MANFRED MANN - “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”
(15th August 1964)
There’s so much happening in pop at this point that some records end up nudging into the canon almost by accident - they were just in the right place at the right time and got caught up in the general magic of things. “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” is an enduring ‘golden oldie’ and I assume a lot of people are deeply fond of it, which seems odd to me because it’s awful.
It’s a strange combination of baby-talk lyrics and horribly exaggerated R’n'B singing, with a guitar part that sounds like it’s being played on elastic bands and a call-and-response part straight out of a primary school assembly. It’s hard to work out exactly what it’s aiming at - throaty rock’n'roll? crossover bubblegum? It lands somewhere uncomfortable and irritating in the middle, as things turn out.
But it almost works - it’s nearly stupid enough. There’s a quality of audacious dumbness some songs have, something brazen and divisive which makes you feel like you’re in on a joke (that turns out not to be a joke at all). Glam rock harnessed it best but it’s there stirring under “Do Wah Diddy Diddy” - maybe it’s just that awful studied rocker’s voice that limits it. This and the next two number ones serve as experiments - how basic can this new music get and still work? What can it get away with? Not this, I’m saying. 2
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Joe Williams on August 31st, 2005
But this is brilliant! Especially the drumming.
Joe Williams on August 31st, 2005
Thinking about your elastic band comment, I just noticed a particularly strange ‘boing’ noise at about 1:56, which I can’t explain. If it had been a more modern record I’d suggest it was caused by some dodgy editing, but I don’t suppose there was any editing at all on this.
FT's Doctor Mod on July 31st, 2006
You know, I really loved this song back in 1964 (when I was thirteen). But for some reason it has become the most overplayed record on US oldies radio. Thus, over the past forty-two years, I have exceeded my lifetime quota for hearing this recording. I shall simply scream if I hear it again.
You’re quite right that “it’s hard to work out exactly what it’s aiming at,” particularly in light of the fact that the Manfreds struck jazz-snob attitudes–and enjoyed their some of their greatest successes covering US girl group songs. I think it swept to the top as part of the whole “British Invasion” that year, which is ironic because there’s nothing particularly “British” about it other than the musicians’ nationality. (And even then, Manfred himself was from South Africa…..)
bramble on September 8th, 2006
Manfred Mann made some great pop records but always gave the impression they were slumming it a bit, like jazz session musicians earning a crust by playing on any song they were handed.The impression was reinforced by Paul Jone’s cleancut boyish looks -despite the maraccas he still looked like the University/CND lad he was - and Manfred Mann always looked like he probably had a book by Jean Paul Sartre propped up on his organ
FT's SteveIson on July 22nd, 2008
Its a really irritating,annoying song..Forced n rubbish-i think your reviews spot on..