{"id":1356,"date":"2011-03-08T12:32:43","date_gmt":"2011-03-08T17:32:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/funky16corners.lunarpages.net\/?p=1356"},"modified":"2012-02-22T16:06:09","modified_gmt":"2012-02-22T21:06:09","slug":"which-way-two-way-poc-a-way-say-what-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/?p=1356","title":{"rendered":"Which Way Two Way Poc A Way Say What Now?"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dixie Cups (above) and Billy Vera (below)<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Listen\/Download – Dixie Cups – Two-Way-Poc-A-Way <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/del><\/p>\n

Listen\/Download – Billy Vera – Big Chief (Tu-Way Poca-Way) <\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/del><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

NOTE: After you’re done reading, make sure to check out the comments for additional information on the roots of these songs.
\n<\/em><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Greetings all.<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s yet another unscheduled post, brought on by some deep thinking, spawned by a lack of same on my part, but ultimately remedied (at least I think so, but you\u2019ll have to decide for yourself).<\/p>\n

When I posted Billy Vera\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018Big Chief (Tu Way Poca Way)\u2019 yesterday, preceded by a few weeks by the Dixie Cups<\/strong> record of the almost identical title, ‘Two-Way-Poc-A-Way\u2019, it didn\u2019t occur to me to think anything other than that both songs were drawing water from the same well, i.e. Mardi Gras Indian<\/strong><\/a> tradition.<\/p>\n

The Indian Tribes are a New Orleans-based African American tradition that goes back to the mid-19th century, likely born out of the shared minority experience of blacks and native Americans.<\/p>\n

The celebrations by these tribes are centered around several holidays climaxing with Mardi Gras, the final day of celebration prior to the Christian feast of Lent (which itself ends with Easter).<\/p>\n

The tribes dress in fantastically ornate feathered costumes and parade through the city, doing symbolic battle for primacy.
\nIf you are a big fan of New Orleans music, you have certainly heard, through countless versions of \u2018Iko Iko\u2019 (itself based on Sugarboy Crawford\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018Jock-A-Mo\u2019, a situation that led to legal action which saw Crawford leave without gaining authorship of the later record, yet being given monetary rights to the Dixie Cups recording<\/a>), as well as tunes like Professor Longhair\u2019s<\/strong> \u2018Big Chief\u2019<\/a> words and phrases with a direct connection to the Wild Indian tribes, like \u2018big chief\u2019 \u2018spy boy\u2019 and \u2018flag boy\u2019, as well as a wide variety of seemingly meaningless, rhythmic phrases (check out Professor Longhair\u2019s \u2018Tipitina\u2019 for a master class in same*).<\/p>\n

When the Dixie Cups<\/strong> recorded \u2018Two-Way-Poc-A-Way\u2019 for ABC in 1965 (following their success with \u2018Iko Iko\u2019 on Leiber<\/strong> and Stoller\u2019s <\/strong>Red Bird label) they were working with the same basic material, albeit in a much rawer way.<\/p>\n

Billy Vera recorded \u2018Big Chief (Tu-Way-Poca-Way)\u2019 in 1974, creating his own bit of Mardi Gras funk, borrowing the main phrase from the Dixie Cups record or, and this is entirely likely considering the obscurity of the Dixie Cups recording, from a separate \u2018third party\u2019, i.e. Mardi Gras Indian tradition, or earlier R&B source itself.<\/p>\n

When I posted the Vera 45 yesterday, a commenter stated that although he liked the record, it was merely an imitation of the Dixie Cups recording. I also had a brief exchange of e-mails on the subject with the mighty Dan Phillips<\/strong> of\u00a0 Home of the Groove.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I rolled this around in my head for a little while, and since I was out running errands when the comment came in, bounced back and forth between the two songs on the iPod, which in the car is a huge (and potentially dangerous<\/em>) pain in the ass.<\/p>\n

When I got home, I decided that the only way to get to the bottom (or at least close to the bottom of the situation) was to do my best to transcribe both songs and compare.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m not qualified to do this on a melodic level, but I do have enough of an ear to see that the Dixie Cups record is almost melody-free, more of a chant than a song. It has a sui generis<\/em> feel that is both mysterious and extraordinary, where Vera’s record is straight ahead funk.<\/p>\n

Lyrically, my assumption was that any similarities I was hearing were likely the result of, as I said before, both artists pulling phrases from the same tradition, which predated both recordings.<\/p>\n

When I finally got both sets of lyrics typed out \u2013 and I hope you\u2019ll forgive me if some of the words are incorrect \u2013 it would appear that aside from the title (which I can\u2019t trace beyond the Dixie Cups record, which may in itself be a problem with countless spelling and punctuation variables) and a pair of common two-line phrases (placed in italics below), the songs are not the same.<\/p>\n

There are certainly several common motifs, i.e. the Big Chief, spyboy (or spy), the second line and the battle fire (all of which appear in Professor Longhair’s ‘Big Chief’, which was itself written by Earl King<\/strong>) , but what you end up with is two songs about the same basic set of events (the meeting of the Indian tribes), which include many similar details.<\/p>\n

Whether Vera lifted the repeated phrases (rhyming \u2018on the bayou\u2019 and \u2018world on fire\u2019 and then \u2018tambourines ringing\u2019 and \u2018second line singing\u2019) directly from the Dixie Cups record, or if they also arise from a third source that I am unaware of (which is also possible) I do not know.<\/p>\n

If any of you do, please let me know and I will make note of it in this piece.<\/p>\n

That said, there\u2019s also the question of whether or not Vera, a California native, was engaging in a form of stylistic carpetbagging by drawing so heavily from these sources. If he\u2019d recorded his record in 1966, I might say so, but \u2018Big Chief (Tu Way Poca Way)\u2019 was recorded in 1974.<\/p>\n

Vera was an R&B\/soul vet by this point, already familiar with the sounds of the Crescent City. As I mentioned in the previous piece, he is not only a musician with an almost 50 year long career, but also a historian.<\/p>\n

As has been displayed in the space for the last six years (and in the web zine before that) the music and culture of New Orleans is brilliant, very deep, and very, very contagious.<\/p>\n

My only visit there was as a teenager almost 35 years ago, but every time I put on a record by Professor Longhair, Eddie Bo, Dr John, the Meters, Huey Piano Smith and the Clowns, Irma Thomas, Eldridge Holmes, Roger and the Gypsies <\/strong>or any of the other NOLA artists that I hold so dear, I feel New Orleans in the room, and I can\u2019t really think of any other American music that transports the listener to a region with as much ease.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to think that Billy Vera was trying to recreate that feeling when he wrote and recorded \u2018Big Chief (Tu Way Poca Way)\u2019.<\/p>\n

Either way, he created a great 45.<\/p>\n

The Lyrics: Note – I omitted repeated uses of the title since I’m not much of a typist, and I fear I may be approaching my lifetime quota on hyphens.<\/p>\n

______________________________________________<\/p>\n

Dixie Cups – Two-Way-Poc-A-Way<\/strong>
\n Early in the morning<\/strong>
\n Indians coming<\/strong>
\n Go and get the Big Chief<\/strong>
\n Big Chief ready<\/strong>
\n Down on the bayou<\/strong>
\n World on fire<\/strong>
\n Lord ain\u2019t he pretty<\/strong>
\n Talkin\u2019 bout big chief<\/strong>
\n Talkin\u2019 bout big chief<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spy met a gang now<\/strong>
\n Spy went the signal<\/strong>
\n Big chief holla<\/strong>
\n Spy boy walla<\/strong>
\n Straight on to me<\/strong><\/p>\n

Go up fast now<\/strong>
\n Tell everybody<\/strong>
\n Goin on down<\/strong>
\n Down town<\/strong><\/p>\n

Spy boy leaving<\/strong>
\n Big chief holla<\/strong>
\n Second line follow<\/strong>
\n Tambourines ringing<\/strong>
\n Second line singing<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sun goin down<\/strong>
\n Sun going down<\/strong>
\n Jump all around now<\/strong>
\n All fall down<\/strong>
\n Goin\u2019 on in now<\/strong>
\n Goin\u2019 on in now<\/strong><\/p>\n

______________________________________________
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Billy Vera – Big Chief (Tu-Way-Poca-Way)<\/strong>
\n Onda wondo wonda day<\/strong>
\n Onda wondo wonda day<\/strong>
\n Onda wondo wonda day<\/strong>
\n Onda wondo wonda day<\/strong><\/p>\n

Big Chief march out to the bayou<\/strong>
\n Dance around the battle fire<\/strong>
\n Say at night it can\u2019t be done<\/strong>
\n Won\u2019t come back \u2018til battle is done<\/strong><\/p>\n

Goin on in now<\/strong>
\n Big chief leaders<\/strong>
\n Across the river<\/strong><\/p>\n

Where my spyboy Big Chief holla<\/strong>
\n Goes behind the second line follow<\/strong>
\n Enemy see your see turn tail<\/strong>
\n Tribes is fighting tooth and nail<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keep on fighting<\/strong>
\n Big chief leaders<\/strong>
\n On the bayou<\/strong>
\n World on fire<\/strong><\/p>\n

Battle is won we go downtown<\/strong>
\n Big parade when the sun go down<\/strong>
\n I want to paint my face turn green<\/strong>
\n Try to find my voodoo queen<\/strong><\/p>\n

Bayou bayou<\/strong>
\n World on fire<\/strong>
\n Big Chief holla<\/strong>
\n Second line follow<\/strong>
\n Tambourine ringing<\/strong>
\n Second line singing<\/strong>
\n See my queen now<\/strong>
\n Yours is green<\/strong><\/p>\n

Peace<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

Larry<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/strong>\"Example\"<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Much of this language has roots in Creole and what is referred to as Mobilian jargon<\/a>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you want one of the new Funky16Corners stickers (free, of course) click here for info.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Check out the Funky16Corners Store at Cafe Press<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

PS Head over to Iron Leg for some interesting late 60s pop.<\/a><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dixie Cups (above) and Billy Vera (below)   Listen\/Download – Dixie Cups – Two-Way-Poc-A-Way Listen\/Download – Billy Vera – Big Chief (Tu-Way Poca-Way)   NOTE: After you’re done reading, make sure to check out the comments for additional information on the roots of these songs.   Greetings all. Here\u2019s yet another unscheduled post, brought on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,17,14,40,12,18],"tags":[163,166,41,164],"class_list":["post-1356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-funk","category-funk-45","category-funky16corners","category-new-orleans-funk","category-soul","category-soul-45","tag-funk","tag-funky16corners","tag-new-orleans","tag-soul"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pMKgo-lS","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1356"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1359,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1356\/revisions\/1359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/funky16corners.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}