Who created the song Mahna Mahna?

[Frogster]

I saw the post on the song Mahna Mahna being played on a Dr. Pepper commercial, and then today this girl who hates everything Muppets starts singing it. She said she saw it from the commercial, and I told her that the Muppets sang that. And she goes, "Yeah but my dad said that it was a song before they sang it." So, is her dad right? Was it not made up by the Jim Henson crew? Because all this time I thought it was... Heck, even if they didn't make the song, they did make the song famous. Everyone else I talked to today during class said that they can't remember a time when they heard that song and the Muppets didn't sing it. I mean, who doesn't know Mahna Mahna? Or should I ask, who hears Mahna Mahna playing and can't resist saying "Doo-doo-do-do-do"?

 

[anathema]

The song was written by Pierre Umiliani, and appears on the soundtrack of a 1968 film called "Svezia, inferno e paradiso".

 

[Fozzie Bear]

This same question by the same poster is also here: http://forum.muppetcentral.com/showthread.php?t=18264 and has a few more answers there, too.

(Hey, Alex!!)

 

[Infinity Sirius]

Didn't it come from an adult movie as well?

 

[anathema]

Didn't it come from an adult movie as well?

That's the movie ;-)

 

[Beauregard]

Generally a film is a movie.

So, er, what happens if I say Phenomenon?

 

[GelflingWaldo]

today this girl who hates everything Muppets starts singing it. She said she saw it from the commercial, and I told her that the Muppets sang that. And she goes, "Yeah but my dad said that it was a song before they sang it."

The song was originally written by Piero Umiliani in 1968, as part of the soundtrack for a Swedish porn film called "Sweden: Heaven or h***". In fact Umiliani had a boat called Mah Na Mah Na. The soundtrack to the film became very popular and was rereleased and is avalible on CD to this day.

Jim Henson did know the song was from a porn. Jim picked the song for the Muppets because he liked it so much. There's no information as to where he heard the song. The song was done by Henson on the Ed Sulivian Show on November 30, 1969, and later on The Muppet Show, and Sesame Street. It became a hit; and today the Henson recording is more popular than the original! People loved the song and since it has been covered and remade by other artists (usally as a Muppet omage, not even knowing the origins).

So yes, it was a song before the Muppets, in a Swedish adult film. Then the muppets found it. Then, because of the Muppets, other versions were made. Also the Dr Peper commercial is using the Muppet's version. That's Jim Henson's voice in the commercial. It is the same recording used in the Muppet Show.

It really did become a Phenomenon...doo doo, do do do. Phenomenon?...do do, do-do-do. Phenomenon!

 

[Fozzie Bear]

So, er, what happens if I say Phenomenon?

Do doo doo do doo...

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

I've noticed many people mistake the name of this song by calling it Phenomenon, Banana Boat etc.

 

[MuppetDanny]

Jim Henson did know the song was from a porn. Jim [/color]picked the song for the Muppets because he liked it so much. There's no information as to where he heard the song.

It's very likely it was in his record collection. I believe Jim had quite a large record collection for ideas and very into music as well.