Mama Will Bark
Encyclopedia
"Mama Will Bark" is a novelty song
written by Dick Manning
and recorded as a duet between Frank Sinatra
and Dagmar in 1951.
When buxom hostess Dagmar appeared on Sinatra's CBS-TV
show on April 7, 1951, Columbia Records
A&R
head Mitch Miller
became intrigued by the comic chemistry he perceived between the unlikely duo. With that in mind, songwriter Manning (who would later compose such hits as "Fascination") penned "Mama Will Bark", which featured off-key talking/singing by Dagmar and sound effect
s of dog
s barking. Miller produced the session on May 10, 1951, and the song was released the following month.
"Mama Will Bark" is commonly cited as an emblematic low point in Sinatra's troubled later years at Columbia.http://slate.com/id/2898/ Many Sinatra fans call it his worst recording ever, and place the blame for it squarely on the head of Mitch Miller. In Will Friedwald's book Sinatra! The Song is You, Miller insisted that "nobody brings Sinatra in the studio [to do something] that he doesn't want to do. Then, he had the right to okay its release." Sinatra himself later said of the song: "The only good it did me was with the dogs." http://www.esquire.com/fiction/ESQ1003-OCT_SINATRA_rev_ Nonetheless, the single
(which did not receive an album
release) was a hit, nearly reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard
singles chart, peaking at #21. Many DJs "flipped over" the record in favor of the B-side, "I'm A Fool To Want You" (which reached #14 on the Billboard charts).
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
written by Dick Manning
Dick Manning
Dick Manning was a Russian-born American songwriter, best known for his many collaborations with Al Hoffman....
and recorded as a duet between Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
and Dagmar in 1951.
When buxom hostess Dagmar appeared on Sinatra's CBS-TV
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
show on April 7, 1951, Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
head Mitch Miller
Mitch Miller
Mitchell William "Mitch" Miller was an American musician, singer, conductor, record producer, A&R man and record company executive...
became intrigued by the comic chemistry he perceived between the unlikely duo. With that in mind, songwriter Manning (who would later compose such hits as "Fascination") penned "Mama Will Bark", which featured off-key talking/singing by Dagmar and sound effect
Sound effect
For the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s of dog
Dog
The domestic dog is a domesticated form of the gray wolf, a member of the Canidae family of the order Carnivora. The term is used for both feral and pet varieties. The dog may have been the first animal to be domesticated, and has been the most widely kept working, hunting, and companion animal in...
s barking. Miller produced the session on May 10, 1951, and the song was released the following month.
"Mama Will Bark" is commonly cited as an emblematic low point in Sinatra's troubled later years at Columbia.http://slate.com/id/2898/ Many Sinatra fans call it his worst recording ever, and place the blame for it squarely on the head of Mitch Miller. In Will Friedwald's book Sinatra! The Song is You, Miller insisted that "nobody brings Sinatra in the studio [to do something] that he doesn't want to do. Then, he had the right to okay its release." Sinatra himself later said of the song: "The only good it did me was with the dogs." http://www.esquire.com/fiction/ESQ1003-OCT_SINATRA_rev_ Nonetheless, the single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
(which did not receive an album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
release) was a hit, nearly reaching the Top 20 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
singles chart, peaking at #21. Many DJs "flipped over" the record in favor of the B-side, "I'm A Fool To Want You" (which reached #14 on the Billboard charts).