Topsy is a swing era instrumental written by Edgar Battle and Eddie Durham and first recorded by Count Basie and His Orchestra, released on August 9, 1937. The tune quickly became a pop hit when Benny Goodman released his version in 1938, reaching number 14 on the charts. It is a fast, horn driven big band piece that helped define the Basie sound with tight ensemble playing and infectious rhythm. In 1958 Cozy Cole issued a two part single labeled Topsy I and Topsy II; Topsy I peaked at number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100, while Topsy II climbed to number 3 on the Hot 100 and topped the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart for six weeks. Over the years Topsy has been covered by many artists, including Charlie Christian, Jimmy Giuffre, the Chico Hamilton Quintet, and Meco, making it a notable jazz standard.
