Beatles To Bowie

by Neil Thomas
November 18th, 2009

The Beatles To Bowie (the 60s exposed) exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London (running to 24th January 2009) is an absolute delight. It captures the music, the fashion and the photography of the popular cultural developments of the time.

Amongst the pop legends captured by photographers like David Bailey, Gered Mankowitz and Robert Whitaker, I was taken by a photo of the group Manfred Mann.
Gazing at the picture, all I could think of was to sing in my head:

‘There she was just a-walkin’ down the street, singin’ “Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do”
Snappin’ her fingers and shufflin’ her feet, singin’ “Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do”’

And the whole song goes on in that vein. It had never occurred to me at the time how strange it was that someone would be coming up to you in the street actually singing “Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do”.

Of course you expected that in the 60s, along with ‘Da doo ron ron ron da doo ron ron’ and all those other ridiculous song lyrics.

Maybe the 60s weren’t as culturally developed as they were reckoned to be? I’ll have to check up in Speak the Culture: Britain which covers the Beatles, the Stones, the Kinks, the Who, Bowie and all the other greats of modern British music.

Comments (6)

The Manfred Mann song is a classic. No question. However, inanity can strike the British music scene at any time, and the 60s weren’t immune from that. Later on in the decade The Beatles’ ‘Strawberry Fields’ was kept from the Number One spot by Englebert Humperdinks’ ‘Please Release Me’. A crime equalled some years later when Ultravox’ ‘Vienna’ lost out to Joe Dolce’s ‘Shutuppa your face’. There’s no accounting for taste…

Posted by Andrew • 18 November 2009, 09:13

Don’t forget that the 80s also brought us ‘Club Tropicana drinks are free, fun and sunshine, there’s enough for everyone’ – give me ‘Do wah diddy diddy dum diddy do’ any day.

I won’t knock newer music, especially since I could name a number of recent acts that I can relate to – and as Andrew said, even the 60s had more than their fair share of daft moments.

However, I’ll confess to being saddened not to have been there at the time when, a little while ago, I saw a clip of David Bowie on The Old Grey Whistle Test. Singing Space Oddity – just him (in Ziggy Stardust persona) and an acoustic guitar, nothing else. I fear there’s no room for that kind of presence, and that kind of (what must have been a) paradigm shift, in today’s landscape.

Posted by Matthew • 18 November 2009, 09:56

You can’t beat that early 70s Bowie. Covered by the world and his wife in the years since… and none quite do it justice. The best effort (in my opinion) came from Seu Jorge – check out Life on Mars in Portuguese: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6l8zrsf4LY

Posted by Andrew • 18 November 2009, 10:11

Frighteningly the 90’s brought us Mr Blobby and the 00’s Crazy Frog, they make Do wah diddy seem like a classic.

Posted by Kate • 18 November 2009, 10:40

I've often wondered where they came up with those words/sounds. I have to admit that I like them-so much better than rap.

Posted by Linda • 19 November 2009, 09:14

Nonsense lyrics like you mention seemed to really upset the status quo starting in the '50s and the likes of Elvis and seemed to retained their power into the '60s.

On another note, it was interesting to see David Bowie pop up throughout this exhibition looking rather non-descript and clean cut - until 1969 when his hair was longer and he was photographed in a shiny spacesuit. It was as if the 70s began at that point!

Posted by Yang-May Ooi • 20 December 2009, 18:47