Wednesday 7 July 2010

ABC Wednesday Y is for Ying Tong

It's ABC Wednesday again - time to scratch the brain cells for something new. Thank you to Denise Nesbitt and her fine team for organising and hosting this weekly meme. To see more Ys and perhaps join in please click here.
The Goon Show was a British radio comedy programme that was broadcast from 1951 to 1960. The Ying Tong Song was a typical sample of the idiocy that prevailed throughout the series. It was performed by Spike Milligan, who wrote it, Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe. All three were musical, Milligan and Sellers performing in jazz bands on various instruments, Milligan particularly, and Secombe possessing a fine tenor voice. 
I thought this might only resonate with an audience familiar with the Goons but found that the Muppets had also performed this song.Thus we have a clip from the Goons followed by one from the Muppets. Enjoy! . . .but don't try to make sense of it!


13 comments:

  1. Excellent! I remember The Goons, of course, but their show wasn't played much in our house so I'm not that familiar with the material. I do know the Ying Tong song, of course - who (of our generation and nationality) doesn't?

    I have to confess, I kind of prefer the Muppet version though. LOL!

    On behalf of the team, thanks for taking part in ABC Wednesday this week! :)

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  2. I'd forgotten just how silly the Muppet Show was! Thanks for this trip down memory lane.

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  3. The original is probably a classic, but I much prefer the Muppet version! I'm partial to all things Jim Henson. :-) Very imaginative take on the letter for the day. And you're right...there is not logical sense to it at all! Thanks for the visit over at my place.

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  4. Oh, how funny! Just the laugh I needed to start the day, Janice! Surely did bring back some memories -- didn't know about the Goons, but loved Peter Sellers and, of course, my kids grew up with Sesame Street! Hope your week is going well!

    Sylvia

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  5. I had never heard of the Ying Tong Song or the Goons, but certainly am familiar with Peter Sellers. Now I see why the Muppets are so popular with the kids. So engaging and funny!

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  6. Got a real chuckle! Thanks for sharing both of these videos!
    Great post for this week!

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  7. This is such a classic Muppet song, fitting perfectly in their whole repertoire! Thank you for sharing.

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  8. The Goons voices just get me laughing without anything else and the Ying Tong song is still as funny now as then. Like the Muppet version but I wonder if the Telegoons ever did it, probably hidden deep in the BBC archives.
    Wonderfully original post Janice.

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  9. Oh I remember the Goons!! Harry Secombe had a wonderful voice too. Thanks for the laugh!

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  10. I remember the Muppets! Not so much the Goons. Enjoyed your post and now I'll remember them All. :)

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  11. Oh I miss the Muppets. Animal and the Swedish Chef are my favourites. And the Professor's assistant (Retard?) who always went memememememe or something ;-)
    Thanks for posting this fun song.

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  12. I passed along this post to a big Muppet fan. I vaguely remember the Goons as something the Beatles really enjoyed.

    ROG, ABC Wednesday team

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  13. I don't know The Goons, but the Muppets are quite familiar. Thanks for the memories...

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