Even though he wrote many rock classics, this novelty song is Berry's only #1 hit. The song is about a young boy who discovers his penis. Berry was good at making sexual references that did not seem offensive.
While many rock scholars dismiss this song as a senseless novelty ditty, Berry is quite proud of the song. He told Rolling Stone in 2010 that he wanted to be a comedian at one point, and enjoys getting a laugh. He added that the song was originally about a ring sliding onto a finger (as a metaphor for sex), but he toned it down and recorded it as "Little Girl Sing Ting-A-Ling" in 1968. In 1972 he turned it into "Ding-a-Ling," earning him a #1 hit and a check for $200,000.
Although Berry is credited as the composer, Dave Bartholomew claimed authorship of the song, as he released the similar-sounding "Little Girl Sing Ding-a-Ling" in 1952. Bartholomew as a bandleader who collaborated with Fats Domino on the hits "Blueberry Hill" and "Ain't That A Shame."
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