page_title: Chicken Reel
hierarchical_section_title: Chicken Reel
caption_attribution_description: Sheet music cover, "Chicken Reel", 1910
context_page_description: "Chicken Reel" is a dance tune. It was composed and published in 1910 by Joseph M. Daly, with copyright registered on October 7. Joseph Mittenthal added lyrics three months later, and the texted version was copyrighted on January 12, 1911.
  Along with "Turkey in the Straw," "Chicken Reel" is probably one of the best-known poultry-related folk tunes. It is frequently found in early animated cartoons as a catchy tune used to represent farmyard activity, or a gathering of fowl. Originally composed as a novelty song, it has since passed into modern folk tradition. Today, the tune is usually played without the words, which would often have been sung in the minstrel style.
  Chicken Reel was made popular again years later by Les Paul who recorded the song as a catchy instrumental, whimsically mimicking chicken sounds on his guitar.
  "Chicken Reel" was arranged for symphony orchestra by Leroy Anderson; his arrangement was recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1992.
context_section_description: "Chicken Reel" is a dance tune. It was composed and published in 1910 by Joseph M. (Michael) Daly (1883–1968), with copyright registered on October 7. Joseph Mittenthal added lyrics three months later, and the texted version was copyrighted on January 12, 1911.
  Along with "Turkey in the Straw," "Chicken Reel" is probably one of the best-known poultry-related folk tunes. It is frequently found in early animated cartoons as a catchy tune used to represent farmyard activity, or a gathering of fowl.  Originally composed as a novelty song, it has since passed into modern folk tradition.  Today, the tune is usually played without the words, which would often have been sung in the minstrel style (in stereotyped African-American vernacular).
  Chicken Reel was made popular again years later by Les Paul who recorded the song as a catchy instrumental, whimsically mimicking chicken sounds on his guitar.
  "Chicken Reel" was arranged for symphony orchestra by Leroy Anderson; his arrangement was recorded by the Boston Pops Orchestra in 1992.
caption: Sheet music cover, 1910
exif: {}