|
Annotated Theme Time Continued... Page 1 Page 2 Page3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page8 Food (ewww, we're gonna have fun....OOOO Yes!)
The Singers and The Songs Cab Calloway – Everybody Eats When They Come To My House “A man who can be seen in animated form in a number of Betty Boop Cartoons ”" During a concert, a band member shot spitballs at Cab's back when he faced the audience. Cab accused Dizzy of being the culprit and upon Dizzy's vehement denial, the two began to fight. Dizzy grabbed a knife and actually cut Cab. Although the two made up after Jonah Jones and Milt Hinton came forward as the perpetrators, Dizzy was fired." Cab, like many of his contemporaries, made shedfuls of records which can make it hard to pin down any but the usual suspects (eg, for Cab, Minnie The Moocher etc) on discs other than "complete recordings" type issues. I have however, turned this side up on a disc called "Are You Hep To The Jive?" from Columbia/Legacy. Rolling Stones - Rice Krispies (Wake Up In The Morning) this has to be one of the more outlandish items featured on TTRH, although Bob has played a number of ads featuring well known voices. It dates from 1963, when the Stones made this for (IIRC) German or Dutch TV. The 30-second soundtrack has popped up on a number of Stones bootleg releases, but I found a downloadable version here . When I visited this page and did the deed, I found I had to right click on the 'stones rice krispies.mp3' link and copy it to the clipboard. Right clicking on the download button, and selecting "save file as..." just got a page ending .php. Paste in the link copied before and click OK, and the thing will work fine. I'm using a Mac, so it may work normally with a PC of course. Wendy Rene – Bar-B-Q this one is on an Ace compilation "Still Paying Our Dues". Officially, this CD (compiled from Atlantic Records tapes) isn't available for the North American market, but it is listed at Amazon.com. Might be just as simple to get it from the UK branch though. Lincoln Chase – Hot Biscuits and Sweet Marie “Tryin' to decide between biscuits and lovin' – wow, that's a hard choice!” this can be found on a CD credited to Eddie Cooley & The Dimples, called "Fever 1956-1961". Eddie is best known as the writer of 'Fever', and this disc appears to incorporate the entire contents of a 1961 MGM LP called "We Wrote 'Em And We Sing 'Em", which featured six songwriters doing one of their hits (and one new song each) with backup from the other five. Besides Cooley (Fever) are featured Otis Blackwell (All Shook Up), Winfield Scott (Tweedledee), Lincoln Chase (Jim Dandy), Billy Dawn Smith (The Angels Listened In), and Ollie Jones (Send For Me). Well worth buying even if it didn't have this (second) Lincoln Chase track on. Charles Mingus – Eat That Chicken “He led groups noted for their collective improvisations, loose rhythms, and high energy. He was a serious musician with a strong sense of humor.” is from the classic Atlantic album "Mingus/Oh Yeah". Johnny Hicks and his Troubadours – Hamburger Hop “A man who sounds like he's got a smile in his voice” a second item from the "Swinging Hollywood Hillbilly Cowboys" set. The Melodians – Swing and Dine “Down in Jamaica they cook a dish called jerk chicken. It's sweet, it's peppery and it's delicious. I wonder if that's the meal that the Melodians were singing about in this song?” this can be found on "Rivers Of Babylon: The Best Of The Melodians 1967-1973" Thurston Harris – Purple Stew “You heard of the Purple Rain and you've heard of the Purple Haze. But have you heard about the purple stew? As the old saying goes, some days you eat the bear, and some days the bear eats you. Here's a song about a guy who finds himself about to be served up as the main course.” this song features on "Little Bitty Pretty One: Complete Early Recordings". Paul Chaplain and his Emeralds – Shortnin' Bread “Far as I know, they only made one record – what else did they need to make? America first fell in love with the song Shortnin' Bread when Lawrence Tibbett, who was the principal with the Metropolitan Opera, made a recording of it. Nelson Eddy sang it in the movie Maytime in 1937. But I bet neither of those versions rock as successfully as Paul Chaplain and his Emeralds.” another song to be found on the "Golden Age Of American Rock 'N' Roll" series from Ace. This one is on volume 9. Slim Gaillard – Matzoh Balls “America is certainly the great melting pot. Where else could someone like Slim Gaillard sing a tribute to matzoh balls and gefilte fish? It's the kind of thing that makes me proud to be an American. Sing it, Slim.” this can be found on "Laughing In Rhythm". Jim Jackson – I Heard The Voice of a Pork Chop “A songster from the medicine shows of Memphis…Jim Jackson's popularity was surprisingly phenomenal. He waxed 50 titles in less than three years.” this is on the excellent "Good For What Ails You: Music Of The Medicine Shows 1926-1937" which popped up in the Wedding programme. For those who want more of Jim Jackson, there is also a Complete Recorded Works series on Document. Dizzy Gillespie – Hey Pete, Let's Eat More Meat “The Beat Poets were all big fans of Bebop, and here's the king of Bebop, the spitball king, playing some of his Chinese music, Dizzy Gillespie, on the Atkins Diet…Crazy daddy-o!” Dizz doin' his thang for the meat marketing board! This can be found for example on a Proper 4-disc set "The Dizzy Gillespie Story 1939-1950". Louis Jordan and his Tympany 5 – Hungry Man “The consummate entertainer, not just singing but also playing that wild alto saxophone, and he's got quite an appetite.” yet another visit to Bear Family's "Let The Good Times Roll 1938-1954". The Blue Dots – Saturday Night Fish Fry “Sounds like a wild affair” a song made famous by Louis Jordan, this version was recorded for the Ace label of Mississippi. It can be found on a fine disc compiled by UK DJ Mark Lamarr, called "Mark Lamarr's Ace Is Wild". Bobby Moore and the Rhythm Aces – The Hamburger Song “A song that sorta sounds like a nursery rhyme” this is on a Moore compilation CD called "Go Ahead And Burn" on, if I recall right, the Rev-Ola label. The Detroit Cobras – Hot Dog this track by the fine Detroit band is on their third album "Baby". Four Clefs – I Like Pie, I Like Cake Hmmm! Don't we all? This song is on a JSP set called "Vocal groups: Classic Doo Wop Remastered". PlacesBattle Creek, MI Memphis NYC The Bar-B-Q Shop Restaurant “Tell ‘em Theme Time Radio Hour sent you!” New Zealand Australian Polynesia Hawaii Sandwich islands Jupiter Beach, FL Memphis Auditorium Hernando, MS Los Angeles Pinks Nagano, Japan Coney island Chicago Nathan's Famous Other People and Players Movies, Commercials, and other entertainment Food Featured in Jingles Other Songs Books and Poems Record Labels Food Quotes “I'll see ya next week on Theme Time Radio Hour, the home of dreams, schemes and themes, and a hot steaming meal – you don't mind picking up the check do you?” It's night time in the big city Uncle Jim dozes in front of the television A woman puts extra stuffing into a zip-lock bag “I'll let you in on a little secret. We plan the shows pretty carefully, but sometimes I get to yappin' and we don't have room for all the records I pick out.” The Singers and The Songs Harry “Mac” McClintock – Hallelujah I'm a Bum The Robins – The Turkey Hop “Even though we're mostly having leftovers, it seems appropriate that we should have one fresh dish.” this can be found on CDs such as "Johnny Otis Presents The Robins" on Savoy Jazz (which rounds up the sides the Otis orchestra made with the Robins before, in a hissy fit, they decamped because they felt they were overshadowed by Little Esther's appearance on one of their records! (the story ends happily of course when they hooked up with Leiber & Stoller, and evolved into the Coasters) Those who have a greater interest in the doings of Johnny Otis might be advised to look out JSP's five disc set "Midnight At The Barrelhouse", which contains everything on the Savoy set mentioned above, plus a whole bunch more stuff featuring Little Esther and others. Fats Waller – Honeysuckle Rose
this can be found on many discs. The one I have selected for this is "The Definitive Fats Waller, Vols 1 & 2" simply because it also contains the other Fats song Bob featured (in programme #32), which most of them don't. Skeets McDonald – Don't Let the Starts Get in Your Eyes “His real first name was Enos, but he earned his nickname after an incident involving a swarm of mosquitoes.” for the dedicated there is a Bear Family box of Skeets' material under this title, but for us mortals this is on "And The Answer Is: Great Country Answer Discs From The 50s" also on Bear Family. If this whets your appetite, there's a second volume too! Billie Holiday – Them There Eyes “With her soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright as sunlight on a stream.” top recommendation for this 1939 side has to be "Lady Day: The Best Of Billie Holiday" on Sony. This 2-CD set is a distillation of the very wonderful 10-disc collection "Lady Day" which contains her complete Columbia recordings made between 1933-44. Billie later made a new version of this song for Decca in 1950; that can be found on a Decca CD, "Greatest Hits" - itself distilled from the 2-CD Complete Decca Recordings. Mighty Sparrow (Slinger Francisco) – Gunslingers “We've told you before how Calypso is kind of like a musical commentary on the daily goings on. This song is no exception.” a second helping from "First Flight: Early Calypsos From The Emory Cook Collection". Billy Wright – Let's Be Friends “Our next singer is a real character, and was a close friend of Little Richard. As a matter of fact, Richard credits him as being one of his biggest influences.” this is on a disc entitled "Don't You Want A Man Like Me". The Bailes Brothers – Whiskey Is The Devil (In Liquid Form) “Another show that had a lot of extra songs was about the Devil. So we're gonna give the Devil his due again for a moment.” this song can be found on A Bear Family collection called "Oh So Many Years" and also on a disc from our other German friends at http://www.dagmar-anita-binge.de/home.htm called "The Bailes Brothers Sing Their Hearts Out For You". For the excellent booklet notes I have to recommend the Bear Family release this time. Dinah Washington – Teach Me Tonight “Dinah was one of the greatest of the jazz singers, and her throaty sass, soulful vocal dips, and end of the lyric growls make this version…an invitation that's almost impossible to resist.” this song is on "The Definitive Dinah Washington" on Verve. Bob has played five Washington numbers during TTRH's first run, which unfortunately I have only found on three different discs. Crossover between them seems minimal though thankfully, and its all great music. Rockpile – Teacher Teacher this is on the band's only album "Seconds Of Pleasure". It might possibly feature on one or other Dave Edmunds or Nick Lowe compilation, but I haven't looked at them all (life being finite in length!). Muddy Waters – Iodine In My Coffee “Whoah. No matter how many times you hear it, it sends a chill up your spine.” another chance to spin a disc from "King Of Chicago Blues". Harold Burrage – You Eat Too Much this can be found on "Messed Up: The Cobra Recordings 1956-1958". Cisco Houston – Pie In The Sky we end with a song which can be found on "The Folkways Years 1944-1961". “The phrase ‘pie in the sky' comes from the Wobblies , the labor organization formed in the United States in 1905 . They concentrated on organizing migrant and casual workers, and one of the ways they brought such fragmented groups together was by song. Every member got a little book that contained parodies of popular songs or hymns…This song, Pie In The Sky, from 1911, was aimed directly at the Salvation Army, an organization anxious to save the Wobblies' souls, while the Wobblies were more interested in putting food on the table. The song was a parody of the Salvation Army hymn, In The Sweet Bye and Bye.” Other Songs and Albums The Places Movies and other entertainment Food jingles Record Labels “I gotta go somewhere, loosen my belt, and sit down for a while. If you wanna to make up a tin foil swan and fill it with stuffin', maybe I'll take it with me.” “Welcome to Theme Time Radio Hour – themes, dreams and schemes – where the future influences the present with no regard to the past.” The Singers and The Songs Chuck Berry – Memphis John Hiatt – Memphis in the Meantime David Allen Coe – Tennessee Whiskey “Here's my man, the great David Allen Coe. A dangerous man, in and out of reform schools, correction centers and prisons since the age of 9. He supposedly spent time on death row for killing a fellow inmate who made advances to him. A Rolling Stone magazine reporter questioned Coe about this. His musical response was the song, ‘I'd Like To Kick The Shit Out Of You.'” Memphis Slim – Memphis Slim USA Sam Cooke – Tennessee Waltz Lovin' Spoonful – Nashville Cats “This is a song about the great session players in Music City, USA, one of the only places where a banjo player can make a six figure income.” Hank Williams – Tennessee Border “Here's one for music lovers everywhere, make ya drop your teeth.” Arrested Development – Tennessee “They kind of updated the Sly and The Family Stone sound for the hip-hop generation” Rufus Thomas – The Memphis Train Jerry Lee Lewis – Night Train to Memphis “You can't stop off in Tennessee without paying a visit to the Killer” LaVerne Baker – Hey Memphis “One of the great singers of the rock and roll era, or any era” Link Davis – Trucker From Tennessee “It's probably a good time for us to give a shout out to all our truck drivin' friends. We know you truckers were the first ones to get satellite radio. So whether you're in the Dirty, The Rubber, The Gateway, The Cow Town, the Bikini, Moonpie City, Beantown, The Hanging Gardens, The Panama Canal, The Bermuda Triangle – remember, don't have a lead foot, the smokies might be watchin'!” Mott The Hoople – All The Way From Memphis King Curtis – Memphis Soul Stew “Here's a song that'll beat your eggs!” Carl Perkins – Tennessee “(A song) about some folks who like to cock-a-doodle-doo about where they come from.” Some of the great studio musicians in Nashville include: Tennessee State Songs Train Lines Places Barbeque Recipe 1 cup tomato sauce Record Labels Guest Plays, Poems and Movies (Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata )
It's night time in the big city A pet poodle scratches at a window The last piece of pie is gone “This is your man in the moon welcoming you to 60 minutes of lunar melodies. In the background, Charlie Parker playing Ornithology. Based on the chord structure of How High The Moon, which tells ya that the moon is far away and love is far away too…Wow, that one sure knocked some heads together!” The Singers and The Songs Les Paul and Mary Ford – How High The Moon “Based on the chord structure of Ornithology.” Chuck Berry – Havana Moon “Showing the influence of Calypso records…Chuck didn't turn a deaf ear to anything.” Los Lobos – Kiko and the Lavender Moon Fats Waller – By The Light of the Silvery Moon Bill Monroe – Blue Moon of Kentucky Piano Red – Mister Moonlight Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald – Moonlight in Vermont Big Dee Irwin – It's Only A Paper Moon “the folk rock version” Red Le Blance and His Crescent Boys – Blue Moon on the Bayou Neville Brothers – Yellow Moon Cliffie Stone – When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again “He brought country music to Hollywood” Dinah Washington – Destination Moon “It's a ¼ of a million miles from the earth to the moon, and there's no one I'd rather go with than Dinah Washington.” The Capris – There's a Moon Out Tonight Bobby Womack – Fly Me To The Moon “Here's kind of an unorthodox version” Slim Gaillard – How High The Moon? “One of my favorite crazy people…he invented his own crazy jive language called ‘Vout'” Movies, clips and other entertainment Songs, Albums, and Books On The Road (Bob reads this passage ): “…One night we suddenly went mad together again; we went to see Slim Gaillard in a little Frisco nightclub. Slim Gaillard is a tall, thin Negro with big sad eyes who's always saying 'Right-orooni' and 'How 'bout a little bourbon-arooni.'” (Books by Cliffie Stone) Record Labels Other Players and People “A lot of the early doo-wop groups were named after birds” Places ( Moon River ) It's night time in the big city.
A bus driver talks to his only passenger. A sailor on shore leave plays Egyptian Ratscrew with a fallen priest… “It's our first annual Theme Time Radio countdown show. Where we count down the top ten songs as determined by you, the listener.” The Singers and the Songs Prince Buster (Cecil Campbell) – The Ten Commandments (From Man to Woman) “This song was a huge hit in Jamaica and also had some chart action in the United States. Prince Buster was the first Jamaican to have a Top 20 hit.” Sonny Boy Williamson – Nine Below Zero O.V. Wright – Eight Men, Four Women The White Stripes – Seven Nation Army Moon Mullican – Seven Nights to Rock Hank Thompson & His Brazos Valley Boys – Six Pack To Go “One of the great beer drinking songs of all time” Eddie Boyd – Five Long Years “This song is a classic, been recorded by a number of artists, but originally done by the man who wrote it.” Maddox Brothers and Rose -- I Got Four Big Brothers (To Look After Me) “They're a country music band from California, recorded from the 40s to the 50s, here they are, Fred, Cal, Henry and Don…and sister Rose.” Jewel King – 3 x 7 = 21 The Ink Spots – We Three (My Echo, My Shadow, and Me) Marvin Gaye and Kim Weston – It Takes Two Joe Mooney – Tea For Two Van Morrison – One Irish Rover “The great Irish poet, the Bard of Belfast” (“The immortal”) Bob Marley and The Wailers – One Love Irma Thomas – Zero Willpower “The Queen of New Orleans” Seven other things with white stripes Seven largest armies in the world Other significant 7s Beers Other songs Record Labels People and Players Movies and other entertainment The Poets “Well the old clock on the wall has counted down another hour which means we got to hit the road. But don't worry, we'll be counting down the days till we see you next week, right here on the Theme Time Radio Hour Christmas show. So long! 10-4, Eleanor.” Page 1 Page 2 Page3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page8
|
