(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?
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| “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?” | ||
|---|---|---|
| Single by Patti Page | ||
| B-side | "My Jealous Eyes" | |
| Recorded | December 18, 1952 | |
| Genre | Novelty, Traditional pop | |
| Label | Mercury Records | |
| Writer(s) | Bob Merrill | |
"(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window?" is a popular novelty song written by Bob Merrill in 1952. It was adapted from a well-known Victorian music hall song.
The best-known version of the song was recorded by Patti Page on December 18, 1952 and released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70070, with the flip side "My Jealous Eyes." It reached #1 on both the Billboard and Cash Box charts in 1953. [1] However, Mercury, the record company which distributed Patti Page's recordings at the time, had poor distribution in the United Kingdom. Therefore, a recording by Lita Roza was the one most widely heard in the UK, reaching #1 on the UK charts in 1953. Lita's recording is widely known as the most elusive original record of a #1[citation needed].
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[edit] Lyrics
The song tells the story of a young woman who "must take a trip to California," and wants to buy a dog for her boyfriend so that he will not be lonely (and, presumably, not look for affection from another woman).
[edit] In the media
- It is played in the film Pink Flamingos during the film's infamous final scene, wherein Divine consumes dog feces immediately after a poodle defecates. The director of the film, John Waters, maintains that the scene was not faked.[2]
- In the Wallace and Gromit film The Wrong Trousers, Gromit's nemesis Feathers McGraw plays a droning calliope version of "Doggie in the Window" at a loud volume in an attempt to drive Gromit out of the house.
- It is also featured in the video game BioShock.
[edit] Other versions
A reggae version was recorded by Barbara Jones for Trojan Records in the 1970s or 1980s.
[edit] See also
- List of Number 1 singles (UK)
- How Much Is That Doggie In The Window lyrics and music file at NIH accessed September 2, 2006
- How Much Is That Doggie In The Window lyrics and chords, accessed September 2, 2006
| Preceded by Till I Waltz Again with You |
Cash Box magazine best selling record chart #1 record March 21, 1953–May 2, 1953 |
Succeeded by The Song from Moulin Rouge |
[edit] References
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research.
- ^ Hoberman, J.; Jonathan Rosenbaum (1983). Midnight Movies. New York: Da Capo Press, 154. ISBN 0-306-80433-6.
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