Iko Iko

"Iko Iko" (/ˈk ˈk/) is a much-covered New Orleans song that tells of a parade collision between two tribes of Mardi Gras Indians and the traditional confrontation. The song, under the original title "Jock-A-Mo", was written and released in 1953 as a single by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and his Cane Cutters but it failed to make the charts.

"Jock-A-Mo"
Single by James "Sugar Boy" Crawford and his Cane Cutters
Released1953
GenreTraditional New Orleans music
LabelChecker Records (Checker 787)
Songwriter(s)James Crawford

The song first became popular in 1965 by the girl group the Dixie Cups, who scored an international hit with "Iko Iko". In 1967, as part of a lawsuit settlement between Crawford and the Dixie Cups, the trio were given part songwriting credit for the song. In 1972, Dr. John had a minor hit with his version of "Iko Iko". It was played 185 times as part of the Grateful Dead's live act between May 1977 and July 1995 and they took up one side of a 7" Record Store Day "Side By Side" single release in 2013 with one of their live versions, while the other side had versions by Dr. John and the Dixie Cups. Australian entertainer Rolf Harris covered the song in 1965. In the UK, a version recorded by Scottish singer Natasha England in 1982 made it to the top 10. "Iko Iko" became an international hit twice more, the first being the Belle Stars in June 1989 and again with Captain Jack in 2001. An adaptation by Papua New Guinea artist Justin Wellington under the title "Iko Iko (My Bestie)" featuring the Solomon Island duo Small Jam became an international hit in 2021 after a successful TikTok challenge.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.