G.I. Jive Explained

G.I. Jive
Type:	single
Artist:	Johnny Mercer
Genre:	R&B

"G.I. Jive" is a 1944 song written and originally performed by Johnny Mercer.

Background

Mercer intended to write a song that the soldiers would like, and the song was the biggest hit of all the songs dealing with soldier life during World War II.^[1]

Chart performance

The single was a hit twice in 1944 by two different performers: Johnny Mercer hit number one on the Harlem Hit Parade for one week and peaked at number thirteen on the pop charts.^[2] Three months later, Louis Jordan, also made it to number one on both the Harlem Hit Parade and the pop chart with "G.I. Jive".^[3] The B-side to Jordan's version, "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby", was also a successful release.

Other versions

• Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five recorded “G.I. Jive” for Decca in 1944 (the B-side being “Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby?”)
• Deana Martin recorded "G.I. Jive" on her 2013 album Destination Moon.
• Phil Harris sang a version on the June 4, 1944 episode of The Jack Benny Program.

Related topic

• GI Jive AFRS radio program by the same name

Notes and References

1. Book: Jones, John Bush . 2006 . The Songs That Fought the War . Lebanon, NH . University Press of New England . 114 . 1584654430 .
2. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 395.
3. Book: Whitburn, Joel . Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Joel Whitburn . 2004 . Record Research . 309.