I posted a few of the tracks on this album a while back--but now I have my own (crappy) copy of "On Campus" by Doug Clark and the Hot Nuts and will post the entire thing. In all its early 1960s frat party glory.
In case you're not familiar with the group, they recycled a lot of old limericks (or "Limmericks" as one track is titled) and double (or actually, single) entendre jokes. Some of it is downright crass, while sounding incredibly naive and dated all at the same time.
My copy has some weird clicky noises that I couldn't get rid of--I thought it was something with my turntable, but the album I did before and after are weird click-free. Just get frat party trashed before listening and you won't care.
No, it's not "Sweet-Swinging" Billy Williams of the 1960s Chicago Cubs, it's the Billy Williams that was a mainstay on "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca in the 1950s. I only have 3 songs to offer, since my copy is pretty bad off. As always, I choose the most obscure songs. "Vote For Billy Williams" is from 1959-- so the image below didn't officially become cringe-inducing for another couple of years. Anyway, Louis Jordan's version of "Azure-Te" is way better, and as for "Mad About You", at the end when Billy starts coming unhinged it makes me think I would have LOVED to hear a Screamin' Jay Hawkins might have done with the song.
How’s this for a concept album: start with trumpet jazzman Chet Baker, fresh out of an Italian prison for drug charges--oh wait, he’s not a trumpet player any more, he’s a flugelhorn player since years of heroin addiction made him lose his teeth (hence, his embouchure) and supposedly the flugelhorn is easier to play with dentures. Drop his mellow moody sound smack (sorry bad pun) in the middle of the peppiest brassiest music imaginable—Tijuana Brass ripoff Mariachi Brass. Add songs like Cher’s “Bang Bang” arranged to sound like Zorba the Greek, the Chiquita® Banana theme, and These Boots Are Made For Walking, and wait for the magic to happen! And….wait. And wait some more.
Happiness Is Sure Gonna Miss Her Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) The Phoenix Love Theme (Senza Fine) These Boots Are Made For Walkin' On The Street Where You Live
Armen's Theme Spanish Harlem Chiquita® Banana When the Day Is All Done (Foyo) You Baby It's Too Late
I had never heard of the LeGarde Twins before, so fortunately their website provides juicy tidbits about the Aussie duo's career:
* They started in the 1940s as rodeo performers in Queensland, and specialized in "whip cracking, rifle-shooting, and card tricks"
* Toured with Hopalong Cassidy on his 1954 Australian tour
* Appeared on the Star Trek TV series as androids (Do we believe this claim, or is it just an example of down-under humor?)
* Were represented by Col. Tom Parker when the act relocated to Vegas
* Performed at Twitty City until Conway's untimely death, at which time they moved to the Quality Inn Hall of Fame Hotel in Nashville
This 1981 album seems to run the range from Australian-themed novelty tunes on side one (the fun and more interesting stuff that I actually enjoyed) to the garden-variety country tunes on side 2--with none of the rockabilly/country music as seen in the video below. If you like the album, you may want to purchase one of the reasonably priced albums they have for sale on their site, including many other songs not offered here.
Coo-ee Call Waltzing Matilda Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor on the Bedpost Overnight From N.S.W. to Nashville My Boomerang Won’t Come Back Down Under Country The Pub With No Beer I’ve Been Everywhere Wanted
Blue Canadian Rockies Let’s Think about Livin’ True Love Daddy’s Making Records in Nashville Bird Dog I Have a Love Song For You Grady Family Band Devoted for You Tips of My Fingers Highway Traveler
What a concept...remembering to rip and post "The Men of the Green Berets" in honor of America's Memorial Day weekend. In truth, I've had this album from probably 3 or 4 months, and have not yet felt like listening to it--but in reality, I actually enjoyed a few of the (less maudlin) songs. If you bother to download and listen, you'll hear the snappy tale of the helicopter pilots of the Vietnam war ("Whirlybird Crew"), the saga of the fighin' crew who is "olive clad and they get mad when the goin' gets the worst", and the downright toe tappin' song of the U.S. Rangers, despite having exactly the same melody as "Major Todd (of the Green Berets)". Listen, then go demonstrate your appreciation and support of the US military by French-kissing a veteran, I know I will.
I do enjoy the patronizingly smug liner notes of the early days of hi-fi that alert you to "the shimmering tam-tam finale" of "Swamp Fire"... "two amplified guitars create that authentic Third Man Theme zither effect" on "Hey! Chick!", and on "Bouncing Ball" "This old-fashioned melody gains modern luster but adheres to old-fashioned friendliness with the subtle injection of percussive instruments and the truly ping-pong effect as the various instruments vie back and forth." I wisht I could write swell crap like that.
I had high hopes for this one, with all its stupid song titles, but it's too Welk-y for my taste. Though Swamp Fire and the stunningly goofy Hey! Chick! are standouts.
A whole week of silence here (I was in Chicago visiting family, OK?) and here's my triumphant return....a half-assed rip of an album I was in the shower for most of the digitizing of side 2, so basically I haven't even listened to a lot of this. For all I know most of side two might be some guy reading off a bunch of numbers in Serbo-Croatian like some kind of weird Conet Project thing. And what the hell was I on when I photographed the cover, anyway....?
I have actually listened to the intro to "Girl From Ipanema" on this album, with its moans and signs which sound less like the wistful longings for a lovely Rio lass than the successful passing of a kidney stone. Beyond that......not so much.
It’s hard to say anything against an album full of sock songs, not to mention a tune that begins “They call me the gopher, baby...”, so basically I have nothing bad to say about the Somerset Records compilation “Sock It To Me!” You also have James Brown wannabe Little (AOWW! Good God! Lemme HEAR ya) Joe (HUNH!) Curtis (who apologizes to his lady for being a “dirty dirty dirty man”, and then laughs about it); organist Paul Griffin whose song “Old Time Sock” is basically “Gimme That Old Time Religion” with a “sock-it-to-me-beat”. And that’s about it, or at least all of the album I was able to get, the album looks as though it had defensive wounds all over side 1. It was a scrappy li'l sucker and put up a good fight.
Frankie & Johnny - Paul Griffin Sockerina- Paul Griffin Mercy, Mercy On Me - Little Joe Curtis Old Time Sock- Paul Griffin I Go For Anything - Donnie Burks Get on Board- Paul Griffin Down Home Baby- Paul Griffin
Sometimes boredom can be a good thing, when it compels you to go deep into the archives of favorite blogs (in this case, El Rincón Del 45....and come up with great finds like this. And the Ting Tung song from the same blog.
Here's a great way to spend Mother's Day....bumpin' and grindin' what your mama gave ya.
These are instrumentals only--though I WAS hoping for a whiskey and Pall-Mall soaked female voice singing some raunchy numbers. But, the band is pretty swingin' and seems to set the right tone for re-enacting the golden days of burlesque. Plus the bandleaders name of "Bald" Bill Hagan, which counts for something in MY book.
GAAH! This is NOT what I was not expecting inside a lovely stripey box with a big red bow. I'm not sure why they all look alike, despite the fact that only two of them are blood relatives....maybe because they're all Canadian. You can tell how motivated I am by this album...it's been sitting around ready to post for over a week, and I have nothing at all to say about it.
My Blue Heaven That's My Desire Shine Lazy River Pretend Swingin' Marchin' Dixieland Band (Warning for all those who have a similar aversion to the song When the Saints Go Marching In) Up Above My Head Deep Purple Baby Be Mine Forever My Darling Love is All We Need J'Attendrai
OK old people, heed that warning label on the front cover...this album is for 'teen twisters ONLY. Check out the dangers of geriatric twisting, from the FAQ on the back cover:
Q. Could the Twist give you a backache?
A. It might…if you overdo at the start. But that should show you what terrible shape you are in. Begin gently, TWIST for short periods and then rest. Gradually increase the time you TWIST and shorten the rest periods. DON’T EVER STOP TWISTING, EVEN WHEN IT CEASES TO BE AMERICAS NO. 1 DANCE.
This album has two superior twist songs, "The Lose Your Inhibitions Twist", and the "Twistin' Bones", which is a twist version of "Dem Bones dem bones dem DRY bones". That's really all you need to know, isn't it?
The Lose Your Inhibitions Twist Peppermint Twist Your Lips and Mine Slow Twistin' The Fly Shout Twist-a-Long Love is Like a Twist Runaround Sue Twistin' the Blues Dear Lady Twist Twistin' Bones
As his musical safari passes through lands yet unexplored, the clear, crisp, and sometime savage sounds of the jungle are interpreted by (Marty) Wilson and Co. masterfully enough to make even the most civilized of natives restless.
You KNOW when I quote the liner notes, I have nothing meaningful to say about this album, I'm such a philistine I bought it only because there was a song called "Misty Poo".
Yeah whatever, it's 6:30am on a Monday and the only "throbbing excitement" in my life at this moment is the poison ivy from a WEEK ago on my arms that looks like leprosy. Does leprosy itch like a mofo? Maybe is IS leprosy, and I'll be the epicenter of a new plague crossing the globe. Hope you have a good virus protector if you decide to download this!
We've had a great time in the past few years, haven't we? I'll be sad when I wake up to discover the that huge cadre of Yalt Dibney lawyers have found this post and dismantled my beloved (by me, at least) blog. But here we go, anyway.
This one's not in print as far as I can tell, so I can't implore you to go out and buy this album after listening--but there are so many other fine Dibney products to choose from, so go buy something already.
Some of the tunes I have selected from this 1963 album include:
The theme of a well-known woodsman known for sporting a cap fashioned from a carnivorous masked mammal
H.ec-tor, the canine who accidentally or deliberately secreted himself upon a sailing vessel
Bella Bella Italian City – as performed by a cute little girl who suddenly became too busty to remain in the clubhouse
Sammie, a Grooooovy Marine Creature
Tale of an intrepid lawn ornament that frightened the king’s army with his feats of derring-do
You know the routine--I don't like it, but it's already ripped, so I post it anyway.
Seven Dreams is a Broadway-type "musical fantasy" by composer/arranger/bandleader Gordon Jenkins. Musicals generally irritate me, but I had high hopes for the segment called "The Pink Houseboat". Oh well.
Hunh, go figure, while doing a perfunctory bit of research on this composition, I discover two things--that today is the 25th anniversary of Gordon Jenkins' passing, and that Johnny Cash used music and lyrics verbatim of one segment of Seven Dreams for Folsom Prison Blues. And lost a copyright infringement suit over it in 1968. I must have been napping through the shooting the man in Reno part, but I'll be damned if I'm going to listen to this AGAIN.
Disclaimer: Music is not posted with the intent of profit or to violate copyright. If you are the creator (or copyright owner) of a song, or anything else posted on this blog, please contact me if you want to comment on it or wish to have it removed.
