What a wonderful clip, Oldiesman. Perfect video to accompany the music.

Another fun one from Yma Sumac. This one really shows off her vocal range.

Another artist with an unusual vocal range. This is from a 1944 Soundie, but I don't think this version was ever released beyond that. Several others have recorded the song, but none quite like this.

Oddly, Rammel, I had nightmares after that song came out way back when. I dreamt I couldn't get my chewing gum out of my mouth. It was enough for me to stop chewing the stuff. I must have been around 13 or 14.

This is the first record my parents let me buy with my allowance money.

Quote from: MarsGal on March 31, 2023, 05:53:46 AMOddly, Rammel, I had nightmares after that song came out way back when. I dreamt I couldn't get my chewing gum out of my mouth. It was enough for me to stop chewing the stuff. I must have been around 13 or 14.

Isn't it interesting what our brains do to us, and we rarely figure out why.
I remember that one eyed one horned flying purple people eater. As I recall it was a big hit around here.

Quote from: RAMMEL on March 30, 2023, 11:16:30 PM

I'm more familiar with this rendition which I first heard on a Dr. Demento album years ago. This hit #3 in the UK in early March of 1959 and #5 in the US a couple years later (I guess the single wasn't released in the US until 1961).

Speaking of chewing gum ---

Continuing the theme... Featuring the vocal talents of George Rock and a rare vocal appearance from Spike himself

Found this on YouTube tonight. According to Wikipedia, the three members of the group were all siblings. This was released in 1966 and was apparently a big country hit in the US, peaking at #2 on the country chart. It also peaked at #44 on the pop chart in the US and #29 in Canada.

A classic from the same film that also gave us "White Christmas" and "Happy Holiday".

Michael - In some ways I like "Holiday Inn" more than the remake, "White Christmas".  In "H-Inn" every  American holiday throughout the year is celebrated.  My favorite is Fred Astaire doing the Firecracker Dance, for the Fourth of July. 

Quote from: Marilyne on April 03, 2023, 12:08:24 PMMichael - In some ways I like "Holiday Inn" more than the remake, "White Christmas".  In "H-Inn" every  American holiday throughout the year is celebrated.  My favorite is Fred Astaire doing the Firecracker Dance, for the Fourth of July. 

White Christmas isn't really a remake of Holiday Inn at all. I think the title (and inclusion of that song in the film) was more just to take advantage of the popularity of that song. Both are good movies though. That firecracker dance is also my favorite part of that movie - and something that would likely be deemed too dangerous to attempt today.

The original version of "Peter Cottontail", released a month or so before Gene Autry's version (back when the emphasis was more on the song itself than the person who recorded it). The guys who wrote this later wrote "Frosty the Snowman". According to a comment on this video on YouTube, Merv Shiner is still alive and is now 102.

This is the best live recording I've ever seen on YouTube, of a Big Band from the early 1940's.  Bob Eberle and Helen O'Connell - the same two who brought us Green Eyes.  ("Those cool and limpid"!)

1945 . . . what a wonderful year it was!  The War was finally over, and my Dad came home from the Pacific.  Lots of parties, picnics and family reunions!  Everyone was happy and loved each other.   A far, far cry from what people are like today . . . too much hate and division in the World now.   

The French song I meant to post yesterday...

Michael, this one is much better than yesterday's.   Interesting presentation with the French and English subtitles.   

The original lyrics for the song that became known as "Beer Barrel Polka". Unlike the English version, the original Czech version wasn't quite as cheerful. This video includes subtitles in Czech, Polish and English.

Michael, that made me think about my sweet mother-in-law. She could have translated all the words . . . spoke nothing but Czech, until she started school.  Always had a slight lingering accent.   

Tried to post a couple of songs tonight, but they didn't work?  This just isn't my day today.  Three more hours to go and it'll be over!   

Polka used to be popular around Central Pa when I was much younger. Aside from Lawrence Welk's show, we had Weird Al Yankovic. I rarely hear it anymore. But who the heck are these guys?

Here is a good one. Frank Yankovic. He is apparently no relation to Wierd Al.

MarsGal - The Andrews Sisters had a very popular version of The Pennsylvania Polka, in the 1940's.  I remember learning to dance the polka at that time.   I'll post the recording later, after I've had a few cups of coffee - I might even have the energy to go "once around the floor"!    

Quote from: MarsGal on April 07, 2023, 06:42:50 AMBut who the heck are these guys?

Wikipedia says "a Canadian 6-piece folk-punk band from Vancouver". Fun song

Frank Yankovic is from Cleveland, and apparently the polka there is a different style than what's popular in Pennsylvania. I couldn't tell you what the difference is though. Apparently the Cleveland style traces its roots to Slovenia.

Here's an interesting one. This is based on a German song titled "In Himmel gibt's kein Bier" (translated title essentially the same as the English title), which was written for a 1955 film. Frank Yankovic wrote the English lyrics around 1964, and the first English version was done by Chicago-area polka band Li'l Wally and the Harmony Boys in 1964. Frank recorded it with his band in 1965, but it wasn't until the early 70s when the song gained popularity. A Boston-area folk rock band called Clean Living recorded it for their first album, apparently to fill out space on the album, and the geniuses at their record label decided to release that song as the band's first major-label single (which ultimately ruined any chance the band had at being successful nationwide - they already had quite a following in the Boston area apparently). That version became a staple on the Dr. Demento Show and the rest is history. This version was recorded for the 1995 album Songs of the Polka King Volume 1 and also features Chicago-area polka artist Eddie Blazonczyk.