My 3 year old daughter’s favorite commercial of the moment is one with the “manamana” song (can’t even remember what product they’re advertising). No idea on the origin of the song, but a co-worker thinks it may be a Muppets creation. Anyone?
I thought I remembered hearing that this song was originally used in a porn movie. Here’s what Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manamana ) has to say:
“Mah Nà Mah Nà” debuted as part of Umiliani’s soundtrack for the Italian softcore pornography movie Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell) (1968), a pseudo-documentary film about wild sexual activity and other behavior in Sweden (“Mah Nà Mah Nà” accompanied a scene set in a sauna). A soundtrack album, “Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso” was released in 1968. The movie was also released under the English title Sweden Heaven and Hell.
I remember hearing this on the radio when it came out, but like the Muppet version better.
5 Comments
greasy greg
The song is “Mahna, Mahna” by Giorgio Moroder who recorded it in the ’60s before he discovered synthesizers and disco. Here’s his original version:
http://www.zshare.net/audio/giorgio_moroder_-_mah_na_mah_na-mp3.html
ps: Thanks for posting those Andre Cymone mp3s awhile back. Those were sick.
T. Carter
It’s a Saturn Aura commercial — http://www.saturn.com/saturn/videos/television/index.jsp — and the music is credited as Joe Pisapia, “Mah Na Mah Na”.
Pete
Thanks for the quick responses. I love the internets. What a series of tubes!
Girasol
I thought I remembered hearing that this song was originally used in a porn movie. Here’s what Wikipedia ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manamana ) has to say:
“Mah Nà Mah Nà” debuted as part of Umiliani’s soundtrack for the Italian softcore pornography movie Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso (Sweden, Heaven and Hell) (1968), a pseudo-documentary film about wild sexual activity and other behavior in Sweden (“Mah Nà Mah Nà” accompanied a scene set in a sauna). A soundtrack album, “Svezia, Inferno e Paradiso” was released in 1968. The movie was also released under the English title Sweden Heaven and Hell.
I remember hearing this on the radio when it came out, but like the Muppet version better.
Pete
Wow Girasol – – and YouTube shows a minute 25 seconds of the movie scene – it cruelly and abruptly cuts off just when it’s getting good! 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWI1CJgiLjg