"Acappella Soul (Doo Wop Group) Singing "What A Wonderul World" In Front Of A Store in 2014

PersonalTinu, Aug 6, 2014

Music is a universal language we can all bond over. Share and be merry everyone!

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a four part pancocojams series on comparisons between United States' Doo-Wop music and South Africa's Gwijo music.

This post showcases one YouTube video of United States Doo Wop music and presents a few selected comments from that video's discussion thread.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/information-about-united-states-doo-wop.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about Doo-Wop music and information about Gwijo music.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-similarities-and-differences.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about the similarities and differences between these two music genres.
 
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-south-african-gwijo-thina.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases one YouTube videos of United States Doo Wop music, presents a partial Xhosa transcription with English translations, and presents a few selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Acappella Soul (the name of this Doo Wop group) for their music and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
A number of commenters in this video's discussion thread wrote that the lead singer sounded like Soul singer and songwriter Sam Cooke (January 22, 1931[6]  – December 11, 1964.

Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Cooke for information about Sam Cook and click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYQFTbLKNcg for a YouTube audio example of Sam Cook singing "What A Wonderful World".

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INFORMATION ABOUT DOO WOP MUSIC 
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doo-wop
"Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s,[2] mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.[3][4] It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs.[5] Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was commercially viable until the early 1960s and continued to influence performers in other genres."...

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
Numbers are added for referencing purposes only

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW025ccPx5M

2014

1. @Whateverhelpsyou777
"Thank You for posting this Video,  Keep up the good work and for the brothers, keep those old school songs coming."

**
2. @ekbugado879
"whats name  and music ?"

**
Reply
3. @herthaschmitt7823, 2016
"Acapella Soul - Wonderful world"

**
4. @joannfranklin4137
"Back in the days doo wop on every corner"

**
5. @boballen9835
"Don't know who these folks are but they do Mr. Cooke proud!! Excellent! Love the lead singers voice, especially when he stretches a note. Wow."

**
6. @Whateverhelpsyou777
"These Guys are  AWESOME.  I see them on them singing on the trains and subway stations in New York City.  They have Great Harmony and Voice skills."

**
Reply
7. @Whateverhelpsyou777, 2021
"I think they are still around in NYC. They have a bunch of videos on YTube singing in NYC In the streets and Subway system in NY."

**
8. @TheSnakeyes82
"Aawww man! Come with more. We really need more doo wop groups like this."

**
9. @CentelhaPunk
"Black is Beautiful!!!"

**
Reply
10. @DonVal86, 2018
"There’s no denying the black aesthetic."

**
Reply
11. @samuelharang5742, 2021
"Well yeah, plus, they invented almost all music styles such as this one"

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12. @darlenesanders1168
"Hello that's whats up!!!!   I'm all in!!!!!"

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2015

13. @lizettewanzer8650
"Gorgeous pipes, guys. Truly."

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2016

14. @aminus3765
"This certain note (in their voice) I've only heard when black male singers sing like 0:16 and 1:00 is just great. Anyone know a singer who does this a lot? It gives me the chills"

**
Reply
15. @praxiccameron2035
"Search up What a Wonderful world"

**
Reply
16. @bootnazz1786, 2023
"Singer called kc Halley does this."

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2017

17. @Madminute1968
"Damn, these guys are not good there OUTSTANDING******"

**
18. @DavidMendoza-yt7qe
"Yeah! Thats what im talking about!"

*****
2018

19. @7thdrxn
"HOW WAS NOBODY IN THE CROWD DANCING JOYOUSLY AND UNCONTROLLABLY?!"

**
20. @bigmoe5417
"The brother in the red sounds just like Sam Cooke"

 **
21. @stevewooly6168
"This is not acappella there's a double bass there"

**
22. @dc9291
"Old school - love it - thank you :) Location???"

**
23. @DonVal86
"Dude’s got soul."

**
24. @neeuqamilam1170
"That's right fellas bring it back! Haven't heard no voices like this singing acappella in a long time. Nice!"

**
25. @duedrica
"Sensacional!!! Aplaudindo de pé aqui no Brasil!"
-snip-
Google translate from Portuguese to English:
"Sensational!!! Standing ovation here in Brazil!"

**
26. @sang366
"Sign them up."

**
27. @atg1694u
"they sound awesome"

**
28. @weotalks2810
"They Put FIRE to THIS SONG...THE GREAT SAM COOKE would be so HAPPY TO SEE THAT 55 YEARS AFTER HIS DEATH, THE WORLD STILL CELEBRATES HIS LEGACY..WELL DONE."

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2019

29. @lailak482
"I love watching these vids high it’s beautiful makes me wanna time travel ✨😊"

**
30. @normalname8768
"For anyone wondering the name of this group is acappella soul"

**
31. @Sharon.garvey
"Harmony!!!!  Now these are real singing"

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2020

32. @pbroiles3445
"Yes guys. A forgotten art"

**
33. @godsuniqorn1043
"The culture."

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2021

34. @GloFav
"Great harmony - yes, Sam would be proud!"

**
35. @rebeccagibbons6414
"Can't get enough of these guys. Love Sam Cook..❤"

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2022

36. @Nahulanham
"These dudes can blow."

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2023

37. @marciayoungs695
"Wonderful  voices"

**
38. @David-q1k4k
"Great lead singer , great harmonies , big time talent !!! 🤩"

****

2024

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2025

39. @joerivera7719
"L to R: Rome "Brooklyn" Cohen, Leonard "Scout" Ford, unknown, Gerard Giddiens and  William Chavis, Jr on lead vocals"

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

The Similarities And Differences Between United States' Doo-Wop Music And South Africa's Gwijo Music

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a four part pancocojams series on comparisons between United States' Doo-Wop music and South Africa's Gwijo music.

This post presents information about the similarities and differences between these two music genres.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/information-about-united-states-doo-wop.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about Doo-Wop music and information about Gwijo music.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/acappella-soul-doo-wop-group-singing.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases two YouTube videos of United States Doo Wop music and presents a few selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.
 
Click  https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-south-african-gwijo-thina.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases one YouTube videos of United States Doo Wop music, presents a partial Xhosa transcription with English translations, and presents a few selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DOO-WOP MUSIC AND GWIJO MUSIC
From AI result for my June 28, 2025 question "What are the similarities and differences between United States' Doo Wop music and South Africa's Gwijo music?

"AI result

AI Overview

UThat post showcases another video of St Stithians Boys College singing that gwijo. At the time that pancocojams post was published, that video had no comments. S Doo-wop and South African Gwijo share some key characteristics as vocal-based musical styles, but they also have distinct cultural origins, contexts, and musical elements. Here's a comparison:

Shared Aspects:

-snip-Vocal Group Harmony: Both Doo-wop and Gwijo heavily emphasize vocal group harmonies. Doo-wop, as its name suggests, is built around layered vocal arrangements often featuring a lead singer supported by background harmonies and rhythmic sounds. Gwijo is a practice of collective singing, deeply embedded in South African Xhosa culture, where groups sing together in a call-and-response format.

Emphasis on Vocalizations: Both genres often use the human voice for rhythm and instrumentation. Doo-wop features nonsense syllables as background "instrumentation," as MasterClass explains. Gwijo also relies on voices to create rhythmic and emotional depth, particularly in its traditional a cappella form.

Call-and-Response Structure: Both genres can employ call-and-response techniques, where a leader or solo voice is answered by a group. This form promotes participation and community engagement.

Emotional Expression: Both styles can express a wide range of emotions. Doo-wop often focuses on themes of love, dating, and heartbreak. Gwijo can express joy, determination, and victory, but also devastation.

Key Differences:

Feature  US Doo-Wop

Origin  Rhythm and blues subgenre developed in African-American communities in US cities during the 1940s-1950s.  

Instrumentation - Originally a cappella, later incorporated simple instrumentation like piano, guitar, drums, and saxophone.          

Primary Function -Primarily entertainment and expressing personal emotions, particularly romance.

Cultural Context - Strongly influenced by African-American musical traditions like gospel and blues. 

Evolution - Evolved to include more instrumentation and influenced genres like R&B, soul, and rock. 

Feature: South African Gwijo

Origin - Traditional practice of collective singing within South African Xhosa culture, adapted for various contexts like sports events.

Instrumentation -Primarily a cappella (voice only), especially in its traditional and most potent forms.

Primary Function - Social, cultural, and spiritual expression. Can be used for celebrations, protests, community building, and sports events.

Cultural Context- Deeply rooted in South African Xhosa culture and traditions.

Evolution- Adapted for new contexts, notably finding popularity in South African sports, but still retaining its core features.

In essence, while both share a focus on vocal harmony and emotional expression, Doo-wop is a commercially-oriented music genre while Gwijo is a culturally significant practice of communal singing with broad social and spiritual applications."

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MY ADDITIONS TO THAT SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES LIST

Additions and corrections are welcome. 

Similarities:
Both Doo Wop and Gwijo are forms of group singing that originated with Black teenage boys and young Black men. It appears from YouTube and Tik Tok videos that gwijo groups are almost entirely composed on Black teenage males and Black young adult men. 

**
Both Doo Wop and Gwijo have been mostly associated with street singing by non-professional groups of Black teenage males and/or by young Black men.

**
Doo-Wop groups, their lead singers, and their record label Doo-Wop songs evoked highly competitive feelings among their fans who promoted/supported their singer/s and their songs over other singer/s and their songs.

Gwijo groups and their songs (popularized on YouTube, Tik Tok, and other social media) appear to evoke the same highly competitive level of "stan" promotion and support as was the case with Doo-Wop music.

For instance, most of the comments in a lot of YouTube gwijo discussion threads focus on a particular lead singer winning (being the best, taking the cup) compared with lead singers in   
other gwijo groups, or other singers in that particular video. At the same time, there are hardly any comments about the lyrics of that gwijo, or about the song itself except for general comments about how good that song is.

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Differences

The Doo-wop music genre largely died out in the United States in the 1960s, except for re-enactments (covers) of those songs by singing groups of older men. Groups singing Doo-Wop (or any other type of music) are rarely if ever seen on streets in the United States. 

In contrast, singing amagwijo is very much currently alive in South Africa. In 2017, mostly Black rugby fans formed the Gwijo Squad initially to support the Black team members by singing amagwijo at rugby games. Since that year, fans singing amagwijo has become an integral part of other South African sport events such as football (soccer) games and cricket games.

Some members of South African sports teams also sing amagwijo in their locker rooms, on buses to and from sports stadiums, and at other times with the exception of on the sport's field itself.

Furthermore, an increased number of Black South Africans who are (mostly) teenage males and young men have formed groups to sing amagwijo and posted those videos on YouTube, Tik Tok, and other social media, for the pleasure of singing and perhaps also with the hope of getting a record deal. Amagwijo groups also a contracted to sing at private social events such as weddings, funerals, and birthday parties. 

**
Doo-Woo music was never (is never) sung at sports events or at funerals. 

**
According to what I've read online, many South Africa Gwijo songs are based on traditional Xhosa songs and/or South African struggle (Apartheid protest) songs, However, if I correctly understand what I've read in comments in various YouTube discussion threads, amagwijo aren't supposed to have completely fixed lyrics, but are supposed to be somewhat extemporaneous.  

Here are some comments from the discussion thread of a YouTube video of the gwijo "Mntaka Mama (Thina Siyazalana)" by South Africa's St Stithians Boys College  (published by Mr Robot, June 2, 2019. That video is no longer available. However, before that video became inactive, I embedded it in a 2019 pancocojams post about that gwijo and included some comments from its discussion thread in that post:  https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/the-south-african-song-mtaka-mama-thina.html. 

Numbers added for referencing purposes only. (The numbers are different in that post.)

1.   lwazi juta, 2019
"They forgot what I gwijo is... Busy here is composing and ish.. QUEENS COLLEGE... any day... You don't practice igwijo... Ii lapha kuwe"
-snip-
Google translate from Zulu to English
"Ii lapha kuwe" ="It's here for you"

**
2. Pakamani Ndwandwa, 2020
"What in the mamamia is this... This is utter disrespect to igwijo... This is flippen choral music not igwijo. An absolute wast of data, watching these boys reduce the spirit of igwijo."

**
3. Nkosi Zulu, 2020
"Gwijo shouldn't be rehearsed and preformed.  Even the clapping was rehearsed 😴boring".
-snip-
I replaced that video which was no longer available with another video of St. Stithians Boys College singing that same gwijo. However, that video didn't have any comments at the time that I added it to that pancocojams post. 

**
In contrast to those descriptions of amagwijo, United States' doo-wop songs were newly composed romantic songs that had standard lyrics. Those lyrics didn't or rarely included lyrics from United States folk music or protest songs.(Note that doo-wop basically died out before the Civil Rights protest movement).  Also, doo-wop performances were usually rehearsed. 

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This concludes Part II of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Information About United States' Doo-Wop Music & South Africa's Gwijo Music

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a four part pancocojams series on comparisons between United States' Doo-Wop music and South Africa's Gwijo music.

This post presents information about Doo-Wop music and information about Gwijo music.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-similarities-and-differences.html for Part II of this pancocojams series. That post presents information about the similarities and differences between these two music genres.

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/acappella-soul-doo-wop-group-singing.html for Part III of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a YouTube video of United States Doo Wop music and presents a few selected comments from that video's  videos' discussion thread.

 
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-south-african-gwijo-thina.html for Part IV of this pancocojams series. That post showcases one YouTube videos of United States Doo Wop music, presents a partial Xhosa transcription with English translations, and presents a few selected comments from those videos' discussion threads.

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DOO-WOP MUSIC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doo-wop
"Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s,[2] mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles.[3][4] It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as "doo-wop") is a common characteristic of these songs.[5] Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was commercially viable until the early 1960s and continued to influence performers in other genres.

[...]

Doo-wop street singers generally performed without instrumentation, but made their musical style distinctive, whether using fast or slow tempos, by keeping time with a swing-like off-beat,[12] while using the "doo-wop" syllables as a substitute for drums and a bass vocalist as a substitute for a bass instrument.[6]

[...]

Elements of doo-wop vocal style

In The Complete Book of Doo-Wop, co-authors Gribin and Schiff (who also wrote Doo-Wop, the Forgotten Third of Rock 'n' Roll), identify five features of doo-wop music:

 -it is vocal music made by groups;

-it features a wide range of vocal parts, "usually from bass to falsetto";

-it includes nonsense syllables;

-there is a simple beat and low key instrumentals; and

-it has simple words and music.[16]

While these features provide a helpful guide, they need not all be present in a given song for aficionados to consider it doo-wop, and the list does not include the aforementioned typical doo-wop chord progressions. Bill Kenny, lead singer of the Ink Spots, is often credited with introducing the "top and bottom" vocal arrangement featuring a high tenor singing the intro and a bass spoken chorus.[17] The Mills Brothers, who were famous in part because in their vocals they sometimes mimicked instruments,[18] were an additional influence on street vocal harmony groups, who, singing a cappella arrangements, used wordless onomatopoeia to mimic musical instruments.[19][20] For instance, "Count Every Star" by the Ravens (1950) includes vocalizations imitating the "doomph, doomph" plucking of a double bass. The Orioles helped develop the doo-wop sound with their hits "It's Too Soon to Know" (1948) and "Crying in the Chapel" (1953).

 Origin of the name

Although the musical style originated in the late 1940s and was very popular in the 1950s, the term "doo-wop" itself did not appear in print until 1961, when it was used in reference to the Marcels' song, "Blue Moon", in The Chicago Defender,[21][22] just as the style's vogue was nearing its end. Though the name was attributed to radio disc jockey Gus Gossert, he did not accept credit, stating that "doo-wop" was already in use in California to categorize the music.[23][24]

"Doo-wop" is itself a nonsense expression. In the Delta Rhythm Boys' 1945 recording, "Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin", it is heard in the backing vocal. It is heard later in the Clovers' 1953 release "Good Lovin'" (Atlantic Records 1000), and in the chorus of Carlyle Dundee & the Dundees' 1954 song "Never" (Space Records 201). The first hit record with "doo-wop" being harmonized in the refrain was the Turbans' 1955 hit, "When You Dance" (Herald Records H-458).[23][25] The Rainbows embellished the phrase as "do wop de wadda" in their 1955 "Mary Lee" (on Red Robin Records; also a Washington, D.C. regional hit on Pilgrim 703); and in their 1956 national hit, "In the Still of the Night", the Five Satins[26] sang across the bridge with a plaintive "doo-wop, doo-wah".[27]."...

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INFORMATION ABOUT GWIJO MUSIC
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only:
Excerpt  #1

From https://www.soccerladuma.co.za/fan-park/update/ten-words-from-mzansi-s-football-dictionary/304884 Ten Words From Mzansi's Football Dictionary, By Captain Alzheimers June 2, 2015
..."”Igwijo” or “Amagwijo”

The words simply means ‘song.’ These songs are sung in stadiums by fans and by players in dressing rooms just before games."...
-snip-
"Football" in that title means what people in the United States refer to as "soccer".

"Igwijo" (gwijo) is the Xhosa singular term for "song" and "amagwijo" is the Xhosa plural term for "songs". 

I've come across and sometimes use the English word "gwijos" in pancocojams posts on this subject, even though I'm aware that "gwijos" is an incorrect term 

**
Singing amagwijo ("gwijos") at South African sport events.

**
Many South African sports teams sing amagwijo in their locker room, during bus rides to and from their games, and elsewhere apart from their playing fields. This is a new phenomenon (2017and on). Black South African school students sung amagwijo long before this form of music was sung at sports events.

Amagwijo ("Gwijos") are sung to demonstrate and reinforce unity and to raise the spirits of the team and others singing these songs.
**
Many amagwijo have the same lyrics or are adapted forms of traditional Xhosa songs and/or Xhosa struggle (protest) songs. 
-snip-
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/10/information-about-videos-about-south.html for Part I of the 2019 pancocojams series "Information About & Videos About South Africans' Amagwijo". The link for Part II of that series is included in that post.

 

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Excerpt #2
From https://www.instagram.com › theafricacenter › reel Nov 26, 2023
"Gwijo (igwijo) is a practice of call and response style collective singing deeply embedded in South African Xhosa culture. It uses no instruments besides the voice. Though gwijo is traditionally of the Xhosa people, today, it is part of South African culture as a whole, with a larger growing presence in sports."...
-snip-
The sentence that gwijo "uses no instruments besides the voice" is incorrect if hand clapping (and to a much more limited extent body [chest] slapping) is included in the definition of "musical instruments". Furthermore, I have come across a few YouTube videos (from 2024 & 2025) of gwijo groups singing while one person plays a traditional African drum or singing while one person plays a "Mpampampa (a hand held pillow-looking percussive instrument that is also known as "I-Beat" or other names).

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Excerpt #3
From https://www.jeremydetolly.com/blog/ep39 E039 - iGwijo: healing anthems for South Africa
published by vocal liberation, Nov 23, 2020
"iGwijo

Gwijo is a practice of collective singing deeply embedded in South African Xhosa culture that takes the form of call and response (“I say something//You say something; I hear you//You hear me; We’re in dialogue together”). Because Gwijo uses no instruments (other than human voices), it could be described as a cappella. Gwijo songs have traditionally been sung by the amaXhosa people of South Africa to accompany weddings, funerals, initiations, and other sacred moments and rites of passage.

Part of these songs’ potency resides in their being so cathartic across a range of human emotions: they can express joy, determination, and victory, but also devastation. A Gwijo ‘performance’ can celebrate, protest, resist, or reclaim. Ultimately, though, it draws on the power of the collective to attain a kind of fierce grace, a coming together in intensity."...

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Excerpt #4
From https://www.newframe.com/gwijo-squad-the-new-sound-of-south-african-sport/ Gwijo Squad, the new sound of South African sport 20 ; By: Sibusiso Mjikeliso , Photographer: Ihsaan Haffejee,  Jun 2019

This article was first published by New Frame. [under Creative Commons Attribution]

"It is said that freedom wasn’t free. And that, when democracy was negotiated, the last vestiges ceded into the hands of white minority control were the land and rugby.

Rugby was at the heart of the former rulers’ chests – almost literally so, when you consider the constant wrangling over the existence of the Springbok badge and its position on the World Cup jersey. The sport gave meaning to so many, within the segregated confines and among those marginalised.

However, time has brought a new generation and a breath of fresh air into the sport. They call themselves the Gwijo Squad and as far as disruptions go, they are the noisy new neighbours chanting in the west stand.

You might have seen them on some obtrusive viral video, perhaps sent unsolicited to your neighbourhood watch WhatsApp group. They sing songs of jubilation, elation and devastation. To the uninitiated ear, they sound like “struggle songs” but they are, in fact, the chants that reverberate through Xhosa initiation ceremonies, weddings and, of course, rugby matches in the Eastern and Western Cape provinces.

You might have even asked yourself, “Who are these people, really?” Perhaps you might question what they want at old rugby coliseums such as Loftus Versfeld, Ellis Park and Newlands.

More than a concert of predominantly black African, Xhosa-speaking rugby fanatics, the Gwijo Squad is made up of individuals determined to create a movement that could end in the true unification of a sport that was used as a powerful tool to suppress black people.

[...]

[photo caption] "1 June 2019: The Gwijo Squad started as a group of rugby fans from the Eastern Cape who took the spirit of igwijo with them to Gauteng, initially to support first black Springbok captain Siya Kolisi in his inaugural assignment against England at Ellis Park in June 2018."

[...]

Igwijo and the trouble it caused
In many ways, [Xhanti] Madolo has always been the guy at the forefront of a wave of change. In high school, he was the rugby cheerleader and courted trouble at post-1994 Dale College in King William’s Town in the Eastern Cape for his penchant for igwijo.

“We sang the school songs with pride and vigour, but we mixed things up with igwijo the year I took over as cheerleader [in 2000],” he recalls.

“We needed to take the cheering to another level, because our team was on another level and the culture was changing. We started bringing in the more popular traditional songs: “Ntombi emnhlotshazana … Yinton’ le uyenzayo, ayilunganga (Fair-skinned girl, what you’re doing is not right)”. And we readapted struggle songs, replacing names like Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela with the first team captain.

“The boys took to it, but the teachers on the other hand had other opinions. They banned igwijo. I don’t know how many times I have been called into the headmaster’s [James Haupt] office because of igwijo.

“Then Grey High School [from Port Elizabeth] threatened not to play against Dale if amagwijo would be sung at rugby matches. They said they were ‘savage songs’ or something like that. But it was too big a thing, too big to contain. They couldn’t fight it and it grew into something that is now the norm in the passages at the school.”...
-snip-
The Gwijo squad also sings during cricket matches. View the video given as #2 below.

Update: October 28, 2018
There are also YouTube videos of South African soccer team members singing in the locker room before games: Here's one link to a compilation of some of those videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCr5X0awS8 South African Soccer Songs Compilation laughter.mr, May 27, 2018

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Excerpt #5
From - AI result for my June 28, 2025 Google request for information about The Gwijo Squad 
"The Gwijo Squad is a South African fan movement known for its energetic support of the Springboks (the national rugby team) and other sports teams, using traditional Xhosa call-and-response singing known as igwijo. Born from a desire to create a more inclusive and vibrant atmosphere at sporting events, the group started with a small group of friends and has grown to become a staple at Springbok matches and other sporting events.

Here's a more detailed look at their history:

Origins:

The Gwijo Squad emerged in 2017 when a group of friends, concerned about the lack of support at a Springboks 'A' match against the French Barbarians, decided to bring their energy to the stadium.

Early Days:

They started with 35 members attending the match in Soweto and have since grown, with members contributing financially to attend games.

Inclusivity and Unity:

The group aims to foster unity and inclusivity in South African sport, a space historically marked by segregation and racial tension.

Gwijo:

The term "Gwijo" refers to a traditional Xhosa singing style that is a form of call and response, and the group uses this style to energize and unite fans.

Beyond Rugby:

While initially focused on rugby, the Gwijo Squad has expanded their support to other sports and even cultural events, becoming a recognized force in South African sports and culture.

Impact:

The Gwijo Squad's presence is credited with creating a more positive and inclusive atmosphere at games, contributing to a sense of communal joy and belonging."
-snip-
The popularization of The Gwijo Squad has led to the formation in South Africa of numerous qwijo  music groups that don't have any recording contracts particularly among Black teenage boys and Black young men.

****
Excerpt #5 
From AI result for my June 28, 2025 Google question "Do any Gwijo groups have recording contracts?"
"AI Overview

Yes, some South African gwijo groups have record contracts, including one notable example:

The Joy, an acclaimed acapella/gwijo music group, has released their self-titled debut album on Transgressive Records.

Onset Music Group, an acapella group that has gained significant popularity with their gwijo songs, signed a major deal with Virgin Music Group SA.

Additionally, there are initiatives like the "Gwijo & Acapella music competition" which offer the potential for record deals to emerging artists, including a potential deal with Onset Music Group's label, ONEGroup.

While it seems that some gwijo groups have achieved success in the music industry through record deals, the specific details and number of such groups may vary."
-snip-
Here's some information about the South African music group The Joy from https://blackmajor.co.za/artist-link/the-joy/
"The Joy share a powerful live performance video, recorded at Durban’s iconic Playhouse Theatre during Sjava The 2018 Tour. Blending stirring harmonies with traditional gwijo songs, the set captures the group’s signature sound which is rooted in culture, unity, and vocal excellence. 

[...]

Duzie and Guduza, prominent voices from the acclaimed South African group The Joy, have officially released their second single, Sekwanele. Following the release of their debut track, Imizwa, this latest offering solidifies their place as artists to watch. Released under Transgressive Records, Sekwanele explores profound personal emotions through soulful melodies and intricate vocal harmonies....  

Jennifer Hudson Features The Joy on Her Holiday Album The Gift of Love.”…

****
This concludes Part I of this pancocojams series.

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Visitor comments are welcome.  

The Cadillacs - "Speedoo" (1955 Doo Wop Classic Sound File, Film Clips, Information, & Lyrics)

GNRSlashLover, Jul 18, 2011 **** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases The Cadillac's 1955 Doo Wop song "Speedo". Information about The Cadillacs is included in this post along with information about that song. This pancocojams post also includes the lyrics to the song "Speedo" and YouTube examples of the Cadillacs performing that song. The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertaiment, and aesthetic purposes. All copyrights remain with their owners. Thanks to Esther Navarro for composing this song and thanks to The Cadillacs for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these sound file and film clips on YouTube.

**** SHOWCASE FILM CLIP #1: Speedo- Cadillacs (ACTUAL film segment from 1955)

TCSguy, March 20, 2011

Rare film footage of the Cadillacs singing "Speedo" at an Alan Freed Show at the Brooklyn Paramount in 1955. Found in a rock documentary that aired in the 70s. At this time, the group consisted of: Earl Carroll, LaVerne Drake, Bobby Phillips, Earl Wade, and Charles Brooks. -snip- Here's a comment about this film clip from PJ Riverdale, published in 2015 in that YouTube video's discussion thread:
"From an ABC TV RNR documentary aired in the 1970's. The primary film footage was shot by CBS News for a negative report on Rock music and its fans,c.1956 . Look carefully at the audience shots, you can see where they were probably going with this.

From that same footage,a clip of a Chuck Berry duck walk also exists and has been shown  here and there. It is believed that the original CBS footage was shot silent,any audio has been dubbed.

Almost any footage of early rock music exists solely to incense adult audiences particularly in the South where all manner of racial rhetoric and associations were added to negatively portray this phenomenon as the newest danger to [white] youth and the American[White] way of life."...
**** SHOWCASE FILM CLIP #2: Speedo & The Cadillacs (Live)~ Speedoo, Gloria,Peek A Boo,The Girl I Love

worldwidepromoters2, Feb. 9, 2011
-snip- The Cadillacs perform the song "Speedoo" from .031 to 3:44 in this film clip. -snip- Here's a comment written by Al D'Antonio in 2014 from this video's discussion thread: "The first two performances of 'Speedoo' & 'Gloria' were on the Clint Holmes' 'NY at Night' show that aired between 1987-88 while the last two performances herein are of Earl & the Cadillacs a few years later on the Harvey Holiday Doo Wop Show which also had Jocko Henderson introducing the Cadillacs as they sang 'Peek-A-Boo' and 'The Girl I Love' with Earl's hair being just a little greyer than in the first two performances!"

**** INFORMATION ABOUT EARL CARROLL LEAD SINGER OF THE CADILLACS From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earl_Carroll_(vocalist) "Earl "Speedo" Carroll (November 2, 1937 – November 25, 2012) was the lead vocalist of the doo-wop group The Cadillacs.[1] The group's biggest hit was "Speedoo", which with a minor spelling change became Carroll's subsequent nickname. It was released in 1955. He joined The Coasters in 1961, leaving the group in the early 1980s to permanently reform The Cadillacs.

In 1982, Earl took a job as a custodian at the PS 87 elementary school in New York City and worked there until retiring in 2005. A popular figure with the students, he was chosen to be the subject of a children's book, That's Our Custodian, by Ann Morris (Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press). The publicity helped him to revive his career. He became a mainstay of the PBS series honoring doo wop, hosted by Jerry Butler and continued performing until the early 2010s when deteriorating health forced him to retire."...

**** MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CADILLACS From https://extras.denverpost.com/scene/soundcheck0908.htm Sound Check By G. Brown, Sept. 8, 2000 ..."Look at that Cadillac

The Cadillacs were one of New York's first and very best doo-wop groups - in 1956, the joyful closeharmony street-corner sound of "Speedoo" hit big for the Harlem quintet: "They often call me Speedoo but my real name is Mr. Earl ... " It was written about smooth-assilk lead singer Earl "Speedoo" Carroll.

In his recollection, "We were playing an armory up in Boston, and after the gig Bobby Phillips, the little bass singer and the ham of the group, saw a great big torpedo shell outside. My head is kinda pointy - they used to tease me about it all the time - and he looked over at me and said, "Hey, Speedoo, there's your torpedo!" "And the guys just rolled on the ground - they thought that was the funniest thing ever. I was so upset, I said, "Listen, man, my name is Earl - Mr. Earl - as far as you're concerned, you little bum.' So we got in the car, and they kept teasing me all the way back to New York unti we wrote the song. And the rest is history!" The Cadillacs became known for humorous jump material, and they were the first R&B vocal group to extensively use hot choreography in their stage routines.

"I remember playing the Fox Theatre in Detroit when we first went there. We looked in the wings, and there was Smokey (Robinson) and the Temptations and everybody from Motown looking at what we were doing. We started five guys stepping together. I'm proud of that." In recent years, Carroll's favorite audience has been children - he still works as the head custodian at P.S. 87 in Manhattan.

"I've been there since 1982. I was thinking about retirement this year at 62, but they talked me into going to 65 and getting the full benefits. It's such an easy, beautiful job, and I love what I'm doing with the teenie-weenies. They're something else, they keep me young. It's like a family." But doo-wop got a big boost recently from the TV special "DooWop 50," the most lucrative fundraiser in public TV history. The program revived the Cadillacs' career in a way Carroll never thought possible.

Rhino Records has issued a third doo-wop boxed set, and "The Legends of Doo-Wop" as seen on PBS is on tour and will visit University of Denver's Magness Arena tonight. What is it about doo-wop that brings forth such excitement?

"A couple of years ago, I was saying, "Well, I guess this doo-wop rock 'n' roll thing is all over.' And it just seems to get bigger and bigger. It really is amazing to me. I thought it would be long gone like disco, but it's never going to die. Anybody who counts out '50s music evidently can't count!" The Cadillacs with the Marcels, Del Vikings, Gene Chandler, Chantels, Spaniels, Penguins and the Monte Carlos: 7:30 tonight; Magness Arena; $58.50, $48.50, $38.50 and $33.50; Ticketmaster"...

**** INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "SPEEDOO" From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speedoo 
"Speedoo" is a song written by Esther Navarro and performed by The Cadillacs featuring the Jesse Powell Orchestra. It reached number 3 on the U.S. R&B chart and number 17 on the U.S. pop chart in 1955.[1] The song was featured on their 1957 album, The Fabulous Cadillacs.[2]

Lyrically, the song tells of Mister Earl who acquired the nickname "Speedoo" because, when it comes to his pursuit of pretty girls, "he don't believe in wastin' time" and "he don't never take it slow".

[...]

The song was featured on the soundtrack of the 1990 film Goodfellas.[12]

The song was performed by The Cadillacs in the beginning of the 1998 miniseries The Temptations

The song was featured on the 2001 episode "Employee of the Month" of the show The Sopranos."....

****
LYRICS - SPEEDOO

Boom boom boom boom
Boom boom boom
Boom boom boom
Boom boom boom

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

All for meetin' brand new fellas
And for takin' other folk's girl
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now they often call me Speedoo
'Cause I don't believe in wastin' time
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now they often call me Speedoo
'Cause I don't believe in wastin' time
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well I've known some pretty women
And that's caused them to change their mind
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well, now some may call me Joe
Some may call me Moe
Just remember Speedoo
He don't never take it slow

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now, some may call me Moe
Some may call me Joe
Just remember Speedoo
He don't never take it slow

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

Well now they often call me Speedoo
But my real name is Mister Earl
Umm-hmm-hmm

And now they gotta call me Speedoo
'Till they call off makin' pretty girls
Umm-hmm-hmm

Umm-hmm-hmm-hmm
Umm-hmm-hmm-hmm
Umm-hmm-hmm-hmm
FADES
Umm-hmm-hmm-hmm

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Esther Navarro

Speedoo lyrics © Emi Longitude Music

****
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The Alley Cats - Puddin' N' Tain (1963 Doo Wop sound file, song lyrics, and rhyme examples)

PJDooWop, Sep 24, 2009

****
Edited by Azizi Powell 

This  pancocojams series showcases a sound file of The Alley Cat's 1960s Do Wop record "Puddin Tane".

Information about The Alley Cats is included in this post along with the lyrics to that song. 

The Addendum to this post provides two excerpts from a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Early Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "What's Your Name Puddin Tane" ". One of those excerpts provides examples of that rhyme. Another excerpt quotes a folklorist who differentiates the words "puddin tame" (or variant spellings of "tame") with the word "poontang" which has a sexual meaning.

The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Alley Cats for their music, and thanks to the publisher of that sound file on YouTube. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT THE ALLEY CATS 
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Alley_Cats_(1960s_group)

"The Alley Cats were a musical group active in 1960s.

Brice Coefield and Sheridan Spencer belonged to a group named "The Untouchables" who had released unsuccessful singles for the Madison and Liberty labels.[1] At the end of 1962, these two joined with James Barker and Gary Pipkin, who had been with The Robins, and lead singer Bobby Sheen, who was coming off success with Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans,[1] to form The Alley Cats.

[…]

Their first record was their most popular: "Puddin N' Tain", a song based upon a children's playground chant,[2] entered the charts January 1963 and achieved a chart position of 43 in the United States when released on Philles Records 45rpm #108.[5]"...
-snip-
There are a number of music groups with the name "The Alley Cats". The music group that is showcased in this post was an African American 1960s Doo Wop group.

Here's information about Doo Wop music from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doo-wop
"Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated among African-American youth in the 1940s,[1] mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Detroit, and Washington, DC.[2][3] It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, sung by a lead vocal over background vocals, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Harmonic singing of nonsense syllables (such as “doo-wop”) is a common characteristic of these songs.[4] Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop was "artistically and commercially viable" until the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres.[5]"....

****
LYRIC: PUDDIN' N TAIN

(written by Brice Coefield, Alonzo Willis & Gary Pipkin; performed by The Alley Cats)

Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same
Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same
Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same

You won't believe this story
While I was walking one bright and sunny day
I met a little sweet, sweet girl
Who chanced to walk my way
I asked her, her name
Here's what she said to me

Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same

Oh, golly gee
If she would only belong to me
And I would tellw the world
The whole wide world
That I'm in love with

Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same

Oh well now she's so pretty she's so fine
She's so sweet just my kind
All because she's pretty
All because she's fine
I want this girl to be mine

Now we're going steady
And I've found out her real name is Betty
I'll tell the world the whole wide world
That I'm in love with

Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same

Now we're going steady
And I've found out her real name is Betty
And I'll tell the world the whole wide world
That I'm in love with

Puddin' n' tain, puddin' n' tain
Ask me again I'll tell you the same
(repeat)

Source: https://genius.com/The-alley-cats-puddin-n-tain-lyrics

****
ADDENDUM: EXCERPTS FROM 2014 PANCOCOJAMS POST ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AND EARLY EXAMPLES OF THE RHYME "PUDDIN TANE"
From http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/11/early-examples-of-childrens-rhyme-whats.html for the pancocojams post entitled . Note: That pancocojams post also has a number of comments about and examples of the Puddin Tane rhyme.

These are exact quotes from that 2014 post.

The first excerpt provides some examples of that rhyme and the second excerpt quotes a quote a folklorist differentiates between the words "puddin tame" and its variant spellings and the word "poontang" which has a sexual meaning. 

Excerpt #1
From Mudcat: Puddin Tane, posted by Azizi, September 1, 2007
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=104417 Folklore: Puddin Tane & Other Rhyming Sayings
..."The following examples are from this resource: Western Folklore, Vol. 13, No. 2/3 (1954), pp. 190-198 - "Children's Taunts, Teases, and Disrespectful Sayings from Southern California," by Ray B. Browne.

[Note: the numbers ascribed to these examples by the article's author]
27a.
What's your name?
Pudd'n Tame.
Ask me again
And I'll tell you the same.

27b.
What's your name?
Pudd'n Tame.
Where do you live?
Down the lane.
Ask me again
And I'll tell you the same.

[footnotes: from California, also from Alabama, ca. 1935; cf. Musick, 432; for one version same, and one: "What's your name / John Brown / ask me again / and I'll knock you down."]

27c
What's your name?
President Monroe
Ask me again
And you still won't know."

****
Excerpt #2
"From: http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0110A&L=ads-l&P=R5702 [link no longer working]
Subject: Pudding tame
From: "Douglas G. Wilson"
Reply-To: American Dialect Society
Date: October 4, 2001
"Of course in researching the history of "poontang" I came upon remarks to the effect that this word seems to be reflected in a children's rhyme (still current, I think) along the lines of
What's your name?
Pudding tame.
[Ask me again and I'll tell you the same.]

In fact "pudding tame" and variants (pudding/puddin' [and] tame/tane/tang) are used today with the sense "I won't tell you my name" (e.g., often as a 'handle' or pen-name on the Internet, = "Anonymous"). The expression was used in the "X-files" TV program in 1999.

The rhyme appeared in the US by 1895, when it was cited in "Dialect Notes". Already we're out of the "poontang" milieu, I think; but in case there's any doubt, I find quoted from 1861 a version supposedly from ca. 1825 (apparently from Sussex?):
What's yer naüm?
Pudding and taüm.

Back a little further (ca. 1590), I find reason to believe there was approximately:
[What is your name?]
Pudding of Thame.

Now at least the expression has some surface sense, maybe. Thame is a place-name -- in particular a town in Oxfordshire, I believe. So "pudding of Thame" might have been the name of a food, perhaps similar (or at least analogous) to Oxford sausage, say. Still the expression is meaningless in the context, and I wonder whether

(1) it might even earlier have been something else ("pudding at home"? "Pudding Tom"? "pudding time"?) which maintained the rhyme in some early or regional pronunciation, and whether
(2) there is some recognizable double-entendre or other joke here in16th-century (or earlier) English.

Any ideas?
-- Doug Wilson
-snip-
This is the complete post from that site. It was referenced in a discussion of the word "poontang" by the "take my word for it" website http://www.takeourword.com/pt.html "The Etymology of Slang Sexual Terms." That take my word for it page included a hyperlink [that is now broken] to the comment that's given above along with this statement: "He [linguist Doug Wilson ] concludes that the two [poontang and Puddin Tane] are not related, and he gives some good evidence."
-snip-
I've re-formatted this post to make it easier to read."

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.
 

"The Bird's The Word" (1963 Record By The Rivingtons) & 1963 Record "Surfin Bird" By The Trashmen (information, YouTube examples, & lyrics)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about and YouTube examples of the 1963 song "The Bird's The Word" by The Rivingtons.

The Addendum to this song showcases The Trashmen's cover of this song and another song by The Rivington song.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to The Rivingtons for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of the videos that are embedded in this post.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT "THE BIRD'S THE WORD" SONG AND SAYING
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Rivingtons
The Rivingtons were a 1960s doo-wop group, known for their 1962 hit novelty record "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow". The members were lead vocalist Carl White (died January 7, 1980), tenor Al Frazier (d. November 13, 2005), baritone Sonny Harris, and bass singer Turner "Rocky" Wilson, Jr.. Frazier was replaced by Madero White for a period in the late 1970s.[1]

History
The Rivingtons had originally been known as the Sharps and had had success in the charts with Thurston Harris's "Little Bitty Pretty One" in 1957. They then appeared on several Duane Eddy recordings whenever extraneous sounds of rebel yells were required, including Eddy's 1958 hit "Rebel Rouser".[1] They also recorded on Warner Brothers Records as The Crenshaws in 1961.[1]

Their first hit as the Rivingtons was "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" (Liberty #55427, 1962). Like many such songs, it began with the bass chanting nonsense syllables (in this case the title), followed by the tenor singing over repetitions of it.[citation needed] "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow", an even more baroque rewrite of the theme, failed to sell, but they returned to the charts the following year with "The Bird's the Word". The B-side of "Mama-Oom-Mow-Mow" was "Waiting" (Liberty #55528).[1]

After their two hit singles, the Rivingtons struggled to hit the charts. However, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word" were revived in 1963, thanks to a Minnesota-based group called the Trashmen recording the "Surfin' Bird", made up from the Rivington's songs' nonsense syllables. The Trashmen made it in a record shop and passed it off as their own.[2] In fact, it was just a medley of the Rivington's choruses minus the verses.[3][4][5] The Rivingtons' manager reported it to their lawyers, and the Trashmen were ordered to add the surnames of the Rivingtons to the credits.[6] Because of the publicity in Billboard, the Trashmen had to share the writing credits on the recording and a later version as a sign of good faith. "Surfin' Bird" itself was revived in the 1970s by the Ramones[7] and the Cramps.[8]"...

****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLE: Rivingtons - The Bird's the Word



finetunesTV, Published on Feb 15, 2015

The Bird's the Word by Rivingtons from the album Street Corner Symphonies - The Complete Story of Doo Wop Vol. 15: 1963
Released 2014-01-10 on Bear Family Records GmbH

Doo-Wop is one of the foundation stones of Rock 'n' Roll."...
-snip-
The Rivingtons was an African American group.

The Trashmen White American group. The Rivington's songs 1962 "The Bird's The Word" and 1963 “Papa Oom Mow Wow” served as the blueprints for the Trashmen’s hit 1963 record “Surfin' Bird”.

****
LYRICS: THE BIRD'S THE WORD
(written by The Rivingtons: Al Frazier, Carl White, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson Jr.)

Swingin' this dance now to hit the scene
It's got the latest groove and it's really clean
Haven't you heard about the bird?
Don't you know that the bird's the word?

Come on, jump here and get on your knees
And get to flappin' your wings in the west or the east
Haven't you heard about the bird?
Don't you know that the bird's the word?

Bird, bird, bird, bird, bird

Well, they're dancin' this bird in the east and the west
Make this dance and you'll look the best

Haven't you heard about the bird?
Don't you know that the bird's the word?

Source: https://genius.com/The-rivingtons-birds-the-word-lyrics
-snip-
Click https://genius.com/The-rivingtons-papa-oom-mow-mow-lyrics for the lyrics to "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfwnWgVOL9E for a YouTube example of that record.

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ADDENDUM: "SURFING BIRD" BY THE TRASHMEN
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surfin%27_Bird
"Surfin' Bird" is a song performed by American surf rock band the Trashmen, and it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single.

The song was released in 1963 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] It is a combination of two R&B hits by the Rivingtons: "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" and "The Bird's the Word".[2]

[...]

[Steve] Wahrer was originally credited as the song's writer, but that was changed to the Rivingtons (Al Frazier, Carl White, Sonny Harris, and Turner Wilson Jr.) after the group successfully sued the Trashmen for plagiarism.[3]"...

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SHOWCASE VIDEO: The Trashmen - Surfin Bird - Bird Is The Word Original Video - Peter Griffin Favorite!



Genjuro T., Published on Mar 28, 2013

Title Surfin' Bird

Performed by The Trashmen in 1963

All rights are with the owners of this song/clip, but I want to show it to the curious people who maybe did not even know this song.

Lyrics
A well a everybody's heard about the bird
b-b-b-bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird the brid is the word
a well a bird bird bird well the bird is the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird well the brid is the word
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird brid b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird well the brid is the word
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a don't you know about the bird
well everybody knows that the bird is the word
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a...

A well a everybody's heard about the bird
bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a don't you know about the bird
well everybody's talking about the bird
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word
a well a bird...

Well don't you know about the bird
well everybody knows that the bird is the word
a well a bird bird b-bird's the word

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2019/01/online-excerpts-about-african-american.html for Part I of this series. Part I provides excerpts from two online discussion threads about the African American Vernacular English originated sayings "Word", "Word up!", "Word as born" and "Word to the mother".

In The Rivingtons' and The Trashmen's songs "the word" meant "the best"; "cool", "hip". In contrast, in the 1980s-1990s, the "word" sayings meant "I really agree [with what you just said] ".

Here's more information about the meaning of "the bird" and "the word"
from https://www.dictionary.com/e/pop-culture/bird-is-the-word/
"In their 1963 single “Surfin’ Bird,” surf-rock garage band The Trashmen sing repeatedly:

“A well a don’t you know about the bird?
Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word!
A well a bird, bird, b-bird’s the word.”

The song was inspired by two contemporary songs by the doo-wop group The Rivingtons: “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow” and “Bird is the Word.” The bird refers to a dance craze in the 1960s. The Trashmen noticed the two songs sounded alike, so they mashed them together in a live performance. A DJ at the show brought them into the studio to record the mashup under the title “Surfin’ Bird.”

While The Trashmen’s inspiration for “Surfin’ Bird” is well-documented, the exact origin and meaning of the saying bird is the word is less clear. Bird has carried many slang connotations throughout its history, from “prostitute” to “the middle finger.” In the context of the song, and in subsequent contexts, bird is the word characterizes something as good, cool, or new and revolutionary."...

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