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Mambo No. 5

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"Mambo No. 5" is a mambo and jive dance song originally recorded and composed by Cuban Dámaso Pérez Prado in 1949.[1]

The song's popularity was renewed by Lou Bega's sampling of the original, released under the same name on Bega's 1999 debut album A Little Bit of Mambo.

The song became a controversy in September 1999 when the Los Angeles Times reported that the song's actual theme was related to street drugs with the women's names being "street names" for illicit narcotics.[2]

Lou Bega version

"Mambo No. 5"
Song

Bega's cover was a hit in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, and Australia, where it reached number one in 1999. It stayed at number one in Australia for eight weeks, ultimately becoming the best-selling single of the year. It also topped almost every chart in continental Europe, including Bega's home country, Germany, and set a record by staying at number one in France for 20 weeks (longer than any stay at the top spot ever on the US or UK charts). The song reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US on November 2, 1999, giving Bega his only Top 40 hit in the US.

In turn, many artists covered variations of Lou Bega's version, including Radio Disney and Bob the Builder. It was also used as the theme for Channel 4's cricket coverage.

The following is a list of names mentioned in Lou Bega's song, in order: Angela, Pamela, Monica, Erica, Rita, Tina, Sandra, Mary, Jessica.

Radio Disney edit

A version of "Mambo No. 5" was aired on Radio Disney, in which the women's names were replaced with the names of Disney characters, in order: Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Pluto, Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Goofy. Additionally, references to a "liquor store" were replaced with a "candy store" instead, "ice cream" was used rather than "gin and juice," "flirting" was replaced by "dancing," and the "beer bust" referred to was changed to a dance party.

Music video

The music video, directed by Jorn Heitmann, features Lou Bega singing and dancing with flappers, possibly a homage to the music of the 1920s and 1930s. The video includes clips of old-style movies and newsreels showing trumpets, big bands and the like. The Disney version of the music video features Lou Bega performing against a white background with a live band. Footage of old Mickey Mouse cartoons and clips of Lou Bega performing against a checkered background is intercut throughout the video.

Track listings

CD single
  1. "Mambo No. 5" (Radio Edit) – 3:39
  2. "Mambo No. 5" (Extended Mix) – 5:14
  3. "Mambo No. 5" (Enhanced CD-ROM Video) - 3:42
Maxi single
  1. "Mambo No. 5" (Radio Edit) – 3:39
  2. "Mambo No. 5" (Extended Mix) – 5:14
  3. "Mambo" (Havanna Club Mix) – 5:48
  4. "Mambo" (The Trumpet) – 6:01

Charts and sales

Chart successions

Preceded by French SNEP number-one single
(Lou Bega version)
August 28, 1999 – January 8, 2000 (20 weeks) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
(Lou Bega version)
August 28, 1999 – September 11, 1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by UK Singles Chart number-one single
(Bob the Builder version)
September 8, 2001 – September 15, 2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
(first run) (Lou Bega version)
September 11, 1999 – September 25, 1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single
September 18, 1999 – November 13, 1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
(second run) (Lou Bega version)
October 16, 1999 – October 23, 1999 		Succeeded by
Preceded by RIANZ New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single
(third run) (Lou Bega version)
November 6, 1999 		Succeeded by

Other cover versions

  • CKBE-FM David Tyler 1999.
  • A Bob the Builder version of the song also reached number one in the UK, and number two in Australia in the year 2001.
  • WHTZ DJ David Brody released a parody version named "Matzah No. 5" which aired on radio stations throughout the country. Performed by "Louie Bagel", the parody takes on various Jewish stereotypes. He also released a parody entitled "Bimbo No. 5" referring to the Monica Lewinsky scandal, wherein DJ Nelson imitates the voice of Bill Clinton. The song is commonly mis-attributed to both "Weird Al" Yankovic and Paul Shanklin. Also released was "Combo No.5"; the parody takes on ordering combo dinners from a Chinese take-away.
  • A parody of the song entitled "Racer Mod No. 5" was by Kerwhizzitor in the Kerwhizz episode "Vegetable Valley Alley", in which he changed the ladies' names and replaced it with the three teams names like Ninki and Pip, Twist and Snout and Kit and Kaboodle. Additionally, Kerwhizzitor replaced the lyrics of Bega's original song referring to a "liquor store around the corner" with a "three teams store" around the corner, his boys wanted some "orange juice" rather than "gin and juice," he changed "flirting" and replaced it into "racing," and the "beer buzz" referred to was changed to ker-razy questions.
  • A ninety-second cover version was created for the Korean rhythm dance game Pump It Up. A cover of the original Perez Prado version appeared in Guinness's famous 1998 "Swimblack" advertisement.
  • Max Raabe backed by the Palast Orchester included a vintage arrangement version of the song on their 2001 Superhits album.[26]
  • Filipino Jazz Singer Richard Poon also covered the song from the Filipino compilation album, 90's Music Comes Alive in 2012.
  • Aravindhan covered the song at his family's house on 15 February 2013.

Legacy

  • In a 2007 poll conducted by Rolling Stone to identify the 20 most annoying songs, this song was ranked sixth.[27]
  • This song was initially selected as the theme song of the 2000 Democratic National Convention, but this plan was scrapped due to the possibility for people to make associations with the Monica Lewinsky scandal.[28]
  • On September 11, 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the Lou Bega cover of the song at number 95 on the list of the 100 Worst Songs Ever, claiming, "Can you imagine how bad Nos. 1 through 4 must have been? Let's all band together and make sure there's never a No. 6!" (Mambos Nos. 1–4 are actually nonexistent, as is "Mambo No. 6".)[29]

References

  1. ^ "ESTILO MUSICAL Mambo". American Sabor. Retrieved 6 February 2013. Template:Es icon
  2. ^ The Real Story Behind Lou Bega's Mambo No 5, LA Times, September 14, 1999
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", in various singles charts". Lescharts. Retrieved 2009-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  4. ^ a b c "Lou Bega, Billboard charts". Allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-35. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "Irish Singles Chart, database". Irishcharts. Retrieved 2009-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Top Italian singles of 1999
  7. ^ a b "Single top 100 over 1999" (PDF) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  8. ^ Billboard: Hits of the World, August 28, 1999
  9. ^ ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. Retrieved 2009-08-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  10. ^ "1999 Australian Singles Chart". aria. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ "1999 Austrian Singles Chart". Austriancharts. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "1999 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart". Ultratop. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  13. ^ "1996 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "1999 French Singles Chart". Snep. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ "1999 Swiss Singles Chart". Hitparade. Retrieved 2009-08-06. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  16. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  17. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association.
  18. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Bega, Lou – Mambo Nr.5" (in German). IFPI Austria.
  19. ^ "Les Singles Diamant :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  20. ^ "French single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  21. ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Lou Bega; 'Mambo Nr. 5 (A Little Bit Of ...)')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  22. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Enter Mambo No. 5 in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1999 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
  23. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-17.
  24. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Mambo No. 5')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.
  25. ^ "British single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5". British Phonographic Industry. Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Mambo No. 5 in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  26. ^ [1]. Superhits. 2001. RCA Local (Sony Music). Track 13.
  27. ^ Staff. "The 20 Most Annoying Songs". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 12, 2012. {{cite web}}: Text "date July 2, 2007" ignored (help)
  28. ^ The politics of music. It's showtime at the convention, CNN, August 14, 2000
  29. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever". AOL Radio. Retrieved December 18, 2010. {{cite web}}: Text "169800" ignored (help); Text "dl2" ignored (help); Text "main" ignored (help); Text "sec1_lnk1" ignored (help)
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