Spike Jones

Spike Jones (1911-1965) was an American bandleader, drummer and comedian. With his band known for much of its existence as Spike Jones and His City Slickers, he was famous for his novelty songs, which usually consisted of a current popular song performed in a non-humorous way, but then the band would play it again, and insert things like gunshots, screams, and other random sound effects into the music. He was also well known for his recording of the World War II song "Der Fuehrer's Face" (originally written for the Donald Duck short of the same title), which made fun of Adolf Hitler. 
In addition to his recording career (and significant work as a "straight" musician), Jones' Musical Depreciation Revue and other stage shows toured for years, he had his own radio show, and several short-lived TV attempts. Jones' zaniness and style was a major influence on Stan Freberg, "Weird Al" Yankovic, and P.D.Q. Bach, among others.
Members of Jones' band and accompanying troupe were a mixture of veteran musicians with a humorous bent, comedians, and specialty acts. Some of those heard in recordings on Sam and Friends included trumpet player George Rock, whose falsetto resembled a child and was used in the band's hit "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)" and several followups; comic monologuist Doodles Weaver, who did tongue-tied commentary ("The Man on the Flying Trapeze") and racetrack bits ("Dance of the Hours"); drummer Joe Siracusa; and banjo player Freddy Morgan and comic Mousie Garner, who went solo for their record The Alley Singers: Side by Side.
On the 1975 album Merry Christmas from Sesame Street, The Count performs "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)", which was a #1 record for Spike Jones in 1948.
==References==
*"Poison to Poison" was an early Muppet sketch, lip-synced from Spike's 1959 album, Spike Jones in Stereo (featuring the voices of Paul Frees), as were other tracks from the same album and from Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry (1957), Omnibust (1960), and various singles.
*In the Sesame Street version of the song "Feelings" released on Let Your Feelings Show!, a female vocalist (Marry Banilow) sings the song through straight one time, but the second time through, the song is punctuated with screaming, yelling, car crashes, and other sound effects, like many Spike Jones songs. The contrast between performances is also similar to Jones' 1947 recording of "My Old Flame" (in which a straight version of the song is followed by wild music, and then a parody performance by Frees as Peter Lorre).
*Big Bird sings a variation of the Jones covered song "Chloe" in episodes 0429 and 1805 of Sesame Street.
*In the February 28, 1982 installment of The Muppets comic strip (reprinted in Moving Right Along!), Fozzie Bear is cleaning his room and considers tidying away all his "nostalgic junk," including his "worn-out Spike Jones records."
==Records used on Sam and Friends==
*1956: "Too Young" (1951) performed by Paul Frees and Sara BernerShemin, Craig. Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. p. 269 
*1957: "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" (1957) by Windy Cook (Popeye) and Mary Virginia (Olive Oyl)ibid. p. 282 
*December 18, 1958: "Wild Bill Hiccup" (1949) with Spike Jones (Hiccup), George Rock (heroine) and othersibid. p. 316
*March 24, 1959: "I Went to Your Wedding" (1952) performed by Sir Frederick Gas (Earl Bennett)Shemin, Craig. Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. p. 355
*April 8, 1959: "The Man on the Flying Trapeze" (1948), commentary by Doodles Weaveribid. p. 360
*April 13, 1959: "Rhapsody from Hunger(y)" (1951), by Helen Grayco (Spike Jones's wife) and Freddy Morganibid. p. 361
*May 11, 1959: "None But the Lonely Heart" (1949), by Jones and Graycoibid. p. 371
*May 15, 1959: "Dance of the Hours" (1949), commentary by Doodles Weaveribid. p. 373
*September 3, 1959: "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings" from Spike Jones in Stereo (1959), by Frees and Loulie Jean Normanibid. p. 391
*September 25, 1959: "Wild Bill Hiccup"ibid. p. 396
*October 14, 1959: "(All of a Sudden) My Heart Sings"ibid. p. 400
*October 23, 1959: "This Is Your Death" (dialogue)/"Two Heads Are Better Than One" (song) from Spike Jones in Stereo, by Frees, George Rockibid. p. 402
*October 29, 1959: "Poisen to Poisen," same album, by Freesibid. p. 403
*October 30, 1959: "Tammy," same album, by Frees, Norman, Rockibid. p. 403
*December 10, 1959: "The Man on the Flying Trapeze"ibid. p. 414
*December 11, 1959: "Never Hit Your Grandma with a Shovel" (1942) by the Boys in the Backroomibid. p. 414
*March 17, 1960: "Wyatt Earp Makes Me Burp" from Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry, with Spike Jones intro, Thurl Ravenscroft, Mousie Garner, othersibid. p. 441 
*March 21, 1960: "The Sneezin' Bee" and "Ramona," same album, Spike Jones introsibid. p. 443
*May 10, 1960: "I Went to Your Wedding"ibid. p. 456
*May 16, 1960: "I Search For Golden Adventure (In My Seven Leaky Boots)" dialogue from Omnibust (1960), by Joyce Jameson and Lynn Johnsonibid. p. 460
*September 15, 1960: "You don't say" dialogue from Chloe (1945), by Red Ingleibid. p. 463
*October 17, 1960: "How High the Fidelity" from Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry (1957), dialogue by Freddy Morgan (Professor)ibid. p. 469
*October 28, 1960: "I Only Have Eyes for You" from Spike Jones in Stereo, by Frees and Normanibid. p. 471
*November 10, 1960 (est.): "Ah-1, Ah-2, Ah-Sunset Strip" from Omnibust, dialogue with songs by Merrie Virginia, Norman, othersibid. p. 475
*December 13, 1960: "Cocktails for Two" (1944) by Carl Graysonibid. p. 479
==Connections==
*Kaye Ballard, initially billed as "Kay Ballad," was discovered by Jones and sang and did impressions for the stage shows (ca. 1946)
*Victor Borge guest starred on Jones' radio show Spotlight Revue (10/03/1947)
*Don Hinkley wrote scripts for the nine-episode TV series Swinging Spiketaculars and the unreleased LP Spike Jones as Leonard Burnside Discusses... (both 1960)
*Al Hirt performed as a sideman on a New Orleans broadcast of the Spike Jones radio show (circa. 1948)
*Gene Kelly guest starred on Jones' radio show (10/08/1948)
*Dinah Shore, for whom Jones had played drums on records in the 1940s, guest starred on radio's The Spike Jones Show (01/09/1949)
*Joe Siracusa was a drummer from 1946 to 1952
==Sources==
==See also==
* Spike Jonze
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Category:Musical References
Category:Audio References