I was talking with Daddy tonight, and he made a reference to a song that I haven't heard before. We tried a couple different techniques so that I could hear it, until I remembered YouTube probably has it. Apparently, though, Daddy had no idea of the wealth of crrrrap stored there and wondered out loud, “Yes, but do they have...?” and so it began.
I think he got mad at me, because he was trying to go to bed before the original song came up, and there we were, 45 minutes later, cackling over classic comedy songs (PRE Weird Al).
It sort of inspired me. See, whereas most kids listened to popular music or rap or country or well, anything current, I did not. I keep telling folks I grew up in a cultural bubble, all the way through high school. I've never seen an episode of Silver Spoons, and I didn't know any of the music from Guns and Roses, until that whole stink about Sheryl Crow covering Sweet Child o' Mine came up. I'm telling you. Bubble.
But that doesn't mean I didn't listen to music. It just wasn't the same stuff everyone else knew. See, my parents didn't have room for their old record player-- that would be the device used to listen to audio recordings post-radio and pre-8-Track-- in the living room when they got the new stereo, so it got put in my room. And since it was there, I went through many of their records. Once I found Allan Sherman, I was hooked. Sadly, it is very difficult to find many of his recordings anymore. I suppose that's because, like Weird Al, he spoofed contemporary music, and who in my generation has even heard the song “Winchester Cathedral,” let alone would want to hear a spoof of it?
Still, even without knowing all the original songs at the time, he, and Homer & Jethro cracked me up, and I devoured many of the LPs and 45s in my parents' collection, both comedic and straight.
So, without further ado, I present to any who care to know, a walk through the music of MY childhood:
Johnny Horton - Battle of New Orleans
Homer & Jethro - Battle of Kookamonga
Allan Sherman - A Waste of Money
Allan Sherman - 12 Gifts of Christmas
Allan Sherman - Painless Dentist
Grover - Around, Over, Under and Through
Cookie Monster - C is for Cookie
Oscar the Grouch - I Love Trash
Sheb Wooley - Purple People Eater
Bryan Hyland - Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
Ray Stevens - Mississippi Squirrel Revival
My Fair Lady - With a Little Bit of Luck
My Fair Lady - On the Street Where You Live
Ray Stevens - Shriners Convention
Ray Stevens - Can He Love You As Much As I
Here are some that were not in my collection exactly as you hear them, but close enough that you get the idea:
Allan Sherman with Dean Martin and Vic Damone - Medley
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Homer & Jethro - Didn't Sink the Bismark &
Allan Sherman - Return to Camp Grenada
Happy listening...
and Peace.
