Ying Tong Song

2021-08-23T01:40:09Z

76.94.209.63: /* Later versions */

{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}

{{Infobox song
| name = Ying Tong Song
| cover = 
| artist = [[the Goons]] with Maurice Ponke and His Orchestre Fromage
| A-side = Bloodnok's Rock 'n' Roll Call
| released = {{Start date|1956|09|20|df=y}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| genre = *[[Novelty song]]
*[[nonsense song]]
| length = 3:29
| label = [[Decca Records|Decca]]
| writer = [[Spike Milligan]]
| producer = [[Marcel Stellman]]
}}

The "'''Ying Tong Song'''" (also known by its refrain, which is variously either "'''Ying tong diddle I po'''" or "'''Ying tong yiddle I po'''" rather than the oft-quoted but apparently absent "'''Ying tong iddle I po'''") is a [[novelty song]] written by [[Spike Milligan]] and performed by [[the Goons]], usually led by [[Harry Secombe]]. It is a [[nonsense]] song, consisting of small verses interspersed by a completely nonsensical chorus. The origin of the title is said to have come from Harry Secombe's mispronunciation of the name of Milligan's war-time friend and fellow jazz musician, Harry Edgington. When Secombe repeatedly called him "Edgerton", Milligan replied, "it's Edgington, Edgington" and emphasized the point by saying "Yington, Yington".<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary of Harry Edgington |newspaper=[[The Evening Post (New Zealand)|The Evening Post]] |publisher=[[Independent Newspapers]] |location=Wellington, New Zealand |date=2 December 1993}}</ref>

==The Goons==
Secombe usually spoke the lead vocals, accompanied by [[Peter Sellers]] and Spike Milligan, who would sing along as [[The Goon Show cast members and characters|various ''Goon Show'' characters]]. As Secombe was signed to [[Philips Records]], he did not sing on any of the Goons' [[Decca Records|Decca]] recordings of the 1950s, including this song, only speaking his words.<ref>Harry Secombe speaking at the [http://www.thegoonshow.org.uk/ GSPS] convention in Brighton in October 1997</ref>

Milligan claimed that he wrote this song as a bet, with his brother, that he could not get a song into the hit parade that had only two chords (in this case G and D7).<ref>Spike Milligan speaking at the GSPS convention in Brighton in October 1997</ref>

It was a hit in the UK on two occasions: its highest position was No. 3 in the [[UK Singles Chart]] in 1956<ref name=chart /> (the original [[A-side and B-side|A-side]] was "[[Major Bloodnok|Bloodnok]]'s Rock 'n' Roll Call") on Decca Records (catalogue no. F 10780), performed by The Goons featuring Major Dennis Bloodnok, Roland Rockcake and His Wholly Rollers, with "The Ying Tong Song" on the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] performed by The Goons with Maurice Ponke and His Orchestre Fromage. "The Ying Tong Song" reached a position of No. 9 in the UK when re-issued in 1973.<ref name=chart /><ref name="British Hit Singles & Albums">{{cite book |editor-first= David |editor-last= Roberts |year=2006 |title=[[British Hit Singles & Albums]] |edition=19th |publisher=[[Guinness World Records]] |location=London |isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=232}}</ref> The guitar was played by the session musician Ivor Mairants. The song peaked at number 57 in Australia in 1973.<ref name=aus>{{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|isbn=0-646-11917-6|page=128}}</ref>

It was used as the title of the [[Roy Smiles]] play about Spike Milligan and ''The Goon Show'': ''Ying Tong - A Walk With The Goons'' which was staged in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in 2005 and a radio play on [[BBC Radio 4]] in 2009.

In the fourth volume of his war memoirs (''Mussolini, His Part In My Downfall''), Milligan mentions that his friend and fellow soldier Edgington was often referred to as Edge-Ying-Tong.

==Later versions==
In the satirical TV sketch show ''[[Spitting Image]]'', in which news figures and celebrities were lampooned in the form of grossly-caricatured rubber puppets, it was not uncommon for [[Prince Charles]] to be seen leaving a room quietly singing the "Ying Tong Song" to himself. This was a reference to the fact that Prince Charles is a fan of the [[Goon Show]].

The song was the first track of a 1979 comedy album, ''Primeval Slime'' by actor Ying Tong John.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Ying-Tong-John-Primeval-Slime/release/5949607 |website=discogs.com |title=Ying Tong John – Primeval Slime }}</ref>

The song gave its name to the 2008 stage show ''Ying Tong: A Walk With the Goons''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wren |first=Celia |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/07/AR2008030700950.html |title='Ying Tong'? Why, That's English for Postwar Silliness |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |department=Arts & Living |issn=0190-8286 |date=2008-03-09 |location=Philadelphia |access-date=2016-08-22}}</ref>

[[The Muppets]] also did a version of the "Ying Tong Song" in [[List of The Muppet Show episodes|season 5]], episode 20 of [[The Muppet Show]].

[[Jon Anderson]], former lead singer for the [[progressive rock]] group [[Yes (band)|Yes]], recorded a short version, released in 2005 on his ''[[State of Independence]]'' EP.

==Charts==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1956)
!Peak<br>position
|-
{{singlechart|UKsinglesbyname|3|artist=The Goons|artistid=3680|song=The Ying Tong Song|refname=chart|access-date=9 February 2020}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Goons}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:The Goon Show]]
[[Category:British songs]]
[[Category:Decca Records singles]]
[[Category:Novelty songs]]
[[Category:1956 singles]]
[[Category:1956 songs]]
[[Category:1973 singles]]

The Goon Show Depository - User contributions [en]

Ying Tong Song