One Mint Julep

With Buddy Bailey on lead and Harry Van Walls on the tinkling piano, this next tune was released in 1953 by Atlantic Records. It reached #2 R&B. Written by one of the great boogie R&B songwriters of the century, Rudy Toombs, who wrote dozens of sly fun songs about drinking and sporting life.

“I’m through with flirtin an drinkin whisky I got six extra children
from getting frisky”

These frisky lyrics spin a social tale about a young black man ending up with a ring on his finger after havin one too many mint juleps which back then was considered a wealthy white woman’s drink. Bourbon, sugar, cracked ice and a sprig of mint. ONE MINT JULEP was one of the first drinking songs to make it big and one of the first to feature a tenor sax solo. Ray Charles’ cover in 1961 reached #1 R&B. But the song we honor is...THE CLOVER’S VERSION of ONE MINT JULEP.

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