MANFRED MANN – “Do Wah Diddy Diddy”
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
But this is brilliant! Especially the drumming.
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.
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…..)
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
Its a really irritating,annoying song..Forced n rubbish-i think your reviews spot on..
Good, clean, dumb fun. I think it’s only the snobbery of hindsight that makes the Stones and the Beatles “obvious number ones” and this one a mysterious accident. This whole run of number ones feels innocently joyful, summery and great to me.
B-b-but… this is a Greenwich/Barry song in the Da Doo Ron Ron mould. The Exciters’ original (Do Wah Diddy) version is simply great – driving, and with a really tough vocal. So sassy. She sounds like SO much fun:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3ep-JvUqyU
This and Herman’s Hermits’ I’m Into Something Good (orig by the Cookies’ Earl Jean) are simplifying pop in a very different way to You Really Got Me. This is closer to the Rollers’ Bye Bye Baby or Undercover’s Baker Street – they puree the original.
I can’t hear any guitar, only ice rink organ, pub piano, and forced jollity. They even added a “diddy” to show how much and how well they loved the song. Slumming pro’s is exactly right.
Paul Jones always sings with a smirk. One of the most slappable records ever made is Manfred Mann’s The One In The Middle. He wrote it?!? And the guy’s a blues snob??? SLAP!!!!
At least give Manfed Mann credit for being the First Goatee of Pop.
TOTPWatch. Manfred Mann performed Do Wah Diddy Diddy on Top of the Pops on five occasions;
15 July 1964. Also in the studio that week were; Dusty Springfield, The Barron Knights, The Nashville Teens and The Rolling Stones. Pete Murray was the host.
22 July 1964. Also in the studio that week were; Dusty Springfield, The Barron Knights, The Merseybeats and The Searchers. Jimmy Saville was the host.
5 August 1964. Also in the studio that week were; Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas and The Honeycombs. David Jacobs was the host.
19 August 1964. Also in the studio that week were; Dave Berry, The Honeycombs, The Kinks, Dionne Warwick, Brenda Lee and The Bachelors. Pete Murray was the host.
24 December 1964. Also in the studio that week were; Billy J Kramer & The Dakotas, Herman’s Hermits, Sandie Shaw, The Animals, The Beatles, The Four Pennies, The Honeycombs, The Kinks and The Searchers. Jimmy Saville, Alan Freeman, Pete Murray & David Jacobs were the hosts.
None of these editions survives.
Here’s an American perspective on this achieving Number 1 over in the USA:
http://nohardchords.wordpress.com/2010/12/06/119-manfred-mann-do-wah-diddy-diddy/
I don’t mind the song myself and 2 seems a bit harsh.
Comments reportedly made by some of the band members (Tom McGuinness, anyone? Mike Hugg?) a year or two after the event indicated that they were actually reluctant to record “that ‘orrible thing”. Mike H’s expression certainly became more and more morose with every successive appearance on Top Of The Pops.
Me, I really liked it at the time, even bought it. Now, like Doctor Mod, I’ve simply heard it too, too often, and could happily go the rest of my life without ever doing so again. While disagreeing markedly from many of Tom’s assessments, I think 2 for this is pretty much on the money.
In the absence of 5-4-3-2-1 this will have to do for a farewell to Keith Fordyce, co-presenter (with Cathy MacGowan) of Ready Steady Go.
Poor, square Keith Fordyce. He always looked like he was flinching whenever he talked to John Lennon – more of a Paul man.
Ah, poor Keith, one of the former stalwarts of sixties TV thinking which dictated that you had to have forty-pushing adults presenting/supervising pop shows because leaving it to The Kids would inspire COLLAPSE OF CIVILISATION (see also original four presenters of TOTP). The look he got from the Beach Boys when he asked them whether surfing was a sport or a pastime is priceless.