# In Blazing Saddles... what song is Count Basie playing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 18, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323 "2003-07-18T04:52:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/1 "2003-07-18T04:52:45Z")
I CANNOT think of the name of that tune and its droving me nurtz. Thankkew. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/2 "2003-07-18T05:11:38Z")
I get a kick out of you ? just a guess ---
**Author:** ![JerseyDiamond](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@JerseyDiamond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyDiamond)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/3 "2003-07-18T05:21:23Z")
No it’s April In Paris ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/4 "2003-07-18T05:42:57Z")
Ah… I’m thinking of the song Clevon was singing, I guess. Been a while. I should probably look for it on DVD ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/5 "2003-07-18T06:03:38Z")
Definitely not “April In Paris” or “I Get A Kick Out Of You” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/6 "2003-07-18T06:17:27Z")
According to [this](http://www.filmsite.org/blaz.html) site, it IS _April In Paris_. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/7 "2003-07-18T06:39:07Z")
Ohmigod NoClueBoy… You found MISINFORMATION on the INTERNET?! Trust me: Tisn’t “April in Paris” What you gonna believe: ME, or that lying site? ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/8 "2003-07-18T06:52:15Z")
(briefly stop eating) NoClueBoy: Apologies. At first, I listened to a Wynton Marselies cover of “April in Paris” which has a slower tempo and doesn’t have Basie’s trademark silent beat near the end. Then I just listened to a big band version and realized they were the same song. I absolutely had no idea – ! Uh… don’t ask me how I acquired a copy of of a BIG-BAND version of “April in Paris” in the last few minutes. (resumes eating crow) ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/9 "2003-07-18T13:10:01Z")
Hey, it was **Jersey Diamond** who had it right, I just found a cite site. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/10 "2003-07-18T13:39:48Z")
I don’t think it was April in Paris. You can listen to that song being played by Count Basie and his orchestra [here.](http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/verve/product.asp?pid=9896) I don’t remember clearly that scene but if I do, I seem to recall that they were playing Satin Doll. [Here](http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/grp/product.asp?pid=9341) is Duke Ellington playing it. All the Basie recording I found had Ella singing. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/11 "2003-07-18T13:51:00Z")
“April In Paris” came out on Verve and is really easy to get (my CD has a couple of alternate takes). Why would it be so difficult to find a big band version? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/12 "2003-07-18T14:48:42Z")
Absolutely, positively _April in Paris_, with the cue taken directly from the end of the title cut of [this album](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000047CS/qid=1058540076/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7717147-5342238?v=glance&s=music). No question. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/13 "2003-07-18T15:51:11Z")
Are my links not working for people? ---
**Author:** ![Wumpus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8c91f0/32.png) [@Wumpus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wumpus)\ **Post date:** [July 18, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-blazing-saddles-what-song-is-count-basie-playing/189323/14 "2003-07-18T16:17:20Z")
Guys, it _is_ April In Paris, just like Archive Guy said. One more once!