Definition
Doo-wop is a genre of rhythm and blues music developed in the 1940s by African American youth, mainly in the large cities of the upper east coast including New York. It features vocal group harmony that carries an engaging melodic line to a simple beat with little or no instrumentation. Lyrics are simple, usually about love, ornamented with nonsense syllables, and often featuring, in the bridge, a melodramatically heartfelt recitative addressed to the beloved. Gaining popularity in the 1950s, doo-wop enjoyed its peak successes in the early 1960s, but continued to influence performers in other genres. Wiki
The Rivingtons
The Rivingtons were a 1960s doo-wop group, known for their 1962 hit novelty record “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow”. The members were lead vocalist Carl White (died January 7, 1980), tenor Al Frazier (d. November 13, 2005), baritone Sonny Harris, and bass singer Turner “Rocky” Wilson, Jr… Frazier was replaced by Madero White for a period in the late 1970s.
“Surfin’ Bird”
The Trashmen’s biggest hit was 1963’s “Surfin’ Bird”, which reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the latter part of that year. The song was a combination of two R&B hits by the Rivingtons, “The Bird’s the Word” and “Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow”. Early pressings of the single credit the Trashmen as composers, but following a threat from the Rivingtons’ legal counsel, that group was subsequently credited as composers.