Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection
Encyclopedia
This is a release by radio disc jockey Dr. Demento
to celebrate 20 years since the beginning of his radio career.
It covers many of the novelty and comedy songs from the 1950s such as Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)
by Lonnie Donegan
& His Skiffle Group to the then recent release of Eat It
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
whose popularity was boosted by Demento.
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
to celebrate 20 years since the beginning of his radio career.
It covers many of the novelty and comedy songs from the 1950s such as Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)
Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night)
"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour " is a novelty song by Lonnie Donegan. Released as a single in 1959, it peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart...
by Lonnie Donegan
Lonnie Donegan
Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s...
& His Skiffle Group to the then recent release of Eat It
Eat It
"Eat It" is a hit single by parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song "Beat It" by pop star Michael Jackson. The single reached #1 in Australia, and it was his highest-charting U.S. single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12 until "White & Nerdy" peaked at #9 in October 2006...
by "Weird Al" Yankovic
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
whose popularity was boosted by Demento.
Disc one
| # | Title | Performer(s) | Time | Writer(s) | Year released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Delicious" | Backus, Jim & Friend Jim Backus James Gilmore "Jim" Backus was a radio, television, film, and voice actor. Among his most famous roles are the voice of Mr... |
3:09 | Buddy Kaye | 1958 |
| 2 | "The Scotsman" | Bryan Bowers Bryan Bowers Bryan Bowers is an American autoharp player who is frequently credited with introducing the instrument to new generations of musicians.-Career:... |
2:27 | Mike Cross | 1980 |
| 3 | "Junk Food Junkie" | Larry Groce Larry Groce Larry Groce is an American singer-songwriter and radio host. Since 1983, Groce has served as the host and artistic director of Mountain Stage, a two-hour live music program produced by West Virginia Public Radio and distributed by NPR. He first entered the national spotlight in 1976 when his... |
3:05 | Larry Groce | 1976 |
| 4 | "Eat It Eat It "Eat It" is a hit single by parody artist "Weird Al" Yankovic. It is a parody of the song "Beat It" by pop star Michael Jackson. The single reached #1 in Australia, and it was his highest-charting U.S. single on the Billboard Hot 100 at #12 until "White & Nerdy" peaked at #9 in October 2006... " |
"Weird Al" Yankovic "Weird Al" Yankovic Alfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts... |
3:20 | Alfred Yankovic | 1984 |
| 5 | "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) Does Your Chewing Gum Lose It's Flavor (On The Bedpost Over Night) "Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour " is a novelty song by Lonnie Donegan. Released as a single in 1959, it peaked at number 3 in the UK Singles Chart... " |
Lonnie Donegan Lonnie Donegan Anthony James "Lonnie" Donegan MBE was a skiffle musician, with more than 20 UK Top 30 hits to his name. He is known as the "King of Skiffle" and is often cited as a large influence on the generation of British musicians who became famous in the 1960s... & His Skiffle Group |
2:30 | Marty Bloom/Ernest Breur/Billy Rose | 1958 |
| 6 | "Wet Dream" | Kip Addotta Kip Addotta Kip Addotta is an American comedian notable for often being featured on The Tonight Show and the syndicated show Make Me Laugh. He was also featured on "The Dr. Demento Show" for his novelty music, the biggest hits of which are "Wet Dream" and "Life in the Slaw Lane", a series of fish puns and... |
5:08 | Biff Manard/Kip Addotta | 1984 |
| 7 | "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh " is a Grammy Award-winning novelty song by Allan Sherman, based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert while Robert attended Camp Champlain in Westport, New York. The song is a parody that complains about the fictional "Camp Granada" and is set to the... " |
Allan Sherman Allan Sherman Allan Sherman was an American comedy writer and television producer who became famous as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer , became the fastest-selling record album up to that time... |
2:49 | Allan Sherman/Lou Busch | 1963 |
| 8 | "Wappin'" | Darrell Hammond Darrell Hammond Darrell Hammond is an American actor, stand-up comedian and impressionist. He was a regular on Saturday Night Live from 1995 until 2009, the longest tenure of any cast member. Upon his departure, Hammond, at age 53, was the oldest cast member in the show's history... & Christopher Snell |
3:02 | Christopher Snell | 1989 |
| 9 | "Purple People Eater Purple People Eater "Purple People Eater" is a novelty song, written and performed by Sheb Wooley, that reached #1 in the Billboard pop charts in 1958.-Composition:... " |
Sheb Wooley Sheb Wooley Shelby F. "Sheb" Wooley was a character actor and singer, best known for his 1958 novelty song "Purple People Eater"... |
2:15 | Sheb Wooley | 1958 |
| 10 | "Monster Mash Monster Mash "Monster Mash" is a 1962 novelty song and the best-known song by Bobby "Boris" Pickett. The song was released as a single on Gary S. Paxton's Garpax Records label in August 1962 along with a full-length LP called The Original Monster Mash, which contained several other monster-themed tunes... " |
Bobby "Boris" Pickett & the Crypt Kickers | 3:13 | Bobby Pickett/Leonard L. Capizzi | 1962 |
| 11 | "Cocktails for Two Cocktails for Two "Cocktails for Two" is a song from the Big Band era, written by Arthur Johnston and Sam Coslow. The song debuted in the movie Murder at the Vanities , where it was introduced by singer and actor Carl Brisson... " |
Spike Jones Spike Jones Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"... and his City Slickers |
2:58 | Arthur Johnston Arthur Johnston (composer) Arthur Johnston was a composer known for such works as “Mandy, Make Up Your Mind,” "Pennies From Heaven," and many others... /Sam Coslow Sam Coslow Sam Coslow was an American songwriter, singer, film producer, publisher, and market analyst. Coslow was born in New York City. He began writing songs as a teenager... |
1944 |
| 12 | "Transfusion" | Nervous Norvus Nervous Norvus Nervous Norvus was the performing name of Jimmy Drake . His novelty song "Transfusion" was a major hit in 1956, as was a second song, "Ape Call," released later that year.... |
2:27 | Jimmy Drake | 1956 |
| 13 | "Beep Beep" | The Playmates The Playmates The Playmates were a late 1950s vocal group, led by the pianist Chic Hetti , drummer; Donny Conn ; and Morey Carr , all from Waterbury, Connecticut.-Career:The Playmates, Donald Claps drummer and lyricist, Carl Cicchetti... |
2:47 | Carl Cicchetti/Donald Claps | 1958 |
| 14 | "St. George and the Dragonet St. George and the Dragonet "St. George and the Dragonet" is a short audio satire recorded August 26, 1953 by Stan Freberg for Capitol Records. It was released September 21, 1953 as a 45 rpm single .... " |
Stan Freberg Stan Freberg Stanley Victor "Stan" Freberg is an American author, recording artist, animation voice actor, comedian, radio personality, puppeteer, and advertising creative director whose career began in 1944... |
3:26 | Daws Butler Daws Butler Charles Dawson "Daws" Butler was a voice actor originally from Toledo, Ohio. He worked mostly for Hanna-Barbera and originated the voices of many famous animated cartoon characters, including Yogi Bear, Quick Draw McGraw, Snagglepuss, and Huckleberry Hound.Daws Butler trained many working actors... /Stan Freberg/Walter Schumann Walter Schumann Walter Schumann was an American composer for film, television, and the theater. His notable works include the score for The Night of the Hunter and the Dragnet Theme... |
1953 |
| 15 | "Witch Doctor" | David Seville | 2:21 | Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. | 1958 |
| 16 | "Gitarzan Gitarzan "Gitarzan" is a novelty song released by Ray Stevens in 1969, about a character who lives in a jungle and forms a musical band with his female partner, Jane, and their pet monkey. The song features Tarzan Yells, scat singing, and a funky Boogie Woogie, as well as a quote from the song "Swinging on... " |
Ray Stevens Ray Stevens Ray Stevens is an American country music, pop singer-songwriter who has become known for his novelty songs.-Early career:... |
3:15 | Bill Everette/Ray Stevens | 1969 |
| 17 | "Earache My Eye Earache My Eye "Earache My Eye" is a comedy routine and song by Cheech and Chong which features Alice Bowie .-History:It first appeared on Cheech & Chong's Wedding Album and later on the greatest hits collections Cheech & Chong's Greatest Hit , and Where There's Smoke There's Cheech & Chong, a double-CD... " |
Cheech & Chong feat. Alice Bowie | 5:22 | Cheech Marin Cheech Marin Richard Anthony "Cheech" Marin is an American comedian, actor and writer who gained recognition as part of the comedy act Cheech & Chong during the 1970s and early 1980s, and as Don Johnson's partner, Insp. Joe Dominguez on Nash Bridges... /Gaye Marin/Thomas Chong |
1974 |
| 18 | "Dead Puppies" | Ogden Edsl Ogden Edsl Ogden Edsl was an American band, formed in 1970 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their music was often darkly comedic and satirical, and was frequently featured on the weekly Dr... |
2:12 | Bill Frenzer/Rich Thieman | 1977 |
Disc two
| # | Title | Performer(s) | Time | Writer(s) | Year released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dancin' Fool" | Frank Zappa Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed... |
3:36 | Frank Zappa | 1979 |
| 2 | "Star Trekkin' Star Trekkin' "Star Trekkin" is a novelty song written by Rory Kehoe with music by John O'Connor, Graham Lister and Bill Martin. It is a parody of the original TV series of Star Trek... " |
The Firm | 3:47 | Grahame Lister/John O'Connor | 1987 |
| 3 | "The Time Warp" | The Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast | 3:19 | Richard O'Brien | 1975 |
| 4 | "The Masochism Tango" | Tom Lehrer Tom Lehrer Thomas Andrew "Tom" Lehrer is an American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist, mathematician and polymath. He has lectured on mathematics and musical theater... |
2:56 | Tom Lehrer | 1959 |
| 5 | "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun "The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" is a 1984 song by American singer–comedian Julie Brown parodying 1950s "teen tragedy" songs.The song and music video—both released more than a decade before school shootings became real-life events— revolve around a teenaged Valley girl's oblivious... " |
Julie Brown Julie Brown Julie Ann Brown is an American actress, comedienne, screen/television writer, singer-songwriter, television director. Brown is perhaps best known for her work in the 1980s, where she often played a quintessential valley girl character... |
4:41 | Julie Brown/Charles Coffey/Ray Colcord Ray Colcord Ray Colcord is an American film and TV composer living in Los Angeles, most famous for TV series such as 227, The Facts of Life, Silver Spoons, My Two Dads, Dinosaurs, Big Brother, and Boy Meets World... /Terrence McNally |
1984 |
| 6 | "The Ballad of Irving" | Frank Gallop Frank Gallop Frank Gallop was an American radio and television personality.-Radio:Frank Gallop went into broadcasting by chance... /Phil Leeds |
3:27 | John Aylesworth/Frank Peppiatt/Dick Williams | 1966 |
| 7 | "The Battle of Kookamonga" | Homer & Jethro | 2:39 | Jimmie Driftwood/J. J. Reynolds | 1960 |
| 8 | "King Tut King Tut (song) "King Tut" is a novelty song performed by Steve Martin and the Toot Uncommons . It was released as a single in 1978, sold over a million copies, and reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Martin previewed the song in a live performance during the April 22, 1978 episode of Saturday... " |
Steve Martin Steve Martin Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer.... |
2:39 | Steve Martin | 1978 |
| 9 | "Der Fuehrer's Face Der Fuehrer's Face Der Fuehrer's Face is a 1943 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon, which features Donald Duck in a nightmare setting working at a factory in Nazi Germany, was made in an effort to sell war bonds and is an example of... " |
Spike Jones Spike Jones Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny and other Warner Brothers cartoon characters, performed a drunken, hiccuping verse for 1942's "Clink! Clink! Another Drink"... and His City Slickers |
2:12 | Oliver Wallace | 1942 |
| 10 | "Fish Heads Fish Heads (song) "Fish Heads" is a novelty song by comedy rock duo Barnes and Barnes, featured on their 1980 album Voobaha. It has often been played on the Dr... " |
Barnes and Barnes | 2:26 | Artie Barnes | 1980 |
| 11 | "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" | Tom Lehrer | 2:09 | Tom Lehrer | 1959 |
| 12 | "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" | Shel Silverstein Shel Silverstein Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein , was an American poet, singer-songwriter, musician, composer, cartoonist, screenwriter and author of children's books. He styled himself as Uncle Shelby in his children's books... |
2:47 | Shel Silverstein | 1969 |
| 13 | "The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati" | Rose & The Arrangement | 2:11 | Drill | 1974 |
| 14 | "Surfin' Bird Surfin' Bird "Surfin' Bird" is a song performed by the American surf rock band The Trashmen; it is also the name of the album that featured this hit single. It was released in 1963 and reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100... " |
The Trashmen The Trashmen The Trashmen are a rock and roll band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1962. The group's original lineup was Tony Andreason on lead guitar and vocals, Dal Winslow on guitar and vocals, Steve Wahrer on drums and vocals, and Bob Reed on bass guitar... |
2:24 | Al Frazier/Robert Harris/Carl White/Turner Wilson | 1963 |
| 15 | "Pencil Neck Geek" | Freddie Blassie | 3:29 | Pete Cicero/Martin Margulies | 1975 |
| 16 | "Ti Kwan Leep Ti Kwan Leep Ti Kwan Leep is a sketch comedy recording by the Canadian comedy troupe The Frantics. It appears on their 1987 album Boot to the Head.... /Boot to the Head" |
The Frantics | 6:08 | The Frantics | 1987 |
| 17 | "Existential Blues" | Tom "T-Bone" Stankus | 6:14 | Tom "T-Bone" Stankus | 1979 |
| 18 | "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" | Napoleon XIV Napoleon XIV Napoleon XIV was the pseudonym of the American singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels , who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels also wrote The Shelter of Your Arms, a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis, Jr... |
2:10 | N. Bonaparte (Jerry Samuels) | 1966 |