I Want a Little Girl (song)

"I Want a Little Girl" (recorded by some female singers as the gender-swapped "I Want a Little Boy") is a popular song with music by Murray Mencher and lyrics by Billy Moll, published in 1930. ^[1]

The original 1930 recording was made by McKinney's Cotton Pickers with vocals by George Thomas on July 30, 1930 for Victor Records, ^[1] but the song has been recorded by many other artists since then, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Buddy Rich, Oscar Peterson, T-Bone Walker, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta Jones, Ben E. King, Eric Clapton and B.B. King.

Selected recordings

• 1939 Big Joe Turner recorded the song as a single. It appeared on his 1956 album The Boss of the Blues .
• 1948 Louis Armstrong recorded as a single A-side, with "Joseph and His Brudders" on the B-side, RCA Victor 20-2612.
• 1952 Count Basie, on his album Basie Jazz , released in 1954.
• 1952 Count Basie, on his album The Swinging Count! , released in 1956 on the Clef label. ^{[2] [3] [4]}
• Between 1952 and 1958 Ray Charles, on his album Yes Indeed! , released in 1958.
• 1956 Joe Williams, on his album A Night at Count Basie's .
• 1959 Nat King Cole, on his album Welcome to the Club .
• 1959 Billy Eckstine and the Count Basie Orchestra, on the album Basie/Eckstine Incorporated , released by Roulette Records.
• 1959 Buddy Rich, on his album Richcraft .
• 1959 Buddy Rich, on his album The Voice Is Rich .
• 1960 Billy Eckstine, on his album No Cover, No Minimum .
• 1960 The Four Coins, released as a single (MGM Records K12951, B-side to "Pledging My Love").
• 1960 Stanley Turrentine with The Three Sounds, on their album Blue Hour , released 1961.
• 1961 Jack McDuff, on his album The Honeydripper .
• 1961 Ike Quebec, on his album Heavy Soul released on the Blue Note label. ^[5]
• 1962 Count Basie, on his album Count Basie and the Kansas City 7 .
• 1964 Junior Mance, on his album That's Where It Is! , released in 1965.
• 1964 Oscar Peterson, featuring Clark Terry, on the album Oscar Peterson Trio + One . ^[6]
• 1965 Joe Hinton, released as a single reaching 132 on the Billboard Hot 100 and 34 in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in the US.
• 1966 Illinois Jacquet, on his album Go Power! .
• 1966 Wynton Kelly, on his album Full View , released on the Milestone label. ^[7]
• 1966 Pee Wee Russell and Red Allen, on their album The College Concert released on the Impulse! label. ^[8]
• 1967 Lou Donaldson, on his album Alligator Bogaloo .
• 1967 Phil Upchurch, on his album Feeling Blue , released in 1968 on the Milestone label. ^{[9] [10]}
• 1968 T-Bone Walker recorded the song and also named the album on which the track occurred album after it. The album was not released until 1973.
• 1975 The Lee Konitz Trio, on their album Oleo .
• 1978 Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson, recorded the song and also named the album on which it occurred after it. ^[11] It was recorded and released by the Pablo label. ^{[12] [13]}
• 1980 Junior Mance, on his album Deep .
• 1983 Count Basie, on his album Mostly Blues...and Some Others .
• 1986 Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass, on their album Easy Living .
• 1990 or 1992 Jay McShann on his album Some Blues , recorded in 1990 and 1992 and released on the Chiaroscuro label in 1993. ^{[14] [15]}
• 1991 Joey Baron, on his album Tongue in Groove .
• 1999 Ben E. King, on his album Shades of Blue .
• 2002 Eric Clapton, on his album One More Car, One More Rider .
• 2003 B.B. King, on his album Reflections .

Gender-swapped versions, "I Want a Little Boy"

• 1956 Kay Starr, on her album The One, The Only Kay Starr .
• 1986 Etta Jones, on her album Fine and Mellow , released in 1987.

References

1. "Billy Moll". Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved 11 October 2025.
2. Edwards, D. & Callahan, M. Clef Label Discography, access-date=11 October 2025
3. Kitora, R., Count Basie Discography, access-date=11 October 2025
4. Clef Records Catalog: 700, JATP, 1000, 4000, 2000 series, access-date=11 October 2025
5. Blue Note Records discography access-date=11 October 2025
6. Oscar Peterson Trio + One at AllMusic
7. Wynton Kelly discography access-date=11 October 2025
8. Impulse! Records discography access-date=11 October 2025
9. Phil Upchurch discography access-date=11 October 2025
10. Milestone Label discography access-date=11 October 2025
11. Miller, Mark (14 Jan 1982). "Vinson displays blues power". The Globe and Mail. p. E3.
12. Jazzdisco: Pablo Records catalog access-date=11 October 2025
13. Both Sides Now: Pablo Records Discography, access-date=11 October 2025
14. Chiaroscuro catalog album entry access-date=11 October 2025
15. Both Sides Now: Chiaroscuro Records Discography access-date=11 October 2025