A compilation Lp on the World Record Label by Spike Jones called "Go Crazy with...." found a few years back. I never get tired of listening to Spike and the band and this album is a great introduction to their brand of humour. Not to everybody's taste I know but it's not all bells, whistles and gun shots - some clever parodies of classics on here like "I Kiss Your Hand Madame", "Hut Sut Song" and "Mairzy Doats".
"His father was a Southern Pacific railroad agent. He got his nickname by being so thin that he was compared to a railroad spike. At the age of eleven he got his first set of drums. As a teenager he played in bands that he formed himself. A chef in a railroad restaurant taught him how to use adapted pots and pans, forks, knives and spoons as musical instruments. He frequently played in theater pit orchestras. In the 1930s he joined the Victor Young Band and thereby got many offers to appear to radio shows including the Al Jolson Lifebuoy Show, Burns and Allen (with George Burns) and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall. In 1940, he had an uncredited part in the film Give Us Wings, and in 1942 as a hillbilly in Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy. He joined up with vocalist Del Porter and performed in Los Angeles, gaining a cult following. By 1941 the band included violinist Carl Grayson. Other band members were George Rock (voice and trumpet), Doodles Weaver (voice) and Red Ingle (voice). They became his backing band The City Slickers. Saxophonist Ed Metcalfe performed with Spike Jones for a while. Jones's wife was the singer Helen Grayco, who performed on some of his radio shows. They received a recording contract with RCA Victor and recorded extensively for the company until the mid 1950s. Jones had four children, Spike Jr., Linda, Leslie and Gina. Leslie today is the Director of Music and Film Scoring at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch in Marin County."
To discover more about Spike Jones go HERE.
Spike Jones - Knock, Knock, Who's There
Spike Jones - River, Stay Away From My Door
Spike Jones - Pimples And Braces
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4 comments:
These guys were great fun weren't they? This doesn't happen to have a song called" I used to work in Chicago" on it, does it?
Cheers!
No, I dont think i have that one. It's certainly not on this record .
Hi Muse - did you used to work in Chicago then?
I'm a big fan - have lots of their stuff. Not got River or Pimples and Braces though. Not sure they're that representative. Was Pimples a late record?
Thanks for posting them, Michael.
I imagine they are later work around the 60's maybe? I do prefer the earlier stuff I must admit. I'm surprised you don't have this one Roger.
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