Allen & Grier
Encyclopedia
Allen & Grier is a folk rock
parody
duo
that in 1963 released the comedy album
Better To Be Rich Than Ethnic on Vee Jay Records. The duo consisted of musician Jake Holmes
as Allen and his wife Katherine "Kay" Holmes as Grier. The two met at Bennington College
and decided to write songs that mocked the popular folk music
of the time. The result was an album that, according to interviews Jake Holmes has given, earned the pair the label "the most tasteless folk group ever" from Pete Seeger
.
mother explains the virtues of being white and privileged. The tracks "Teenage Mother" and "Hyena Baby" parody the pop music
of the late 50s that was often favored by the teenybopper
set. The album's final track is an intentionally grating cover
of the song "Earth Angel
.""The Ballad of the Camping Woodcutters" attempts to play on the sound of medieval ballads while at the same time making off color puns
. In fact, only "Grapefruits" and "Lonesome Traveler" sound like most folk music did at the time Allen & Grier were performing. One should note, furthermore, that the former of the two songs is intended to be a comedic song.
and Jim Connell
called "Jim, Jake and Joan." Holmes' follow-up album, a serious solo effort titled A Letter to Katherine December, was released later. It dealt with the fall-out from his divorce
.
Since the advent on the online music industry, Allen & Grier has seen some resurgence in popularity, as prints of the original vinyl album have long been hard to find.
The Culps, the married pair of middle school music teachers played by Will Ferrell
and Ana Gasteyer
on Saturday Night Live
resemble Allen & Grier in their sound. Mrs. Culp in particular sounds like Grier. Also, both bands cover popular songs in quirkly, often irritating ways for the purpose of humor.
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
duo
Duet (music)
A duet is a musical composition for two performers. In classical music, the term is most often used for a composition for two singers or pianists; with other instruments, the word duo is also often used. A piece performed by two pianists performing together on the same piano is referred to as...
that in 1963 released the comedy album
Comedy album
A comedy album is an audio recording of comedic material from a comedian or group of comedians, usually performed either live or in a studio. Comedy albums may feature skits, humorous songs, and/or live recording of stand-up comedy performances, but the most common type of comedy albums are stand...
Better To Be Rich Than Ethnic on Vee Jay Records. The duo consisted of musician Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes
Jake Holmes is an American singer-songwriter and jingle writer who began a recording career in the 1960s...
as Allen and his wife Katherine "Kay" Holmes as Grier. The two met at Bennington College
Bennington College
Bennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
and decided to write songs that mocked the popular folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
of the time. The result was an album that, according to interviews Jake Holmes has given, earned the pair the label "the most tasteless folk group ever" from Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
.
Discography
Despite being billed as a folk act, Allen & Grier actually emulate various genres of music on their sole album. The title track, for example, is a straightforward comedy track in which the pair's WASPishWhite Anglo-Saxon Protestant
White Anglo-Saxon Protestant or WASP is an informal term, often derogatory or disparaging, for a closed group of high-status Americans mostly of British Protestant ancestry. The group supposedly wields disproportionate financial and social power. When it appears in writing, it is usually used to...
mother explains the virtues of being white and privileged. The tracks "Teenage Mother" and "Hyena Baby" parody the pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
of the late 50s that was often favored by the teenybopper
Teenybopper
The term teenybopper was invented by marketing professionals and psychologists, later becoming a subculture of its own. The term describes a young teenager, particularly a girl, who follows adolescent trends in music, fashion and culture. The term was introduced in the 1950s to refer to teenagers...
set. The album's final track is an intentionally grating cover
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of the song "Earth Angel
Earth Angel
"Earth Angel " is an American doo-wop song, originally released by The Penguins in 1954 on the Dootone label , as the B-side to "Hey Señorita." The song became a major hit for The Crew-Cuts in 1955, reaching the Billboard charts on January 29, 1955. It peaked at #3 on the Disk Jockey chart, #8 on...
.""The Ballad of the Camping Woodcutters" attempts to play on the sound of medieval ballads while at the same time making off color puns
Puns
Puns may refer to:*Partido de Unión Nacional Saharaui, the Sahrawi political party* Pun, figure of speech* Phoenicians...
. In fact, only "Grapefruits" and "Lonesome Traveler" sound like most folk music did at the time Allen & Grier were performing. One should note, furthermore, that the former of the two songs is intended to be a comedic song.
Legacy
After moderate success with Better To Be Rich Than Ethnic, Katherine left Jake and the duo disbanded. Jake eventually formed a comedy act with Joan RiversJoan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
and Jim Connell
Jim Connell
Jim Connell was an Irish political activist of the late 19th century and early 20th century, best known as the writer of the anthem "The Red Flag" in December 1889.-Life:...
called "Jim, Jake and Joan." Holmes' follow-up album, a serious solo effort titled A Letter to Katherine December, was released later. It dealt with the fall-out from his divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
.
Since the advent on the online music industry, Allen & Grier has seen some resurgence in popularity, as prints of the original vinyl album have long been hard to find.
The Culps, the married pair of middle school music teachers played by Will Ferrell
Will Ferrell
John William "Will" Ferrell is an American comedian, impressionist, actor, and writer. Ferrell first established himself in the late 1990s as a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, and has subsequently starred in the comedy films Old School, Elf, Anchorman, Talladega...
and Ana Gasteyer
Ana Gasteyer
Ana Kristina Gasteyer is an American actress of stage, film, and television. She is best known for her comedic roles when she was a cast member on Saturday Night Live from 1996 to 2002.-Early life:...
on Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
resemble Allen & Grier in their sound. Mrs. Culp in particular sounds like Grier. Also, both bands cover popular songs in quirkly, often irritating ways for the purpose of humor.