Freberg! Freberg!
March 26, 2009 9:38 AM   Subscribe

Oregon! Oregon! A Centennial Fable in Three Acts is a musical comedy by famed radio comedian and Looney Tunes voice actor Stan Freberg that was commissioned in 1959 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Oregon statehood. This year, on the 150th anniversary, Stan Freberg and Pink Martini will revive the musical with a new 4th act written by Freberg (check out the complete Pink Martini concert on the page). For more Freberg goodness check out these 15 episodes of his radio show and this 1999 interview which includes some of his classic sketches (sketches in RealAudio format).
posted by Kattullus (40 comments total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
Here are direct mp3 links to the 6 acts of Oregon! Oregon! Intro, overture, act I, interlude, act II and act III.
posted by Kattullus at 9:41 AM on March 26, 2009


Can I put my arms down now?
posted by Faint of Butt at 9:45 AM on March 26, 2009


HI! Billy May here!



What? Oh.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 9:57 AM on March 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


My grandparents, both music teachers, were big fans of Stan Freberg, and of the time I spent growing up in their house, I can remember afternoons listening to the Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America.

To this very day, if someone in our family says "What's that?" in response to an unknown sound, any one of us is liable to answer "French Horns."
posted by thanotopsis at 9:59 AM on March 26, 2009


English horns.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:05 AM on March 26, 2009


Nice find, bookmarked to listen to later.

Yellow Rose of Texas and Rock Island Line still make me laugh.
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome at 10:30 AM on March 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


To this very day, if someone in our family says "What's that?" in response to an unknown sound, any one of us is liable to answer "French Horns."

I do the same thing (at least in my head) if someone says "That doesn't make any difference."

It makes a difference to the sheep.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 10:31 AM on March 26, 2009


Thank you, Stan Freberg.

One must always say thank you... remember the tiny tots!
posted by Spatch at 10:39 AM on March 26, 2009


Get your chicken at the station?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 10:40 AM on March 26, 2009


Oh, nice find! I thought I'd heard all of his radio work, but I'd missed this. I come from a big family of Frebergophiles, so this will be shared immediately. In my family, we call each other Bix ("You've influenced me a lot, Bix!") and whenever we go on a picnic, the boatman has our sandwiches. We haven't made up our minds about Toledo yet. Oh, and "Everyone wants to be an art director" was my theme song for years.

Because I'm greedy: Here's hoping he's working on Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume 3. In the meanwhile, I strongly recommend his biography (It only hurts when I laugh)
posted by julen at 12:09 PM on March 26, 2009


It would make a grand double feature with Cannibal, the Musical!, but that's really more about Colorado, I suppose....
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:22 PM on March 26, 2009


My father always calls me on Columbus Day to tell me the banks are closed. I tell him all his S's look like F's. Good times. :)

*ahem*

Elderly Man River, that Elderly Man River,
He must know something, but he doesn't say anything,
He just keeps rollin' rolling, just keeps rolling along.

He doesn't plant taters potatoes, he doesn't plant cotton cotting,
And them these those that plant them are soon forgotting,
But Elderly Man River, he just keeps rolling along.

You and I, we sweat perspire and strain,
Bodies all aching and racked with pain,
Tote that barge! Lift that bale!
You get a little--

All right, Tweedly. We know when we're licked.
posted by cereselle at 12:34 PM on March 26, 2009


Stop that grumbling down there!
posted by grubi at 12:59 PM on March 26, 2009


It might help. (But not much.) No.
posted by grubi at 1:00 PM on March 26, 2009


INDIAN: Today, banks closed.

COLUMBUS: Oh? Why?

INDIAN: Columbus Day.
posted by grubi at 1:01 PM on March 26, 2009


And every Saturday evening, I bring out the mag.
posted by grubi at 1:01 PM on March 26, 2009


The color is fine! BLACK is a GREAT color! It sets off your wig!
posted by grubi at 1:02 PM on March 26, 2009


How'd you like a flag that features fleurs-de-lis on ocher corrugated tin?
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:24 PM on March 26, 2009


You know, skinny kid with a pipe.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 1:25 PM on March 26, 2009


RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE.
MUTINY MUTINY MUTINY.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:28 PM on March 26, 2009


You mean on top of everything else, this ship is rigged?

Oh, and the Freberg show comes on the XM/Sirius channel Radio Classics. They also slide in snippets when they need to fill 3 to 5 minutes. The schedule varies weekly, so you can't schedule your listening pleasure, but it's a treat when you stumble across it.
posted by julen at 1:57 PM on March 26, 2009


I always get him mixed up with Allan Sherman, and adore them both...
posted by twsf at 1:57 PM on March 26, 2009


EXCELLENT FIND! Born and raised in Oregon somewhat ofter the Centennial, and had never heard of this. Love it!
posted by njbradburn at 5:29 PM on March 26, 2009


Oh man. Born and raised in Portland, and Pink Martini is one of my favorite bands. I think I've seen them live more times than any other group, and the last time I saw them they had a special surprise guest appearance by Emilio Delgado (Luis from Sesame Street). I think that speaks volumes to how awesome they are.
posted by OverlappingElvis at 6:12 PM on March 26, 2009


How great to find a post about Freberg (b. 1926) that's not an obituary. Thanks Kattullus. When I was a wee lad years and years ago I would even stop beating up my little brother (which I was doing for no good reason) while we listened to The Lone Psychiatrist and The Honey-Earthers. My son, almost 50 years later, got captivated himself not long ago with Freberg's Green Chri$tma$, Banana Boat (Day-O), and the truly wonderful clink-clink-clink jazz of The Great Pretender.
posted by LeLiLo at 11:23 PM on March 26, 2009


Daylight come and you wanna throw up
Day-O!
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:16 AM on March 27, 2009


This one right here? The one with stripéd awning.
posted by grubi at 5:34 AM on March 27, 2009


I just had my wig done, and this damp air isn't doing it any good.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:31 AM on March 27, 2009


You want it on a hangar?
posted by grubi at 6:53 AM on March 27, 2009


No, I'll run it up the flagpole ... see if anyone salutes.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:25 AM on March 27, 2009


Heh - look at this showoff Hancock! Pretty flamboyant signature, for an insurance man.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 8:26 AM on March 27, 2009


It's hard to hit the porch from a horse.
posted by grubi at 8:27 AM on March 27, 2009


The whole thing is madness! I don't like the way the crew is acting!

(You're overplaying a bit yourself there.)
posted by grubi at 9:05 AM on March 27, 2009


Fortunately, I have all four discs of Frieberg's "Tip of the Frieberg" collection on my ipod.

Marsha!
posted by djfiander at 9:49 AM on March 27, 2009


Make sure you spell "Freberg" correctly.

Oops! I mean:

Moldy, uh... fig?
posted by grubi at 11:05 AM on March 27, 2009


Maiden devouring without a license. Let's go.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 11:50 AM on March 27, 2009


Surly to bed and surly to rise...!
posted by grubi at 1:00 PM on March 27, 2009


That's about the size of it.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 3:18 PM on March 27, 2009


It's you! It's you!
posted by grubi at 5:34 AM on March 28, 2009


Nice quality. Wife flip.
posted by grubi at 5:58 AM on March 28, 2009


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