Novelty songs (OPO, C/D, S/D, BKT, RGB, K/O, FL/IM)

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I can't find a thread which discusses Novelty songs in any great depth. So please go ahead. What are the finest examples? I'm saying the KLF but I'm interested in the thoughts behind the Cuban Boys. What was the first novelty track? Will it ever die?
If there are better threads please link, otherwise just prattle on below.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Sunday, 20 April 2003 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

The Ketchup Song. Cheeky Girls (Touch My Bum). David Fucking Sneddon. No, novelty tracks will never die...

― Joseph Goss (wingwalker), Sunday, 20 April 2003 22:06 (twenty-three years ago)

"The Streak" is still the pinnacle.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 20 April 2003 22:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Novelty songs go back to the dawen of time. How about "Startrekkin'" by The Firm as one of the best. It has all the qualifications: it's stupid, intoxicatingly catchy, you can sing it with you aunts and uncles ar Xmas while drunk and jumping up and down, the band were never heard of again...

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:04 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah 'Startrekkin' was one of the first songs I ever loved. A total classic.
What makes a novelty track? It's more than 'wacky lyrics' surely?
And David Sneddon isn't novelty is he? (or did I miss your point?)

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:17 (twenty-three years ago)

how about 'everybody walk the dinosaur'!

― david_underwood, Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Spike Jones
Men Without Hats
Dexy's Midnight Runners (in America, anyway, where "Come On Eileen" definitely counts as a novelty track and the rest of the Kevin Rowland ouevre is essentially unknown)
Bob'n'Doug McKenzie ("Take Off" = Geddy Lee's finest moment?)
Right Said Fred
the great Tom Lehrer!

and oh so many others...

― JesseFox (JesseFox), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:45 (twenty-three years ago)

Surely "Fish Heads" by Barnes & Barnes (half of which was "Lost in Space" child-star, Billy Mummy) rules them all.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:46 (twenty-three years ago)

Is 'Come on Eileen' really a novelty track and not just a 'one hit wonder'? Or are the two terms interchangable?

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Sunday, 20 April 2003 23:49 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, what exactly was the novelty involved in "Come on Eileen"?

Anyway, "The Streak" is really, really, really irritating. I still actually listen to "Mambo #5".

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 00:42 (twenty-three years ago)

Spike Jones owns.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 21 April 2003 00:57 (twenty-three years ago)

I've got to third, fourth whatever the incredulity at someone claiming "Come On Eileen" as a "novelty" track. WTF??

Anyway, Dr. Demento to thread.

Sheb Wooley's "One Eyed, One Horned, Flying Purple People Eater" is the best. Also Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away Haha", Boris Pickett's "Monster Mash", and I'd throw Harry Nilsson's "Coconut" in there as other early favorites.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Monday, 21 April 2003 01:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Does Henry the 8th count as a novelty track? Because if it does, I vote for it.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 01:15 (twenty-three years ago)

Anything by Dan Bern counts, as far as I'm concerned.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Monday, 21 April 2003 01:21 (twenty-three years ago)

fish by mr scruff is a good novelty track

― robin (robin), Monday, 21 April 2003 01:55 (twenty-three years ago)

i believe the "novelty" involved in "come on eileen" is a bunch of pug ugly, dirty oirishmen playing a fiddle on the american charts of 198X.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 21 April 2003 02:07 (twenty-three years ago)

That's the beauty of the 80's though, my friend. Back when radio, you know, wasn't owned by Clear Channel and shit.

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Monday, 21 April 2003 02:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Pac Man Fever rules the roost.

― rat, Monday, 21 April 2003 02:14 (twenty-three years ago)

Disco Duck a close second with Convoy an honorable mention.

― rat, Monday, 21 April 2003 02:16 (twenty-three years ago)

Gotta go for Susan Christie's "I Love Onions," which has all kinds of jokes it doesn't need to have (notably the fake Marilyn Monroe voice she sings it in).

― Douglas (Douglas), Monday, 21 April 2003 02:46 (twenty-three years ago)

jon dowie 'it's hard to be an egg'

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 21 April 2003 04:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Mairzy Doats.

― slutsky (slutsky), Monday, 21 April 2003 04:35 (twenty-three years ago)

i second buckner & garcia's 'pac-man fever'
the other songs on their album are brilliant, too.
i've never heard their 'e.t., i love you', but how could it not be great?

what about didactic/preachy kinda novelty "songs" like les crane's 'desiderata' or 'an open letter to my teenage son' by victor lundberg?

― Dallas Yertle (Dallas Yertle), Monday, 21 April 2003 07:30 (twenty-three years ago)

i believe the "novelty" involved in "come on eileen" is a bunch of pug ugly, dirty oirishmen playing a fiddle on the american charts of 198X.

Jess, Dexy's were from Birmingham, England... Kevin Rowland is part Irish and lived there a while I believe, but the whole "Oirish" vagabond thing was schtick more than anything else. He doesn't talk so much about it now he's wearing women's dresses. Dexy's had their moments but were esentially a pretty silly and not very good...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 21 April 2003 08:25 (twenty-three years ago)

Dexys' first two albums are novel in the best sort of way -- fake ethnic music, beat fashion (punk of 198x) at its own game and kept crit. cred. in rock (in his own terms admittedly) via stance vs. faux punk -- Kevin Rowlands one of rocks classic clever wanker geezers

i wish there was more music this novel, or more novel music this good

― george gosset (gegoss), Monday, 21 April 2003 09:47 (twenty-three years ago)

novelty records by British comedians

Jasper Carrot 'My Funky Moped'
ALexei Sayle 'Ullo John Got A New Motor?'
all those Jonathan King ones (Father Abraphart etc.)

then you've got this recent atrocity by John Otman 'Bunsen Burner' - a remarkable top ten hit, you'd think it could no longer happen in this day and age but there was a 40 year old Fred Dineage lookalike spazzing around on Top Of The Pops, with no shame

no-one mentioned Weird Al Yankovic...someone who has turned the concept of novelty (or at least parody) records into a vaguely successful career

then there's The Birdie Song, Mr Blobby, Bob The Builder, FA Cup records, Maureen from Driving School's Madness cover (oh yes)

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 21 April 2003 11:05 (twenty-three years ago)

add Ivor Biggun's 'The Winker Song (Misprint)' to the British comedians novelty hit list too

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 21 April 2003 11:06 (twenty-three years ago)

alexei sayle "didn't you kill my brother?"

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 21 April 2003 11:10 (twenty-three years ago)

Fuckin' "FISH HEADS", man!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 21 April 2003 11:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Yankovich is an obvious choice but we're all agreed that he's dogshit, right? So what makes a GOOD novelty track? I'm going off The Firm here and I'm going to say that it's being stupid but not in Weird Al's cretinous reinterpretive way; addresses some current cultural concerns; and like Colin says above, is catchier than SARS.

I see the finest novelty tracks as upbeat pop songs that are probably a touch too fast to dance to but has there ever been a novelty ballad?

You know how the English police force are being equipped with Tasers? And how they're supposed to yell 'TASER! TASER! TASER!' before they fire it at someone? Well I'd like you to blast out 'The Taser Song' on Fruityloops in the next 20 mins and email it to me. Thanks.

― Ian SPACK (Ian SPACK), Monday, 21 April 2003 12:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Barnes & Barnes score extra credit for backing up Crispin Glover on his 1989 album The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution. The Solution = Let It Be.

― paul cox (paul cox), Monday, 21 April 2003 12:19 (twenty-three years ago)

Anyone remember Arnie And The Terminators I'll Be Back?

― Siegbran (eofor), Monday, 21 April 2003 12:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Sheb Wooley - "Purple People Eater." Doesn't anyone here listen to music made before 1970? Sheesh!

I'm interested, though. What are the salient characteristics of British novelty records as opposed to US novelty records? Any marked differences/similarities? Anyone?

― Matt Maxwell (Matt M.), Monday, 21 April 2003 13:28 (twenty-three years ago)

It pleases me that no one has mentioned any TMBG songs yet (cuz it usually bothers me when they're relegated to "novelty" status), but, well...I'm gonna say "Particle Man", if only for it actually being about something where no one seems to think it is.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 21 April 2003 13:42 (twenty-three years ago)

I'm interested, though. What are the salient characteristics of British novelty records as opposed to US novelty records? Any marked differences/similarities? Anyone?

I think the British ones are probably worse and far more of them have been hits.

― Dadaismus, Monday, 21 April 2003 13:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, Yankovich is an obvious choice but we're all agreed that he's dogshit, right?

Categorically NOT agreed. The video for Amish Paradise is still one of the funniest things I have ever seen. OK, I was drunk but it had me in tears of laughter the first time I saw it...

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Monday, 21 April 2003 15:11 (twenty-three years ago)

Barnes & Barnes score extra credit for backing up Crispin Glover on his 1989 album The Big Problem Does Not Equal the Solution. The Solution = Let It Be.

Wait a second. WHAT?!

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:21 (twenty-three years ago)

He's right, they did. And a very strange album it is.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:22 (twenty-three years ago)

WHY do I not own this?

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:23 (twenty-three years ago)

Even nuttier was that a roommate of mine at the time it came out was in talks with Crispin to direct the videos from the album.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Some of the best oldies novelty songs are:

"Beep Beep" by the Playmates
"Lil' Red Riding Hood" by Sam Sham & the Pharaohs
"Monster Mash" by Bobby "Boris" Pickett
"Spooky" by Classics IV
"Love Potion # 9" by the Nylons

In fact, I think the '50s & '60s were the best times for novelty songs.

― Dee the Lurker (Dee the Lurker), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:34 (twenty-three years ago)

VIDEOS! Oh my god. Is it still in print?

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

Order away, m'dear.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:37 (twenty-three years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00006EXG1.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

!!!!

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 21 April 2003 16:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Yeah, you got your dead cat and you got your dead dog.
On a moonlit night you got your dead toad frog.
You got your dead rabbit and your dead raccoon.
The blood and the guts, they gonna make you swoon.

You got your dead skunk In the middle
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Dead skunk in the middle of the road
Stinking to high heaven

Loudon Wainwright III-1973

― avery schreib, Monday, 21 April 2003 17:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Top One Hundred Goofy Greats (Novelty Songs, Dance Crazes & Parodies)

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 21 April 2003 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

one year passes...

"Come on England" ... 442

oh dear, this is on course for Numero Uno

― DJ Martian (djmartian), Thursday, 10 June 2004 19:36 (twenty-two years ago)

four years pass...

Shall we buy Right Said Fred?

"Gut Records' assets are up for sale after the U.K. independent label went into administration. Michael Sanders and Simon Bonney of specialist insolvency practitioners BN Norton have been appointed joint administrators of Gut Records Ltd. They are seeking buyers for the company assets, including the businesses Gut Records, Institute Recordings, Gut Recordings, GI Recordings, Gusto and GI Recordings.

― CharlieNo4, Wednesday, 27 August 2008 09:52 (seventeen years ago)

"I'm a mummy" by i have no idea who

― res, Wednesday, 27 August 2008 23:46 (seventeen years ago)

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