Novelties - All But Forgotten

[barnaby_wilde]

Just about all of Ray Stevens' songs would fall into the novelty category. His "Jeremiah Peabody's Polyunsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green And Purple Pills" probably still holds the record for the longest song title.

 

[FRR]

AND, a great tune!

 

[dtuba]

"The Curly Shuffle" by Jump N' the Saddle (1983)

Noink, noink, Hey Moe, Hey Moe!

 

[CatCall]

"Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin

 

[Oldiesaholic]

The Banana Boat Song (Day-O), Stan Freberg. (My ears, my ears!)
Transfusion, Nervous Norvus. (Pour the crimson in me Jim-son!)

 

[radioman148]

Dig--Nervous Norvous
Ape Call--Nervous Norvous
Bullfrog Hop--Nervous Norvous

 

[71dude]

Where's the Dress? - Moe Bandy/Joe Stampley

 

[CrankyYankee]

Let's not forget the sort-of recent, "Pants on the Ground"...

 

[MickeyD]

Dig--Nervous Norvous
Ape Call--Nervous Norvous
Bullfrog Hop--Nervous Norvous

Transfusion

 

[MickeyD]

Neanderthal Man

 

[CTListener]

The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy songs would certainly qualify: Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, The Return of the Red Baron, Snoopy's Christmas, Snoopy for President.

I'd also include the spate of late '60s songs that either covered ancient titles or created an old-timey sound: Winchester Cathedral, Hello Hello, The Eggplant that Ate Chicago, Mairzy Doats, My Mammy, Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead.

 

[CTListener]

None recently (though an argument could be made for Macarena, I suppose, I'd just call it annoying).

To me "Macarena" is just a hit based on a dance (or some sort of rhythmic motion), like the more recent "Gangnam Style." How about "Who Let the Dogs Out"?

 

[MickeyD]

Dig--Nervous Norvous
Ape Call--Nervous Norvous
Bullfrog Hop--Nervous Norvous

Transfusion-Nervous Norvous

 

[Thomps2525]

I love Julie Brown's 'Cause I'm A Blonde from the 1989 Earth Girls Are Easy movie: "I don't have to work---I just have to jiggle."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ol4oWChjzk

 

[KeithE4]

The Royal Guardsmen's Snoopy songs would certainly qualify: Snoopy vs. the Red Baron, The Return of the Red Baron, Snoopy's Christmas, Snoopy for President.

I'd also include the spate of late '60s songs that either covered ancient titles or created an old-timey sound: Winchester Cathedral, Hello Hello, The Eggplant that Ate Chicago, Mairzy Doats, My Mammy, Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead.

Don't forget Paul McCartney's Honey Pie, on The Beatles' white album.

 

[michael hagerty]

Don't forget Paul McCartney's Honey Pie, on The Beatles' white album.

Or for that matter, "When I'm 64" and some other McCartney compositions of the later Beatle era.

As John Lennon called them "another one of Paul's granny tunes."

 

[Thomps2525]

The Monkees' Magnolia Simms was made to sound like an old scratchy phonograph record. At one point, the "record" sticks and starts repeating the same two notes over and over; then there's the sound of the tone arm being lifted off the record and set back down so the record can finish playing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmy0LMPZ3F0

(If anyone doesn't know what a "phonograph" was, I'll provide a definition upon request. )

 

[KeithE4]

Or for that matter, "When I'm 64" and some other McCartney compositions of the later Beatle era.

As John Lennon called them "another one of Paul's granny tunes."

I think Lennon used a word other than "tunes"- one I can't repeat here.

 

[BostonRandy]

"Bloat On" - Cheech & Chong featuring The Bloaters
"Earache My Eye" - Cheech & Chong featuring "Alice Bowie"
"Don't Eat the Yellow Snow" - Frank Zappa
"Junk Food Junkie" - Larry Groce
"Telephone Man" - Meri Wilson
"Convoy" - C.W. McCall
"Shaving Cream" - Benny Bell
"King Tut" - Steve Martin
"Rappin' Rodney" - Rodney Dangerfield
"Wild Thing" - Sam Kinison
"PacMan Fever" - Buckner & Garcia
"Rubber Biscuit" - The Blues Brothers
"Dead Skunk" - Loudon Wainwright III (at one time, played during the 7th inning stretch at Russ Chandler Stadium - Georgia Tech)

And, although I wouldn't consider this, necessarily, as a pure novelty tune:

"I Put a Spell On You" - Screamin' Jay Hawkins (played incessantly on WPJB - "JB-105", Providence)

 

[JeffM]

Allan Sherman - Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
David Seville - Witch Doctor, Alvin's Harmonica, Ragtime Cowboy Joe
Guy Marks - Loving You Has Made Me Bananas
Stan Freberg - parody versions of Heartbreak Hotel, Sh-Boom,and The Great Pretender

The trouble with a lot of comedy music recordings, especially the comedy LP stars of the 60's, is the length of their routines make them difficult to program. The Smothers Brothers were both funny and good singers, but some of their song-and-patter bits ran 10 minutes or more. Same goes for Allan Sherman, his "Good Advice" is hilarious but 8 minutes long (it is however in two segments so I suppose you could play just one half or the other...) Stan Freberg's "Green Chri$tma$" likewise, though the singles I listed here are short and sweet, as are David Seville's. (So I still like the Chipmunks. So sue me.)

Though it was released as a single, "The Last Duet" by Barry Manilow and Lily Tomlin maybe wasn't a hit but it was a hoot. A total send-up of all the "superstar duet" records of the late 70's/80's (Diamond/Streisand, Travolta/Newton-John, Elton/Kiki, and all points west.)