The Unbelievables: Here To Serve You

We, The Unbelievables, get letters ...

"Dear Unbelievables:

What's the deal with the odd 'Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-waaaaah' in The Casinos' 'Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye' ... ???

Listening to the song, it has all the trappings of terrific doo-wap but that 'Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-waaaaah' seems out of place to me.

Any clues?

Thanks, Jimmy John"

You have a good ear, JJ. Truth be told, that "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-waaaaah" was never part of the original song. 

John D. Loudermilk - quite the prolific pensman in his career - wrote the tune, but it was, shall we say, "mismanaged" by producer Gene Hughes during its recording by Don Cherry. (The more popular version was released by The Casinos above.)

My careful research has revealed a previously unknown outtake recording wherein Hughes was found to have altered the tune's construction and lyrics to not only include the 'Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-waaaaah' but the title of the track as well.

He tells Loudermilk at one point in the outtake:

"Look ... trust me: Put the 'Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah-waaaaah' in there. Then if it don't work out you can tell me goodbye and I won't put my two cents in again. Deal?"

Voila. The title of this classic and the ever-present funky and iconic part.

JJ? The Unbelievables ... here for you once again. We're not just crime fighters.

You're welcome.