{"id":7577,"date":"2026-08-25T11:02:09","date_gmt":"2026-08-25T15:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/?p=7577"},"modified":"2026-08-25T11:02:14","modified_gmt":"2026-08-25T15:02:14","slug":"east-st-louis-toodle-oo-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/?p=7577","title":{"rendered":"East St. Louis Toodle-oo"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2006 Remix of this Steely Dan Cover of a Duke Ellington Tune<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-audio\"><audio controls src=\"https:\/\/www.baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/all-songs\/mp3\/Toodle_2026_Master.mp3\"><\/audio><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7579\" style=\"width:580px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-900x900.png 900w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-1536x1536.png 1536w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-2048x2048.png 2048w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-640x640.png 640w, https:\/\/baselines.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/toodle_2006-1-440x440.png 440w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;<strong>East St. Louis Toodle-Oo&#8221;<\/strong>&nbsp;(also &#8220;<strong>Toodle-O<\/strong>&#8221; and &#8220;<strong>Todolo<\/strong>&#8220;) is a composition written by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Duke_Ellington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Duke Ellington<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bubber_Miley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bubber Miley<\/a>&nbsp;and recorded several times by Ellington for various labels from 1926 to 1930 under various titles.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-disc-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[1]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;This song was in 1927 the first charting single for Duke Ellington and was one of the main examples of his early &#8220;jungle music&#8221;.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[2]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;The composition entered the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2023.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[3]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recording history<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ellington first recorded &#8220;Toodle-Oo&#8221; in November 1926 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Vocalion_Records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Vocalion Records<\/a>, which was released as Vo (1064). He recorded the composition twice more in early 1927 for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Brunswick_Records\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brunswick Records<\/a>; the first version was not released at the time, but the second was released as Br (3480).<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-disc-1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[1]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;He recorded his hit version in March 1927 for Columbia Records, under the name &#8220;the Washingtonians&#8221;. Along with recording &#8220;Toodle-Oo&#8221;, two other compositions were recorded at the same session, &#8220;Hop Head&#8221; and &#8220;Down in Our Alley Blues&#8221;, the former of which would be released as the B-side of Columbia 953-D.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-liner-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[4]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul id=\"mwIg\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>November 29, 1926 E-4110 Vocalion 1064<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>February 3, 1927 E-21636 E-21637 E-21538 Brunswick rejected<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>March 14, 1927 E-21872 Brunswick 3480, Brunswick 6801, Brunswick 80000, Vocalion 1064 (some later pressings)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>March 22, 1927 W 143705-3 Columbia 953-D<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>December 19, 1927 41245-1 Victor 21703<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>December 19, 1927 41245-2 Victor 21703, Bluebird B-6430, Montgomery Ward M-4889<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>January 19, 1928 W 400032-A OKeh 8638 (as &#8220;Harlem Twist&#8221;, by Lonnie Johnson&#8217;s Harlem Footwarmers, which features Johnson on guitar)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>March\u00a0?, 1928 2944-A and B Cameo 8182, Lincoln 2837, Romeo 612 (as The Washingtonians), and 108079-1 Pathe 36781, Perfect 14962 (as The Whoopee Makers) (identical to one of the takes of 2944)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>April 3, 1930 150167-3 Diva 6046-G, Velvet Tone 7072-V (as Mills&#8217; Ten Black Berries)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>February 9, 1932 71812-2 and 3 Victor L-16007 (33 1\/3 10&#8243; long playing transcription, first part of a 3-song medley)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>March 5, 1937 M-180-1 Master MA-101, Brunswick m7989 (as &#8220;The New East St. Louis Toodle-O&#8221;)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>February 7, 1956 Bethlehem Be BCP-60<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;East St. Louis Toodle-Oo&#8221; features a growling&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mute_(music)#Plunger\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">plunger-muted<\/a>&nbsp;trumpet part played by co-composer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Bubber_Miley\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Bubber Miley<\/a>, one of the first jazz trumpeters to utilize the style.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-liner-4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[4]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;This style was carried on by later Ellington trumpeters Cootie Williams (1937 recording),<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[5]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;and Ray Nance (1956 recording).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Other notable recordings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Steely_Dan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Steely Dan<\/a>&nbsp;covered &#8220;East St. Louis Toodle-Oo&#8221; for their 1974 album&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pretzel_Logic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Pretzel Logic<\/a><\/em>, listeners widely assumed they did so because it was mentioned in the novel&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Naked_Lunch\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Naked Lunch<\/a><\/em>&nbsp;(from which Steely Dan took their name), but band leaders&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Walter_Becker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Walter Becker<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Donald_Fagen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Donald Fagen<\/a>&nbsp;have both denied this, with Fagen explaining, &#8220;Walter and I are such jazz fans and this composition stood up so well, we wanted to hear it with all the expertise of modern&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Hi-fi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hi-fi<\/a>.&#8221;<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-SDFAQ-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[6]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;Walter Becker played the melody with a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Talk_box\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">talk box<\/a>&nbsp;in order to imitate Miley&#8217;s plunger-muted trumpet, while&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Jeff_%22Skunk%22_Baxter\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jeff &#8220;Skunk&#8221; Baxter<\/a>&nbsp;used a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Pedal_steel_guitar\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pedal steel guitar<\/a>&nbsp;for the trombone part,<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[7]<\/a><\/sup>&nbsp;and Donald Fagen played the clarinet solo on acoustic piano. Fagen sent a copy of the recording to Ellington for his 75th birthday, but there is no record of whether Ellington listened to it before his death less than a month later.<sup><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/East_St._Louis_Toodle-Oo#cite_note-SDFAQ-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">[6]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Dave_Grusin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dave Grusin<\/a>&nbsp;recorded the song for his 1993 album&nbsp;<em><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Homage_to_Duke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Homage to Duke<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n<script>\nvar zbPregResult = '0';\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>2006 Remix of this Steely Dan Cover of a Duke Ellington Tune &#8220;East St. Louis Toodle-Oo&#8221;&nbsp;(also &#8220;Toodle-O&#8221; and &#8220;Todolo&#8220;) is a composition written by&nbsp;Duke Ellington&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bubber Miley&nbsp;and recorded several times by Ellington for various labels from 1926 to 1930 under various titles.[1]&nbsp;This song was in 1927 the first charting single for Duke Ellington and was one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[35],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-music"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7580,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7577\/revisions\/7580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/baselines.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}