Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

{{Short description|1922 popular song}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

| cover = WayDownYonderInNOBlossomSeeley.jpg

| alt =

| caption = 1922 sheet music cover with a photo of singer Blossom Seeley

| type =

| written =

| published = 1922

| writer = Joe Turner Layton, Henry Creamer

| composer =

| lyricist =

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = song

| file = Way down yonder in New Orleans (1922, Georgians).mp3

| description =Recording of Way Down Yonder in New Orleans, performed by The Georgians (1922)

}}

}}

"Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is a popular song with music by John Turner Layton Jr. and lyrics by Henry Creamer. First published in 1922, it was advertised by Creamer and Layton as "A Southern Song, without A Mammy, A Mule, Or A Moon", a dig at some of the Tin Pan Alley clichés of the era.

It was performed at The Winter Garden Theater in New York in Act 2 of the Broadway musical production Spice of 1922.[http://ibdb.com/production.php?id=9082 Internet Broadway Database] The original 1922 sheet music featured a drawing of a girl on a spice bottle on the front cover, referring to the musical in which the song eventually made its public debut.The Book of World-famous Music by James J. Fuld

Early successful recordings of the song were by the Peerless Quartet, Blossom Seeley and Paul Whiteman.{{cite book|last1=Whitburn|first1=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954|date=1986|publisher=Record Research Inc|location=Wisconsin, USA|isbn=0-89820-083-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/604 604]|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/604}}

The song has been recorded numerous times from the early 1920s into the 21st century. Layton himself recorded the song as part of the duo Layton & Johnstone in 1927. Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra played the song in their 1932 film short The Yacht Party. Notable uses have included being the theme song for the radio program This Is Jazz in the 1940s.

According to Dick Biondi, Freddy Cannon's 1959 version became the first record in the rock era to have a full brass section. It reached number 3 on both the Billboard and UK charts in early 1960. The song was performed by Harry Connick Jr. in a September 2005 NBC Katrina fundraiser, "A Concert For Hurricane Relief", that raised over $50 million.{{cite web|url=http://www.satchmo.com/nolavl/notv0509.html |title=Television Appearances by New Orleans Music Artists - September 2005 |publisher=Satchmo.com |access-date=2012-01-08}}

As a composition from 1922, this song is in the public domain in the United States due to its copyright expiring.

==Other notable recordings==

• The Georgians - Columbia A-3804 (1922){{cite book |last=Rust |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Rust |date=2001 |title=Jazz Records |url=https://78records.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/rust_jazz-records_free-edition-6.pdf |publisher=Mainspring Press |page=610 }}
• Frankie Trumbauer and his Orchestra - Okeh 40843 with cornet solo by Bix Beiderbecke (1927){{cite book |last=Rust |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Rust |date=2001 |title=Jazz Records |url=https://78records.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/rust_jazz-records_free-edition-6.pdf |publisher=Mainspring Press |page=1699 }}
• Red McKenzie with the Spirits of Rhythm - Decca 186 (1934){{cite book |last=Rust |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Rust |date=2001 |title=Jazz Records |url=https://78records.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/rust_jazz-records_free-edition-6.pdf |publisher=Mainspring Press |page=1117 }}
• Bob Crosby - Decca 4403 (1942){{cite book |last=Rust |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Rust |date=2001 |title=Jazz Records |url=https://78records.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/rust_jazz-records_free-edition-6.pdf |publisher=Mainspring Press |page=412 }}
• Al Jolson and The Andrews Sisters (1950){{cite web|title=45cat.com|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/927024|website=45cat.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Freddy Cannon - his hit single was included in the album The Explosive Freddy Cannon (1960)
• Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong for their album Bing & Satchmo (1960)
• Bing Crosby for his album A Southern Memoir (1975)
• Connee Boswell (1945){{cite web|title=45worlds.com|url=http://www.45worlds.com/78rpm/artist/connee-boswell-and-her-vdisc-music-men|website=45worlds.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Jan and Dean - included in their album Surf City And Other Swingin' Cities (1963) {{cite web|title=Discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/Jan-Dean-Surf-City-And-Other-Swingin-Cities/master/340303|website=Discogs.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Dean Martin - for his album Swingin' Down Yonder (1955)
• Eydie Gormé - for the album Eydie In Dixie-Land (1960){{cite web|title=Discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/Eydie-Eydie-In-Dixie-Land/master/656357|website=Discogs.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}
• Frankie Laine and Jo Stafford (1953){{cite web|title=45cat.com|url=http://www.45cat.com/record/440116|website=45cat.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}} This charted briefly in the USA.{{cite book|last1=Whitburn|first1=Joel|title=Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954|date=1986|publisher=Record Research Inc|location=Wisconsin, USA|isbn=0-89820-083-0|page=[https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/265 265]|url=https://archive.org/details/joelwpopmemories00whit/page/265}}
• Patti Page - for the album Let's Get Away from It All (1958){{cite web|title=Discogs.com|url=https://www.discogs.com/Patti-Page-Lets-Get-Away-From-It-All/master/515185|website=Discogs.com|access-date=May 15, 2017}}