

[@nrhurley117]

Uh. Didn’t see anything like that in this video. You wouldn’t be kickin the opium around would you?

[@evanwolf6618]

🗽 well , i consider myself lucky to have seen him 8 or nine times . also was at several dedications to him which he attended . what a gent !!

[@ITILII]

Cab combined soul, jazz, blues and rock and roll....the man is BEYOND legendary !!! He should have gotten a Best Supporting Actor for The Blues Brothers. Cab is the Original OG, man !!!

[@ronnienorvi8631]

Moooon walk! Amazone this Guy has inventes all the modern musique ! A genious

[@wleon4068]

The greatest of all time. That is my opinion. Cab Calloway the best there ever was.

[@tummytalk605]

the more i see this video the more I think Cab was the greatest entertainer that ever lived, there is not a talent these days that comes close to this man

[@stevecannon4780]

The King of Interpretive dance. He was always popular with everyone, especially the young folks of all races and is still one of my favorite entertainers. I knew his work in the 60s until his death. He was popular with my mom's generation though so I heard everything he recorded is seems. Everything he did was absolute gold. He was so good looking, he could sing and dance. He was one of the favorite of the Jitterbug crowd.

[@davidwesley2525]

The Original King of COOL Cab Calloway. 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

[@areguapiri]

Cab Calloway is vastly underrated and unknown to many people because other black musicians got more attention. He often performed to replace Duke Ellington's band. Because of racism, only a few blacks could achieve wide success and popularity back then. And he's black and was always treated as a black man by white America. Damn, he was great!

[@phoenixadams9962]

Cab Calloway was never underrated. He was one of the greats, and his Cotton Club was legend. And then he appeared in a Janet Jackson video, and neo-swing and electro swing have garnered him new fans each generation.

[@coconotshell6951]

as a person who was born in 1998, playing the game cuphead introduced me to King Dice and King Dice introduced me to Cab and other artists during 20s,30s,40s,50s, and 60s. Damn... music during those times is a total gem!

[@nicky2coats]

I love how Cuphead has exposed a whole new generation to 1930s culture

[@mr.vintage4889]

Cab Calloway The Master Of Cool.

[@vilstef6988]

Great emotive singer, enough charisma to fill a stage and acting chops and eccentric dance moves! There is no one like the Cab man!

[@neflesward2727]

Outstanding performance! Cab Calloway is the definition of charisma and stage presence

[@dennissneed2162]

ahead of his time, talent overload, he had it all, total package

[@lindagurrera685]

I mean I’m speechless this man was amazing for that time period he looks really young here and I can’t stop watching this and he performed Minnie the moocher in 1980 at age 73 in the blues brothers amazing

[@pharindipidy8491]

they don't make em like cab calloway anymore. performance legend.

[@mel3760]

PHARINDIPIDY Yes they do. They still sing about drugs, just not in a suit with a band

[@rhettcampbell45]

Mel well then it wouldn’t be like Cab then would it? That’s kinda his thing

[@lindagurrera685]

He was an amazing storyteller you can see the song

[@emmalinemck3355]

My 8 year old sings this with me, he got it going on already, he knows music and class.

[@introspectivedreamer3864]

Apart from the fantastic vocals and the fabulous musicians , Cab’s footwork including Doing the splits in that immaculate tailored suit is itself a feat of amazing skill. A visual and audio feast. 😁🌹Absolutely fantastic 🎵🎶🎺🎷

[@HoovyTube]

1:34 oh that kinda pleasure! Thanks Cab Calloway.

[@gyomen]

I noticed it too hahahahaha

[@Ryan-on5on]

The inventor of swag, Cab Calloway!

[@raeraewells7053]

Man he was wonderful! ❤

[@1909Ghost]

he is so cool

[@caroltenge5147]

Beyond cool..... SUPER COOL!

[@mr.vintage4889]

The master of cool.

[@frankgunold268]

The character "Smokey" is described as "cokey", meaning a user of cocaine; the phrase "kick the gong around" was a slang reference to smoking opium. Minnie the Moocher - Wikipedia

[@103drs]

Thanks Karl Marx, very cool

[@ineffablemars]

Do you think Cab was a socialist?

[@krismichael1633]

It's really not a subtle song. Smokey Joe shows up at the drug house broke and sick from withdrawls. Minnie either owes him a fix or is slang for heroin which I suspect is more likely. Smokey's broke and a chump, everyone acts like they don't know where Minnie is, they give him the brush off until he leaves then everyone gets loaded again.

[@addisonmartin3700]

yup, at 1:40

[@cherilynnsorensen3637]

This man is bad ass talented handsome and a great dancer I wish I could have seen him live back then just a few years before my ⏲ time since I didn't come around till 1972

[@Stick3x]

Cab Calloway The greatest of all time.

[@JustJazzuki]

We wont find another sweet man like him. What I wouldn't give to meet Cab Calloway...he is a The only Hi-de-ho man.

[@Republicrat74]

A consumate entertainer, and one of the pioneers of Big Band Jazz in the 1930's.

[@Tracydot3]

"Kicking the gong around" is 20's slang for opium.

[@Imeraldgyrl]

And "junk" was dope.

[@denp54z]

notice the snort off the back of the hand too, coke?

[@Imeraldgyrl]

I did . . . I just love Cab . . . he must have just drove them over the edge, with this subversive lyrics!

[@RobertSlover]

that sweet cocaine actually

[@johnstatser7088]

Rob Nope, opium

[@bellydancer7432]

Classic! Michael Jackson emulated his moves! Can't beat the original folks!

[@mochawitch]

wow, I love this song. I had no idea there was actual footage of Cab singing it. and how bout the little coke-sniffing gesture he stuck in there. Just shows you nothing's new, lol. Thanks for posting this, its freaking amazing.

[@bungieflute]

pick me up "bump" he was Wilona from GoodTimes illegitimate father too supposedly ,I love it when she called Buffalo Butt - Booger

[@kavic1234]

One of the very best band leaders and entertainers Wish there were more of his caliber around today

[@Megaghost_]

He's talking about both things, opium ("kicking the gong around", as they already said, and by saying that smokey was a "cokey", which is the same as saying "cokehead" today.

[@TheMaxundmoritz]

As a yout I kicked the gong overseas. One can not stand while doing the act. You collapse.

[@brianjschumer]

What I wouldnt give to see one on his original Cotton Club shows..Such a great talent. Thsnks to KZbin, we can see an American Icon

[@bellydancer7432]

You won't see those moves anymore folks. Enjoy!!!!

[@wavesnearmyhome]

This is great. What a talent. Cab Calloway is one of my favorites.

[@devildarlin1364]

Damn it Minnie, first she kicks the gong around, then she goes for the prince, now Mickey. Bet Mickey doesn't know about her history with Smokey Joe...

[@notmagicok7612]

he had a dream about the prince of sweden. that was her high from the opium or "kicking the gong around

[@Melody_Mike.4460]

Wow that just make total sense I never thought of that

[@DonPeyote420]

I always imagine Minnie looking like Betty Boop.

[@DonPeyote420]

there's a whole Ha-de-ho universe

[@_.STAR_]

Devil Darlin' : Love your comment ! Hilarious & witty ! : )

[@ResedaMickey]

The bassist is Al Morgan, from New Orleans like most top-shelf early jazz upright players. My friend (who's info I'm passing on) once heard and had a nice and informative chat with his tenor sax and clarinet-playing older brother, Andrew. The tune is by Harold Arlen and his usual lyricist writing partner, Ted Koehler.

[@nasus4848]

Wondering if that might be New Orleans' Danny Barker on guitar?

[@ResedaMickey]

That's not Barker, who was in the band later, from 1939 to '46. The guitarist in the clip is probably Morris White, who was with Cab's band through most of the '30s. This guy was darker than Barker (...he said poetically). The bassist is probably Al Morgan, a great player from New Orleans. He was the youngest of four musical brothers. Never saw him in person, but years ago I heard, met and had a nice chat with the third brother, Andrew, who played tenor sax and clarinet. The two oldest, Sam and Isaiah, were both cornet or trumpet players. Al Morgan was featured exercising his considerable chops to the fullest on "That Funny Reefer Man" in the movie "International House" in 1933, the year after "The Big Broadcast." Oddly enough, there don't seem to any full-length clips of "Reefer Man" online, just excerpted fragments unfortunately.

[@danielweinstein5252]

@@nasus4848 It's actually banjo in this clip!

[@Moionfire]

The scatting is wonderful... I listened to the same two parts a million times.

[@OfficialReggieJamz]

That gong intro went on to inspire MJs BEAT IT!! ❤️ 🙏🏾 👑

[@introspectivedreamer3864]

Bloomin’ superb 🎷🎺🎶🎵

[@alanoneill3065]

Cab...perhaps the greatest musical pioneer of the 20th Century...

[@philipstevenson5166]

It's easy to imagine roots going back hundreds of thousands of years. Like most great entertainers.

[@ERen-tj6jg]

Cab for me as a child thought his music was so f'n cool...he's one cool ass cat...being a hop skip and a jump from the o'l Maxwell street market in Chicago..listening to blues has always been a part of me...oooh and bye the way...I was right then..and I right now..that's one smooth ass cat 🐈😎✌

[@A86]

It would be dishonest to say MJ stole from Cab Calloway since MJ never claimed to invent the Moonwalk. He always attributed it to street dancers and several famous dancers before him. Not to mention MJ had many other dances other than the Moonwalk, which you would know if you've seen him in anything other than Billie Jean. Anyways, Cab Calloway also remains one of my favorite musicians of all time. This was groundbreaking for him to actually act out the drug addiction while singing about it!

[@philippevinot4798]

une époque avec des chanteurs qui avaient de la voix , biens habillés,etc ... merci de cette video

[@mochawitch]

This never, ever gets tired ❤️❤️👍🏾👍🏾

[@snowthread3938]

i listen to his music since im 3. Im 22 now and for God's sake this is beyond incredible

[@rony9381]

I grew up with the blues brothers movie but forgot how this music was. Now im 16 years old and love hip-hop/rap since i was 8. But i found him and i started to love it again. This man is a real G. i mean, his way to dance, move and Look is fire.

[@windstorm1000]

Cab is fabulous. I have an interesting association with Cab via his music. My partner took his late great daughter Chris's singer showcases. My partner is a great singer partially to what he learned from Chris--and Cab!!!! REAL singing.

[@atx97]

Para mi es una súper estrella , magistral artistya y los cartoons hechos con su música geniales ! Los disfrute delo niño y ahora de viejo .

[@pborgia1]

Cab Calloway....a one of a kind, simply amazing and still entertaining after all these years

[@bacchusculinarianlover7988]

I love this classic!

[@kurtralske4026]

Man what an incredible performance! The man was a born choreographic genius

[@hassantumbo6616]

Love the spin cab did that was amazing

[@Fritztoons]

Cap is pure music!

[@phoenixadams9962]

I had no idea there was another song about Cokey Smokey and Minnie the Moocher. And although it was filmed when my mother was a small child, a blues song about a couple of crackheads is still just as relevant.

[@beangautsy3758]

theyre actually main charcters in cab calloways discography, he wrote about them as much as modern crackheads write about eachother on facebook.

[@dommybomb]

You know if I lived back then I would've wanted to meet this man more than anything...🤣 And ask him how does he come up with this random lyrics.

[@lawrencewood289]

Wow, what a song...and what a performance!!

[@AnnaCookieZeman]

This morning, I sent this recording to a much younger friend, and I asked if she knew what it's about. I have not yet gotten a response. 😅

[@donrobertson4611]

Thanks SbrPL. Came for Cab. then discovered great music I'd never heard before.

[@mr.hawkeye3319]

I'm in love with cab's songs

[@horatiodreamt]

Calloway sure had some moves.

[@frogwaffle7]

24 years old and killin' it !!!!!!

[@streetmarket7666]

Dope Song Litteraly

[@lindagurrera685]

Amazing truly ❤

[@ericesco607]

Love Cab the Best in his days.

[@adamwyeth]

One of my favourite songs - classic!

[@JACOB_ROCHA]

happy birthday cab calloway

[@QueenetBowie]

The original bad ass. Really, people think Johnny Rotten is the epitome of punk, but this is just 100% bad ass.

[@XxXShevampXxX]

They really don't make em like this anymore, that's for sure. I always get a little laugh when I see older folks ranting about drug references in music today but you ask em if they're Cab Calloway fans and they'll say "OH COURSE!" like his tunes aren't chock full of drug references. And we won't even get into the sexual references 😂😂 He really was an innovator of the genre!

[@cherieavery7797]

Oh yeah absolutely this guy was one bad ass and talented blackfella!

[@bungieflute]

@P'tit Paysan China White?

[@danielroque8504]

The audience in attendance at his shows must have been epic!!

[@madstylesnz]

Cab's my hero he represents all that is important in life.

[@777mac777]

eyes just love entertaining;and hearing the picture just turns me out,you can tell he and his ensemble gave one fantastic show,i love music that moves you,and it"s few and far that you get entertaining today!!!!!!!!!!!!!CAB........like it's HEP

[@doobeedoo2]

he was so slim then...omg

[@bluesugar58]

Cab was only 24 here, very young! He was already leading the hottest band around and doing Hollywood films!

[@sandramaurer9456]

what GREAT GIFTS Africans have brought to our country , they are endless, talents in all areas of life they should be completely admired and respected and loved, What a boring world without them .

[@kyewilson7837]

Sandra Maurer but look at what America and other places have now, complete and utter shit I wish music like this was more main stream

[@westernhemlock]

They really did introduce all the best musical genres to the country. We wouldn’t have jazz, rock n roll, or the blues without them

[@MrUSSAM]

Kye Wilson Maybe you need to look a bit deeper ? There is PLENTY of GREAT New Music coming out,in America & other countries too,But You gotta seek it out,,not just think what "they" offer is the best there is to be heard,, If it won't make major Corporations $$$ they don't bother,,which IS why most of what is "pushed" SUCKS !

[@kyewilson7837]

U.S. SAM but as I was saying most of it is utter shit and the good stuff is basically featured for a nano second

[@brianjschumer]

Interesting thought and true, when the Germans thought of world conquring by a master race in @ or before, WW 2..they should have had a look at these videos, no other country, even with our bits of racism, had cooler people and more or better talent anywhere. We are not perfect- but our mix is what makes us strong..

[@jourwalis-8875]

What an artist!

[@rjwh67220]

Cab, an early adopter of the dope song style.

[@williamneely8366]

There was nothing like Harlem on a sat,.nite back then he’s on a pbs special American masters I watched it over and over again fascinating gee cab was a cool fox.

[@georgeclark9144]

Watch him snort his wrist...Ha Ha...a Master of cool!!!

[@cherieavery7797]

Yeah I just noticed that I bet he was doing a fair bit of that before he went on stage

[@bridgetgregory3876]

Cab is THE MAN!!!!

[@gatorandy3899]

En esa epoca hubiera sido hermoso y muy Alegre levantarse por las mañana y disfrutar de esa musica tan maravillosa y melodiosa, que voz maestro

[@mieldesouris]

Genial... Cab ! Thanks, Thanks, thanks... You're GREAT

[@pborgia1]

fantastic!

[@ZamsadaZombie]

I've watched this video several times & barely noticed that part!

[@ChiefRxcka]

I don't even understand what I just witnessed. At 2:55 his legs literally just vibrate him back to the mic!!?! He doesn't move his feet forward at all!?!? It simply does not compute.

[@denp54z]

Now we know where Michael Jackson learned his moon walking dance.

[@lemurianchick]

Yes! There was also a move like James Brown jumping into a stance on the ground.

[@wokinstock]

@Arthur Anderson u really showed him!! with your extensive knowledge on serial pedophiles lmfaooo "moondance" fkn clown

[@barbarahenderson7611]

He learnt it from Soul Train. Be truthful it was out before this black people do everything with their feet I do.

[@RadicalCaveman]

@Arthur Anderson Undoubtedly, there was a line of transmission that goes back at least as far as Cab, through Damiels and to Jackson. Who knows where Cab got it from, or if he invented it.

[@brownnoise357]

Cab also did Punk about 50 years before the more recent Punk Music. Early footage of Cab’s performances (I think in the Cotton Club?) show he was way ahead of his time. A truly remarkable artist, and I wish a record company would do a comprehensive collection of his performances for posterity while original sources might still be available.

[@bravo2627]

Genio... maestroooo!!!!

[@bicpapermate]

The first time I saw Cab Calloway was watching this movie. I was amazed. My first thought was "How come people think rock and roll began in the 80s, when this guy is so obviously doing Rock and Roll in the 1930s."

[@mickjagger9912]

I mean no offense but I don't think anybody really thinks rock n roll was invented in the 80s. I mean...elvis. way before 80s. But your main point is true he is kinda like a very very early rocker

[@Ruckusrob]

Cab lays it down!!!!

[@avisnorris9789]

Yeah at St James infirmary

[@notmagicok7612]

im going down there. to see my baby

[@skullduggery5019]

Lol My mans on one! takes a bump of H at 1:40 and "skiddy waddi diddy biddy"!!!

[@christhornycroft3686]

Man, this guy must have faced so many obstacles in the 1920s and 30s. You have Americans today who still think slavery was a good thing. I can’t imagine what it was like for these guys then. Bad-asses. Absolutely superhuman. With so much talent.

[@jeffstewart7639]

My very favorite glass of Cab!

[@blqkvo]

I love jazz, not the modern jazz crap, but good old fashioned rhythmic jazz. And I barely knew about Cab Calloway untill I saw the movie Cotton Club. Now I feel almost guilty for not discovering this genius earlier.

[@johndevine6687]

Minnie is out in the village, now. Been there every time I see her, ever since Chinatown. No joke.