Beech Tree News Network

A few weeks ago, I started a miniseries focused on made for tv bands that became real.  I told you about The Monkees and The Archie’s.  This week, I’ll bring you a lesser-known group.  Well, lesser known unless you’ve seen or heard of the raunchy classic movie Animal House.

Otis Day and the Knights was a fictional R&B band shown performing in the 1978 movie National Lampoon’s Animal House.  Following the success of the film, the actor portraying the group’s lead singer (DeWayne Jessie) acquired the rights to the name and created a real musical act that toured and recorded an album during the 1980’s.  

Several actors and musicians were hired to portray the members of the band for two scenes in the movie.  The fictional group performed the songs “Shout” and Shama Lama Ding Dong”.  Both songs were recorded for the movie by uncredited vocalist Lloyd G. Williams and lip synched by actor DeWayne Jessie in the part of the group’s frontman during filming.  Backing vocals for the soundtrack were recorded by Melvin Britt and Sidney Justin.  Grammy winning American blues guitarist Robert Cray was one of the members of the band, seen playing bass in the movie.  

In the 1980’s, DeWayne Jessie purchased the rights to the band’s name from Universal Studios and formed a real-life version of the band with some of his family members and toured the country for years afterward, with Jessie maintaining his role as lead singer Otis Day.  They recorded an album, produced by singer-songwriter George Clinton that came out in 1989 called Shout, which flopped, but included updated versions of “Shout” and “Shama Lama Ding Dong”.  Here’s a fun bit of trivia: DeWayne Jessie’s brother was Obediah “Young” Jessie of The Flairs and The Coasters.  Yes, the same Coasters who brought us “Charlie Brown” and “Yakety Yak”.   Thanks for reading this week! Below is the link for my vlog entry this week if you’re interested.

https://youtu.be/r3GMjl83YTQ?si=H9tlUpKT1vQ85XRw