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Mess Around

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"Mess Around"
Single by Ray Charles
ReleasedJune 19, 1953
RecordedMay 17, 1953
GenreR&B, stride, blues
LabelAtlantic 999
Songwriter(s)Ahmet Ertegun
Ray Charles singles chronology
"Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand"
(1951)
"Mess Around"
(1953)
"It Should Have Been Me"
(1954)

The "Mess Around" is a song written by Ahmet Ertegun, co-founder and then-vice-president of Atlantic Records,[1] under the pseudonym of A. Nugetre,[2] or "Nuggy".[3] It was performed by Ray Charles, and was one of Charles's first hits.

Origins and composition

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Ertegun claimed his inspiration for writing "Mess Around" was stride pianist Pete Johnson.[citation needed] Earlier versions of the tune's New Orleans boogie piano riff can be heard in songs from the early 1930s and 1940s, with perhaps the earliest example being Charles "Cow Cow" Davenport's "Cow Cow Blues" from 1928. Dr. John also spoke about the origin of this tune on his Dr John Teaches New Orleans Piano series of DVDs.[citation needed]

The song's lyrics urge listeners to dance ("everybody do the Mess Around"), along with a few other key phrases, notably "see that girl with the red dress on", harkening back to "Pinetop's Boogie Woogie", Pinetop Smith's early boogie-woogie classic.

Release

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"Mess Around" became a big R&B charted hit when released as a single in early 1953. It was later included on Charles's 1957 compilation album Ray Charles.

Cover versions

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  • The song was featured in the American comedy film Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987) during a scene in which Del Griffith (John Candy) tries to dance to the song on the radio while driving a car at night on the freeway, and while his passenger Neal Page (Steve Martin) sleeps beside him. This scene was parodied in Ted 2 (2015)
  • It was featured in the 2004 biographical film Ray of Ray Charles.
  • The song was played on the piano in the series Lucifer, season one, episode nine, by Lucifer Morningstar and Father Frank.

References

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  1. ^ "Ahmet Ertegun: America's Greatest Music Man". 26 May 2021.
  2. ^ Mess Around / Funny (But I Still Love You) by Ray Charles (Single, Rhythm & Blues): Reviews, Ratings, Credits, Song list - Rate Your Music
  3. ^ "Photograph of record label". Popsike.eu. Retrieved 2014-05-22.