Do Wah Diddy Diddy

The latest episode expounds on a classic Ellie Greenwich-penned ditty from 1963. Exhibit A is the original "Do Wah Diddy" by The Exciters, who really should have an exclamation point after their name (2:05). These three gals and a guy journey from Jamaica, Queens to the Brill Building and beat us all over the head with beatitude! We get breathless over the song's antiphonal aspects and its mania for matrimony. The ensuing epithalamium is the most famous version by Manfred Mann, who added an extra “Diddy” and scored a number one hit in 1964 (35:46). Erik examines how lead singer Paul Jones says words, and we also ponder PJ’s claim that the song is a euphemism for sexual dalliance. Our tertiary topic is Silicon Teens, who in 1980 used the song as a showcase for spacy synth sounds and a soul-less (but fun!) vocal performance (1:12:31).  We conclude our study by noting the relationship between synthesizers and doo-wop syllables, and we can all agree what a perfect marriage that is!