Sorry. It’s a geocities site. But it is completely safe for work. (I think. I haven’t read through the whole thing yet.)
http://www.geocities.com/pieroumiliani/
An Italian Film soundtrack composer, a Swedish porn film, and the Muppets. What’s the connection? The answer is four words ? Mah na mah na. Okay, they?re not even proper words, but bear with me.
In 1977, those loveable family favorites the Muppets had a world wide hit with the song Mah na mah na. Where did this song come from?
I recently heard a groovy lounge version of Mah na mah na on a net radio station, Luxuria Music. Thinking it was a remake, I checked their website and got the name of the artist ? Piero Umiliani. A quick search on the net uncovered the fact that he wrote this tune in 1968,as part of the soundtrack for a Swedish porn film called Sweden; Heaven or Hell. It gets even better ? I also discovered that I could buy this record, as it had been reissued in 1998!
But what I really want to know is WHO IS PIERO UMILIANI? Can you help? If you have any information on Piero Umiliani, please email me!
How did the Muppets ever end up covering a song from a Swedish porn film?
Anybody ever seen this film?
(The short version of this tale is that, after a number of emails from around the globe, I have discovered that Henson knew where the song was from. I now know Umiliani had a boat called Mah Na Mah Na. I have been interviewed (via phone) by a US news reporter. I have also heard from Umiliani’s daughter Elisabetta, who kindly answered some questions about her father. But please take the time to read this musical mystery; its fascinating stuff.)(Lots and lots more, including a YouTube video of the Muppets Mah na mah na song.)
