▁as ▁a ▁singer , ▁was ▁" Be at ▁Me ▁D addy , ▁E ight ▁to ▁the ▁Bar ", ▁which ▁he ▁recorded ▁early ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁( and ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁got ▁partial ▁song writing ▁credit ▁under ▁his ▁wife ' s ▁ma iden ▁name ▁Ele an ore ▁She e hy ). ▁McK in ley ▁is ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" E ight ▁Beat ▁Mack " ▁in ▁the ▁lyr ics ▁to ▁the ▁song ▁" Down ▁the ▁Road ▁a ▁Pie ce ," ▁which ▁he ▁recorded ▁as ▁a ▁tri o ▁with ▁Will ▁Brad ley ▁and ▁Fred die ▁S lack ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 . ▁This ▁was ▁the ▁earliest ▁recording ▁of ▁the ▁song , ▁which ▁was ▁written ▁specifically ▁for ▁Brad ley ' s ▁band ▁by ▁Don ▁Ray e . ▁ ▁McK in ley ▁and ▁Brad ley ▁split ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁and ▁McK in ley ▁formed ▁his ▁own ▁band , ▁which ▁recorded ▁for ▁Capit ol ▁Records . ▁The ▁McK in ley ▁band ▁was ▁short - l ived . ▁When ▁McK in ley ▁broke ▁up ▁the ▁band , ▁he ▁joined ▁Gl enn ▁Miller ' s ▁Army ▁Air ▁Force ▁Band , ▁which ▁he ▁co - led ▁with ▁arr anger ▁Jerry ▁Gray ▁after ▁Miller ' s ▁disapp earance ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁Upon ▁being ▁dis charg ed ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁McK in ley ▁formed ▁a ▁modern ▁big ▁band ▁that ▁featured ▁a ▁book ▁of ▁original ▁material ▁by ▁legend ary ▁arr anger ▁Edd ie ▁S aut