Let’s have some fun…
…and do the Walk of Life:
I usually prefer live versions, but for this particular song for some reason I couldn’t find a live version I liked better than the studio one.
And here’s one of those “golden oldies” to which Knopler refers, of the really silly song type. Although none of the Edsels (the group who released it) were named “Johnny,” they were a be-bop (not “be bop a lula”) group:
Here are the real be bop a lula guys (Gene, not Johnny). They were considered a rockabilly group:
So, do we now know who put the bomp in the…?:
A fun, rocking selection. The only thing lacking is a little Buddy Holly. 🙂
Yes, those were good songs. Though I was an adolescent during the days of psychedelic rock and the Beatles, these days I am more inclined to listen to such pre-Beatles songs- Doo Wop, girl groups, Dion- and these silly songs. The vocals are what enchant me.
For some more 20th century folk music – music of the common people, not of the music critics. Perhaps not as silly as Neo’s examples, but like Neo’s, without any important redeeming message about social justice or the like. Good time music- nothing more.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAPEfdjvTqE Dion & The Belmonts I Wonder Why 1958
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqgtsai2aKY The Crystals: Da Doo Ron Ron
Yes, good stuff. It’s like these songs were already out there, carrying on………
I rarely post here-there’s so much brilliance, anything I said would pale in comparison.
I played in a band about 30 years ago, and one of the songs we did was “Walk of Life.” I did a fairly decent Mark Knopfler impression, and the song always went over well. We also did “Sultans” and “So Far Away.”
Oh to be 35 again!
I’m going to get pedantic here. The Edsels were not “be-bop” – that was Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie et al. They were doo-wop, or to be even more precise and pedantic neo-doo-wop (no kidding!), i. e. doo-wop post-1960. Here’s another neo-doo-wop song by the Volumes:
I Love You
I performed for many years in an oldies band that played these and other 50s-60s songs. Boy was it fun.
Sigh – I recollect so many of these from my various stints as an AFRTS dee-jay. I loved so many of these groups – especially Dire Straits. I used to play a game when I was doing midnight rock and roll, by trying to see how few cuts I could play in an hour, without resorting to Innagottadavida, or whatever the heck it was called. With a couple of Dire Straits concert selections and a selection from a more self-indulgent 80s band, I had it down to four. In 55 minutes. But I really, really liked Dire Straits, especially Mark Knopfler, when he did the sound track for Local Hero.
The Barry Mann that sang “Who Put The Bomp” was the Barry Mann that was married to Cynthia Weil and was responsible for a good many hits of the 60’s, including “On Broadway,” “Kicks,” “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place,” and newer songs like “Somewhere Out There” and “Don’t Know Much.”
But of course the song they’re most remembered for is “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
There were a number of “novelty” doo-wop tunes: “Witch Doctor”, “Purple People Eater”, quite a few others — including “Who Put The Bomp”.
By far the BEST of the “novelty” doo-wop tunes [in my rarely humble opinion] was “Martian Hop” by the Ran-Dells, cousins a couple of whom went to Brandeis Univerisy, and one of whom ultimately became a lawyer.
Give it a spin, won’t cha . . .
. . . ummm, give it a *click*, won’t cha . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRqg3M4ZJg8
This summer is the fiftieth anniversary of “Martian Hop”!
That was fun! Thanks, Neo!