The Rivingtons

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The Rivingtons were a doo-wop group noted for being one of the most loud and raucous of the genre. Their first hit, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" (1962), like many such songs, began with the bass chanting nonsense syllables (in this case the title), followed by the tenor singing over repetitions of it. "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 similar "The Bird's The Word". Conversely, the B-side of "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow" is a very moving deep soul classic.^{[citation needed]}

Previously the Rivingtons had been known as The Sharps and had already tasted chart action via Thurston Harris' "Little Bitty Pretty One" in 1957, after which they appeared on several Duane Eddy recordings when any extraneous sounds of rebel yells were required.^{[citation needed]}

After the two hit singles, the Rivingtons struggled till the mid 60s to find another hit, but after the Columbia single "A Rose Growing In The Ruins" flopped, they called it a day.^{[citation needed]}

However, the two hits entered a life of their own, courtesy of a Minnesota group called The Trashmen, who recorded a song made up from the nonsense syllables, calling it Surfin' Bird. The band cut the disc over a record shop and passed it off as their own work.^{[citation needed]} It was a medley of the choruses without the verses.^{[citation needed]} However the Rivingtons' management reported it to their lawyers and the group were ordered to add the surnames of the Rivingtons to the credits, having the effect of causing the first pressings without the Rivingtons credit to become collectors items.^{[citation needed]}

After the publicity surrounding the allegations in Billboard Magazine, the Trashmen had to share the writing credits on not only this recording but a later one as a sign of good faith. Surfin' Bird itself was revived in the 1970s by the Ramones and the Cramps.^{[citation needed]}