The name of the Greg Shaw magazine called Who Put the Bomp is taken from “Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)”, a Top-40 hit by Barry Mann.  This was basically a one-hit wonder, but Mann always concentrated mostly on his songwriting, and he is well known for numerous songs that were co-written with his wife Cynthia Weil.  Barry Mann’s songwriting credits include an astounding 635 songs. 

“Who Put the Bomp (in the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp)” – which was co-written by Barry Mann and Gerry Goffin (an even more famous songwriter who co-wrote numerous 1960’s classics with his then-wife Carole King) – parodied and also honored the doo-wop songs of early rock and roll.  The singer is thanking the authors of these songs who helped his girl fall in love with him.  The “bomp bomp bomp” itself comes from the Marcels’ marvelous, over-the-top version of “Blue Moon”; another famous nonsense chorus, “rama lama ding dong” is also referenced, from “Rama Lama Ding Dong” by the Edsels. 

(May 2013)

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The girl group era attracted some of the greatest songwriters of all time:  Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, etc.  Carole King would go to become one of the outstanding singer-songwriters in music history; her Tapestry album is one of the largest selling albums ever, with more than 25 million copies sold worldwide. 

(October 2013)

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Another lesbian singer-songwriter Meg Christian once interviewed Cris Williamson, and this connection led to the creation of Olivia Records, the foremost record label in what became known as “women’s music”.  Their first release was a single in 1973, with Meg singing the Carole King/Gerry Goffin song “Lady” on one side and Cris singing her own song, “If it Weren’t for the Music” on the other. 

(January 2014)