| Artist |
Track |
Album |
Label |
Comments |
Year |
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Rowan Atkinson and Angus Deayton
|
FATAL BEATING
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Atkinson was best known for his role in British TV’s "Blackadder," as well as "The Thin Blue Line" and "Not the 9:00 News." And then came Mr Bean and life as we know it changed forever. As for Angus Deayton, he worked pretty much the same British TV shows as Atkinson, but got into trouble over allegations involving cocaine and prostitutes. You can see a video of this (and other Atkinson material) at YouTube. Start with http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBeguUvuDzs
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Dee Clark
|
I'M GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
|
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|
Clark was born in Blytheville, AR, but grew up in Chicago. You can hear a young Clark in Ray Saunders Orchestra's "Hambone." Formed a group that became the Delegates (we'll hear from them next week) and they toured for a brief time with Little Richard. Opportunity knocked when Richard quit touring to go to Bible school and Clark headlined for the rest of the tour. His biggest hits were "Raindrops," "Hey Little Girl" and this one, which is from 1962 on VeeJay Records (which gave us the Four Seasons and yes, the Beatles).
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Gregory's Funhouse
|
BACK TO SCHOOL
|
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|
Led by Gregory Pittman Ambrose from Brooklyn from a 1988 album 'Obey," which is notable for a surreal version of Steve Lawrence's "Go Away Little Girl"
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Stevens & Grdnic
|
MR ROGERS AND TIMMY
|
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|
Ron Stevens and Joy Grdnic are well-known in the radio universe, having done lots of drive-time in New York, San Diego and St Louis. Currently running All-Star Radio out of St Louis, the husband-and-wife team has two great albums, "Retail Comedy at Wholesale Prices" and "Somehere Over the Radio," both Grammy nominated and extremely funny. For my money, there's no sexier voice anywhere than Joy Grdnic.
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Dellwoods
|
I'LL ALWAYS REMEMBER BEING YOUNG
|
MAD Twists Rock n Roll
|
Big Top 12-1305
|
From MAD Magazine during their Record Label days (they had quite a few, as well as some flexi-discs included with the magazine). Written and produced by Norm Blagman and Stan Bobrick. For the record, the Dellwoods were Saul Zeskand, Mike Ellis, Andy Ventura, C Victor Buccellato, and Amadeo Tese.
|
1962
|
|
Credibilty Gap
|
A DATE WITH DANGER
|
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|
From their first album "Makes a Great Gift" grafted onto something else I found somewhere.
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|
Herbie and the Class Cutters
|
LIKE, THOSE IVY COVERED WALLS, MAN
|
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|
From some RCA single whose origins are lost in fog and uncertainty.
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|
Ian Whitcomb
|
COLLEGE LIFE
|
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|
Ian is a singer, ukulele player, poet, random enertainer, writer and producer who had a love for those old songs that would otherwise be forgotten. Took his inspiration from George Formby and spearheded the Great Ukulele Revival of 10 PM, March 18, 1986. Got himself a Grammy for recreating the music played on the Titanic That Night and put it into the film. Reportedly has an internet radio show (try 10pm-1am EST. I can't confirm this) that should be lots of fun.
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|
Jimmy Grier Orchestra [Lyda Roberti]
|
COLLEGE RHYTHM
|
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|
Lyda Roberti was born in Poland where her parents were circus clowns. Sang her way across Europe and found her way to the USA, where her saucy manner and exotic accent won her a growing following. Sadly, a genetic heart problem caused her a heart attack at age 36 and she died suddenly while bending to tie her shoes. For much more info than you need, go to www.glamourgirlsofthesilverscreen.com/show/546/Lyda+Roberti/index.html
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Larry Clinton Orchestra
|
COLLEGE HUMOR
|
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|
Clinton was known as "The Old Dipsy Doodler" and played trumpet, trombone and did a lot of arranging for many of the big bands of the day, as well as his own from 1937-41. Stayed active into the 60s and then retired to Florida and Arizona. where he took up writing science fiction.
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Kay Kayser and His Orchestra (Sully Mason)
|
COLLEGIATE FANNY
|
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|
Kayser had the moniker "The Old Professor of Swing" and his show was "Kay Kayser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge." He became well known for his war efforts and many charity and philanthropic appearences. Then in 1950, he just turned his back and simply walked away. That's all folks, no announcements, just gone. Wish I could do that (course, it would help if I had something to walk away from...).
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Groceries
|
HIRE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS
|
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From some forgotten single.
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Frantics
|
HEAVY METAL SHOP
|
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|
From Toronto, but not apparently from one of their albums. For a video go to www.punkasspunk.com/frantics/metalshop.mpg
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Cheech and Chong
|
SARGENT STADENKO
|
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|
I took two of their bits and melted them together, hope you don't mind.
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Rocking Horse Players
|
LENNY THE LEOPARD
|
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|
The Rocking Horse Orchestra and Chorus: annoying kids since first period. Between them, the Peter Pan people and Romper Room, I'm surprised anyone's making any kind of stink about Obama brainwashing our kids...
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Tom Lehrer
|
THAT'S MATHEMATICS
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|
And Tom should know: he taught math at Harvard. He has an MA and is Phi Beta Kappa, and he tickles those ivories like a pro. Also claims to have invented the Jello shot while in the Army to bypass the rules about liquor. Another claim to fame: wrote a paper called "Random Walks with Restraining Barrier as Applied to the Biased Binary Counter" (Spoiler: the hypoteneuse did it)
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Tom Lehrer
|
NEW MATH
|
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|
Tom wrote songs for the TV series "That Was The Week That Was" (aka TW3), although he didn't sing them on the show. Later he released an album of them and here you go.
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|
Tom Lehrer
|
SILENT E
|
|
|
Written for the PBS show "Electric Company," which was a sort of Sesame Street for older children. Today at age 81, Tom is still going at it with a vengeance.
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Conception Corp.
|
FAMOUS JUDGES SCHOOL
|
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|
From the Cotillion label (they first gave us the Allman Brothers), sort of a poor man's Firesign Theatre. There were two albums: "Conceptionland" and "A Pause in the Disaster." Please don't press me on which one this came from.
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|
Barry Louis Polisar
|
SHUT UP IN THE LIBRARY
|
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|
Speaking of Tom Lehrer, he calls Barry "a delightfully subversive antidote to Mr Rogers." Barry should need no introduction, as he seems to be everywhere at once. He writes books, poetry, songs, visits schools, works for literacy groups, has a few TV shows (like "Field Trip" on the leaning Channel). His song "All I Want is you" is on the soundtrack to everybody's favorite movie "Juno." Suspiciously, he doesn't look a day over 30...
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Music behind DJ:
Leland Stanford University Junior Band
|
WHITE PUNKS ON DOPE
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Jerry Stiller and Ann Meara
|
SEX EDUCATION
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From an album "Sex Life of the Primate" written with Shelley Berman. Got their early fame from many appearances on the Sullivan Show and they're two of the earliest graduates of Chicago's Second City Troupe. In their spare time they begat two of our biggest stars, Ben Stiller and Amy Stiller. One of my choices for top ten funniest bits ever.
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