The Frim-Fram Sauce Explained

"The Frim-Fram Sauce" is a jazz song written by Redd Evans and Joe Ricardel.[1] In 2002, journalist William Safire said frim-fram sauce was a variant of flim-flam or deceit[2] and "ussin-fay" was pig Latin for "fussing", meaning "playing about fretfully".[2] Safire quoted singer Diana Krall on the meaning of "shafafa": "'It's all about sex,' she replied innocently."[2] The song was made famous by The King Cole Trio whose recording on October 11, 1945 (Capitol 224)[3] reached the Billboard charts with a peak position of No. 19.[4] "The Frim-Fram Sauce" was recorded by Ella Fitzgerald with Louis Armstrong in 1946 and many other artists have also made recordings[5] including Diana Krall who recorded the song for her albums Stepping Out (1993) and (1996).

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Phares . Heather . Diana Krall: Frim Fram Sauce . . April 13, 2020.
  2. News: William Safire . Our lyrical language: William Safire on the symbiosis between the spoken and the sung . 2002-05-03 . The Guardian (originally published in The New York Times 2002) . 2012-01-13.
  3. Web site: 45worlds.com . 45worlds.com . July 8, 2020.
  4. Book: Whitburn . Joel . Joel Whitburn's Pop Memories 1890-1954 . 1986 . Record Research Inc. . Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin . 0-89820-083-0 . 37.
  5. Web site: The Frim Fram Sauce - Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald | Song Info | AllMusic. AllMusic.