"I Can't Tell a Waltz from a Tango" is a popular

Popular music

Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...

 song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

 written by Al Hoffman

Al Hoffman

Al Hoffman , a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame since 1984, was a hit songwriter active in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, usually co-writing with others and responsible for number one hits through each decade, many of which are still sung and recorded today...

 and Dick Manning

Dick Manning

Dick Manning was a Russian-born American songwriter, best known for his many collaborations with Al Hoffman....

 and published in 1954

1954 in music

-Events:*January 14 - First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York...

.

The best known version in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 was recorded by Patti Page

Patti Page

Clara Ann Fowler , known by her professional name Patti Page, is an American singer, one of the best-known female artists in traditional pop music. She was the best-selling female artist of the 1950s, and has sold over 100 million records...

; the best-known version in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 by Alma Cogan

Alma Cogan

Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...

. Both were recorded in 1954

1954 in music

-Events:*January 14 - First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York...

.

The Page recording was released by Mercury Records

Mercury Records

Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...

 as catalog number

Catalog numbering systems for single records

This article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...

 70458, with the flip side "The Mama Doll Song

The Mama Doll Song

"The Mama Doll Song" is a popular song.The music was written by Nat Simon and the lyrics by Charles Tobias. The song was published in 1954.The recording by Patti Page was released by Mercury Records as catalog number 70458. It first reached the Billboard magazine Best Seller chart on October 20,...

." It entered the Billboard chart on October 16, 1954 at #30, the only week it charted.

The recording by Alma Cogan

Alma Cogan

Alma Cogan was an English singer of traditional pop music in the 1950s and early 1960s. Dubbed "The Girl With the Laugh/Giggle/Chuckle In Her Voice", she was the highest paid British female entertainer of her era...

 was released in 1954

1954 in music

-Events:*January 14 - First documented use of the abbreviated term "Rock 'n' Roll" to promote Alan Freed's Rock 'n' Roll Jubillee, held at St. Nicholas Arena in New York, New York...

 by HMV

HMV

His Master's Voice is a trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...

 as a 78rpm recording (catalog number B10786) and a 45rpm recording (catalog number 7M 271). It reached #6 on the UK charts. The flip side was "Christmas Cards".

It was often used in the BBC comedy radio programme, The Goon Show

The Goon Show

The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme, originally produced and broadcast by the BBC Home Service from 1951 to 1960, with occasional repeats on the BBC Light Programme...

, by Ray Ellington

Ray Ellington

Ray Ellington was a popular English singer, drummer and bandleader. He is best known for his appearances on The Goon Show from 1951 to 1960...

 and his quartet. This performance of it added extra, Goons-style humour, with members of the cast joining in.

The Pee Wee

Pee Wee

Pee Wee may refer to:People* Randy Anderson , American wrestling referee* Pee Wee Crayton , American R&B and blues guitarist and singer* Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis , American saxophonist, composer and arranger...

King Orchestra recorded the song, reviewed as a "right smooth job" in the same month as the Patti Page charting of the song.