Choo Choo Ch'Boogie
"Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" is a popular song written by Vaughn Horton, Denver Darling, and Milt Gabler. History and background. The song was recorded in January 1946 by Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five and released by Decca Records. It topped the R&B charts for 18 weeks from August 1946, a record only equalled by one other hit, "The Honeydripper." The record was one of Jordan's biggest hits with both black and white audiences, peaking at number seven on the national chart and provided an important link between blues and country music, foreshadowing the development of "rock and  roll" a few years later. Although "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" is now seen as epitomising the style known as jump blues, it was written by white songwriters whose background was in country and western music. The song is credited to Darling, Horton and Gabler. Denver Darling (1909–1981) was a "hillbilly" guitarist and songwriter, as was his occasional songwriting partner Vaughn Horton (1911–1988). Horton's first writing success was with "Mockin' Bird Hill," and as well as working with Darling on such songs as "Address Unknown," a 1939 hit for The Ink Spots, also worked with Gene Autry. His other writing successes  included "Dixie Cannonball" and "Muleskinner's Blues." The third credited songwriter was Milt Gabler (1911–2001), then the vice-president of Decca Records and Louis Jordan's record producer. A few years later, still at Decca, Gabler was also responsible for producing Bill Haley's epoch-defining "Rock Around The Clock" (and Haley, in turn, recorded a version of "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" for his album, "Rock 'n' Roll Stage Show"). The song summed up the feelings of excitement followed by disillusionment felt by many who were returning from serving in the Second World War: The country swing group Asleep at the  Wheel also recorded the song in the 1980s, and also in the 80s, Linda Ronstadt performed it in concert with Nelson Riddle's orchestra.