Written by Charles Underwood and first released on record by Warren Smith in 1956, the song did not chart, but went on to become a rockabilly standard, covered by many artists.
"Ubangi Stomp" is a straightforward uptempo rock and roll song; the lyrics, not particularly belletristic (e.g."Ubangi stomp ubangi style / When the beat just drives a cool cat wild"), tell in first person the story of a sailor who goes to Africa ("I rocked through Africa and... Seen them cats doin' the Ubangi stomp") and, enamored of the local music and dance, jumps ship to go native ("Then the captain said son, we gotta go / I said that's alright, you go right ahead / I'm gonna Ubangi-stomp 'till I roll over dead").
The Ubangi Stomp Festival, an annual international exposition of America roots and rockabilly music,[1] takes its name from the song, as does the Ubangi Stomp Club, a Dublin organization that organizes and promotes roots concerts and gigs.
[3] The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Juke Joints (on their album 20 years), the Top Cats (on their album Full Throttle Rockabilly), The Slippers (on their album Ubangi Stomp),[5] The Sundowners (on the B-side of their 1959 single "Snake Eyed Woman"), The Velaires (on the B-side of their 1961 single "It's Almost Tomorrow"),[note 1] Bobby Taylor (on the B-side of his 1962 single "Seven Steps to an Angel"), and others.
Rory Storm and the Hurricanes recorded the song at Abbey Road Studios in 1964, but this version was never released.