Another Jones now on the World Record Club label from the 60's of tracks recorded in the 40's and 50's. "Spike Jones and the band that plays for fun" is just that - great wacky versions of old classics like I Kiss Your Hand Madame, Hut Sut Song and River Stay Away From My Door to name but a few.
Wikipedia says -
"Jones' father was a Southern Pacific railroad agent. Young Lindley got his nickname by being so thin that he was compared to a railroad spike. At the age of 11 he got his first set of drums. As a teenager he played in bands that he formed himself. A railroad restaurant chef taught him how to use 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 orchestra and thereby got many offers to appear on radio shows, including Al Jolson's Lifebuoy Program, Burns and Allen, and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall.
From 1937 to 1942, he was the percussionist for the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, which played on Bing Crosby's first recording of White Christmas. Spike Jones was part of a backing band for songwriter Cindy Walker during her early recording career with Decca Records and Standard Transcriptions. Her song "We're Gonna Stomp Them City Slickers Down" provided the inspiration for the name of Jones’ future band, the City Slickers.
The City Slickers evolved out of the Feather Merchants, a band led by vocalist-clarinetist Del Porter, who took a back seat to Jones during the embryonic years of the group. They made experimental records for the Cinematone Corporation and performed publicly in Los Angeles, gaining a small following. The original members included vocalist-violinist Carl Grayson, banjoist Perry Botkin, trombonist King Jackson and pianist Stan Wrightsman.
The band signed a recording contract with RCA Victor in 1941 and recorded extensively for the company until 1955. They also starred in various radio programs (1945–1949) and television shows (1954–1961) on both NBC and CBS."
Tracks are -
1. Mairzy Doats
2. The 20's Roar (Medley)
3. Melody Of Love
4. Three Little Fishes
5. Kookie Kookie Lend Me Your Comb
Spike Jones - Side One
This is an awesome album. I have it, same picture on the cover, but the title on mine is "60 Years of Music America Hates Best" Funny, huh?
ReplyDeleteThanks Doug. Funny isn't it that some titles don't mean so much in either the UK or the USA and they have to change them for whatever reason. Same with films.
ReplyDeletePaul si sinorina from Czech rep 13.7.11 Spike Jones with fortepiano medley I see at last this song. I hear this before 2O years on radio Prag. This song reminds me Russ Connway ? I've got LP Welcome to your Wedding in 1981 from BBC World service. We use some SJ sounds in radio in 1982-1984. Our radioworkers love the SILENCIUM but they can hear 3 music, B.Vaugh,Jim Reeves and Spike.
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