from Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection: The Greatest Novelty Records of All Time
Archive for the ‘Music’ category
The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati: Rose and the Arrangement
June 5, 2010Atom Bomb Baby: The Five Stars
June 5, 2010"The Five Stars, originally from Indianapolis, had a regional hit with Atom Bomb Baby in 1957 and made several appearances on 'American Bandstand.' Ronnie Russell was the group's lead singer and Jim Bruhn played most of the instruments although a then-unknown jazz guitarist named Wes Montgomery appeared on some of their sessions as well."
Winken, Blinken and Nod: The Big Three
June 4, 2010"Elliot met banjoist and singer Tim Rose and singer John Brown, and the three began performing as The Triumvirate. In 1963, James Hendricks replaced Brown and the trio was renamed The Big Three. Elliot's first recording, Winken, Blinken and Nod, with The Big Three, was released by FM Records in 1963."
Searchin’: The Mugwumps
June 4, 2010"An early folk-rock group of sorts, the Mugwumps made some recordings in the mid-'60s, but the short-lived New York outfit are principally remembered for what their members did after they split up. Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty would become one-half of the Mamas and the Papas; Zal Yanovsky would join the Lovin' Spoonful; and Jim Hendricks was the odd man out, not achieving any notable subsequent fame. Their sessions — released on obscure posthumous albums that were issued to capitalize on the musicians' subsequent notoriety — show a tentative act with branches in both folk and straight pop. Seeds of their future folk-rock activities can be heard in the male-female harmonic blends especially, though the material is largely unimpressive, and the arrangements too pop-based to bear much similarity to either the Mamas & the Papas or the Lovin' Spoonful."
~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
Dream a Little Dream of Me: The Mamas and the Papas
June 4, 2010Normally credited to Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn, Dream a Little Dream of Me came was first recorded in February 1931 by the Wayne King Orchestra.
"This version was recorded in 1968 after The Mamas and the Papas heard about the death of Fabian Andre, whom Michelle Phillips had met years earlier. Elliot's version is noteworthy for being a ballad, whereas almost all earlier recordings of Dream a Little Dream of Me (including one by Nat King Cole) had been quick, up-tempo versions — the song having actually been written in 1931 as a dance tune for the nightclubs of the day."
Today is another look backward.
Hey Schoolgirl: Tom and Jerry
June 3, 2010Jerry Landis and Tom Graph began writing their own songs in 1955. Initially, their musical aspirations were unsuccessful. In 1957, in a last-ditch effort, they plunked down $7 to record a demo of Hey Schoolgirl. The song became their first hit. They were 15 years old. It was released on 45 rpm and 78 rpm vinyl records, with the flip-side song Dancin' Wild. The recording sold 100,000 copies, hitting #49 on the Billboard Magazine charts.
Their next hit, The Sound of Silence, was released in 1965 under their real names, Simon and Garfunkel.
The Sound of Silence: Simon and Garfunkel
June 3, 2010This song hit #1 on the pop charts on New Year's Day in 1966.
Tom Dooley: The Kingston Trio
June 2, 2010Released in 1958, this song won the Grammy for Best Country and Western Performance at the first Grammy awards. At the time, no folk music category existed.
The next year, largely as a result of The Kingston Trio and Tom Dooley, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences instituted a folk category and the Trio won the first Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording for its second studio album At Large.
Well, Well, Well: The Highwaymen
June 2, 2010This is from The Best of the Highwaymen.
The Boxer: Simon and Garfunkel
June 1, 2010When I was in the Peace Corps, getting a box was like celebrating Christmas. My mother sent foods like macaroni and cheese, candy, games and music. My sisters chose the music. They sent the album Bridge Over Troubled Water. I wore it out.
It was released in 1970.
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