"Topsy" is an instrumental by Count Basie and His Orchestra, released on August 9, 1937, written by Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham. It became a #14 pop hit for bandleader Benny Goodman in 1938.
In 1958, drummer Cozy Cole recorded the song and issued it in two parts as a single. The A-side ("Topsy I") made it to #27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, while the B-side ("Topsy II") reached #3 on the Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart, staying atop the latter for six weeks. The two songs were simultaneous hits; they were closest together on the Hot 100 chart for the week ending November 2, 1958, when Topsy I was at #27 and Topsy II was at #4.
Notable versions
- Count Basie Orchestra
- Charlie Christian (credited as "Swing to Bop")
- Jimmy Giuffre, on his album Western Suite
- The Chico Hamilton Quintet, on their album Chico Hamilton Quintet in Hi Fi
- Meco (1977)
References
- Max Harrison, Charles Fox, Eric Thacker (2000). Essential Jazz Records: Volume 1: Ragtime to Swing. London: A&C Black. p. 295.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 126.
- "The Billboard Hot 100", Billboard, 1958-10-27, retrieved 2016-01-30
- https://www.discogs.com/release/6501514-Meco-Topsy