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.

DR. DEMENTO 20th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION - Various Artists

YEAR: 1991

LABEL: Rhino

TRACK LISTING: Delicious! - Jim Backus, The Scotsman - Bryan Bowers, Junk Food Junkie - Larry Groce, Eat It - Weird Al Yankovic, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight) - Lonnie Donegan, Wet Dream - Kip Addotta, Hello Muddah Hello Fadduh (A Letter From Camp), Wappin' - Darrell Hammond & Christopher Snell, The Purple People Eater - Sheb Wooley, Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Cocktails For Two - Spike Jones, Transfusion - Nervous Norvus, Beep Beep - The Playmates, St. George and the Dragonet - Stan Freberg, Witch Doctor - David Seville, Gitarzan - Ray Stevens, Earache My Eye (Featuring Alice Bowie) - Cheech & Chong, Dead Puppies - Ogdon Edsl, Dancin' Fool - Frank Zappa, Star Trekkin' - The Firm, The Time Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Masochism Tango - Tom Lehrer, The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun - Julie Brown, The Ballad of Irving - Frank Gallop, The Battle of Kookamonga - Homer & Jethro, King Tut - Steve Martin, Der Fuehrer's Face - Spike Jones, Fish Heads - Barnes & Barnes, Poisoning Pigeons In the Park - Tom Lehrer, Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out - Shel Silverstein, The Cockroach That Ate Cincinatti - Rose & the Arrangement, Surfin' Bird - The Trashmen, Pencil Neck Geek - Fred Blassie, Ti Kwan Leep/Boot To the Head - The Frantics, Existential Blues - Tom "T-Bone" Stankus, They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa! - Napoleon XIV

IMPRESSIONS: I believe the first time I heard the Dr. Demento Show on radio was when it was brought to my attention by my friend Ed Jacoby. I naturally became an avid listener for years and even tape recorded some of the episodes. Sadly, due to the outrageously pitiful Philadelphia radio market, it only lasted several years before the show disappeared from local radio in the early 80's. Around that time, a vinyl box set came out which I snapped up; it's even signed by Dr. Demento himself. Once again sadly that set has never been issued on compact disc. There were also a few single LPs of Dr. Demento released in the 70s which I tracked down as well (also none of which have been reissued on cd, more's the pity). However, in 1991 Rhino went some ways towards rectifying that situation with this 2 cd set containing many of the most well-remember and popular songs the Doctor played on his radio show.

MY FAVOURITE TRACKS: The Scotsman - Bryan Bowers, Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On the Bedpost Overnight) - Lonnie Donegan, Wet Dream - Kip Addotta, Hello Muddah Hello Fadduh (A Letter From Camp) - Allan Sherman, Monster Mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett, Cocktails For Two - Spike Jones, Transfusion - Nervous Norvus, Beep Beep - The Playmates, St. George and the Dragonet - Stan Freberg, Gitarzan - Ray Stevens, Earache My Eye (Featuring Alice Bowie) - Cheech & Chong, Dead Puppies - Ogdon Edsl, Dancin' Fool - Frank Zappa, Star Trekkin' - The Firm, The Time Warp - The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Homecoming Queen's Got A Gun - Julie Brown, The Ballad of Irving - Frank Gallop, King Tut - Steve Martin, Der Fuehrer's Face - Spike Jones, Fish Heads - Barnes & Barnes, Poisoning Pigeons In the Park - Tom Lehrer, The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati - Rose & the Arrangement, Pencil Neck Geek - Fred Blassie, Ti Kwan Leep/Boot To the Head - The Frantics, Existential Blues - Tom "T-Bone" Stankus, They're Coming To Take Me Away Ha-Haaa! - Napoleon XIV

FACT SHEET: Barry Hansen took on his Dr. Demento identity when in 1970 he played Nervous Norvus' "Transfusion" on the radio and a fellow DJ remarked that he must be demented to play such a song. The name stuck and the Doctor started his Dr. Demento Show which became syndicated in 1974. The Dr. Demento Show lasted on "terrestrial radio" until 2010 and has since moved to online streaming broadcasts at the show's official website. The opening theme song for the show is "Pico and Sepulveda" by Felix Figueroa & His Orchestra (actually Freddy Martin & His Orchestra); the song was re-recorded by the Roto Rooter Good Time Christmas Band and that has been the official theme played since 1974. The Doctor's traditional opening line for every show is "Wind up your radios, Demensions and Dementites!". During the show, various countdown intro music is from composer Harry Partch's "Barstow". The closing theme for the show is "Cheerio, Cherry Lips, Cheerio" by Scrappy Lambert (recorded under the name of Gordon Wallace) which Hansen found in a thrift shop.