60-Year-Old Songs: Doo Wah Diddy Diddy

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Oh, the things I learn in researching these countdowns. Today’s song is one that I didn’t know was a cover! Whatever do you know? I shall explain as we go back to the magical year 1964 for another song that’s now 60. Doo Wah Diddy Diddy - Manfred Mann First, if you don’t remember this, don’t feel too bad. When Stripes was being filmed IN 1981 nobody in the cast knew the song except John Candy (Ox) and Conrad Dunn (Psycho), and they had to teach the song to everyone else! So if people didn’t know it just 17 years after the fact, I’ll give you a pass if you don’t know it 60 years on. Now, for the cover. This song is best known by Manfred Mann (the band who made the big comeback in 1977 making deuce in Springsteen’s “Blinded By the Light” sound like something else ). But the first version of the song was released a year earlier, by the girl group the Exciters. They were best known for “Tell Him.” While the Exciters’ version didn’t do well, Manfred Mann’s rendition was an international hit. Blame Beatlemania/the British Invasion, or whatever you want. An interesting post-script: after the success of the film Stripes, this song actually became a “marching song” on some bases in the Army! Doo Wah Diddy Diddy Written by Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich Recorded by Manfred Mann From The Manfred Mann Album, 1964 She looked good, she looked fine: