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Music That Makes Me Laugh
Growing up without a television in the house, we got our entertainment from LPs (long playing records), and from books. Along with mostly classical, children’s, and some fold or pop with good harmony, we got my parents’ taste in comedy.
My parents met in Philadelphia as the 1950s became the 1960s. Perhaps the hottest comedy act of that time was Nicols and May, Mike Nicols and Elaine May. These two took improv comedy to a whole new level, starting with Improvisations to Music. Stan Freberg was already an established talent, and generated a send up of Lawrence Welk in 1957.
Nicols and May take us “Back to Bach:”
From there they went less musical but riotously funny:
Stan Freberg “Wun’erful Wun’erful:”
Of course, the intersection of classical music and comedy was, in those days, covered by Victor Borge:
Then came Peter Schickele and his tireless work to elevate that lesser known member of the Bach family, P.D.Q. Bach:
What music makes you laugh?
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I would’ve posted Borge and PDQ Bach as well. I saw The PDQ Bach guy at Orchestra Hall in Chicago once, where he performed “Eine Kleine Nichtmusik” haha! Hilarious
I always felt sophisticated when I watched May and Nichols. They were so darned clever and smart.
Clifford, this is completely off point, but my parents met in Philadelphia just a few years after yours, and I was born there in 1967. Are you a Philly native?
Sorta. Born in Abington, first memories from there (through kindergarten). Have hardly been back since.
Cool. I was born in South Philly, though we left when I was 2, so I have no memories of living there. I do have memories of going back, on occasion. My first house was within walking distance of: (1) Pat’s cheesesteaks, and (2) the church where Rocky and Adrian got married.
My mom grew up in Germantown, which would have been pretty close to you, I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ney1VWrcyw
Allen Sherman.
To Greensleeves:
“In Sherwood forest there dwelt a knight
Who was known as the righteous Sir Greenbaum”
And the schticks and stones at the end of each album.
Here’s a few;
“Wet Dream” by Kip Addotta
“Shaving Cream” by Paul Wynn
“You Can’t Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd” by Roger Miller
The Bonzos:
Tom Lehrer:
Funniest line: “And everybody hates the Jews”
The Kingston Trio:
Funniest line: “They’re rioting in Africa.”
And of course, Randy Newman:
Funniest line: “College men from LSU, went in dumb, come out dumb, too.”
I think The Vatican Rag is funnier:
Listen closely to the lyrics.
Carrot Juice is Murder, by the Arrogant Worms:
https://youtu.be/KmK0bZl4IL
Carrot Juice is Murder
Primer mi carucha (Chevy ’39)
Going to El Monte Legion Stadium
Pick up on my weesa (she is so divine) Helps me stealing hub caps Wasted all the time
Fuzzy Dice Bongos in the back My ship of love /Is ready to attack
It’s great to see Stan Freberg get some love. After his radio program ended, he made an album that was supposed to be the radio version of Pay TV: “You have to go into the record store and buy it, so welcome to the New Medium, Pay Radio!”
I snagged a copy of “Tip of the Freberg” from Rhino Records, so I have good copies of some of Freberg’s amazing 60 second radio spots. He didn’t invent funny commercials, but he perfected them. I think my all time favorite is “Today The Pits, Tomorrow The Wrinkles” for Sunsweet Pitted Prunes.
Freberg did a series of radio ads for Kaiser Aluminum Foil that were aimed at distributors rather than customers, to get shelf space in groceries for Kaiser foil. They were incredibly funny: “Clark Smathers, Kaiser Foil Salesman, Faces Life,” complete with cheesy soap opera organ and June Foray doing voices. According to Freberg’s autobiography, the ad agency didn’t want to run them because they insisted that advertising can’t affect distribution. All the MBA programs said so. Freberg challenged them to run his ads for six months, and if they didn’t work he would not charge them. Six months later Kaiser had tripled their shelf space in grocery stores. Freberg went back to the agency executive and said “I thought advertising couldn’t affect distribution.” He replied, “It can’t. Something must be wrong.”
mild language warning:
Seconding (or thirding) the kudos for Lehrer and PDQ. The former had an amazing skill: his parodic versions of the various genres were as good, if not better compositions than the thing he parodied. Peter Schickele – a fellow former Fargoan! – was just a delight, and the Unbegun is its own cultural literacy test. The best part about hearing it performed live is the laughter as people get the jokes and puns.
(Just listened to it again, and that modulation at 8:04 is just brutal)
Weird Al is always good for a laugh
Yeah as a young burgeoning comedian, Dr. Demento was a healthy part of my Sundays staying up too late to tape on a cassette deck, doing my best to keep the clicking down.
Tom Lehrer is my fave, but he’s been discussed. Love Freberg. Will post a few more songs I love.
My favorite genre is the one with no regard for copyright law, the sketch that uses real music as dialogue
I just adore “Uncle Meat.” There are many signature compositions there and, of course, this topical gem…
Caress me…
Caress me Aunt Jemima…
Evening Gary,
I have been trying to improve the ugliest part of my body, not easy work. Much easier to make the water turn black.