MY SON, THE FOLK SINGER - Allan Sherman

YEAR: 1962

LABEL: Warner Bros.

TRACK LISTING: The Ballad of Harry Lewis, Shake Hands With Your Uncle Max, Sir Greenbaum's Madrigal, My Zelda, The Streets of Miami, Sarah Jackman, Jump Down Spin Around (Pick A Dress O' Cotton), Seltzer Boy, Oh Boy, Shticks and Stones

IMPRESSIONS: Here we have a comedy album I've been listening to my entire life. It is one of those albums which, whenever I hear it, catapult me back to my yellow bedroom in Maple Surple; I'd be sitting on the floor listening to my portable black record player spinning this album, all those old Bill Cosby comedy records and "THE FIRST FAMILY" album along with many others. At this young age, I had no idea what "Yiddish humour" was but I thought MY SON, THE FOLK SINGER was wonderful! The hilarity of the live studio audience was infectious and Sherman skewered the folk songs with a twinkle in his eye you could hear over the speakers.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: My Zelda, Sarah Jackman, Jump Down Spin Around (Pick A Dress O' Cotton), Seltzer Boy, Oh Boy, Shticks and Stones

GUEST ARTISTS: Christine Nelson (vocals on "Sarah Jackman")

FACT SHEET: MY SON, THE FOLK SINGER is Allan Sherman's first album; it reached number one on the Billboard record charts and parodies the contemporary folk music boom. "The Battle of Harry Lewis" parodies "The Battle Hymn of the Republic". "Shake Hands With Your Uncle Max" is to the tune of "Dear Old Donegal". "Sir Greenbaum's Madrigal" is parodies "Greensleeves". "My Zelda" is to the tune of the Harry Belafonte song "Matilda". "The Streets of Miami" parodies "The Streets of Laredo". "Sarah Jackman" is to the tune of "Frere Jacques". "Jump Down Spin Around (Pick A Dress O' Cotton)" parodies "Bale of Cotton". "Seltzer Boy" parodies "Waterboy". "Oh Boy" is to the tune of "Chiapanecas (The Hand-Clapping Song)". "Shticks and Stones" is a medley containing parodies of many folk songs including "Jimmy Crack Corn (And I Don't Care)", Harry Belafonte's "Jamaica Farewell", "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho", "I Gave My Love A Cherry", "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and many more.