Bitslap with KBC:
Playlist
from September 15, 2009
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Back in 1979, I made the decision to accept Dr Demento as my personal savior. Since then, with the help of his apostles Spike, Al, Stan and Black-Eyed Susan Brown, I have made it my mission to spread the Gospel of the Firesign and the Word of the Waller. Please join me and my fellow seekers as we find the Wisdom we crave and the Rapture we deserve. A new sermon every Tuesday (and NO collection plate!).
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Pop-up player!| Artist | Track | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Delegates |
CONVENTION '72
|
A Dickie Goodman-written and produced parody of the convention that gave George McGovern the nomination (and subsequent humiliation at the hands of Thomas Eagleston). The group includes Dee Clark, who we met last week, going back to school. |
| Chip Taylor and Hardly-Worthit Players |
WILD THING [Senator Everett Version]
|
From the original composer of Wild Thing, comes one of two versions (the other is the flip, which features "Senator Bobby") of the mega-hit that is keeping him in kibble even today. The brother of Jon Voight (and Uncle of Angelina Pitt) is currently out touring with Carrie Rodriguez, with whom he has been partnered (musically, at least) for several years. He's written a boatload of other popular tunes, including "Angel of the Morning," "Try (Just a Little bit Harder)" and "I Can't Let Go." |
| Jill Corey |
PRESIDENT SONG
|
When I graduated from 8th grade, we had to sing the song "Fifty Nifty United States" which, while an idiotic song, taught me all the states in alpahbetical order. Despite years of intensive therapy, I still remember it to this day. I hope this little mnemonic number does the same for you. Jill, by the way, was the youngest performer at the Copacabana at age 17, and has had a long career otherwise. |
| James brown |
FUNKY PRESIDENT
|
The Hardest Working Man in Show Business, the Godfather of Soul, has had more influence than Adam. Suffice to say he died on Xmas Day 2006 and no amount of Michael Jacksons or Kanye Wests or Nat King Coles can ever fill the void. I'm serious. |
Music behind DJ: |
from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky |
|
| Dee Clark and the Delegates |
CONVENTION
|
They're back again. Not sure if this is the A side or the B side, but they are on the same record. [I don't have any of these records handy. They are being held hostage by the Wire Queen] |
| Bb Lnders with Wllie Joe and his Unitar |
CHEROKEE DANCE
|
Just like it sounds, the Unitar has only one string. The record label says Bob Lenarde and there's another tune called Unitar Rock on the Specialty label. Here's an interesting clip: www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDRwbTwwSlc |
| Nervous Norvus [Jimmy Drake] |
BULLFROG HOP
|
From his only record, everybody in for the Bullfrog Hop. |
| Mad Magazine |
IT'S A GAS Vol. 2
|
One of the more disgraceful occurences in publishing history, a 1980 edition of the Magazine included a flexidisc called Mad Disco which included this little gem. Sorry, but the word must be spread. If you insist, there's a You Tube version at www.youtube.com/watch?v=SY-lbgaOwtQ (it'll sound better) |
| Timmie Rodgers |
UNDERWATER CHA CHA CHA
|
Boy, you got me on this one. |
| Ronnie Dante |
DON'T STAND UP IN A CANOE
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Dante was the leader of the Detergents ("Leader of the Laundramat," "I Can Never Eat Home Anymore") and the Cuff Links ("Tracy") In both those 'bands' his voice was the only one, thanks to the miracle of overdubbing. Later he bacame the lead vocal for the Archies. Did a lot of session work and commercials and sang backup for Barry Manilow. Still going at it today somewhere. |
| Ruth Wallis |
FISHING POLE SONG
|
She started in lounges where they pay little attention, but soon hit gold with songs of double-entendre and innuendo.The fact that she was also a drop-dead knockout certainly made guys stand up and take notice. And, of course, she was banned in Boston and Australia which didn't hurt either. When she 'retired' in 1970 she wrote and produced a show for Broadway called "Boobs! The World According to Ruth Wallis" which had a pretty decent run in NYC, New Orleans and, of course, Wichita, KS. She died of Alzheimers in 2007 just short of her 88th birthday. |
| Tony Burello |
THERE'S A NEW SOUND
|
His name was Anthony Tamburello and I'm truly shocked there is no more information on him on the Interweb Machine. Irwin and I went to his widow's house in Kearny, NJ several years ago and she loaned us quite a few records for WFMU (and we're still grateful). |
| Honeycones |
OP
|
They were originally called the Chicklets from Philadelphia, but as you can imagine, hilarity ensued as the lawyers got wind of it. This is in response to that stupid pig-latin craze that swept the country during the 50s. It actually charted too-for two weeks it hovered around #69. They had a few more singles on the Ember label and then broke up after 8 years or so. |
| Barbara and the Boys |
HOOTY SAPPERTICKER
|
Dave Barry, the writer, gave this song a real shot in the arm, when he named it the Worst Song Ever. I respectfully disagree-I mean what about the Renaldo and the Loaf catalog? But I can find no info on Barbara or the Boys. You can find this on Las Vegas Grind Vol 3. |
Music behind DJ: |
from the Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky |
|
| Paul Peterson |
SHE CAN'T FIND HER KEYS
|
Paul had had quite a career for himself. Starting as one of the original Mouseketeers, he moved on to the Donna Reed Show, playing son Jeff and later emulated TV-sister Shelly Fabares in the recording studio (she had a huge hit with "Johnny Angel"). In response to the suicide of Rusty Hamer (the son on "Make Room for Daddy"), he founded A Minor Consideration, a foundation that deals with child exploitation to offer support to child stars transitioning to the 'real' world as well as the exploitation of young folks everywhere. He was recently in the news, having come to the rescue of the children of the Octomom, Nadya Suleman. And as if that weren't enough, he also has a series of mystery-thriller novels to his credit. One word Paul: Decaf. |
| Petula Clark |
DOWNTOWN [German]
|
Petula and her producer/arranger Tony Hatch gave us a boatload of hits over the years ("I Know a Place," "My Love," "Colour My World," "A Sign of the Times," and thousands more) . Petula started singing as a child on BBC Radio during WWII and received the British OBE in 1998. Hatch made his mark with Petula but also with the Searchers and British Star Jackie Trent, whom he later married. |
| Edd Byrnes and Connie Stevens |
KOOKIE, KOOKIE, LEND ME YOUR COMB
|
This one started it all for Kookie, reaching #4 on the charts and based on his 77 Sunset Strip charactor. Connie Stevens was a co-star on the show and has a pretty nifty resume herself in films, recording, writing, and even politics. She also found time for her own line of cosmetics. |
| Rosemary Clooney |
ME AND MY TEDDY BEAR
|
Started with the Tony Pastor Orchestra in 1946 and worked her way up to millions of hit singles and a long career of superlative performance (of all the girl singers of the era, she was always my favorite). Suffered from bipolar disorder for many years (way before it became as widely recognized as it is now). Twice married to actor jose Ferrer, she was also present at the Ambassador Hotel when RFK was shot. In 2002, died of lung cancer, but lives on at the Rosemary Clooney museum in Audata, KY. Heartthrob George Clooney is her nephew. |
| Dal Williams |
WHAT IS AN INDIAN
|
From a 1960 single on Warner Bros (flipside: Telephone Operator). There was a bunch of these "What is a ..." things running rampant around then. I suppose it started with "What is a Girl/Boy?" and spread to others ("What is a Freem" became the logical extension by Steve Allen). Fortunately, thanks to an ever-increasing defense budget, these things have been nipped in the bud. |
| Iveys |
HER DADDY'S A MILLIONAIRE
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The Iveys evolved into Badfinger, led by Pete Ham, who would later hang himself in 1975. They took their name from Ivey Place in Swansea, Wales [home of my Grandmother-in-law, Irene Scott]. I won't go into it here, but for a tale of how good things can go so horribly wrong, check out Badfinger's story on Wikipedia. |
| Donovan |
I LOVE MY SHIRT
|
From 1968, the flipside of "Atlantis" (which features McCartney on backing vocals). Donovan Leitch, father to Donovan Leitch the actor, grew up in Glasgow, Scotland [my ancestral home] and as a child was stricken with polio, which left him with a limp. Spent most of his career pegged as some kind of wimpy Dylan clone. For a fun look at that, see DA Pennebaker's 1967 documentary "Don't Look Back." |
| Elenaor Shaw |
MONEY TREE
|
This is the flip side of 'When We're Living on Top of the Moon" which we'll deal with soon. You've been warned. |
| Tinkertones |
ROBERT THE ROBOT SAVES THE DAY
|
Robert the Robot was made by the ideal Toy Co of Hollis, NY and this record is a good example of early cross-marketing. Robert had a sort of wired remote control and you could make him walk, turn, move his arms, file a temporary restraining order and other things. He also had a crank you turned to make him talk in an incredibly bad tinny voice. I had one as a kid and shudder to think what it sould be worth today (eBay says around $50). Her's an odd clip to see for yourself : www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xyEJdnW1HM |
Music behind DJ: |
Humoresque by Somebody |
|
| David Seville |
ALMOST GOOD
|
the flip side of the most popular novelty Xmas record ever (wait for it...). Real name: Ross Bagdessarian, whose most notable song was "Come On-A My House," which was the first hit for the afformentioned Rosemary Clooney. Ross' son has taken control of the Chipmunk empire since his death of a heart attack in 1972. (Rumors of his suicide following an illicit affair with an underage woodchuck are patently untrue.) |
| Chipmunks |
THE CHIPMUNKS SONG
|
Started it alll for those singiing rodents. Made ALVIN!!! a household name. |
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