Nicki Nicki Tembo
Talk about childhood memories… I just did some searching to see if I could find the story of Nicki Nicki Tembo No So Rembo OO Ma Moochi Gumma Gumma Guchi. [Add: I've also been told that it may be spelled Nikki Nikki Tembo instead of Nicki... I'm not sure....]
I had this on 8-track as a kid and used to listen to it with my brother all the time. Basically, a story about a fat chinese boy who falls down a well and has to lose weight in order to get out. LoL… not something you’d see now-a-days!
I found a page that actually took the audio off a record and posted it!! This is the wonderful 1960’s version that i enjoyed (in the early 80’s). There’s a few crackles, but well done overall… someday I’ll have to encode my old 8-tracks. hahaa
I suggest you right-click the link and select “Save Target As…” or something similar so you can save it to your computer instead of streaming it from the site. (UPDATE: Thanks to del.icio.us’ playtagger, you can now click the play button below to listen to the file… beatuiful!)
http://www.bonedaddyband.com/mp3/nikkitembo.mp3
Enjoy this find!
(p.s. – the picture is just some chinese kid, not from any album artwork… perfect though, huh?!)
7 Comments | Comment or Ping
Elliott
Evidently, there is a “modern” version that’s supposed to be more politcally correct… except I guess Long-name-no-can-say dies in the end?! Yikes….
Sep 26th, 2005
Deann
Nope, don’t remember that. Strange that you used to listen to that as a child tho. Why were mom and dad buying you 8 tracks about fat children falling down wells?? Weird.
Sep 27th, 2005
Derek
I remember it and have listened to it a few times since you’ve brought it up.
it brings back a lot of memories.
i remember a peter and the wolf 8 track too that i really liked listening too
Oct 24th, 2005
Thomas
I remember my parents have my brother and I listen to that… we used to think it was so funny… but after downloading and relistening… its really sad how non PC it was with the views of Asians at the time… mmmPlease!
Dec 8th, 2006
Rebecca
I remember this story very differently. What I remember of the story I heard was about children who fell down a well but had short names so they could be removed before they died but by the time Nikki Tikki name could be said, he had died. Something similar to that, and the name was more like Nikki Tikki tembo no sa rembo chari richi pip peri pembo. Is this a newer/older version that I remember?
Mar 21st, 2007
Nicki Alderman
My 4 year old has it on a Scholastic DVD, but it has different words:
“Tiki Tiki Tembo, No Sarembo, Chari Bari Ruchi, Pit Perri Pembo…”
Jun 20th, 2007
Ruth
I remember this one very well. Thanks for the mp3 link. I had this story on vinyl record (not 8-track) and listened to it often enough to remember Nikki’s long name 40 years later. Ha ha ha. I suppose that story didn’t have that broad an audience since I’ve never met anyone else who had heard it.(Ain’t the Internet wonderful!)
Jul 24th, 2008
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