"Carnival Time" is a

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

Mardi Gras Mardi Gras (, ; also known as Shrove Tuesday) is the final day of Carnival (also known as Shrovetide or Fastelavn); it thus falls on the day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. is French for "Fat Tuesday", referring to it being ...

-themed R&B song that was performed by Al Johnson and recorded in 1960. The song's composition was originally credited to Al Johnson and Joe Ruffino, though Johnson now holds exclusive rights. It is now considered an iconic festive song of the New Orleans Carnival season.

Background

Al Johnson, sometimes referred to as Al "Carnival Time" Johnson, was the singer and pianist who performed "It's Carnival Time". He was originally from

New Orleans, Louisiana New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

. After spending his early years in Houston, he returned to New Orleans at the age of ten settling in the

Lower Ninth Ward The Lower Ninth Ward is a neighborhood in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. As the name implies, it is part of the 9th Ward of New Orleans. The Lower Ninth Ward is often thought of as the entire area within New Orleans downriver of the Ind ...

. His father bought a piano for his sisters and a trombone for his brother which Johnson took interest, and learning the basic chord changes in different keys. His early musical influences included Sugar Boy Crawford,

Fats Domino Antoine Caliste Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American singer-songwriter and pianist. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New Orl ...

and

Smiley Lewis Overton Amos Lemons (July 5, 1913 – October 7, 1966), known as Smiley Lewis, was an American New Orleans rhythm and blues singer and guitarist. The music journalist Tony Russell wrote that "Lewis was the unluckiest man in New Orleans. He hit on ...

, to name a few. In 1956, at seventeen, he recorded his first songs, "Ole Time Talkin" and "I've Done Wrong"" for

Aladdin Records Aladdin Records was a record company and label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by brothers Eddie and Leo Mesner. It was originally called Philo Records before changing its name in 1946. Philo Records Philo's releases included 78 RPM singles of ...

. Johnson subsequently signed with Ric records and recorded series of songs at

Cosimo Matassa Cosimo Vincent Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014) was an American recording engineer and studio owner, responsible for many R&B and early rock and roll recordings. Life and career Matassa was born in New Orleans in 1926.Komorowski, ...

's New Orleans recording studio starting with "Lena" in 1958. In 1960 Johnson recorded "Carnival Time" for the label. The song was produced by Joe Ruffino, owner of the Ric label. Its composition was originally credited to both Johnson and Ruffino. Johnson was subsequently drafted into the army and was stationed at

Fort Bliss, Texas A fortification (also called a fort, fortress, fastness, or stronghold) is a military construction designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from La ...

. When he returned to New Orleans in late 1964, he found that Ruffino had died and that a protracted legal fight over royalties and rights to his music, among others, had left him with virtually nothing to show for his songs. Johnson continued to perform where he could, and was finally awarded full rights to his hit song in 1999. The song has become a local classic and has joined

Professor Longhair Henry Roeland Byrd (December 19, 1918 – January 30, 1980), better known as Professor Longhair or "Fess" for short, was an American singer and pianist who performed New Orleans blues. He was active in two distinct periods, first in the heyday o ...

's "

Go to the Mardi Gras "Go to the Mardi Gras" or "Mardi Gras in New Orleans" is a New Orleans Mardi Gras-themed R&B song that was performed by Professor Longhair (real name Henry Roland Byrd) and recorded several times since 1949. He co-wrote the song with Theresa Ter ...

" and "

Big Chief "Big Chief" is a song recorded by Professor Longhair.Berry/Foose/Jones, ''Up from the Cradle of Jazz''. University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press, 2009, p. 148. It was released as a single by Watch Records of New Orleans in February, 1965.

", and

The Hawketts The Hawketts were an American R&B combo from New Orleans, Louisiana who are best known for their 1954 recording of "Mardi Gras Mambo", a song that has become an iconic classic of the New Orleans Carnival celebration. The band's members hailed ...

Mardi Gras Mambo "Mardi Gras Mambo" is a Mardi Gras-themed song written by Frankie Adams and Lou Welsch. The song's best known version was recorded in 1954 by the Hawketts, whose membership included Art Neville, a founding member of the Meters and the Neville B ...

" as one of the most played and requested songs of the New Orleans Mardi Gras.

Discography

*"Carnival Time" b/w "Good Lookin'" (Ric 967-3459, 1960)

References

{{authority control 1960 songs Songs about New Orleans Rhythm and blues songs Mardi Gras songs