"Agadoo" is a novelty song recorded by the British band Black Lace in 1984. "Agadoo" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart,[1] and spent 30 weeks in the top 75.[2] It went on to become the eighth best-selling single of 1984 in the UK,[3] (and over one million copies worldwide) despite not being included on the playlist for BBC Radio 1 because it "was not credible".[4]
In a survey for dotmusic in 2000, respondents voted "Agadoo" as the fourth most annoying song of all time.[5] A 2003 poll for Q magazine saw a panel of music writers vote "Agadoo" as the worst song of all time, saying: "It sounded like the school disco you were forced to attend, your middle-aged relatives forming a conga at a wedding party, a travelling DJ act based in Wolverhampton, every party cliche you ever heard."[2] The panel also described it as "magnificently dreadful".[6]
Origins and recording
The song's origins date back to 1970, when Michel Delancray and Mya Symille recorded it as "Agadou" in French.[7] It had been written based on a tune that had apparently come from Morocco.[2]Club Med used it as their theme song from 1974.[2][7] It was covered by several artists and groups, including Patrick Zabé in 1975 and the Saragossa Band [de] (a German group) in 1981 (and a remix in 1986); their version was the first in English. Black Lace uses the lyrics first used in The Snowmen's 1981 cover of "Agadou", which was also the first cover to spell the song's title as "Agadoo". These lyrics are based on the lyrics of the Saragossa Band version but with minor tweaks.[7][8]
The Black Lace group was made up during its heyday by the duo of performers Colin Gibb and Alan Barton.[4] One of the early versions of the song, likely the cover by The Snowmen, became popular in a Derbynightclub called Gossips, with the bar staff making a novelty dance; when Black Lace performed at the club in 1981, they learned the dance and recorded their own version, which was mistakenly reported as being the first version in English[2] by BBC Radio Derby in 2006.[9]
Black Lace's version of the song was produced by Neil Ferguson and Black Lace at Woodlands Studio under the direction of John Wagstaff and arranged by Barry Whitfield and Black Lace. Whitfield also played keyboards on the track.
Despite not being played on BBC Radio 1 because it "was not credible", the track proved to be a commercial hit.[4] On the UK Singles Chart, "Agadoo" debuted at number 86 on 20 May 1984.[10] The song did not enter the top 40 until the end of July, then peaking at number 38. In its fourth week in the top 40, "Agadoo" reached number 2, with George Michael's "Careless Whisper" holding it off the top spot. By early November, the song was still in the top 40, but it fell out after the first week in that month.[10] By 13 January 1985, its last appearance in the chart, "Agadoo" had spent 35 weeks in the top 100.[10] It was revealed to be the eighth best-selling single of 1984 around that time. Fourteen years after its original release, the song was re-recorded and re-released. It re-entered the top 100 at number 64 on 16 August 1998 but only stayed in the chart for two weeks.[10]
The song found success in other countries as well, such as Ireland, New Zealand, and France. On the Irish Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 5, but only spent 5 weeks on the chart overall.[11] "Agadoo" spent a longer 11 weeks on the New Zealand Singles Chart, debuting at number 37 on 21 October 1984 and hitting a peak of number 9 in its sixth week.[12] The song fell out of the chart quite abruptly, falling 25 places to number 44 in its final appearance in the chart before falling out completely.[12] On the French Singles Chart, the song peaked at number 48 in its first and only week on 17 November 1984.[13]
The song has been frequently covered in its original French, as well as in English and many other languages. A cover by the German pop band, Saragossa Band was released in 1981. This was the first cover of the song to be recorded in English. The single also appeared in their debut album Za Za Zabadak. It reached number 14 on the German Singles Chart and number 5 on the Austrian Singles Chart.
A version in Spanish titled "Agadu" was recorded by Georgie Dann sometime during the 1970s. It most recently appeared on Dann's 2016 album Casatschok.
In 1981, the song was covered in Finnish by singer Armi; it received another Finnish cover by Helena Rossi that same year.
The group Koukeri covered the song in their native Bulgarian in 1982.
Dutch carnival singer Arie Ribbens recorded a version in Dutch in 1983, called "Akketdoe".[18] The song was rerecorded in Dutch, specifically the Flemish dialect, with different lyrics in 2014 by Salim Seghers, as "Agadou dou dou". Also in 1983, František Ringo Čech covered the song in Czech as "Ja uz jdu".
Curt Haagers covered the song in their native Swedish in 1984, using lyrics from a 1982 cover by Trivs mé Brogens.
In 1984, Brazilian TV show host Gugu Liberato recorded a version called "Bugalu". The lyrics were changed to reference the eponymous character, Bugalu, a mascot from Viva a Noite, his Saturday night show.
Brazilian group Musical Columbia covered the song in Portuguese in 1985; the band Sétimo Sentido covered the song again in 2012 with the same lyrics.
In 1998, Icelandic singer Sigga recorded the song in Icelandic under the title "Agadú" for her album Flikk-flakk. A second cover, using the same lyrics as Sigga's, by Icelandic artist Laddi, was recorded in 2010, using an instrumental directly based on Black Lace's.
In 2000, Estonian singer Üllar Jörberg covered the song in Estonian under the title “Mereranna tuul.” Kroonika listed it as one of his most popular songs.
Thai pop duo Mr. Sister recorded a Thai version under the title "Amadoo" (อาม่าดุ) in 2002.
Zouzounia, a kids' entertainment brand, recorded a version in Greek sung by children in 2013.
Parodies and derivative versions
Black Lace themselves recorded an X-rated version of the song entitled "Have a Screw", which was written by Black Lace members Alan Barton and Colin Gibb[19] and released on the B-side of the 12-inch vinyl "Gang Bang".[20] The track was re-recorded some years later by Colin Gibb and Dean Michael, which was featured on the Blue Album.
The British TV series Auf Wiedersehen Pet features the Black Lace version when the character Oz uses a jukebox and selects a random track; appalled at the song once it plays, he kicks the machine to make it stop and derisively comments "Aga-bloody-doo!?"
In 1994, the song was featured on the Chilean game show Cachureos with new lyrics in Spanish as "Haga Pipi," which describe remembering to go to the bathroom before going to bed to avoid bed-wetting accidents.
The band Chumbawamba recorded a version of "Agadoo" for the Peel Sessions. The producer of the Black Lace version, Neil Ferguson, was also Chumbawamba's regular producer at the time and later a full member of the band. The band was asked by their record company to add "Agadoo" on a single, the actual track used, was performed by Black Lace.
German group Die Lollipops recorded a version called "So Wie Du" with unrelated lyrics on their 2005 album Wir Wolln Spass.
It was parodied in a Vanilla Mini Wheats commercial in 2006 and by The Maynards in 2013, who recorded a bluegrass version of the song.
In August 2007, the "Agadoo 206 Mix" was released as the song was used in a TV ad to promote the new Peugeot 206 car. The song hit the UK charts. Black Lace members Colin Gibb and Rob Hopcraft then used the song for a special charity 'Agadoo Day'.
In November 2009, Black Lace recorded a version called "Agadir" to promote a new air service by easyJet from Gatwick airport to Agadir.
On 20 March 2009, it was announced that the song was being released in a new version by Dene Michael, who joined the band in 1987 along with Ian Robinson.[6] A video for the release, titled "Agadoo" (Mambo 2009 remix), was directed by Bruce Jones, who played Les Battersby in television soap opera Coronation Street.[6] He also appears in the video, along with Kevin Kennedy, who played Curly Watts in the same programme.
A cover of "Agadoo" with lyrics about the New Year was featured on the December 31, 2016, special of the Russian adaptation of The Voice Kids.
^EveryHit.com - search for "Black Lace" as "Name of artist" and "Agadoo" as "Title of song"
^ abcde"Agadoo tops list of worst songs". BBC News. United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation. 2003-11-23. Archived from the original on June 27, 2007. Retrieved 2008-12-17. Black Lace hit Agadoo has been named the worst song of all time by a panel of music writers... The song was originally written by French songwriters after they heard a friend humming a tune he had picked up on holiday in Morocco. The song became the hit of the French Club Med resorts in 1974 but was not picked up by British audiences until Black Lace released an English translation in 1984. The song remained in the UK Top 75 singles chart for 30 weeks.
^"Birdie Song tops hall of shame". United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News. 2000-07-24. Archived from the original on 11 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-17.
^ abc"'Worst song' Agadoo re-released". BBC News. United Kingdom. 2009-03-30. Archived from the original on 2 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-05. Black Lace hit Agadoo, named the worst song of all time by a panel of music writers, is being re-released 25 years after it hit number two. Wrote by a 27 year old guy called Stephen Whitnall from Co County Durham aka Stephenage ... The video for Agadoo (Mambo 2009 remix) was directed by Bruce Jones, who played Coronation Street's Les Battersby. ... Actor Jones also appears in the video along with fellow former Coronation Street actor Kevin Kennedy, who played Curly Watts in the soap. Michael is joined on the record, released on Monday, by new member Ian Robinson. ... The Q magazine panel summed up the 1984 original as "magnificently dreadful".
^ abc"Agadou Doudou". Belgium: The Originals Updates & Info Site. 2008. Archived from the original on May 12, 2005. Retrieved 2008-12-17.((cite web)): CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
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^"Your useless facts about Derbyshire!". BBC Derby. Derby, United Kingdom: British Broadcasting Corporation. 2008-10-08. Archived from the original on 26 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-17. And did you know the annoying novelty tune 'Agadoo' was supposedly recorded by Black Lace after hearing the French original during a night out at 'Gossips', one of Derby's most popular nightclubs of the eighties.
^Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 36. ISBN0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 12 June 1988.
^"Black Lace - Action Party". United Kingdom: Zavvi. Archived from the original on 2009-01-12. Retrieved 2008-12-17. [Black Lace] were even immortalised by the TV show Spitting Image with the song The Chicken Song, a parody of Agadoo.
