Home › Ding Dong
“Rama Lama Ding Dong”: the doo-wop original
A one-hit doo-wop wonder from Ohio that a DJ rediscovered three years after release and that has been echoed in pop music ever since.
The basics: written by George “Wydell” Jones Jr. of The Edsels, recorded in 1957, released in 1958 under the mistaken title “Lama Rama Ding Dong”, and a national hit in 1961, peaking at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Who were The Edsels?
An American doo-wop group from Campbell, Ohio. They started out as The Essos, after the oil company, then switched to a name matching the new Ford Edsel. Besides Jones, the classic line-up included Larry Greene, James Reynolds, Harry Greene and Marshall Sewell. They appeared on Dick Clark’s American Bandstand, and IMDb says Jones wrote the song while he was in the Air Force. Jones died on 5 September 2008, aged 71.
1958 vs 1961
| Year | What happened |
|---|---|
| 1957 | Song recorded (Wikipedia). |
| 1958 | Released by Dub Records with the title misspelled “Lama Rama Ding Dong”. Respectable local hit, little national impact (IMDb, Wikipedia). |
| 1961 | A disc jockey began playing it as a segue from The Marcels’ doo-wop version of “Blue Moon” (Wikipedia says in New York City). Re-released nationally by Twin Records with the correct title; it peaked at No. 21. |
The “Who Put the Bomp” joke
In 1961, Barry Mann co-wrote and sang “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)”, a song that pokes fun at doo-wop nonsense syllables. In it he asks who put the “ram” in the “rama lama ding dong”. That is the “ram” that other jokes borrow (see other meanings).
Covers and echoes
- Sha Na Na recorded a cover; hitparade.ch lists it on a 1973 live album, The Golden Age of Rock ’n’ Roll.
- Rocky Sharpe and the Replays covered it in 1979 (Wikipedia).
- Vampiri, a Serbian doo-wop and rockabilly band, recorded a Serbo-Croatian version in 1991 (Wikipedia).
- The Muppet Show: the opening number of episode 417, the Star Wars episode, is “Rama Lama Ding Dong”, sung by a shepherd, a shepherdess and their sheep (Muppet Wiki).
- VfL Wolfsburg: Wikipedia lists it as the football club’s official goal song.
- Le Tigre’s “Deceptacon” plays on the ram line (Wikipedia).
Film and TV use is covered on the appearances page.
Questions
Who sang “Rama Lama Ding Dong”?
The Edsels, a doo-wop group from Campbell, Ohio. The song was written by lead singer George “Wydell” Jones Jr.
When was “Rama Lama Ding Dong” released?
It was recorded in 1957 and first released in 1958 on Dub Records (as “Lama Rama Ding Dong”). It became a national hit in 1961 after a re-release on Twin Records.
How high did “Rama Lama Ding Dong” chart?
It peaked at No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100, according to Wikipedia and IMDb.
What is the “ram” in “Who Put the Bomp”?
Barry Mann’s 1961 song asks who put the “ram” in the “rama lama ding dong”, a joke about doo-wop nonsense syllables.