Iko Iko should be dropped from uke group songbooks

Iko Iko should be dropped from uke group songbooks

  • Agree, there are many better 2 chord rhythm songs that everybody can play

    Votes: 3 10.0%

  • Disagree, we play it well, it's a keeper [Optional: Here's a video to prove it]

    Votes: 27 90.0%
  • Total voters
    30
~dave~~wave~

~dave~~wave~

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How in the heck did Iko Iko get into everybody's songbook, but there's not one group in 20 that can play it worth a darn?

Answer- it only has two chords.
Worst reason in the world to pick a song for a group to play.

It was never a popular tune, nobody grew up hearing it on the radio.

Little wonder it gets butchered when a group sitting on their bottoms staring at a page attempt to pull it off.

No rhythm, no soul.
The evidence on YouTube is overwhelming IMHO.

Just a minor pet peeve of mine.
Discuss.
 
I've heard Iko Iko numerous times - used to hear the Neville Brothers recording on the radio all the time, it was featured in some silly made for tv movie in the 80s starring Justine Bateman (Mallory from "Family Ties"), and was a staple at the music parties held at Minicon, a Science Fiction convention in Minneapolis. (One of Steven Brust's standbys.) I think Steve got it from the Grateful Dead, who used to do it in concert. First recording was by the Dixie Cups in 1965.

So Dave, it may not have been popular where you come from, but it certainly has been popular plenty of other places! Just gotta get the rhythm right.


-Kurt​
 
Never heard it on Youtube, but being from New Orleans, I hear it all the time.

If you'd ever heard it done right, it has more rythm and soul than any song I can think of. Seems to me the fact that it has only 2 chords would allow someone to more easily practice a little creole rythym. Not the song's fault that the Youtubers you've heard aren't up to it.

p.s: it can go on for a long time here - lots and lots of verses, or you make 'em up as the dancing / parading moves along. it's an "indian chant", after all. you might get more of a kick out of the song if you knew what some of the lyrics meant.
 
I love Iko Iko!




Scooter
 
~dave~~wave~ said:
How in the heck did Iko Iko get into everybody's songbook, but there's not one group in 20 that can play it worth a darn?

Answer- it only has two chords.
Worst reason in the world to pick a song for a group to play.

It was never a popular tune, nobody grew up hearing it on the radio.

Little wonder it gets butchered when a group sitting on their bottoms staring at a page attempt to pull it off.

No rhythm, no soul.
The evidence on YouTube is overwhelming IMHO.

Just a minor pet peeve of mine.
Discuss.
Click to expand...

I am delighted that there are no sourpusses like you in my uke group. Some people just need to complain about something.
 
~dave~~wave~ said:
It was never a popular tune, nobody grew up hearing it on the radio.
Click to expand...

This version, which was a hit the year I was born, was on all the "oldies" radio stations when I was growing up. But the last true oldies station (meaning, to me, 1960s and older music) in these parts disappeared sometime in the 1990s I think... so I can imagine that folks under a certain age may not be familiar with it.

 
Well, you need to change your radio station :)

One of my favourite stations is Vintage FM they play everything from the 1940's through to 1969 (remember the moon walk).

http://vintagefm.com.au/VintagePlayer/
 
I used to play in a 60s dance band. Because of the beat, Iko Iko was quite popular. From there we would go into Hand Jive. And this was only about 5 years ago.

Ive run into a number of people who, because of location or age, have never heard many of the songs I grew up with.
 
Last edited:
janeray1940 said:
This version, which was a hit the year I was born, was on all the "oldies" radio stations when I was growing up. But the last true oldies station (meaning, to me, 1960s and older music) in these parts disappeared sometime in the 1990s I think... so I can imagine that folks under a certain age may not be familiar with it.
Click to expand...

Iko Iko actually got a big popularity bump in 1988 when it was included in the film Rain Man, performed by the Belle Stars. It reached 14 on the Billboard Top 100 in March 2009.




I'm not really sure what the OP's complaint about this song is. There's no logical link between the failure of people in the OP's ukulele group to play it because they've never heard it and the OP's conclusion that the song has no rhythm and no soul. I would imagine that there may be a number of other songs in ukulele group songbooks that people who show up at ukulele group meetings didn't hear on the radio growing up (many songs from the 20s come to mind). Frankly, if my ukulele group is going to play a song I've never heard of (we use The Daily Ukulele), I take the time to look for it on YouTube so I have some idea of what I'm supposed to do when the song comes up.
 
RichM said:
I am delighted that there are no sourpusses like you in my uke group. Some people just need to complain about something.
Click to expand...

Ha, guilty as charged. :eek:

Thanks for the feedback, everybody.

I obviously wasn't clear in my original post.
I love Iko Iko. I know it well.

I didn't intend to turn this into a referendum on the song itself.

Rather, I was trying to express my bafflement that it is in so many groups' repertoires, but when I look at YouTube videos of uke groups playing it, I can only listen to 10 seconds before tuning out.

Wicked said:
They key to a decent rendition of Iko Iko is the second line rhythm (son clave in Latin music circles). Playing it straight will just give you a hot mess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clave_(rhythm)
Click to expand...

^^^^
Well put, thank you.

There have been several video links posted, but only one on ukulele, and that is from a solo player, not a group.

I won't post bad examples, but here's one of the few good ones:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFjxjbjl1aQ

I dropped in on a group in another city last year, and when Iko Iko was called, I was delighted, but when I tried to play the Bo Diddley syncopated rhythm, everybody else was playing it in straight four.
They saved the "shave and a haircut" beat for the last measure of the song.

When I inquired why they didn't play that beat all the way through, a sweet lady patiently explained "We tried it like that, but it was too hard to play and sing at the same time." :confused:

Same with my hometown group, it ends up sounding more like Blowin' In the Wind when we play it. :eek:

mds725 said:
...if my ukulele group is going to play a song I've never heard of (we use The Daily Ukulele), I take the time to look for it on YouTube so I have some idea of what I'm supposed to do when the song comes up.
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's what I'm driving at.
 
Last edited:
Yea, it's all about the rhythm. you can sing almost any song that will fit the "Bo Diddly" rhythm and it comes out much cooler. I like to play "Mockingbird" to it.
 
Why has no one posted Dr John doing this ? Someone needs to pass a law banning anyone but him from performing it.

Actually, while we're at it, can we have a law that bans anyone but Dr John & Tom Waits from performing music at all ?
 
~dave~~wave~ said:
How in the heck did Iko Iko get into everybody's songbook, but there's not one group in 20 that can play it worth a darn?

Answer- it only has two chords.
Worst reason in the world to pick a song for a group to play.

It was never a popular tune, nobody grew up hearing it on the radio.

Little wonder it gets butchered when a group sitting on their bottoms staring at a page attempt to pull it off.

No rhythm, no soul.
The evidence on YouTube is overwhelming IMHO.

Just a minor pet peeve of mine.
Discuss.
Click to expand...

Dave, I think you should say you never heard it growing up on the radio. Don't speak for everyone else.
 
The Big Kahuna said:
Why has no one posted Dr John doing this ? Someone needs to pass a law banning anyone but him from performing it.

Actually, while we're at it, can we have a law that bans anyone but Dr John & Tom Waits from performing music at all ?
Click to expand...

Absolutely, we need laws limiting who can play music. After all, that's what UU is all about-- that playing music is for a select few and nobody else.
 
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