whitefang Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 Well, I can only view YouTube clips on my desktop PC( with the lousy sound) and do most of my radio listening while running errands in my car, so that avenue isn't possible. And it's true most FM stations these days ar "format oriened", and not much variety can be found on each. And I'd like to thank Scott for reminding us that not ALL '60's music was "cool" or "hip". With the mentioning of MRS. MILLER and Tiny Tim, he also could have mentioned Barry Sadler, The Ohio Express and The 1910 Fruitgum Co. But when the discussion brought up variety, he mentioned, among all the other names, IAN WHITCOMB, whose "You Turm Me On" was one of my very favorites back then. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 +1 Brother Fred, you and I found a very valuable tool with regard to our playing by going to YouTube. I use it the same way you do for researching a song by many different artists, covers and teachers too! I love going to the original song (just about any that you can think of) and listening to the way it was played. Then looking up the chords and lyrics on other sites if they are not found on YouTube. What a wonderful resource! I wish we had YouTube when we were kids! What am I thinking? We still are! @ Eric and Fang, I do not listen to the radio unless I'm in the car. It is tuned to FM News Talk radio during the week and on weekends it's tuned to my favorite rock station that plays 50's 60's 70's 80's and 90's after which decades, I do not care to listen to. For awhile I stayed up every night to watch the end of Leno and Letterman to catch the new bands that are out there. I would also stay up Saturday nights to catch the new bands on SNL. I've lost interest in SNL and the late night shows...I guess I'm getting to be more of a kid these days and just listening to what I like LOL! Hank Williams and Prince are prime examples of the choices we make when picking a favorite genre. Country vs. Pop and never the two shall meet, until now that is. When listening to the new Country format, you just can't get away from Pop and Rock. Maybe it's a good melding thing for music, but I just can't listen to it anymore LOL! Just getting old I guess... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 And I'd like to thank Scott for reminding us that not ALL '60's music was "cool" or "hip". With the mentioning of MRS. MILLER and Tiny Tim, he also could have mentioned Barry Sadler, The Ohio Express and The 1910 Fruitgum Co. Oh crap, now I have to try to erase the memory of THOSE assaults upon musical decency from my brain. Time to throw some Sonny Rollins & Don Cherry on the CD player. But when the discussion brought up variety, he mentioned, among all the other names, IAN WHITCOMB, whose "You Turm Me On" was one of my very favorites back then. Whitefang For many years Whitcomb hosted a radio show on an NPR affiliate here in LA, covering a range of novelty tunes & English music hall songs. He still does the occasional gig around town. Another part of the wealth of radio variety which is increasingly hard to find between the cracks. OK, I'll throw out another anomaly of the radio world, a hit on top 40 radio from 1966: "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Ha" by Napolean XIV. Hitting #3 on the charts it surely must be the weirdest hit in history, and the radio industry allowed this on the air. Anybody remember the B side? Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 And I would be remiss if I didn't point out that Allan Sherman's "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah" reached #2 on the charts in 1963. These are the things which could never ever happen in today's world. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 <---and my personal favorite The Surfin Bird, reached #4 on the Top 100 in 1963... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 <---and my personal favorite The Surfin Bird, reached #4 on the Top 100 in 1963... Which, weirdly, somehow reminds me that "Purple People Eater" & "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" were also top 40 hits. Almost makes you think people were taking drugs or something back in the 60s. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 <---and my personal favorite The Surfin Bird, reached #4 on the Top 100 in 1963... Which, weirdly, somehow reminds me that "Purple People Eater" & "Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini" were also top 40 hits. Almost makes you think people were taking drugs or something back in the 60s. Naa, it's not that (though surely we know that some were)- it's simply that people in general were more open to innocent and campy entertainment and just plain FUN. OK, I'll throw out another anomaly of the radio world, a hit on top 40 radio from 1966: "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Ha" by Napolean XIV. Hitting #3 on the charts it surely must be the weirdest hit in history, and the radio industry allowed this on the air. Anybody remember the B side? I loved that (I was born in January of '66, but I do remember hearing it as I grew a few years older and it became a favorite), and I remember playing the 45 on a record player. I had fun speeding it up to 78 and slowing it down to 33&1/3rd... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 ^And for just plain fun, let us not forget Ahab The Arab by Ray Stevens...it charted #9 on the top 100 Billboard Hits for 1962! A true classic LOL! and he had some other hits like Gitarzan that charted #8 in 1969...ahhh the 60's! Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 ^And for just plain fun, let us not forget Ahab The Arab by Ray Stevens...it charted #9 on the top 100 Billboard Hits for 1962! A true classic LOL! and he had some other hits like Gitarzan that charted #8 in 1969...ahhh the 60's! Oh yeah. Couldn't do that one today. Ray Stevens was kind of the king of novelty songs. What about "Tie Me Kangaroo Down"? Who did that one? Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 OK, I'll throw out another anomaly of the radio world, a hit on top 40 radio from 1966: "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Ha" by Napolean XIV. Hitting #3 on the charts it surely must be the weirdest hit in history, and the radio industry allowed this on the air. Anybody remember the B side? Oh, I forgot to address your last question in my previous post- wasn't it just the same thing, backwards? Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 6, 2016 Share Posted June 6, 2016 OK, I'll throw out another anomaly of the radio world, a hit on top 40 radio from 1966: "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Ha" by Napolean XIV. Hitting #3 on the charts it surely must be the weirdest hit in history, and the radio industry allowed this on the air. Anybody remember the B side? Oh, I forgot to address your last question in my previous post- wasn't it just the same thing, backwards? Yup, along with all the print on the label. Really demented. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 7, 2016 Share Posted June 7, 2016 ^And for just plain fun, let us not forget Ahab The Arab by Ray Stevens...it charted #9 on the top 100 Billboard Hits for 1962! A true classic LOL! and he had some other hits like Gitarzan that charted #8 in 1969...ahhh the 60's! Oh yeah. Couldn't do that one today. Ray Stevens was kind of the king of novelty songs. What about "Tie Me Kangaroo Down"? Who did that one? According to Wiki it was written in 1957 by an Australian singer by the name of Rolf Harris. It was a hit down under and all over the world in 1960. He re-recorded the song in the US in 1963 and it hit #3 on the Billboard top 100... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Iverson Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Is anybody writing funny novelty tunes like that nowadays? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Is anybody writing funny novelty tunes like that nowadays? How about Weird Al Yankovic? He's still writing songs and recording albums from 83 through 2014... and we forgot to mention The Monster Mash. It hit #1 on Billboard in 1962! and Alley OOP which hit #1 in 1960! :cool ps. and The Witch Doctor hit #1 in 1958. It was later covered by Alvin and The Chipmunks in 1960... Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skipclone 1 Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Yeah, totally agree about the dreaded `narowcasting` monster. But some stations, ironically enough Armed Forces Radio among them, have gotten around that by broadcasting in blocks. A lot of that content is syndicated so it repeats-a lot. But for example, from 7-10 p.m. it`s dance pop stuff. From 10-12 it`s top 40. From 12 midnight it`s rock-I stayed up too late many nights over that decision. On weekends or late hours the more niche genres get exposure. Not convenient but they haven`t totally disappeared. Same old surprises, brand new cliches- Skipsounds on Soundclick: www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandid=602491 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 And in mentioning Ray Stevens, one I liked, "Harry The Hairy Ape" was overlooked. It was both novelty and parody(or satire), that figuring in with the bit about an escaped gorilla accosting a DJ on the street, and jumping up and down making with ape noises, and the DJ walking away promising, "Don't worry, I'll play your record", which satirizes both rock performers AND their music at the time! Actually, I LIKED Rolf Harris's "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport", plus his only US follow-up(at least that I know of) "The Court of King Karacatus" or something like that. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted June 8, 2016 Share Posted June 8, 2016 Is anybody writing funny novelty tunes like that nowadays? How about Weird Al Yankovic? He's still writing songs and recording albums from 83 through 2014... Certainly Weird Al, although his are more correctly deemed parody, but still novel. He's been a welcome breath of fresh air in a business which takes itself FAR too seriously far too much of the time. and we forgot to mention The Monster Mash. It hit #1 on Billboard in 1962! and Alley OOP which hit #1 in 1960! :cool ps. and The Witch Doctor hit #1 in 1958. It was later covered by Alvin and The Chipmunks in 1960... "Papa Oom Mow Mow" deserves a mention. As does "Mr Bass Man". Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitefang Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 Personally, I consider just about EVERY new "pop" tune out there these days as "novelty" tunes. Some of you may recall a few years or so ago I started a discussion about this. Whitefang I started out with NOTHING...and I still have most of it left! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocPate Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 FWIW - http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=21472 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocPate Posted June 13, 2016 Share Posted June 13, 2016 This photo shows the "Purple Sky"... https://www.facebook.com/onlyinvirginia/photos/a.1560851097506956.1073741828.1560515737540492/1718213275104070/?type=3&theater Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Hey, guys, I'm back after a spell offline. I like when a thread takes a life of it's own...or, for those a bit too literal-minded, takes on a life of it's own. BTW, DBMan, I'da thunk youda knew I was offering the OP in a somewhat joking sense. See ya'll next episode, over the next epi-soda, if not something stronger. d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Oh, on the topic of novelty toons, how 'bout Them Beatles & "You Know My Name, Look Up The Number"...or even "Hey Bulldog" d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Fraser Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Oh, on the topic of novelty toons, how 'bout Them Beatles & "You Know My Name, Look Up The Number"...or even "Hey Bulldog" I never thought of "Hey Bulldog" as a novelty, but I always assumed there was alcohol involved (or considerably stronger) in the making of "You Know My Name, Look Up The Number". It was surely intended as a private gag, for the family, not for public consumption, since it shows so little of the pop song craftsmanship they all fully possessed. It's just a riff that kept going, long past the point of no return. That's Brian Jones on alto sax. Scott Fraser Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocPate Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 Now I've done everything from Country Blues like Charley Patton, to Hank Sr, to Rockabilly to Metallica. If it sounds good to me and I don't get hit with flying beer cans, it's good. Just saying Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larryz Posted August 21, 2016 Share Posted August 21, 2016 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irf2hOPQlUM This was a cool live version of Hey Bulldog! Take care, Larryz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d halfnote Posted August 21, 2016 Author Share Posted August 21, 2016 Well, "Bulldog"'s sure a rockin' track with some deft chromaticism & a squirrelly harmonic twist in the gtr solo (Harrison ? Lennon? Duet ?) but how you can't hear it McCartney & Lennon's vox at the end as novelty is surprising. As to, "Number", yes, a more obvious joke but its structure still betrays their skill as song builders dunnit ? d=halfnote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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