Hello, partygoers! Welcome back to the rumpus room! We here at Sneaky Dragon Listening Party Incorporated know that you are probably spending a lot of time around the house these days with not much to do. Don’t worry. Your friends at Sneaky Dragon Listening Party are here to help. We’ve heard your requests and are producing three-hour long podcasts full of the kind of blather and pointless trivia and tidbits you have come to expect. Furthermore, to help out even more, we have thoughtfully provided you with three hours of wonderful NOVELTY SONGS!!!
That’s right! This episode features side two of the second disc in the three disc collection of novelty songs that Mike Roth never asked for or expected, but got anyway!
So, without further ado, we present Sneaky Dragon Listening Party’s NOVELTY SONG MIX 2 – SIDE 2!!! Featuring:
- [For reasons explained in the show, we are playing the introductory piece that came before this song first – see below] Frank Zappa – “Sofa #1” – You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, 1988 – 30:55
- The Hollies – “After the Fox” – After the Fox soundtrack, 1966 – 38:27
- The Holy Modal Rounders – “Hot Corn Cold Corn” – The Holy Modal Rounders 2, 1965 – 1:06:04
- The Pipkins – “Gimme Dat Ding” – Gimme Dat Ding, 1970 – 1:12:48
- The Brain – “Nightmares in Red” – 7” single b-side to “Kick the Donkey”, 1967 – 1:32:46
- Louis Prima – “There’ll Be No Next Time” – The Call of the Wildest, 1957 – 1:40:15
- Jilted John – “Jilted John” – True Love Stories, 1978 – 1:48:12
- The Fashionettes – “Daydreamin’ of You” – 7” single b/w “Only Love”, 1964 – 1:56:25
- The Secrets – I Think I Need the Cash – 7” single b/w A-side “I Intend to Please”, 1967 – 1:56:25
- Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – “Government Center” – Beserkeley Chartbusters, 1975 – 2:17:18
- No Fun (with Suzy Goodwin) – “Suzyside” – No Fun at the Disco EP, 1979 – 2:27:37
- Ringo Starr – “Early 1970” – b-side to “It Don’t Come Easy”, 1971 – 2:40:09
- The Monochrome Set – “Avanti (Ten Don’ts for Honeymooners)” – Volume, Contrast, Brilliance… Sessions & Singles, Vol. 1, 1979 – 2:49:27
And we also listened to:
- Frank Zappa – “One Upon a Time” – You Can’t Do That on Stage Anymore, Vol. 1, 1988 – 25:00
- Clifford T. Ward – “Wherewithal” – Home Thoughts, 1973 – 2:13:27
- No Fun – “Fall for a Cliché”, Fall for a Cliché EP, 1978 – 2:35:58
Thanks for listening.
BIG NEWS!!!
Ed Draganski’s fabulus Peanut Duck merchandise is finally available at his store! Please follow this link to get Listening Party shirts, cups, mugs, throw pillows, socks, and more!
Tech Talk: We apologize for some drop outs in the audio this bi-week. We’re breaking in a new audio recorder and may have had our levels too low.
Department of Corections:
Suzy Goodwin was actually seven years old when she recorded “Suzycide” with No Fun. She started recording with them at the age of five. Also, The Monochrome Set album Volume, Contrast, Brilliance… was released in 1983, not 1979. You were maybe wondering when Dave described a single as coming out in 1981!
The promised lyrics for The Monochrome Set’s “Avanti (Ten Don’t for Honeymooners)”:
Don’ t ski naked down Mt. Everest
With lilies up your nose
Don’ t punt up the Ganges in a vest
And holler ‘Thar she blows’
Don’ t fish for tunny in Meat Madras
With blotting pads as bait
Don’ t converse with shrimps of higher class
About the church and state
I’d play hoop-la with Saturn’s rings
I’d tie a knot in Erroll Flynn’s
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee ying
For you
Don’t dance the polka in a dhoti
Arid whistle the Rite of Spring
Don’t recite Hamlet’s soliloquy
While munching onion rings
Don’ t plant a stickleback in a field
On St. Augustine’s Day
Don’ t sharpen your sword and beat your shield
And somersault up a brae
I’d juggle with Jupiter’s moons
I’d flatten the Sahara’s dunes
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee yoon
Don’ t build a pyramid on the pole
With Frosties packets and glue
Don’ t serve rubber bullets in a bowl
And call it Irish Stew
Don’ t change all the water into wine
And walk on the Dead Sea
Never sing the Song of the Golden Rhine
With an augmented flea
I’d make a world in seven days
I’d pasteurise the Milky Way
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee yay
I’d play hoop-la with Saturn’s rings
I’d tie a knot in Erroll Flynn’s
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee ying
I’d juggle with Jupiter’s moons
I’d flatten the Sahara’s dunes
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yi pee yoon
I’d kick Mars into a black hole
I’d spread plum jam on Denning’s rolls
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee yole
I’d squeeze the spots out from the sun
I’d swim the Mare Imbrium
Sing, yi yi yip, yip yipee yun
Mush a ding, toodle eye-ay
Tara diddle dyno day
Yi yi yip, yip yipee yay
In case you were wondering why Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman couldn’t use their names, please let them explain their horrible history with managers:
Here are some sweet pics of the MacDonald and GIles album David talked about on the show for no particular reason:
It’s such a great cover!
I wonder if this happened more than once. I’m sure it didn’t help the album’s chances of airplay – not that it was destined for a lot of airplay.
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I was surprised to hear that you favored that one instrument that also stops me in my tracks every time…the harpsichord. Maybe because of Harpo Marx, maybe because I liked The Addams Family as a kid, who knows, but I love the sound of it too. I mention this because if you enjoy the harpsichord as well as some other “Worldly” instruments, have you ever listened closely to Michael Giacchino’s score to Marvel’s Doctor Strange? Here’s what it says on Soundtrack Universe:
“Along with the more common sounds of guitars (both acoustic and electric) and synthesizers, Giacchino employs a wealth of more “strange” instruments to the soundscape including sitar, celeste, harpsichord and tablas (South Asian drums) which greatly aid in the mystical sound of Stephen Strange’s journey.”
Giacchino is a genius and I don’t think he’s ever scored a film I didn’t like of his. all the way back to Pixar. In 2016 alone he scored three of my favorite films, Doctor Strange, Rogue One and Star Trek Beyond.
So if you haven’t, I invite you to listen to the end credits of the always groovy, always weird, Doctor Strange!
https://youtu.be/Q4uoNAFfvKg
I saw your comment on the Sneaky Dragon page too, Ed, but I’ll reply here.
Thanks for the recommendation. I’ll be sure to check out the link and look for some other things by Giacchino.
I double dip sometimes, just making sure it goes through…
That’s okay. The comments so nice, I’ll read them twice!
This episode is so good, you’re making me write you and I haven’t even finished listening yet! This episode and one song in particular has ended a years long search for it. I’ve had “Gimme Dat Ding” rolling around in my brain for most of my life, but not the words, just the tune. Never taking any sort of conscious effort to seek it out I have no idea where I remember it from or where I’ve heard it. Then you played it on this episode! I was in my car at the time…and it was like an epiphany! For some reason and I know not why, I seem to associate the song with Sesame Street, so I’m wondering if it was used on Sesame Street years ago. The timing matches up. Anyway, THANK YOU! Now I know the song and I can enjoy it all over again thanks to your show. It’s truly a gift and I’m blessed by yourself and Mary.
I also had no idea about the Bacharach and Hollies “After the Fox” song OR movie! I really liked that one too, so much that I looked into the trailer and the opening credits for it. It really had that Pink Panther animated thing going on but seriously, I have never heard anything about this song or film until you mentioned it in this episode.
Please continue to amaze me….
So glad to help out, Ed. That makes me happy.
I have to admit I’ve been feeling a bit blue about the Listening Party the last while – to the point of considering knocking it on the head – so thanks for cheering me up!
I love to spread the word about some great, maybe unheard music and that’s what I hope Listening Party does. As well as letting me bug my wonderful daughter!
I think what you and Mary are doing is essential, at least to me it is. If music makes the World go around, you’re currently it’s bandleader. The stories you tell and the amount of joy I receive from listening to great music…or the music that falls between the cracks, is without any limits. Please cheer up! I don’t know what I’d do if I couldn’t hear you and Mary every other week!
Sorry to hear you’ve been feeling blue about the show, Dave. I hope you know how beloved these listening parties are to all us random strangers out here. Between this, Fansplainers, Sneaky Dragon and all the sidecasts, you folks provide a huge amount of pleasure and I’m forever grateful. Sure don’t blame you if you feel like taking a rest once in a while… Until then, keep on sneakin’!
Once again, the Listening Party has gotten me through the tedious part of a digital art project. Hearing the weird and wonderful line-up of hidden gems and learning about the artists was a great counterpoint to the grunt work of cleaning up a rough sketch in Photoshop.
My favs from this batch: the hilarious “There’ll Be No Next Time.” Prior to this, Louis Prima was best know to me for singing “I Wan’na Be Like You” from Disney’s Jungle Book (1967). He plays King Louis, the orangutan. Thank god they got an Italian-American to sing the part rather than an African-American jazzman cuz that would’ve ended up the movie farther back in the vault along with the crows from Dumbo. When they did the CGI remake, they cast Christopher Walken in that part…for politically-correct reasons, no doubt, though is he is a pretty great song and dance actor.
I also liked “Daydreamin’ of You.” If you substitute a cell phone for the guy, it could be the theme song for distracted walking/driving.
I liked Ringo’s song too. I identified with his 3 guitar chord skill set and his ability to play the piano as long as he’s playing in the key of C. Hey, he’s just like me! It must be trickier to write songs when your principal instrument is the drums.
Following up from Louise, I also remember Prima as King Louis from The Jungle Book oh so well! He’s a fun one to listen to and my Dad had some of his music in his album collection growing up. I enjoyed “There’ll Be No Next Time” just like I did listening to Dad’s collection, really took me back.
Dad had a favorite jazz album by a musician named Cannonball Adderley and his quintet did a song by Bobby Timmons titled “This Here.”
Before Adderly plays the song, he says this, “Now we gonna play this, by Bobby Timmons. It’s really called “This Here”. However, for reasons of soul and description, we have corrupted it to become “Dish-ere”. So that’s the name: “Dish-ere”
For some reason, Adderley’s intro tickled my Dad to no end and to this day I remember him playing it with great fondness…I’m pretty sure he still has it too. When I told my Dad about your Sneaky Dragon Listening Party, he suggested I share his story here to see what you thought, it’s not unlike Dad putting on the album if you visited him in person, which is exactly what he’d do…
Great jazz, great smoothing for the soul… You can listen to the song here:
https://youtu.be/RYDGzJDJeDI
Frank Zappa – Okay, first, we’re gonna have to take a short walk over to the department of corrections. ‘SOFA’ is not the fist letters of One Size Fits All backwards! I’m sure you know this, Dave, and just threw it out to see if some a**hole on the internet would pick you up on it. Happy to oblige, my friend. Like Mary, I thought this was a lot of fun, intro and all. I caught Zappa and band in concert once, around the time of Sheik Yerbouti. Not quite his glory years, maybe, but a fantastic show.
Hollies – Thank you for choosing this! It brought back a long-lost memory of being off school through illness aged around 10 and catching this movie on afternoon TV. Probably the fact that I was home alone on a school day would have made any movie seem better than it actually was. The animated title sequence and the theme song hooked me from the get go – I’m also a sucker for a harpsichord – and the film itself was great fun. I think I was also instantly smitten with Britt Ekland, which didn’t hurt. I doubt very much whether the actual movie lives up to the one in my memory, but the theme song still sounds groovy and has been stuck in my head all day.
Holy Modal Rounders – yeah okay. I did enjoy the drug references, which I might have missed without your context, Dave. Dept of corrections has been in touch again, though, to point out that a demijohn is not a hip flask. It’s actually a gallon bottle, used in wine making and sometimes blown into by jug bands.
The Pipkins – I seem to remember this being a hit, can that be right? Maybe I just caught on to it through that show with Freddie and the Dreamers. If you’d asked me before playing it, I’d have given you the old eyeroll, but you know what? It was kinda great.
The Secrets – Meh… However – Clifford T Ward, wow! Wherewithal is such a fantastic song. I hadn’t heard or thought about it in many years and it was great to hear it again.
The Brain – It was alright. One of these songs where you feel the band are having more fun than the listeners.
Louis Prima – ‘Of its time’ for sure, but this just oozed style and panache, and did make me chuckle.
Jilted John – This was a huge hit in the UK, to the extent that any guy named Gordon who was a teenager at the time got pretty sick of hearing his intellectual capacity challenged. Loved it then, love it still. Fun fact – Graham Fellows now has a house and recording studio on the Orkney island of Rousay. Maybe you could look him up next time you’re in the neighbourhood.
The Fashionettes – This was pretty good. Worth including for the Christopher Hitchens / Martin Amis story. Dave, your comment that Hitchens was someone you could like from a distance was priceless. Suspect I was one of many listeners shouting, ‘The Shirelles!’ Glad you heard us eventually.
The Secrets – I’m with Mary here. It started okay, but outstayed its welcome.
Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – Richman’s one of those guys it’s always pleasant to hear and I feel I ought to like him more than I do. Truth is, though, I can take or leave his stuff for the most part. Might be different if I’d seen him live.
No Fun (with Suzy Goodwin) – oh, man, Suzyside was so great. Part All Along the Watchtower, part Valley Girl (only years earlier). Totally, TOTALLY loved this one. How come No Fun never crossed my path before? They’re amazing! See also Fall for a Cliche.
Ringo Starr – Always had a soft spot for this one.
Monochrome Set – Fab song and great closer to a really enjoyable mixtape. It was great to have the lyrics too.
Thanks for another hugely enjoyable spin around the virtual rumpus room. See you in a biweek!
Clifford T. Ward seems like he is less than known here in North America. I would be surprised if his records charted in any way at all. Unlike someone equally obscure like Gilbert O’Sullivan, whose records you could at least find in thrift stores, Ward may as well have not existed at all as far as over here was concerned.
The Pipkins “Gimme Dat Ding” was a Number 1 record in 1970! I’m sure you must have heard it or at least absorbed it by cultural osmosis.
How come No Fun never crossed your path before? Because they’re from the West Coast of Canada – a country only slightly less important to Great Britain than Australia. Also, most of their releases were cassette-only obscurities besides the two EPs and one single.
I’m so glad you enjoy them though! A real bonus of doing this show is getting the word out about bands I love – especially Canadian bands who – typically the ones who stay in Canada – have traditionally had a hard time getting heard.
Ugh! And despite my copious notes, I really made a couple of gaffes this bi-week! (Well, I do every week, but this time they didn’t slip past! Curses!)
Always a pleasure to hear back from you Dave!
I take the point about Canadian musicians not getting a fair crack of the whip this side of the Atlantic. It’s quite hard to access any rock or pop over here that isn’t directly from – or somehow filtered through – England or the USA. Sloan and Local Rabbits are other excellent bands you’ve introduced me to through Listening Party. Might have more to say on this in comments for episode 40, which I’ll try to post this week.
‘Episode 40 – can you believe it? Thanks as always to you and Mary for these hugely enjoyable shows. And please do check out Backlisted – I’m fairly sure it’s up your alley.