This number from the 1953 musical Small Town Girl is more known for its unorthodox staging, in which Ann Miller dances on a stage with an orchestra. The orchestra musicians are invisible, with their hands protruding from walls and the floor playing their instruments.
(Verse)
I like the sound of a tom-tom
Primitive though it may be
Any Congo thing
Or bongo thing
Is just the music for me
(Chorus)
I gotta hear that beat
That crazy tom-tom beat
I gotta hear that beat
When I dance
Then I'll hoof the whole night
Raise the roof the whole night
The crazy rhythm goes to my soul
And it's dynamite
I gotta hear that beat
I gotta hear those drums
And even when it comes
To romance
When I feel like I might fall
I always stall
And play it smart
Till I hear that beat
I gotta hear that beat
That certain beat in my hеart
I’ve Gotta Hear That Beat was written by Leo Robin & Nicholas Brodszky.
Ann-miller released I’ve Gotta Hear That Beat on Fri Apr 10 1953.