Creole Cutie
Encyclopedia
Creole Cutie is a song written for barbershop quartet, originally performed in 1950. It was co-written by Glenn Sudduth and Bill 'Bus' Busby (Sudduth wrote the chorus, Busby later wrote the verses). Its copyright is held by SPEBSQSA (now the Barbershop Harmony Society
), as the authors donated the song.
group called the Miamians. The group was having difficulty mastering diction
, especially during slow, melodic songs. According to Sudduth, he got so fed up with the director's chiding that he decided to write a song that would require near-perfect diction. One week later, Sudduth returned to the Miamians with the chorus of Creole Cutie. The Miamians adopted Sudduth's song as a warm-up exercise.
Busby later asked Sudduth if there were verses to the song he'd written. Sudduth allegedly said "There's no verses, but you're welcome to write them." Sudduth and Busby later donated the entire song to the SPEBSQSA collection.
, in which Busby sang baritone
. The group shot to fame and success, winning the 1956 International Quartet Championship in Minneapolis, MN just three years after they formed. As Busby was a co-writer of Creole Cutie, the song became a regular feature in their set until they stopped performing in 1969.
Creole Cutie is most known as a challenging song that is well known but rarely performed. It is instead used as a warm-up. Because of this usage, it remains one of the most widely known songs within the barbershop community.
Creole cutie won't you cuddle up closer
Down by the babbling brook on the bayou
Ding dong dolly with a dimple on her knee
The devil's her eye now don't be shy now
The Confederates Biography
Barbershop Harmony Society
Barbershop Harmony Society
The Barbershop Harmony Society, legally and historically named the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America, Inc. , is the first of several organizations to promote and preserve barbershop music as an art form. Founded by Owen C...
), as the authors donated the song.
History
Both Sudduth and Busby were members of an a cappellaA cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
group called the Miamians. The group was having difficulty mastering diction
Diction
Diction , in its original, primary meaning, refers to the writer's or the speaker's distinctive vocabulary choices and style of expression in a poem or story...
, especially during slow, melodic songs. According to Sudduth, he got so fed up with the director's chiding that he decided to write a song that would require near-perfect diction. One week later, Sudduth returned to the Miamians with the chorus of Creole Cutie. The Miamians adopted Sudduth's song as a warm-up exercise.
Busby later asked Sudduth if there were verses to the song he'd written. Sudduth allegedly said "There's no verses, but you're welcome to write them." Sudduth and Busby later donated the entire song to the SPEBSQSA collection.
Performance
The song rose to fame thanks to a barbershop group called The ConfederatesThe Confederates
The Confederates were a barbershop quartet that performed in the 1950s and 1960s.The group formed in September 1953 at a SPEBSQSA chapter meeting in Memphis, Tennessee...
, in which Busby sang baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
. The group shot to fame and success, winning the 1956 International Quartet Championship in Minneapolis, MN just three years after they formed. As Busby was a co-writer of Creole Cutie, the song became a regular feature in their set until they stopped performing in 1969.
Creole Cutie is most known as a challenging song that is well known but rarely performed. It is instead used as a warm-up. Because of this usage, it remains one of the most widely known songs within the barbershop community.
Lyrics
The chorus is as follows:Creole cutie won't you cuddle up closer
Down by the babbling brook on the bayou
Ding dong dolly with a dimple on her knee
The devil's her eye now don't be shy now
The Confederates Biography
Barbershop Harmony Society