The Curly Shuffle

"The Curly Shuffle"
File:The Curly Shuffle.jpg
Single by Jump 'N the Saddle Band
from the album Jump 'N the Saddle Band
Released	1983
Format	7", 12"
Recorded	1983
Genre	Western swing
Label	Atlantic
Writer(s)	Peter Quinn (also includes music from "Listen to the Mocking Bird," author and/or composer unknown, believed to be public domain)
Producer(s)	T.C. Furlong, Barney Schwartz and Mike Rasfeld

"The Curly Shuffle" is a novelty song by the group Jump 'N the Saddle Band first released in late 1983, an homage to The Three Stooges film comedy team. Jump 'N the Saddle Band had one of the biggest novelty hits of the early 1980s with the song. In Canada, the song was simultaneously released by "The Knuckleheads" on Attic Records, while Jump 'N The Saddle's version was also available.

The song had the band's lead vocalist Peter Quinn mimicking many of Curly Howard's catch phrases. The song was distinctive enough to climb to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1984, but the group never managed to produce another hit, partially because they fell into a dispute with their record label Atlantic Records when it came time to record a follow-up.

The original publisher of "The Curly Shuffle" was Swingtet publishing BMI. Owned by Dave Roberts one of the original founders of the group, and the piano player and background vocalist on the recording. This right was given by the author "Peter Quinn" and with the agreement of the band at the time of recording. After the song became a hit, the band, but not the author, relinquished their support of Roberts and re-registered the publishing with ASCAP under "Wiseguy" publishing. This dispute has never been resolved, and in fact royalties have been paid to both parties through their respective performing rights societies. Other song "hits" written by Roberts include "Leavin' Texas" recorded on multiple albums and featured on Jerry Jeff Walker's "Greatest Hits".

Music video

A promotional video was made using clips from various Three Stooges short films. The video was regularly shown on the Diamond Vision screen of the New York Mets at Shea Stadium in the mid-1980s, and became part of the fan experience. Additionally, it was included as a bonus feature on one of the 1984 Stooges compilation videos released by RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video.

Clips from the following Stooges shorts were used:

An Ache in Every Stake, A Bird in the Head, Calling All Curs, Cash and Carry, Disorder in the Court, Dizzy Detectives, Dizzy Pilots, Dopey Dicks, Dutiful but Dumb, The Ghost Talks, Healthy, Wealthy, and Dumb, Micro-Phonies, No Census, No Feeling, Pardon My Scotch, A Plumbing We Will Go, Pop Goes the Easel, Punch Drunks, Some More of Samoa, Studio Stoops, Tassels in the Air, Three Little Beers, Three Missing Links, Three Sappy People, Uncivil Warriors, Violent is the Word for Curly, and Woman Haters. Instead of showing clips with Joe, a brief glimpse of one of the movies showing Curly-Joe was used.

External links

• The Mad Music Archive - Details about the song, including its writer, producer, and chart position