When he played the first Loaded Knife single, The Bird ("a brave step into the unknown"), John Peel said it was "based on" The Rivingtons' Papa Oom Mow Mow. In fact it was "based on" Surfing Bird, the punked-up composite Rivingtons rave-up (ie mixing The Bird Is The Word and Papa Oom Mow Mow) by The Trashmen, one of the most insane records of the era. Says MP3.com:
Yes, it was a nonsense song, but the members sang it with such spirit and élan, that it wasn't a "guilty pleasure" or an embarrassing novelty record -- it was silly, but it was also viscerally exciting like the very best R&B dance records, and sung that way.Cub Koda on All-Music Guide says they were "one of the great American teen-band combos of all time, their lone hit exemplifying wild, unabashed rock & roll at its most demented, bare-bones-basic, lone-E-chord finest".
There are also fine versions of Surfin' Bird by The Ramones and The Cramps, and I recently bought a lame 70s version of Papa Oom Mow Mow by The Sharonettes, who I don't know anything about, other than they weren't very good.
Anyone know any more versions? I feel a collection coming on.
