This article is about the catchphrase and scat style. For the animated short, see Betty Boop in Boop-Oop-a-Doop.
Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!
Boop-Oop-a-Doop
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"Boop-Oop-a-Doop" is Betty Boop's trademark catchphrase and scat sound, which was originally made popular by Helen Kane in 1928. The Fleischer Studios stated that Betty's "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" routine had evolved from "Bo-Do-De-O-Do," "Ba-Da-In-De-Do" scat rhymes. Miss Kane claimed to be the originator of the unique ad-libs, and attempted to sue Fleischer Studios and Paramount, who she had previously worked for, but she actually took her style from another, meaning she was not the first person to "Boop" in show business. According to a 1932 newspaper article the secret to the origin of scat singing lied in Harlem,[1] and scouts were sent to African-American cabarets for data. The testimony given during the trial was, for the most part in two-fourths time and very syncopated.
When asked how she had created this "Boop" technique, Helen Kane stated, "It's a form of rhythm I created. There's a bar in the music, and at the end there is a stop." However interpolating "hot licks" into songs had already been established by other performers long before Helen Kane had started using the "scat-singing" technique that she claimed she had invented. Helen Kane made "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" famous but she was not the first "scatter"[2] and she certainly did not "invent" the rhythm of interjecting "meaningless" sounds into songs.
Kane stated that the "Boop" was her invention and that she had debuted it in Good Boy, but an early 1928 review for "Good Boy"[3] the musical contradicted this. A Tuesday, November 6, 1928 review of Kane's "I Wanna Be Loved By You" performance mentioned that she used the phrases "Bumpee-Ump-Bump-Bump" as her parting lines.
The defense presented a "galaxy of talented performers" to show that long before Miss Kane made her debut as a singer of "baby" songs the practice of singing in the baby singing style and "interpolating songs with meaningless sounds" was quite common, making Kane's "baby-talk" singing style and "scat singing" both unoriginal and not unique. As in the court documents it is also stated that Kane tried to lay claim to the origination of the interjection of scat sounds into songs by using her "Boop" routine as a metaphor. Kane tried to take credit for inventing the scat genre by using her "Boop" as source but it came out in court that she was not the original.
Also the fact that Helen Kane didn't create "Boop" because she was the "Poop" girl prior to becoming the "Boop" girl. The "Boop" was used earlier by African-American singers Clarence Williams and Louis Armstrong. It also later came out that Edith Griffith had debuted the "Boop" and "Poop" routines a year before Kane in 1927. And Chic Kennedy said in a newspaper interview that Kane had stolen her "Poop" idea in 1928. Kane lay claim to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop," "Boop-Boopa-Doop," "Boop-Boop-Pa-Do," "Boopa-Doop," or simply "Boop" alone. Kane's covert appropriation would have remained hidden and she would never have been exposed as being unoriginal had Kane had not filed lawsuits against Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures, a company she had previously worked for.
Today in history it is a known fact that Helen Kane took inspiration from various African-American performers (the main being Baby Esther Jones) who preceded Kane by using this style in 1925[4], making the origin of the "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" scat sound have somewhat African-American roots. When African-American scat singer Cab Calloway was alive, he agreed that animated Fleischer Studios character Betty Boop was his female counterpart. When "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" is expanded into scatting it's usually, "Boop-Be-Doop-Be-Doop-Be-Doop! Boop-Boop-Be-Doo!" (sometimes the "p" is silent), with a "Bop" to finish it up.
There are various cartoons in which Betty has also used alternative scat interpolations rather than her usual "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" routine. In several cartoons Betty Boop uses Cab Calloway's "Hi-De-Hi," "Hi-De-Ho," "Zah-Zu-Zaz," and "Skeetle-At-De-Op-De-Day". Betty also uses Gertrude Saunders' "Tweet-Tweet-Tweet," "Twat-Twat-Twat," and "Twa-Twa-Twa" (also used by Esther Bigeou) in two cartoons.
Betty Boop uses a "Wa-Da-Da" / "Wha-Da-Da" technique in A Language All My Own, New Deal for Pets. This technique was previously used by African-American child performer Baby Esther Jones.
In Betty Boop and Grampy inventor Grampy sings the "Tiger Rag" and does a quick "Boo-Boo-Boo-Boo" in song, Betty finishes the song with a "Wha-Dah-Dah-Da-Da-Da-Da" to the beat of the song. At the start of the cartoon, Betty can also be heard humming "Dom-Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom, "Da-Da-De-Da-Da-Da-Da-Dum," "Da-Da-Dum-Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom-Bom," a scat-singing version of her "Sweet Betty" theme song.
Other scat sounds Betty has made in her original cartoon series include "Skeet," "Scat," "Ri-Ri-Da-Da-Da," "Da-Da-Da," "Skiddle-a-Rootin'-Hootin'-Tootin'," "Skiddle-a-Doo-Doo-a-Doo-Doo-Doo," "Wha-Da-De-Do," "Wha-Da-De-De-Do-Do-Do," "Diddle-Iddle-Iddle-Iddle-Iddle-e," and "Widdle-Iddle-Loodle-o-Bop".
In Making Friends when Betty sings "Go Out & Make Friends With the World" instead of a "Bop" at the end of her "Boop" scat rhythm, this time Betty uses a "Bee" instead.
When Bonnie Poe voiced Betty Boop she has used "Poop-Poop-a-Doop-Poo," "Poop-Poop-Pa-Doo," "Poop-Poop-Pa-Doop-Poo" and "Biddy-Biddy-Biddy-Be-Boop-Oopy-Doo-Be" in The Swing School, in that same cartoon Pudgy also uses scat-singing and also uses "Wha-Da-Da" scat-rhymes in song.
Sally Swing who was originally going to replace Betty in the cartoons as a "spin-off" series, uses a lot of scat-singing in the 1938 cartoon Sally Swing with vocals by Rose Marie, a singer who used to scat-sing in her act under the stage name Baby Rose Marie.
However it has to be acknowledged that "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" was Helen Kane's untrademarked gimmick, even though not unique it was what she was best known for during the late 1920s and early 1930s. As time went by people forgot about Helen Kane and today often think of Betty Boop when they hear the scatting of "Boops" and "Doops" in songs. You can find a list of "Boop-a-Doop Singers" here.
"Inka Dinka Doo" a 1933 song that Jimmy Durante debuted in the 1934 film Palooka based on comic strip character Joe Palooka references the "Boop" catchphrase. In Durante's 1944 recording, he says that everyone started to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" but they got tired of that you knew. He also claims that the "Fo-Lo-Dee-Oh-Do" originated before the "Boop" routine. He also mentions Bing Crosby's "Boo-Boo-Boo" and references each and every one of these phrases as crooning. The song was also was given a 1952 release. Durante was best known for the "Ha-cha-cha-cha" and or "Hotch-cha" craze, which was similar to the "Boop" craze.
The 1960s song "Ooh-Poo-Pah-Doo" is said to be similar to "Oop-Pop-A-Da" by Dizzy Gillespie and "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" by Betty Boop.
Betty Boop performs a barrage of scatting in multiple songs in the new Boop! the Musical, particularly "Where I Wanna Be". Foster added that the "Boop" phrase will not be heard frequently, but only in certain parts of the musical, as he felt it was stealing. Initially they were thinking of "taking away her Boop-Boop-Be-Doop" routine, but Betty is not Betty without it thus the second name BOOP. When asked what Betty does, she says she "Boop-Boop-Be-Doops".
Fleischer Studios (2021)
Several "scat singing" performers was given tribute by the Fleischer Studios and official Betty Boop page in 2021. You can find out more by clicking "The Battle Over Booping" and following the link to the Fleischer Studios article.
Also Known As
- Boop-Boop-a-Doop
- Boop-Boop-e-Doop
- Boop-Oop-e-Doo
- Boop-Boop-Be-Doop
- Boop-Boop-Ba-Doop
- Boop-Oopy-Doop
- Poop-Poop-a-Doop
- Poop-Poopy-Doop
- Poop-Poopy-Doo
- Poop-Oop-a-Doo
- Poo Poo Padoo
- Boo Boo Badoo
- Boo-Pooh-Pa-Doo
- Papa-Pa-Dap
- Baba-Ba-Dap
- Bop-Bop-a-Dop
- Bup-Bup-a-Dup
- Bap-Bap-a-Dap
- Boop-Poop-Puh-Doop
- Boop-Boopa-Doop
- Poo-Poo-Pa-Doop
- Poo-Poo-Pah-Doop
- Poop-Poop-Pa-Doop
- Poop-Poop-Pah-Doop
- Poop Poop Padoop
Differences Between Boops
Betty's "Boops" would differ depending on the actress portraying her. During the 1950s Helen Kane made a comeback and started recording new music. In Kane's new recordings she started to sound more like Betty Boop, the animated character who she once found to be most repugnant.
Betty Boop's "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" Routine
1. Margie Hines' "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine.
2. Mae Questel's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine.
3. Bonnie Poe's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine.
Other Scat Sounds:
1. "Boop-Boop-a-Dooper" Margie Hines using the hot lick "Wa-Da-De-De-De-De," as she explained during the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit.
Betty Boop Using Alternative Scat Rhythm:
"Da-De-De-De-De-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Dum" by Fearless Fred and Betty Boop.
Helen Kane's Scat Interpolations:
Helen Kane's original scat techniques were neither "Boop" or "Poop," her original interpolations seem to be a variety of scat sounds, three of the latter were "But-Dut-De-Dut," "Butt'n-Dutt" and "But-Dut-De-Dut" sounds. The original scat singing techniques that Kane used in early 1928 are said to have been inspired by interpolations that Florence Mills impersonator Baby Esther Jones used to use at the Everglades. Kane's original interpolations are very similar to sounds used in the all-black Broadway musical Shuffle Along. Similar sounds that Gertrude Saunders, Florence Mills and Josephine Baker would frequently use in their musical performances.
Early 1928:
"Baddle-a-Daddle-a-Daddle-a-Daddle-a-Do-Da-Diddle-a-Do-Ba-Do-De-Do-Da-Ba-Du-Ba-Du-Bo-Pa-Tiddle-a-Taddle-a-Do-Da-De-Da-Do-Do-Tittle-a-Tattle-a-Toodle" by Helen Kane.
By mid-1928 Kane adapted her scat technique to "Poop" and was then known as the "Poop" girl.
"Poop," "Poo," "Pe," "Pa," "Doo," "Dop" and "Doop" (1928):
"Boop-Boop-a-Doop" (1928):
Helen later decided to change her "Poop" routine to "Boop," and then change her title from the "Poop" and "Poo" girl to the "Boop" and "Boo" girl. Revealing that Helen Kane was never the "Boop" girl to begin with, she was originally the "Poop" girl. In most of her early performances, she is saying "Poop" not "Boop," which is why she held "Poo-Poo-Pa-Doo" contests.
Other Boop-Oop-a-Doopers
The unique scat lyrics have a long controversy behind them. Many people have used similar or claim to be the originator of the phrase Boop-Oop-a-Doop. Today, "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" and the word "Boop" are official Betty Boop trademarks and cannot be used by others, even though the Boop from Betty's name was originally created and made popular by others as it was the exclamation point of the roaring twenties. People can use Boop to scat sing only they cannot use the name "Betty Boop" on merchandise as it is copyrighted, something singer Betty Boo learned the hard way when she attempted to use the name "Betty Boop" in her act in the 1980s. According to vast research, African-Americans originated the scat singing style, and it was adapted by others. Scat singing in general is most associated with jazz, a genre of music that also originated in African-American communities in the United States, which also like scat singing was appropriated and became very popular among pretty much everyone who lived in that decade.
According to a 1852 article on African-Americans, it was quoted that it was often for them to sing old-time hymns and tunes with unction and that "Boop-De-Dooden-Do"[5] was often in the chorus. According to white Americans of the 1850s, their singing had no counterpart or competition in the white race and that it wouldn't be the music of the future. Although, several decades later, things of course changed and then everybody wanted to emulate African-Americans' singing style.
Scat singing is said to have originated from West Africa, but emerged when singers in the early 1900s began to imitate the first jazz instrumentalists.
Gertrude Saunders:
1. Gertrude Saunders' scat singing routine. (1921-1945)
Gertrude Saunders stated that she had first used the scat singing style in 1921 in the musical Shuffle Along, Saunders was given tribute in 1938-1939 as originator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" and was celebrated as the originator in African-American newspapers up until 1950. In the musical Shuffle Along, Saunders' successor was Florence Mills.
However when Saunders indicated that she was the original "Boop" singer of songs, she actually meant that she was the first to interpolate "scat" into songs. She was more the "Tweet-Tweet-Tweet," "Twa-Twa-Twa," "Twat-Twat-Twat," girl, but also used a variety of scat into her songs.
Florence Mills:
Florence Mills who replaced Gertrude Saunders in the musical Shuffle Along would often use a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" in her song "Baby and Me," in a higher pitch obbligato, kind of like a flute.
Mae Barnes:
Mae Barnes born Edith Mae Stith, has been cited as "Boop-Boop-a-Dooping" a lot of "Boops" long before Helen Kane ever heard of Boop.
Chic Kennedy:
Chic Kennedy a Broadway performer claimed in 1931, that she was the one true originator of "Poop-Poop-a-Doop." She claimed that Helen Sugar Kane, who had shared the same bill with her in 1928, had taken credit for her idea when she was taken ill.
Duncan Sisters:
The Duncan Sisters were prominent singers during the early 1920s, they used a "baby-talk" persona in their act long before "Helen Kane the Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl was known. The sisters' 1923 song "Baby Sister Blues" is an early baby-talk song that features baby-talk and scat singing, which they would often use in their act. The Duncan Sisters release of "Um-Um-Da-Da" was brought up in court when Helen Kane claimed that her singing style, look and mannerisms were original. Kane later lost her suit when it was proven that her act was not original and had been performed not just by the "Duncan Sisters" but by a galaxy of performers.
Lil' Esther:
Florence Mills impersonator Baby Esther Lee Jones, daughter of William Jones and Gertrude Jones, was an African-American child performer from Chicago who used to sing and dance in her act. Her ex-manager Lou Bolton taught her to scat sing starting from 1925. When she scat sung at cabarets during the 1920s she would interpolate "Boo-Boo-Boo", "Wha-Da-Da", "Doo-Doo-Doo" & "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would finish off her routine with a "De-Do."
Other scat sounds Esther used to interpolate include "Roop-Woop-a-Woop," "Ud-Up-Deo-Do," "Skeet Scat," "Bup-Bup," and "Poo-Poo-a-Doo."
Jones would also later go on to use the popular phrase "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" in her act. Lou Bolton claimed Esther's interpolation was actually "Poo-Poo-a-Doo" in the lawsuit documents. "Poo-Poo-a-Doo" is very similar to Helen Kane's "Poop-Poopa-Doop" routine. But Jones had used this in a MGM film short, in which she was allegedly tributing the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl style that was popular in 1928. The actual "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" phrase is said to have been adapted from Esther Jones' original interpolations. Possibly Esther's "Roop-Woop-a-Woop" routine inspired Helen Kane's "Boop" routine. With Kane possibly changing "Woop" and "Roop" to "Poop" instead. It's not 100% known what had inspired Kane. But there is a possibility that Esther's "Roop-Woop-a-Woop" that she also used in 1928 had inspired Kane. Witnesses claimed that Jones had made similar noises to Kane, months earlier in 1928. Kane however had never admitted to coining Esther's act, and Jones also had never "lay claim" the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" style.
Esther Bigeou:
1. Esther Bigeou's scat singing routine. (1921)
2. Esther Bigeou's scat singing routine. (1923)
Esther Bigeou from New Orleans introduced her "Twa-Twa-Twa" in 1923, two years after Gertrude Saunders. However it would seem that Bigeou used a "Doop," Deet," "Doot," "Da" and "Deep" in "If That's What You Want Here It Is" released in 1921.
Edith Griffith:
During the suit against Kane, an employee of Rudy Vallée claimed that a singer by the name of Edith Griffith had "Booped" in 1927. Edith was said to have affected a baby-talk voice in her stage performances. Alternative scat sounds that Griffith is said to have interpolated into her songs were "Do-Do-Da-Da," "Da-Da-Do-Do." "Da-Da-Da-Da," "Roo-Too-Too-Too," and "Da-Da-Da-Ba-Ba-Ba."
Helen Kane:
Helen Kane became known as "The Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" after she interpolated the scat lyrics "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" into a performance of "I Wanna Be Loved By You" in the 1928 show Good Boy.
She was best known for her unique "Boop" scat singing style and her "baby-talk" style of singing and her ditzy baby-doll persona.
However it later came out that she had saw Florence Mills impersonator Esther Lee Jones do similar scat routines in 1928, and that Kane had adapted the sounds she had heard at the Everglades with her then manager Tony Shayne, who was also booking agent for Esther around that time.
Kane's original scat lyrics were "Da-Da-Da" and "Bu-Du-Da-Do," which sound somewhat similar to Esther Jones and Clarence Williams scat interpolations. Listen to Kane's first two 1928 recording "That's My Weakness Now" and "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" for comparison.
The "Boop" routine in Kane's first two songs that she released in 1928 both have a kind of prototype version of "Boop," indicating plagiarism.
Helen Kane is said to have adapted the sounds more than once, eventually leading her to create "Poop Poop Padoop." The media misunderstood and thought she was saying "Boop-Boop-a-Doop." Instead of being the "Poop-Poop-a-Doop Girl," Kane became the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl."
Other scat lyrics Kane used in her recordings were "Bup-Bup-a-Dup," "Bap-Bap-a-Dap" and "Bop-Bop-a-Dop," sometimes adding in the word "Lup."
She would later sue the creators Betty Boop for stealing her style. However in court it came out that Kane herself was not original, and that her singing style and scat singing was quite common among a number of singers, and that she had also taken direct inspiration from other performers. In court Helen Kane admitted that other "baby-talk" singers had preceded her on the stage. She lost in court for being unoriginal and not having enough evidence to back up her claims of being sole innoventor of the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop."
Clarence Williams:
Clarence Williams was an African-American composer and songwriter. During the Helen Kane suit, he claimed he had invented the word Boop in 1915, claiming they were 'Hot Licks' with scat lyrics such as "What-Da-De-Da" with an occasional Boop thrown in. Margie Hines the voice of Betty Boop also called her "Boops"- 'licks'. Williams' wife Eva Taylor, was also featured in the musical Shuffle Along. "Sha-Da-Deda-Boo-Boo-Pa-Doo," "Wha-Da-Da-De," and "What-Da-De-Da" were three other scat sounds he used to interpolate into songs.
Felix Mayol:
The first person to utter similar syllables was Felix Mayol, who had used the scat lyrics "Bou-Doo-Da-Ba-Boo" in his 1913 recording "Bou-Dou-Ba-Boum." This was brought up in Helen Kane's $250,000 suit, where the latter was asked if she had heard the song. Kane stated that she had never heard of the song. Extensive research by the "Betty Boop Wikia Fandom" has shown that Mayol actually "shouts" the name of an African soldier in the song, and it sounds like a common scat rhyme, with no scat.
Little Ann Little:
Ann Little Rothschild one of the several original voices of Betty Boop claimed that Betty Boop's, "Boop" technique was originally "Ba-Da-Inde-Do," which later developed into "Bo-Do-De-O-Do" and finally to "Boop-Oop-a-Doop." She stated that in 1925 she was the baby of the Greenwich Village Follies and sang cute baby songs and did breaks at the end of the bars of music. These "breaks," included the sounds "Wha-Da-De-Dah," (similar to Clarence Williams claim and Baby Esther's scat sounds), "Bo-Vo-Deo-Do" and even "Ba-Da-Daten-Doop."
After winning the lawsuit against Helen Kane, Ann would state that she sang "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" before Helen Kane was known. Ann also considered herself the "original" Betty Boop and later lashed out at Mae Questel the most famous voice of Betty Boop.
It turns out that Little Ann Little was not the original Betty Boop and her first role as Betty Boop was in 1933. The original voice of Betty Boop in the original cartoons from 1930-1932 was actually Margie Hines. Questel was the second voice of Betty Boop, and she started voicing Betty in 1931, and Questel shared the role with Hines up until Hines' contract to voice Betty Boop ended.
Other Artists:
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Other artists who used similar methods of adding scat singing in songs were: Cab Calloway who is considered to be Betty Boop's male counterpart with "Hi-De-Ho" and "Hi-De-Hi," "Zah-Zuh-Zaz," "He-De-He," "Ree-Bop," "Skeep-Beep-De-Bop-Bop-Beep-Bop-Bo-Dope," and "Skeetle-At-De-Op-De-Day."
Bing Crosby with "Boo-Boo-Boo" and Jimmy Durante with "Ha-Cha-Cha." Another would be "Vo-Do-Do-De-O," a scat lyric which was first used in 1926 by Irving Aaronson and the Victor Commanders.
Louis Armstrong who taught Cab Calloway how to scat sing was as innovative with scatting, however scat singing was already a well known manner of singing by African-Americans. Armstrong scat sang in 1924 on "Everybody Loves My Baby." It has been observed that early scat singing was often performed by African-American women.
Some examples would be Ethel Ridley, Ora Alexander, Nina Mae McKinney the black Clara Bow / Greta Garbo, Sally Gooding, Edith Wilson, Adelaide Hall, Mae Barnes and Florence Mills impersonator Baby Cox.
Trivia
- The Boop style was en vogue in the 1920s, but by the late 1930s it was classed as silly. One article claimed that there were too many Boop-Boop-a-Doop Singers, and women should use their natural voices.
- Mae Questel created the "Bop" to finish up Betty Boop's scat routine.
- The Boop style went well with Betty Boop, as she was an animated cartoon character. And her name Betty together with Boop made her iconic, as it rhymed. When asked what she does, she explains that "she Boop-Boop-a-Doops."
- The Boop style was paid tribute to in the 1950s and is referenced many media from 1929 to the present day.
- Today, the scat lyric is most associated with Betty Boop, who is dubbed the Queen of Cartoons.
- "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" is also a fixture of flapper culture and the roaring 20s.
- Boop Oop a Doop can also mean I love you, with the hidden context of being more risqué.
- According to a 1931 article, before "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" the most popular sound was "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay." Just like the "Boop" the origin of the meaningless sound "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay" was also originally originated by a "Black" performer by the name of Mama Lou during the 1890s initially as "Tha-Ma-Boum-Di-He". Lou first performed the song in a well-known St. Louis brothel run by "Babe" Connors. The song was later adapted and made famous by others, such as Lottie Collins who later performed the song in London in 1892.
- "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Ay" / "Ta-Ra-Ra-Boom-De-Aye" is actually considered to be the predecessor of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop".
- Cyndi Lauper uses a "Bop-Bop-Be-Doh" in her live 1983 "He's So Unusual" performance, while imitating Helen Kane.