Mambo No. 5

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

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. It has since been renewed more recently^[when?] by Alesha Dixon's sampling of the tune.

Lou Bega version

"Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit Of...)"
Single by Lou Bega
from the album A Little Bit of Mambo
Released	April 19, 1999 (Germany) August 17, 1999 (international) January 1, 2009 (re-recorded)
Format	CD single
Genre	Pop, jazz
Length	5:14 (extended version) 3:39 (radio edit)
Label	RCA
Writer(s)	Pérez Prado, Lou Bega, Zippy Davids
Producer	Goar B, Frank Lio, Donald Fact
Lou Bega singles chronology
"Mambo No. 5" (1999) "I Got a Girl" (1999)

Bega's cover was a hit in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia, where it reached #1 in 1999. It stayed at #1 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 #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. 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: 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 ladies' names were changed and replaced with legendary Disney characters' names such as Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Donald Duck, Pluto, Huey, Dewey, and Louie and Goofy. Additionally, references to a "liquor store around the corner" were replaced with a "candy store" instead, and "ice cream" was used rather than "gin and juice."

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

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

Peak positions Chart (1999) Peak position Australian ARIA Singles Chart[1] 1 Austrian Singles Chart[1] 1 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[1] 1 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[1] 1 Canadian Singles Chart[2] 1 Danish Singles Chart[1] 1 Dutch Top 40[3] 1 Eurochart Hot 100 1 Finnish Singles Chart[1] 1 French SNEP Singles Chart[1] 1 German Singles Chart[1] 1 Irish Singles Chart[4] 1 New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart[1] 1 Norwegian Singles Chart[1] 1 Swedish Singles Chart[1] 1 Swiss Singles Chart[1] 1 UK Singles Chart[5] 1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[2] 3 U.S. Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks[2] 26

Year-end charts Chart (1999) Position Australian Singles Chart[6] 1 Austrian Singles Chart[7] 1 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart[8] 2 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[9] 4 Dutch Top 40[3] 4 French Singles Chart[10] 1 Swiss Singles Chart[11] 1 U.S. Billboard Hot 100[12] 42 Certifications Region Certification Sales/shipments Australia (ARIA)[13] 4× Platinum 280,000^ Austria (IFPI Austria)[14] Platinum 30,000x France (SNEP)[15] Diamond 750,000* Germany (BVMI)[16] 3× Platinum 1,500,000^ Netherlands (NVPI)[17] Platinum 75,000^ Sweden (IFPI Sweden)[18] 3× Platinum 90,000x Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[19] 2× Platinum 100,000x United Kingdom (BPI)[20] Platinum 600,000^ *sales figures based on certification alone ^shipments figures based on certification alone xunspecified figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Preceded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65	French SNEP number-one single (Lou Bega version) August 28, 1999 – January 8, 2000 (20 weeks)	Succeeded by "Move Your Body" by Eiffel 65
Preceded by "Mi Chico Latino" by Geri Halliwell	UK Singles Chart number-one single (Lou Bega version) August 28, 1999 – September 11, 1999	Succeeded by "We're Going to Ibiza" by Vengaboys
Preceded by "Too Close" by Blue	UK Singles Chart number-one single (Bob the Builder version) September 8, 2001 – September 15, 2001	Succeeded by "Hey Baby" by DJ Otzi
Preceded by "When You Say Nothing at All" by Ronan Keating	New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (first run) (Lou Bega version) September 11, 1999 – September 25, 1999	Succeeded by "Can You Hear Us" by Neil Finn
Preceded by "Last Kiss" by Pearl Jam	Australian ARIA Singles Chart number-one single September 18, 1999 – November 13, 1999	Succeeded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65
Preceded by "Bring It All Back" by S Club 7	New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (second run) (Lou Bega version) October 16, 1999 – October 23, 1999	Succeeded by "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey
Preceded by "Heartbreaker" by Mariah Carey	RIANZ New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart number-one single (third run) (Lou Bega version) November 6, 1999	Succeeded by "Blue (Da Ba Dee)" by Eiffel 65

Other cover versions

• A Bob the Builder version of the song also reached #1 in the UK, and #2 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 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 ^[21]

Legacy

• In a poll conducted by Rolling Stone to identify the 10 most annoying songs, this song was ranked sixth.^[22]
• 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.^[23]
• On September 11, 2010, Matthew Wilkening of AOL Radio ranked the Lou Bega cover of the song at #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!" (Nos. 1–4 are actually nonexistent, as is "No. 6".)^[24]

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l} ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", in various singles charts". Lescharts. http://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Lou+Bega&titel=Mambo+No.+5+(A+Little+Bit+Of...)&cat=s. Retrieved 2009-08-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b c} "Lou Bega, Billboard charts". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p374052. Retrieved 2009-08-35. 
3. ^ ^{a b} "Single top 100 over 1999" (in Dutch) (PDF). Top40. http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201999.pdf. Retrieved 29 April 2010. 
4. ^ "Irish Singles Chart, database". Irishcharts. http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement. Retrieved 2009-08-05. 
5. ^ ""Mambo No. 5 (a Little Bit of...)", UK Singles Chart". Chartstats. http://www.chartstats.com/songinfo.php?id=27594. Retrieved 2009-08-05. 
6. ^ "1999 Australian Singles Chart". aria. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-100-singles-1999.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
7. ^ "1999 Austrian Singles Chart". Austriancharts. http://www.austriancharts.at/1999_single.asp. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
8. ^ "1999 Belgian (Flanders) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
9. ^ "1996 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart". Ultratop. http://www.ultratop.be/fr/annual.asp?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
10. ^ "1999 French Singles Chart". Snep. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/page-259376.xml?year=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
11. ^ "1999 Swiss Singles Chart". Hitparade. http://www.swisscharts.com/year.asp?key=1999. Retrieved 2009-08-06. 
12. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1999". http://longboredsurfer.com/charts.php?year=1999. Retrieved 2010-08-28. 
13. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1999 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-accreditations-singles-1999.htm. 
14. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in German). IFPI Austria. http://www.ifpi.at/?section=goldplatin.  Enter Lou Bega in the field Interpret. Enter Mambo No. 5 in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
15. ^ "French single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. http://www.disqueenfrance.com/fr/pag-259165-CERTIFICATIONS.html?year=1999&type=10. 
16. ^ "German single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo Nr. 5 (A Little Bit Of ...)" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. http://www.musikindustrie.de/gold_platin_datenbank/?action=suche&strTitel=Mambo+Nr.+5+%28A+Little+Bit+Of+...%29&strInterpret=Lou+Bega&strTtArt=single&strAwards=checked. 
17. ^ "Dutch single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. http://www.ifpi.nl/nvpi/pagina.asp?pagkey=61112&documentid=1235647. 
18. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (in Swedish) (PDF). IFPI Sweden. http://www.ifpi.se/wp/wp-content/uploads/ar-19991.pdf. 
19. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Lou Bega; 'Mambo No. 5')". Hung Medien. http://www.swisscharts.com/search_certifications.asp?search=Lou+Bega+Mambo+No.+5. 
20. ^ "British single certifications – Lou Bega – Mambo No. 5". British Phonographic Industry. http://www.bpi.co.uk/certifiedawards/search.aspx.  Enter Mambo No. 5 in the field Search. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Click Go
21. ^ [1]Superhits, 2001, RCA Local (Sony Music), Track 13
22. ^ Annoying songs
23. ^ The politics of music. It's showtime at the convention, CNN, August 14, 2000
24. ^ Wilkening, Matthew (September 11, 2010). "100 Worst Songs Ever". AOL Radio. http://www.aolradioblog.com/2010/09/11/worst-songs/?icid=main. Retrieved December 18, 2010.