I have been exploring the nether regions of The Association’s back catalogue after their smash hit ‘Along Comes Mary’ was used in the soundtrack of ‘The Queen’s Gambit’.
While their back catalogue offers very slim pickings, I think they deserve plenty of credit for the use of the ‘baba-doo-bah’ lyrical hook in Mary.
This sent me down a very pointless rabbit hole of trying to find more top tunes which have ‘dooby-de-doos’ or ‘bibbidy-las’ as part of the lyrics/instrumentation.
Below are my top 2 choices. But there must be more fine examples of this much overlooked genre.
The Follyfoot theme opens with some classic ‘baba-dahs’ and whatnot, to get this excellent tune underway.
But the PINNACLE of the genre is surely this fantastic Burt Bacharach tune:
Ray Conniff’s your man.
Or
I like a bit of Ray, but is it cheating to just substitute lyrics with ‘baba-doos’?
Surely the real maestros in the field compose tunes with ‘doo-de-doos’ as the starting point?
When you couldn’t afford the Swingle Singers, you got the Mike Sammes Singers instead…
This is very good.
BTW, what ever happened to the actor who played the main character in this? Did he go on to do much after Secret Service?
I could tell you but I’d then have to kill you
He made a few appearances on various Jools Holland programmes as JH was a fan his (Stanley Unwin) famous gobblegook way of speaking.
When I was a little chap I used to listen to a steam wireless programme called Monday Night At Home, which was my introduction not just to Stanley Unwin but also to Ivor Cutler (of Y’Hup. O.M.P). A Real treat.
On the Home Service, no less!
https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/e1fb02016dac4b49ad529f0380ed4f9b
Both Betjeman and Ivor Cutler first appeared on the show.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Cutler
Had no idea that Ivor was then in Magical Mystery Tour and had an LP, Ludo. produced by George Martin.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivor_Cutler
Time to singalong.
Has to be the Pentangles, Shirley. Quick, before Colin gets here.
Couple of (slightly) more recent entries to the genre…
I’m so, so sorry to have to leave this here. Our family has a bit of an obsession with the very worst of Eurodance and this was played only a few days ago in the disucssion ‘If you have to only listen to one song from Boom Boom Boom (I want you in my room), Axel F (Crazy Frog) or Blue (Babadodee) for the rest of your life which one would it have to be?
My 4 year old’s favourite song is We Like to Party! (The Vengabus) by the Vengaboys. I’ve heard that more than any other song this year. I look forward to him discovering these other classics.
It is generally agreed that (within the confines of Eurodance) We Like To Party is an absolute tuuuuunnnne whereas Crazy Frog, Blue, Cha-Cha Slide or Boom Boom Boom are chinese water torture. Takes me back to the children’s soft play prison where we endured these tunes at many a party when they were aged 4-7.
Ba Baa Ba Ba Ba Baa Baa Ba Ba
(no doo dee doos though)
“Ba ba ba ba bah, ba ba ba bah, ba ba ba bah
Ba ba ba ba bah, ba ba ba bah, ba ba ba bah”
The mighty Farmers Boys channeling Sir Cliff of Richard:
This has got fa-la-las and bum-bum-bums and oohs and who knows what else…
(McCoy Tyner – For Tomorrow)
(The Swingle Singers – Libertango)
This – found a copy in a Byres Road chazza last time I was in Glasgow.
And this from Airto is quite some tune.
Are “Ums” and “Fas” allowed?
Dub a dub a dub dub.
And then there is this from the mighty Adam and Joe:
Zappa’s Cruising with Reuben and the Jets LP has both baba and doobah.
And carol-singing, Aussie garage legends, the Chevelles, are definitely worthy of a mention.
Eighteen With A Bullet
(Pete Wingfield)
“Be my A-side, Be B-side me”
Does Hooga chacka count?
Björn Skifs topped the US charts With his Blue Swedies.