Post by 40fan on Jan 2, 2012 19:36:37 GMT -5
With all the holiday hubub of the last few weeks I was remiss in not noting a significant anniversary. December 14th was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Spike Jones; the all-time master of funny music! From the likes of Weird Al Yankovic, Frank Zappa, to Allen Sherman and David Seville...nearly everyone who has charted with a novelty record has cited Spike Jones as chief influence. Why not! He pretty much invented the art form!
With instrumentation that included bird tweets, starter pistols, air horns, fire alarm bells, all manner of whistles, crashing pots and pans and a setup of strategically placed cowbells and a washboard that Spike himself played with zesty precision, Jones and his City Slickers took some of the best known and loved pop and classical music and irreverently turned it into circus-like satire. There was also the "glug-glugs" of singer Carl Grayson and the falsetto "kiddie voice" of George Rock (most famously on "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth") that became signature sounds on their records and live shows during the 1930's and '40's.
A love of Spike Jones music was something I shared with my Father; a WWII veteran, he told me how he first heard City Slickers music from his Army buddies and how the hit record "Der Fuehrer's Face" was such a terrific morale booster. It was the razzy heard round the world! Fearless and funny!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1583adUqSg
Years ago I had the RCA Records album "Spike Jones Is Murdering The Classics" and that's how I became familiar with "Carmen" before hearing any of the original Georges Bizet opera in high school music appreciation class.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k37ZlxqB8A
Listen to City Slickers music long enough and you come to realize not only how funny it was but how tight and expertly they played it. Such wonderful controlled chaos!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYjc8fFwgRw
There was a gathering at New York City's Polygraph Lounge to celebrate Jones' 100th birthday and Dr. Demento, who has given Spike more airplay than probably anybody else, will celebrate the musical legacy on January 7th.
drdemento.net/promos/1201-promo-128.mp3
With instrumentation that included bird tweets, starter pistols, air horns, fire alarm bells, all manner of whistles, crashing pots and pans and a setup of strategically placed cowbells and a washboard that Spike himself played with zesty precision, Jones and his City Slickers took some of the best known and loved pop and classical music and irreverently turned it into circus-like satire. There was also the "glug-glugs" of singer Carl Grayson and the falsetto "kiddie voice" of George Rock (most famously on "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth") that became signature sounds on their records and live shows during the 1930's and '40's.
A love of Spike Jones music was something I shared with my Father; a WWII veteran, he told me how he first heard City Slickers music from his Army buddies and how the hit record "Der Fuehrer's Face" was such a terrific morale booster. It was the razzy heard round the world! Fearless and funny!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1583adUqSg
Years ago I had the RCA Records album "Spike Jones Is Murdering The Classics" and that's how I became familiar with "Carmen" before hearing any of the original Georges Bizet opera in high school music appreciation class.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k37ZlxqB8A
Listen to City Slickers music long enough and you come to realize not only how funny it was but how tight and expertly they played it. Such wonderful controlled chaos!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYjc8fFwgRw
There was a gathering at New York City's Polygraph Lounge to celebrate Jones' 100th birthday and Dr. Demento, who has given Spike more airplay than probably anybody else, will celebrate the musical legacy on January 7th.
drdemento.net/promos/1201-promo-128.mp3
