Danette McMahon
I wanna be a naughty girl
Leave my prim and proper ways behind
You can take my sugar, add a whole lotta spice
Hello to nasty and goodbye to nice!
I wanna be a naughty girl
Goodwill can have my goody goody two shoes
I bought me some 5 inch pumps, black leather pants
A little see through top-it came from Paris, France
I wanna be a naughty, naughty girl
Bridge:
Let the ladies talk, it’ll help my name get around
I’m no time at al, they’ll know me all over town
I won’t care if my number’s written in a bathroom wall
“For a real good time-I’m the one to call!”
I like being a naughty girl
Been playin’ catch-up, workin’ overtime
I ain’t getting much sleep, but that’s alright
Cause I love to do what’s keepin’ me up all night
Yes, I’m a such a naughty, such a naughty girl
Solo- How long?
Bridge:
Let the ladies talk, it helps my name get around
In no time at all, they’ll know me all over town
Won’t care if my number’s written on a bathroom wall
For a real good time I’m the one to call
When it comes to bein’ a naughty girl
I’ve learned so much, I ougtha write a book
It would be hot and steamy, to the very last page
‘Cause this girl is stayin’ naughty ‘til I’m old and gray
(Cause once I get naughty I’m gonna stay that way)
I’m gonna be a naughty, naughty girl!
Story
Okay…here’s how this little doozy of a song happened! I was sitting in the audience at Cezanne (the premier jazz club in Houston), enjoying a fellow songstress. She had this overall “come get me” vibe! She’d run her fingers through her platinum blonde hair as she sang her songs with some sneaky double entendres…I’d say she was a modern day Mae West!
Everything she did seemed so natural…I couldn’t imagine myself pulling all that off! As she was leaving the stage, on break, I commented, “You do naughty so well!” Her sax man heard me and added, “But, she can’t do ‘nice’ like you do!” We all laughed and then I looked at her and said, “I wanna be a naughty girl!”
Inspired, I walked over to the bar and requested some cocktail napkins from our favorite bartender, Bill. Words started flowing and that’s how this number began. As the story developed, all I could think was, “How on earth am I gonna be comfortable singing it?!? This is pretty outrageous!”
Many years passed and this song just sat on the shelf with my other originals. When my friend and producer, Duke Davis, invited me to come sing some background vocals on a couple of his songs, for his newest album, I was thrilled! (A wonderful opportunity to reconnect after so many years of being out of touch.). One of the songs, ‘Sweet Irene’ took me right into the heart of The French Quarter, in New Orleans. He had done something magical with the arrangement, selection of musicians and, of course, his voice.
As I was getting ready to leave, I told Duke I had a song that I’d never found a sound I was happy with, for bringing it to life. His “Sweet Irene” had sparked me to bring it up. I sang the first couple of verses and he told me he loved it…sounded like fun! Then, he asked if I had ever recorded a CD and I had to reply “No”! He then said, “Well, I love producing and we are going to change that!” So basically, “Naughty Girl” is what kicked off this very unexpected “No More Excuses” project!
One of my favorite memories, in Sound Arts Recording Studio, was when Ed Lowe came in to lay down his trombone part. I felt confident he could give me what was needed to sell this song. He is a very well respected player with such a beautiful sound and great chops. He ran through it a couple of times and it was pretty. Then I said, “Ed, I need you to play like you had too much to drink before you walked in here and you don’t care if I ever hire you again!” That’s when the fun began and he went to town!
As he was packing up, I asked if it was uncomfortable playing it that way, and he replied, “Just a little.” We both laughed when I added, “Well, how do you think I feel singin’ it?!?” I now listen and have trouble not cracking up. The band, and Ed’s trombone, plopped me right down on Bourbon Street! “Naughty Girl” finally came to life!