"Shoo-Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy" is a popular song about Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, with music by Guy Wood and words by Sammy Gallop. It was published in 1945.
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Recording history
The biggest hit versions of the song were recorded by Dinah Shore and by the Stan Kenton orchestra (with June Christy doing the vocal). It was also recorded by Guy Lombardo and his Royal Canadians, and by Ella Fitzgerald. The recording by Dinah Shore was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 36943. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on April 4, 1946 and lasted 2 weeks on the chart, peaking at #7. The recording by Stan Kenton/June Christy was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 235. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on March 14, 1946 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #8. In the Cash Box survey, where all versions were combined at one position, the song reached #4.
Background
Shoo Fly pie (or Shoofly pie) is a molasses pie common to both Pennsylvania Dutch or Amish cooking and southern (U.S.) cooking. Apple Pan Dowdy (or Apple Pandowdy) is a baked apple pastry traditionally associated with Pennsylvania Dutch cooking, with a recipe dating to (according to Crea) colonial times.
In popular culture
The song is frequently mentioned in John Updike's 1988 novel Rabbit at Rest as a favorite childhood song of the protagonist, Pennsylvania native Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom. The 'Two Fat Ladies' refer to this song in their cookbook Obsessions, as well as singing the song and cooking apple pan dowdy on an episode of their television show.