Mambo No. 5
"Mambo No. 5" is a mambo and jive dance song originally recorded and composed by Cuban Pérez Prado in 1949.
The song's popularity was renewed by Lou Bega's sampling of the original, released under the same name on Bega's 1999 debut album A Little Bit of Mambo.
Contents |
[edit] Lou Bega version
| "Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Lou Bega | ||||
| from the album A Little Bit of Mambo | ||||
| Released | April 19, 1999 (Germany) August 17, 1999 (international) January 1, 2009 (re-recorded) |
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| Format | CD single | |||
| Genre | Pop, jazz | |||
| Length | 5:14 (extended version) 3:39 (radio edit) |
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| Label | RCA | |||
| Writer(s) | Pérez Prado, Lou Bega, Zippy Davids | |||
| Producer | Goar B, Frank Lio, Donald Fact | |||
| Lou Bega singles chronology | ||||
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Bega's cover was a hit in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and Australia, where it reached #1 in 1999. It stayed at #1 in Australia for eight weeks, ultimately becoming the best-selling single of the year. It also topped almost every chart in continental Europe, including Bega's home country, Germany, and set a record by staying at number one in France for 20 weeks (longer than any stay at the top spot ever on the US or UK charts). The song reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. on November 2, 1999, giving Bega his only Top 40 hit in the US.
In turn, many artists covered variations of Lou Bega's version, including Radio Disney and Bob the Builder. It was also used as the theme for Channel 4's cricket coverage.
The following is a list of names mentioned in Lou Bega's song: Angela, Pamela, Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, Sandra, Mary, Jessica.
[edit] Radio Disney edit
A version of "Mambo No. 5" was aired on Radio Disney, in which the ladies' names were replaced with legendary Disney characters' names such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Pluto, Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Goofy. Additionally, references to a "liquor store" were replaced with a "candy store" instead, "ice cream" was used rather than "gin and juice," "flirting" was replaced by "dancing," and the "beer bust" referred to was changed to a dance party.
[edit] Music video
The music video, directed by Jorn Heitmann, features Lou Bega singing and dancing with flappers, possibly a homage to the music of the 1920s and 1930s. The video includes clips of old-style movies and newsreels showing trumpets, big bands and the like. The Disney version of the music video features Lou Bega performing against a white background with a live band. Footage of old Mickey Mouse cartoons and clips of Lou Bega performing against a checkered background is intercut throughout the video.
[edit] Track listings
- CD single
- "Mambo No. 5" (Radio Edit) – 3:39
- "Mambo No. 5" (Extended Mix) – 5:14
- Maxi single
- "Mambo No. 5" (Radio Edit) – 3:39
- "Mambo No. 5" (Extended Mix) – 5:14
- "Mambo" (Havanna Club Mix) – 5:48
- "Mambo" (The Trumpet) – 6:01
[edit] Charts and sales
[edit] Peak positions
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[edit] Year-end charts
[edit] Certifications
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[edit] Chart successions
| Preceded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 |
French SNEP number-one single (Lou Bega version) August 28, 1999 – January 8, 2000 (20 weeks) |
Succeeded by "Move Your Body" by Eiffel 65 |
| Preceded by "Mi Chico Latino" by Geri Halliwell |
UK Singles Chart number-one single (Lou Bega version) August 28, 1999 – September 11, 1999 |
Succeeded by "We're Going to Ibiza" by Vengaboys |
| Preceded by "Too Close" by Blue |
UK Singles Chart number-one single (Bob the Builder version) September 8, 2001 – September 15, 2001 |
Succeeded by "Hey Baby" by DJ Otzi |
| Preceded by "When You Say Nothing at All" by Ronan Keating |
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (first run) (Lou Bega version) September 11, 1999 – September 25, 1999 |
Succeeded by "Can You Hear Us" by Neil Finn |
| Preceded by "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam |
Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single September 18, 1999 – November 13, 1999 |
Succeeded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 |
| Preceded by "Bring It All Back" by S Club 7 |
New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (second run) (Lou Bega version) October 16, 1999 – October 23, 1999 |
Succeeded by "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey |
| Preceded by "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey |
RIANZ New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (third run) (Lou Bega version) November 6, 1999 |
Succeeded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65 |
[edit] Other cover versions
- CKBE-FM David Tyler 1999.
- A Bob the Builder version of the song also reached #1 in the UK, and #2 in Australia in the year 2001.
- WHTZ DJ David Brody released a parody version named "Matzah No. 5" which aired on radio stations throughout the country. Performed by "Louie Bagel", the parody takes on various Jewish stereotypes. He also released a parody entitled "Bimbo No. 5" referring to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, wherein DJ Nelson imitates the voice of Bill Clinton. The song is commonly mis-attributed to both "Weird Al" Yankovic and Paul Shanklin. Also released was "Combo No.5"; the parody takes on ordering combo dinners from a Chinese take-away.
- A ninety-second cover version was created for the Korean rhythm dance game Pump It Up. A cover of the original Perez Prado version appeared in Guinness's famous 1998 "Swimblack" advertisement.
- Max Raabe backed by the Palast Orchester included a vintage arrangement version of the song on their 2001 Superhits album [22]
[edit] Legacy
- In a poll conducted by Rolling Stone to identify the 10 most annoying songs, this song was ranked sixth.[23]
- This song was initially selected as the theme song of the 2000 Democratic National Convention, but this plan was scrapped due to the possibility for people to make associations with the Monica Lewinsky scandal.[24]
- On September 11, 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the Lou Bega cover of the song at #95 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, claiming, "Can you imagine how bad Nos. 1 through 4 must have been? Let's all band together and make sure there's never a No. 6!" (Nos. 1–4 are actually nonexistent, as is "No. 6".)[25]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", in various singles charts". Lescharts. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lou+Bega&titel=Mambo+No.+5+(A+Little+Bit+Of...)&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- ^ a b c "Lou Bega, Billboard charts". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p374052. Retrieved 2009-08-35.
- ^ "Irish Singles Chart, database". Irishcharts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1999" (in Dutch) (PDF). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201999.pdf. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
- ^ Billboard: Hits of the World, August 28, 1999
- ^ ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=27594. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
- ^ "1999 Australian Singles Chart". aria. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-1999.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "1999 Austrian Singles Chart". Austriancharts. http://www.austriancharts.at/1999_single.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "1999 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "1996 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "1999 French Singles Chart". Snep. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "1999 Swiss Singles Chart". Hitparade. http://www.swisscharts.com/year.asp?key=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1999. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
- ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-1999.htm.
- ^ "Austrian single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin. Enter Lou Bega in the field Interpret. Enter Mambo No. 5 in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
- ^ "French single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html?year=1999&type=10.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lou Bega; 'Mambo Nr. 5 (A Little Bit Of ...)')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Mambo+Nr.+5+%28A+Little+Bit+Of+...%29&strInterpret=Lou+Bega&strTtArt=single&strAwards=checked.
- ^ "Dutch single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. http://www.ifpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1235647.
- ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/ar-19991.pdf.
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Lou Bega; 'Mambo No. 5')". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Lou+Bega+Mambo+No.+5.
- ^ "British single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx. Enter Mambo No. 5 in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Click Go
- ^ [1]Superhits, 2001, RCA Local (Sony Music), Track 13
- ^ Annoying songs
- ^ The politics of music. It's showtime at the convention, CNN, August 14, 2000
- ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever". AOL Radio. http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/09/11/worst-songs/?icid=main. Retrieved December 18, 2010.
- Singles certified quadruple platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association
- Singles certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Austria
- Singles certified diamond by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique
- Singles certified triple platinum by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie
- Singles certified platinum by the Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers
- Singles certified triple platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Sweden
- Singles certified double platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry of Switzerland
- Singles certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
- 1949 songs
- 1999 singles
- 2001 singles
- Lou Bega songs
- Billboard Rhythmic Airplay number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Australia
- Number-one singles in Austria
- RPM Top Singles number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Denmark
- European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Finland
- Number-one singles in France
- Number-one singles in Germany
- Irish Singles Chart number-one singles
- Number-one singles in Italy
- Dutch Top 40 number-one singles
- Number-one singles in New Zealand
- Number-one singles in Norway
- Number-one singles in Spain
- Number-one singles in Sweden
- Number-one singles in Switzerland
- UK Singles Chart number-one singles
- Ultratop 40 Singles number-one singles
- Ultratop 50 Singles number-one singles
- Songs written by Perez Prado
- Mambo