"Do Wah Diddy Diddy" is a song written by
Jeff Barry and
Ellie Greenwich and originally recorded in 1963, as "Do-Wah-Diddy", by the American vocal group
the Exciters. Cash Box described the Exciters' version as "a sparkling rocker that bubbles over with coin-catching enthusiasm" and said that the "great lead job is backed by a fabulous instrumental arrangement."[5] It was made internationally famous by the British band
Manfred Mann.
Manfred Mann version
It was soon
covered by British
R&B,
beat and
pop band
Manfred Mann.[6] Manfred Mann's version was released on 10 July 1964.[7] It spent two weeks at No. 1 of the
UK Singles Chart in August[8] and two weeks at No. 1 of the U.S.
Billboard Hot 100 in October.[9]Billboard said it "features powerful beat with Mann's solo echoed by male chorus."[10]Cash Box described it as "a thumpin' novelty rocker that's right up the teeners' alley."[2]
In 1995,
Fun Factory released a new version of the song. Only a few lines of lyrics were retained, and supplemented by rap passages. It reached the top 10 in Germany and Spain and No.11 in Austria.
Track listings
CD-Maxi
Doh Wah Diddy (Dee Dee Radio) - 3:31
Doh Wah Diddy (Dee Dee Fun-Tastic Extended) - 4:43
The song has been covered many times, notably by
DJ Ötzi whose version titled "Do Wah Diddy" peaked at No.9 on the
Ö3 Austria Top 40, as well as charting in Germany, Switzerland, the UK and Ireland.
A French cover version, "Vous les copains, je ne vous oublierai jamais", by
Sheila (singer) became a big hit in France in 1964.
American musician Andrew Gold also covered Do Wah Diddy on his 1976 album “What’s wrong with this picture”.
In popular culture
The song was featured in the 1981 film Stripes, used as a marching cadence by characters played by
Bill Murray and
Harold Ramis in boot camp. This usage inspired real-life Army units to use it as a marching song.[29]
The novelty item Travis the Singing Trout, a successor to
Big Mouth Billy Bass sings a parody version of the song, about how the fish ended up mounted on a plaque.
The song was featured in the Full House episode "A Fish Called Martin", sung by Michelle.
The song was the theme song of popular Filipino Kids Show Ang TV.
^Breihan, Tom (November 15, 2022). "The Beatles - "I Want To Hold Your Hand". The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music. New York:
Hachette Book Group. p. 44.
^
abcRice, Jo (1982). The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits (1 ed.). Enfield, Middlesex: Guinness Superlatives Ltd. p. 82.
ISBN0-85112-250-7.