I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate

Consider the Roaring 20s, with flappers and their fringe-covered dresses dancing the shimmy while goggle-eyed fellows stand by admiringly. This song would likely have been on the playlist of the band that was playing at that dance.

Around 1915, Armand "AJ" Piron and his partner Clarence Williams wrote and published a song titled I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate. Unless, that is, you believe Louis Armstrong's claims that he wrote the song and sold it to Mr. Piron. That would explain Mr. Armstrong's refusal to play Sister Kate despite the song's enormous popularity.

I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate has been recorded by dozens of performers over the ensuing decades. The slightly naughty dance and lyrics offered a delicious sense of breaking taboos. It's also simply a lot of fun to sing and play the song. You can certainly hear the enjoyment in the music of many of the performers I'd included below.

If you've got a favorite version of I Wish That I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate but don't find it here, please let me know. I'd like to include as many as I can. Thank you!