Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow
| "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" | |
|---|---|
 Original 45 rpm disc |
|
| Single by The Rivingtons | |
| from the album Doin' the Bird | |
| B-side | Deep Water |
| Released | 1962 |
| Format | 7" record |
| Genre | Doo-wop |
| Length | 02:17 |
| Label | Liberty |
| Writer(s) | Carl White, Al Frazier, Sonny Harris, Turner Wilson Jr. |
| Producer | Adam Ross |
| "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by The Rivingtons from the album Doin' The Bird | |||||||
| Released | 1962 | ||||||
| Genre | Doo-wop | ||||||
| Label | Liberty | ||||||
| Writer | Carl White, Al Frazier, Sonny Harris, Turner Wilson Jr. | ||||||
|
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"Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a 1962 novelty nonsensical doo-wop song by The Rivingtons. The song peaked at #48 on the Billboard Hot 100[1] and #35 on the Cashbox charts.[2] The band released two similar follow-up songs over the next several months, "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow (The Bird)" and "The Bird's the Word".[3]
Contents |
[edit] "Surfin' Bird"
Together with The Rivingtons' 1963 novelty song, "The Bird's the Word", "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" was the basis for the song "Surfin' Bird", a #4 hit in 1963 by The Trashmen.[4] The combination of the songs – played at a much livelier pace than the original doo-wop songs – was ad-libbed at an early live performance by the band and was later released as a single.[5] Initially, the 45 did not reference the original songwriters; but upon threats from the Rivingtons' attorneys, the songwriting credits were amended.[6]
The Trashmen's follow-up single, "Bird Dance Beat" referenced "Surfin' Bird" in the lyrics and featured several sections of the "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" syllables.[7]
[edit] Cover versions
The song was later covered by The Beach Boys for their first live album, Beach Boys Concert, in 1964—this track entering the Philippines top 10 February 26th 1966 according to Billboard—and, again sung by Brian Wilson, on their album Beach Boys' Party! in 1965. The track was also included on the Music for Pleasure compilation album The Beach Boys Good Vibrations released in the UK in the 1970s.
In 1967, The Freshmen scored a Top 10 hit with the song in Ireland. Versions by both The Sharonettes and Gary Glitter made the UK Top 40-his first non top 10 hit after 11 consecutive ones in 1975.
Clifford, Kermit the Frog, and the Giant Clams (performed by Rockapella) covered the song for the 1993 Muppet album Muppet Beach Party.
It was also covered in 1966 by The Thunderbirds, a Hong-Kong band headed by the brother of martial-arts star Bruce Lee, Robert Lee.
Notably, a cover version of "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" by The Persuasions was briefly heard in the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.
Garage rock band, Nobunny adds the songs lyrics at the end of "I am a girlfriend".
[edit] Other appearances of the song's lyrics
In 1964, surf rockers Jan and Dean morphed the song into "New Girl in School", with new lyrics and the refrain "Doo-ron-de-ron-de" substituted for "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow". "New Girl in School" garnered significant U.S. airplay as the B-side of the Top 40 hit "Dead Man's Curve".
In 1969 the song's distinctive titular nonsense lyrics appeared as a similarly-sung chorus in Giorgio Moroder's first single Looky Looky and The Oak Ridge Boys' 1981 hit "Elvira" has an "oom-papa-mow-mow" chorus, an element that existed in songwriter Dallas Frazier's 1967 original version of the song. (An Al Frazier was a member of The Rivingtons and is listed as a co-author of "Papa Oom Now Now". It has been erroneously reported over the years that he and Dallas Frazier were the same person.)
In 2010, heavy metal artist Rob Zombie repeatedly uses the song's title in the chorus of his song "Burn", which is the 8th track off of his solo album Hellbilly Deluxe 2.
In 2011, the song is used in the film Happy Feet Two.
[edit] References
- ^ Top Pop Singles 1955-2002 by Joel Whitburn, Record Research Publications, Menomonee Falls, WI - ISBN 0898201551
- ^ Cashbox Pop Singles Charts 1950-1993 by Pat Downey, George Albert, and Frank Hoffmann, Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, CO - ISBN 1563083167
- ^ The Rivingtons' Discography. Retrieved 17 Jan 2012.
- ^ Billboard (date unknown). Surfin' Bird on the Billboard Hot 100. Retrieved from http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=379&cfgn=Singles&cfn=The+Billboard+Hot+100&ci=3070250&cdi=8806391&cid=02%2F29%2F1964[dead link]. Copied 17 Jan 2012 from the Surfin' Bird article.
- ^ Gueningsman, Ryan (2009-04-27). "A whole new generation is ‘hearing the word’". Herald Journal, 27 April 2009. Retrieved on 2009-04-29 from http://www.herald-journal.com/archives/2009/stories/new-generation-trashmen.html. Copied 17 Jan 2012 from the Surfin' Bird article.
- ^ "Trashmen, The - Surfin' Bird". http://www.discogs.com/Trashmen-Surfin-Bird/release/1717702. Retrieved April 19, 2009.. Copied 17 Jan 2012 from the Rivingtons article.
- ^ "Bird Dance Beat" lyrics. Retrieved 17 Jan 2012.
[edit] External links
- The Rivingtons at Last.fm, featuring the songs Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow and The Bird's the Word
