Saigon Strut (Instrumental)

Annotation

A funk track, "Saigon Strut" (Shamley # S 44017), by the obscure Soul Patrol, focused on American G.I.s visiting clubs and prostitutes on the famous Tu Do street in Saigon, South Vietnam - Tu Do translated as "Liberty", called that between 1955 and 1975. It was formerly known as Catinat street (pre-1955), and was re-named Dông Khoï (General Insurrection) after the fall of Saigon.1 The narrator told the listener that he was "drifting down to Tu Do Street, where all the girl are just so sweet". They apparently cost "200 xu" (probably somewhere between $3-5).2 The soldier then referenced a series of clubs: CC Club, Mango Club, Paradise Club, and Hollywood Club. Then the narrator spotted an army superior: "what's that general doing?...he's doing the Saigon strut". Shamley, a small Hollywood, Californian based label, a sub-label of Uni Records, released the record. The B-side song was an instrumental version.Sources1saigon.vietnam.free.fr: Tu do street (archived copy)↩2Surviving Twice: Amerasian Children of the Vietnam War (Trin Yarborough, 2005)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs

A funk track, "Saigon Strut" (Shamley # S 44017), by the obscure Soul Patrol, focused on American G.I.s visiting clubs and prostitutes on the famous Tu Do street in Saigon, South Vietnam - Tu Do translated as "Liberty", called that between 1955 and 1975. It was formerly known as Catinat street (pre-1955), and was re-named Dông Khoï (General Insurrection) after the fall of Saigon.1 The narrator told the listener that he was "drifting down to Tu Do Street, where all the girl are just so sweet". They apparently cost "200 xu" (probably somewhere between $3-5).2 The soldier then referenced a series of clubs: CC Club, Mango Club, Paradise Club, and Hollywood Club. Then the narrator spotted an army superior: "what's that general doing?...he's doing the Saigon strut". Shamley, a small Hollywood, Californian based label, a sub-label of Uni Records, released the record. The B-side song was an instrumentl version. Sources1saigon.vietnam.free.fr: Tu do street (archived copy)↩2Surviving Twice: Amerasian Children of the Vietnam War (Trin Yarborough, 2005)↩

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: We're doing are thing, we call it the Saigon strut / While drifting down to Tu Do Street / Where all the girls are just so sweet / Well 200 xu, is what she want... / The CC Club, their doing there thing / The Mango Club, their doing there thing / The Paradise Club, their doing there thing / The Hollywood Club, their doing there thing / Oh I'm out of beat, can't find no more Saigon... / Say man, what's that general doing? / He's playing it cool, he's doing the Saigon strut / We're doing the funky, funky Saigon

Notes

Shamley S 44017, issued with an Instrumental side (.6033) and a Vocal side (.6032), each "Saigon Strut" (Quesada–Amador–Mariscal), 2:48, Highwood Music Corp./Walrus Music, BMI; The Soul Patrol featuring Cheap Charlie; arranged by Gil Morris; produced by Norman Gregg H. Ratner in association with Walrus Productions; "Universal City Records, a Division of MCA Inc., 8255 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, Calif. 90046 U.S.A." Light blue label. [From the record sleeve and labels]

Themes

Soldier's Perspective · Prostitution · Tu Do Street

In collections

Soul, Gospel, & Funk Songs · US Combat Perspective Songs [War Years]