The South African Source Of Malcolm McLaren’s 1983 Mega Hit Record "Double Dutch"

MalcolmMclarenMusic, Apr 11, 2011

This is one of the better known tracks from Mr Malcolm Mclaren from his ground-breaking album Duck Rock.Nothing new here now but at the time it was, as usual with MM ahead of it's time.27 years later it still sounds as good today as when I first heard it.Enjoy...

**** Edited by Azizi Powell This pancocojams post showcases a YouTube video of Malcolm McLaren's 1983 hit song "Double Dutch" along with a YouTube sound file of the 1970s South African record "Puleng" by the Boyoyo Boys. 

This also post includes information about Malcolm McLaren's song "Double Dutch" and information about the Boyoyo Boys.

Selected comments from two discussion threads about Malcolm McLaren's "Double Dutch" are also included in this post.

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

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
SHOWCASE SOUND FILE- The Boyoyo Boys - Puleng

TylerHillMusic, Aug 21, 2020

I was reading about how Malcolm Mclaren's song "Double Dutch" allegedly plagiarized the song "Puleng" by The Boyoyo Boys, a township jive band from South Africa. I wanted to listen to both of them, and could only find Malcolm Mclaren's song on Youtube. I hunted down this recording and decided to post it, in case anyone else wants to juxtapose the two (or just listen to this lovely song). For what it's worth, I think Mclaren's song is a pretty obvious copy of this.

From what I can tell, this song has long been out of print, and was probably only limitedly available even when it came out. I don't own any rights to it.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT MALCOLM MCLAREN'S RECORD "DOUBLE DUTCH"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Dutch_(song)
"Double Dutch" is a 1983 single by Malcolm McLaren. It is taken from his debut album Duck Rock. "Double Dutch" is the follow-up to his successful debut single, "Buffalo Gals", and reached number 3 on the UK Singles Chart, making it his highest-charting single release.[2] The album version is a slight re-edit of the single, with part of the original middle eight moved to the end of the track. The song concerns the skipping game of the same name, with McLaren's narration mentioning several New York double Dutch troupes by name, notably the Ebonettes, whose name is also used as a chant in the chorus. The music video for the song features McLaren and troupes from the American Double Dutch League performing in a school gymnasium.

Mbaqanga group The Boyoyo Boys sued McLaren over the similarity of "Double Dutch" with their own hit "Puleng".[3] After a lengthy legal battle in the UK, the matter was settled out of court, with payment made to the South African copyright holders, songwriter Petrus Maneli and publisher Gallo Music,[4] but Trevor Horn and McLaren retained their songwriting credits.

The track was heavily sampled by British house music group Dope Smugglaz on their 1999 track "Double Double Dutch".[5]

The lyrics of the song are referenced in Liz Phair's song "Whip-Smart".[6]

The song was featured in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street."

****
ARTICLE EXCERPTS ABOUT THE BOYOYO BOYS
From https://therumpus.net/2011/09/08/happy-feet-and-the-mbaqanga-rhythm-of-the-boyoyo-boys/

Complete article #1:
From https://www.last.fm/music/The+Boyoyo+Boys/+wiki
edited by FSylvestris on 25 September 2008
"The Boyoyo Boys are a four-piece band from Soweto, South Africa. Formed in 1969, they are among the founders of mbaqanga or township jive, the music of shebeens (illegal drinking halls) in the country's impoverished townships.

Mbaqanga music blends jazz and African musical traditions. The group performs on acoustic guitar, upright bass, and drums, with a sax or penny whistle playing the melody. The Boyoyo Boys have 20 gold records in South Africa.

Band members include Vusi Xhosa, Vusi Nkosi, Lucas Pelo, and Philippe Mziza, often featuring guest saxophonist Thomas Pale."

****
Excerpt #1
From https://eclecticmusiclover.com/tag/boyoyo-boys/ EML’s Favorite Albums – Paul Simon:  “Graceland”, October 17,  2020 by EclecticMusicLover
"One of my most beloved albums in my collection is the magnificent Graceland by the legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon

 [...]

Before digging into the album and songs, a bit of background would be helpful to provide some context for its creation. Following his successful run of hit albums and singles as a solo artist throughout the 1970s, by the early 1980s Simon had hit both a personal and professional slump. ,,, After suffering through a period of depression, in 1984 he became fascinated with a bootleg cassette tape of an album Gumboots: Accordion Jive Hits, Volume II, that had been loaned to him by singer-songwriter Heidi Berg, with whom he’d been working as her producer. In his liner notes for Graceland, Simon described it as “very up, very happy music” that sounded familiar, yet foreign.

The album was by South African band The Boyoyo Boys, and was in a style of music known as Mbaqanga, also informally called “township jive”, the street music of Soweto.  Simon was so smitten by the music that he considered buying the rights to his favorite track on the tape, “Gumboots”, and using it to write his own song.... Hilton Rosenthal, a South African record producer who Simon’s label Warner had put him in touch with, suggested instead that he record an album of South African music

[...]

The album cuts featuring South African styles and sounds are pure delight....I love the unusual guitar notes and distinctive lilting chant-like vocals of the Gaza Sisters. “Gumboots”, the song that got this whole thing started, is named for the term used to describe the type of music favored by South African miners and railroad workers, and refers to the heavy boots they wear on the job. With support by the Boyoyo Boys themselves, the song has an upbeat Cajun zydeco feel, highlighted by charming synclavier and dual alto and soprano sax. Another favorite is “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”, a wonderful collaboration with Ladysmith Black Mambazo, one of South Africa’s best known and loved groups."...

****
Excerpt #2
From https://therumpus.net/2011/09/08/happy-feet-and-the-mbaqanga-rhythm-of-the-boyoyo-boys/   Happy Feet And The Mbaqanga Rhythm Of The Boyoyo Boys by Evan Fleisher, September 8th, 2011

"“Gumboots” is what inspired Paul Simon to break out the accordion and kick-start Graceland. The song was originally written – sans lyrics – by a band called the Boyoyo Boys – who earned 17 gold records in four years – expert practitioners in something called mbaqanga rhythm, something as personally appealing and uplifting as a New Orleans second line.

[…]

I kept hearing that Paul Simon collaborated with ‘several artists,’ but the only one that cropped up again and again was Ladysmith Black Mambazo  – literally ‘Ladysmith Black Axe,’ a sound from the Ladysmith township that cuts you – and I couldn’t figure out who the rest of the characters were. When I realized that the Boyoyo Boys were part that album, I also learned that they were part of the mbaqanga trend, so I sought out West Nkosi, the Mahotella Queens, the Skylarks, the Soul Brothers and the Dark City Sisters, too, the latter of whom – my goodness, they’re terrific.”...

****
SELECTED COMMENTS TWO YOUTUVE DISCUSSION THREADS ABOUT MALCOLM MCLAREN'S "DOUBLE DUTCH SONG 

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ4jMSCBswY [This is the first video in this pancocojams post.] 

Numbers are added for referencing purposes only.

1. ants ya, 2016
"sounds like old south African rythm"

**
Reply 
2. Rebone Makgato, 2016 
"ants ya It is South African. By a mbaqanga group. Stolwn without permission. Google it."

**
Reply
3. Maseho Art, 2022
"Yes, McLaren created history with Duck Rock” - just hope he paid these amazing athletes better than the musicians & original composers: He simply plagiarised “Puleng” by the Boyoyo Boys for this song - here’s the original:

https://youtu.be/eAtuAqZVEaE  "
-snip-
"Duck Rock" is the name of McClaren's album that includes the song (rap) "Double Dutch".

**
4. Theart Korsten, 2016
"Pity he stole the sample from South African musicians - they has to sue him to pay them. But a great song none the less."

**
5. Ursprungsbo, 2017
""Mbaqanga group The Boyoyo Boys took legal action against McLaren over the similarity of "Double Dutch" with their own hit "3 Mabone". After a lengthy legal battle in the UK, the matter was settled out of court, with payment made to the South African copyright holders, songwriter Petrus Maneli and publisher Gallo Music,[1] but Trevor Horn and McLaren retained their songwriting credits."

**
Reply
6. Lionel De Lillie, 2017
"That's why the SA musicians were cautious at first to work on the Paul Simon "Graceland" album"

**
7. ike khoase, 2019
"This is a sampled South African song!!!!"

**
Reply
8. deancommissioning, 2020
"@ike khoase  not sampled so much as copied. Musically atleast, then his own lyrics on top. I listened to the Boyoboyo Boys and musically it's almost a complete copy. McLaren paid them compensation I believe (after a fight)."

**
9. mollo tuka, 2022
"However, the original melody and tune is South African, by Boyoyo Boys called Puleng which is a Sotho name for a girl"

****
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt6Co7EMNCU Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch, published by VitaminQT, Jun 29, 2007

1. NickLotay, 2009
"The core of "Duck Rock" comes directly from South African jive music, popular in SA around the early '70s, as recorded by artists like Mahotella Queens. It is a well-known fact that McLaren, unfortunately, plagiarised this music note-for-note without crediting the originals."

**
2. 10thnametried, 2014
"Does anyone know who the backing vocals are they're uncredited on the album? Its a shame as their voices are so clear and powerful - amazing."

**
3. Jon Wild, 2014
"Mahlathini and the Mahotella Queens.   Bet you never thought you'd get an answer to that one!  ;-)    the backing track was released at the same time as Double Dutch (one of the off shoot albums to Mclarens Duck Rock)

Much of the music that was the "inspiration" for McLaren's African-influenced stuff can be found on a album called "Duck Food" (if not that title, try this one: "Soweto Never Sleeps")."

**
Reply
4. Nigel Milligan, 2018
"It's also a well known fact that after litigation Malcolm paid the original writers a hefty sum of money for their work."

**
5. Titus Maree, 2016
"For all those wondering what genre this is . It's called Mbaqhanga from South Africa. Malcolm Mclaren  made a good living in the 80's singing already existing tracks from South Africa.Two earlier versions of this song exist , one is called Pule ngwana mme  and the other 3 mabone."

**
Reply
6. David Berowsky, 2016
"Hi Titus. Thanks for the info. This music has certain roots in an earlier style of music called kwela made famous by musos like Spokes Mashiyane, and later on progressed to more moderns style especially kwaito. One of our gems were Mango Groove. A famous South African group that made a fusion of some of these music styles, combined with modern South African pop sounds. @John Paul -- do yourself a favour a check them out too. I think you may like them.

One of their songs, Special Star,is in fact a tribute to Spokes.

Oh, and btw, if you were wondering.... Pule Ngwana Mme is North Sotho (language) and roughly  translates to Mother of the rain children. Pule coming from the word puleng  from/in the rain, ngwana children, pule ngwana children from the rain, and mme - mother."

**
Reply
7. psychickitty1, 2016
"David Berowsky thanks for the great info. I always thought that this had an African feel to it!"

**
Reply
8. SaveStef, 2017
"Paul Simon also recorded a lot of songs with African influences, I love these styles of African music, LOVE IT! ❤"

*️*
Reply
9. Steph Quinlan, 2017
"Except Paul Simon actually gave credit to the original composers. I'm reading a biography of Malcolm McLaren right now and he was shameless about stealing other people's work and passing it off as his own."

**
Reply
10. Geoff Wilkins, 2017
"McClaren was a notorious scoundrel here in the UK.  But to be fair, he (and Paul Simon) did more than most to popularise black African music here."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitors comments are welcome.