The song became known for what at the time were considered suggestive lyrics, and then for a series of lawsuits over songwriter royalties.

[3] At the same time two white dancers, Jerry Brandow and Lenny Kent, had approached the Andrews Sisters' manager Lou Levy with the song, claiming it was a traditional jazz tune, and five days after Bechet's recording, the Andrews Sisters recorded the song – with cleaner lyrics and a modified introduction, as "Hold Tight-Hold Tight (Want Some Sea Food Mama)," with Jimmy Dorsey's band.

Their recording was a considerable hit, followed by another notable version by Fats Waller a few months later in January 1939.

[4] Although the song had been played around jazz clubs for years, the Andrews Sisters hit provoked the first royalty cases – the royalties being awarded to the two dancers who had "discovered" the song, Brandow and Kent, then to Bechet's recording session team: guitarist Leonard Ware and singers Eddie Robinson and Willie Spottswood.

Other claims for parts of the song were made by Sy Oliver, Count Basie, Gene Krupa, the singer Jerry Kruger, and trumpeter Taps Miller.