Spike Jones, master of the ... uhhh ... what is that he's playing, anyway?

March 29, 2008 10:53 PM

40's-50's-Fun-Filter: glglglgl-prt-HIC! What soothing melodies do I hear? honk!honk!honk! Is it geese mating? Ibidi? Ibiduh. Ibidih? eauugh! No, it's Spike Jones and his City Slickers!

Enjoy some anarcho-zany classics!

· Cocktails for Two
· Four songs: 1: The Man on the Flying Trapeze | 2: None But the Lonely Heart | 3: My Old Flame | 4: The Glow Worm
· Der Führer's Face: recording | live | Donald Duck
· The Sabre Dance
· All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth
· Clink, Clink, Another Drink
· Pass the Biscuits, Mirandy!
· 12th Street Rag (featuring collapsible trombone, Elvis's bottom half, and stereophonic bicycle pump)
· The William Tell Overture (featuring Doodles Weaver)

[see also Astro Zombie's previous thread]

...Fietlebauuuuum

posted by not_on_display (8 comments total)

[link to Astro Zombie's previous thread]
posted by not_on_display at 10:54 PM on March 29

Y'know, a lot of those had content I wouldn't have gotten had it not been for all those history classes I took.
Thanks, education.
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 11:19 PM on March 29

Ah yes, the real Spike Jones. "How can Spike Jones possibly be making movies when he's dead," I found myself wondering for a brief period in the late 1990's.

I read somewhere that the composer of Cocktails for Two was quite unhappy with Spike's version; from his perspective, he'd written this beautiful song, only to have it spoiled. (And today I suspect that more people know the song because of Spike's version.) On the hand, David Rose had no problem with Spike's version of his Holiday for Strings.

And yes, that's Mel Blanc taking a verse of Clink, Clink.
posted by pmurray63 at 12:11 AM on March 30

I once intercepted an misdirected email from his son (Spike Jones Jr.) that resulted in a brief email exchange. Funny guy ... must be genetic.
posted by RavinDave at 1:14 AM on March 30

Great stuff—thanks!
posted by languagehat at 5:30 AM on March 30

My grandmother gifted me with a Spike Jones cassette tape as a child, and my friends TO THIS DAY hate it when I put my hand-phone to my ear and run through the whole "You don't say" gag.

Matter of fact, the first time I successfully made a play for a female's attention, back in 4th or 5th grade, was successful solely because of that joke.

My god...it's been 20 years since I heard Der Fuhrer's Face and I can sing every single word...

Must go and explain to my housemates why I am gleefully singing about Nazi Germany and the Master Race.
posted by dozo at 6:12 AM on March 30

I played the mother-loving crap out of Spike Jones is murdering the classics growing up. Like my grandfather said, "you gotta really know how to play to pull off that shit".

a thousand thanks for more video Jones.
posted by Busithoth at 6:43 AM on March 30

Spike roolz. Thanks for the post, n_o_d.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 9:30 AM on March 30