Wednesday, October 31, 2018

On the Recording of “How Do You Do”

https://youtu.be/KAGAf85613A

The scene:  A 70s era recording studio in the 70s.  In Amsterdam.  Their manager watches in as they start to perform their first take.

MOUTH AND MACNEAL:  “🎤🎧📇🎵💲How do you do, Uh Huh/ I thought why not, na na na na  Just me and you and then we can na na na na...
MANAGER:  (waves to the producer to stop). (To M&M: ). What the hell is this, this na na na business??
MOUTH OR MACNEAL:  Well, that’s as far as we got. 
 MACNEAL OR MOUTH:  It’s hard to come up with good English. 
MANAGER:  Do you have a Dutch version?  
MOUTH OR MACNEAL:  It HAS to be in English.  We won’t make the US charts otherwise.
MANAGER, (sarcastically). Well Ok John Lennon.  But the only chart you’re gonna make with those lyrics is “Sub-par Bands Who Aren’t  American.”
MOUTH AND MACNEAL(murmuring to each other in Dutch, trying to sing a little bit and making half hearted effort to fill chorus with real words.)
MANAGER: Well, I guess you’re gonna have to do it your way.  We don’t have time to write a new song.

MOUTH AND MACNEAL:  (Records song and releases it.  Song makes it to the American charts.  Young Boomerlets like me march around together in Girl Scout Canps singing chorus.)