Do Wah Diddy Diddy

Not to be confused with Diddy Wah Diddy.

"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.

"Do Wah Diddy Diddy"
Single by Manfred Mann
from the album The Manfred Mann Album
B-side	"What You Gonna Do?"
Released	10 July 1964
Recorded	June, 1964[1]
Genre	Rock[2][3]
Length	2:23
Label	His Master's Voice POP 1320 (UK)[4] Ascot (US) Capitol (Canada)
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Barry Ellie Greenwich[4]
Producer(s)	John Burgess[4]
Manfred Mann singles chronology
"Hubble Bubble (Toil and Trouble)" (1964) "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (1964) "Sha La La" (1964)

Manfred Mann version

It was soon covered by British R&B, beat and pop band Manfred Mann.^[6] Their 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 US Billboard Hot 100 in October.^[9]

Critical reception

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]

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1964) Peak position Australia (Kent Music Report) 2 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders)[11] 8 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia)[11] 13 Canada Top Singles (RPM)[12] 1 Finland (Suomen Virallinen)[13] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[14] 2 Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] 6 Norway (VG-lista)[11] 4 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 1 UK Singles (OCC) 1 US Billboard Hot 100[15] 1 West Germany (GfK)[16] 4

Year-end charts Chart (1964) Rank Australia[17][18] 19 US Billboard Hot 100[19] 15

Fun Factory version

"Doh Wah Diddy"
Single by Fun Factory
from the album Fun-Tastic
Released	November 30, 1995
Recorded	1995
Genre	Eurodance
Length	3:31
Label	Curb
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Barry Ellie Greenwich
Producer(s)	Bülent Aris Toni Cottura
Fun Factory singles chronology
"Celebration" (1995) "Doh Wah Diddy" (1995) "Don't Go Away" (1996)
Music video
"Do Wah Diddy" on YouTube

In 1995, German Eurodance band Fun Factory released a new version of "Doh Wah Diddy". It was released in November 1995 by Curb Records as the third single from their second album, Fun-Tastic (1995). Bülent Aris and Toni Cottura produced it and only a few lines of lyrics were retained, and supplemented by rap passages. The single was a top-10 hit in Germany and Spain, a top-20 hit in Austria and a top-30 hit on the Canadian RPM Dance/Urban chart.

Track listings

• CD-maxi

1. "Doh Wah Diddy" (Dee Dee Radio) – 3:31
2. "Doh Wah Diddy" (Dee Dee Fun-Tastic Extended) – 4:43
3. "Doh Wah Diddy" (Fly Bass Remix) – 4:31
4. "Doh Wah Diddy" (Medium Houze) – 4:43
5. "Fun Factory's Theme II" – 3:24

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (1996) Peak position Australia (ARIA)[20] 152 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[21] 11 Canada Dance/Urban (RPM) 24 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[22] 33 France (SNEP)[23] 49 Germany (GfK)[24] 6 Spain (AFYVE) 4

Year-end charts Chart (1996) Position Germany (GfK)[25] 64

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Germany (BVMI)[26]	Gold	250,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other cover versions

• 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.

• Swedish singer Claes Dieden reached number 14 on Tio i Topp with his rendition in 1969.^[27]

• American musician Andrew Gold also covered the song 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.^[28]

The song was performed on the Muppet Show by "Geri and the Atrics", a group of elderly female musicians. (Episode 413, air date 1980)

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 the Filipino children's television programme, Ang TV. The song was performed by Jett Pangan and the cast of Ang TV with the candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 1995 during its coronation night.

See also

• List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK)
• List of Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles of 1964