Who Originally Sang My Ding A Ling

So, Who's the Voice Behind 'My Ding-a-Ling'?

Ever hummed along to My Ding-a-Ling, that cheeky little ditty that's been tickling our ears since the 70s? You know, the one that goes, "My ding-a-ling, my ding-a-ling, won't you play with mine?" But wait, who's the mastermind behind this naughty nursery rhyme?

Well, buckle up, because we're about to dive into a tale of music, mischief, and a man with a peculiar pseudonym.

Enter: Chuck Berry

That's right, the king of rock 'n' roll himself, Chuck Berry, is the brains behind this bawdy ballad. But here's the twist: he didn't record it under his own name. Oh no, he had a little alias up his sleeve.

So, who was this mysterious musical maestro? None other than Phillip "Phil" Willis. Now, you might be thinking, "Hang on a minute, isn't that just Chuck Berry's real name?" Well, you're not wrong. But stick with me, because it gets even more curious.

Why the Secret Identity?

So, why the need for a secret identity? Well, it seems ol' Chuck was having a bit of a creative dispute with his record label, Mercury. They weren't too keen on his new material, so he decided to record it under a pseudonym and shop it around.

Enter MCA Records, who snapped up the track and released it in 1972. And the rest, as they say, is history.

The Mystery of the Missing Credit

But here's where it gets even more intriguing. When My Ding-a-Ling was released, Chuck Berry's name was nowhere to be found on the credits. None of the usual "Written by Chuck Berry" or "Performing Chuck Berry" - nada. Just this mysterious Phillip Willis character.

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So, why the secrecy? Well, it turns out Chuck was having a bit of a financial tussle with Mercury. He'd signed a contract that gave them a chunk of his songwriting royalties, and he wasn't too happy about it. So, he figured if he recorded a song under a different name, Mercury wouldn't be able to claim their share.

Cunning, right? But here's the kicker: even though Chuck managed to keep Mercury's hands off the royalties, he still had to share them with MCA. Oops!

Revealing the Secret

Now, you might be wondering how we found out about Chuck's secret identity. Well, it wasn't until years later, in 1986, that Chuck finally fessed up. He included My Ding-a-Ling on a compilation album and, for the first time, credited himself as the writer.

And there you have it, folks. The tale of how Chuck Berry, the king of rock 'n' roll, snuck out a cheeky little ditty under a pseudonym. Isn't music history just the best?