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From the Vault...
08/23/2009
#1165 |
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info
Dickie Goodman
"Dickie Goodman And Friends: Greatest Fables"
© Hot Productions Records<
Year of Release: 1997
Rating:
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track listing
Return Of The Flying
Saucer ('97)
Flying Saucer Part 1
Flying Saucer Part 2
Flying Saucer The 2nd
Flying Saucer The 3rd
Flying Saucer Goes West
Buchanan & Goodman
On Trial
Santa & The Satellite
Santa & The Satellite
Part 2
Santa & The Touchables
The Touchables
The Touchables
In Brooklyn
Ben Crazy
Batman &
His Grandmother
The Ride Of Paul Revere
Frankenstein Of '59
Frankenstein Returns
Stager Lawrence
Senate Hearing
Harry's Jockstrap
Congressional Medal
Of Honor
Get A Job
On Campus
Luna Trip
Watergate
Mr. President
Energy Crisis
Mr. Jaws
Speaking Of Ecology
The Constitution
Superfly Meets Shaft
Kong
Super Superman
Return Of The
Jedi Returns
Hey E.T.
Attack Of The Z Monster
Election '84
Safe Sex Report
Horror Movies
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Dickie Goodman
"Dickie Goodman And Friends: Greatest Fables"
One of my fondest memories of Dickie Goodman was his biggest hit, "Mr. Jaws." As I would
build my 45 rpm collection, there was the original 45 found at a garage sale, of the 2-part
"Flying Saucer" on Luniverse Records. A parody of the Mercury Theater on the Air broadcast
of Orson Welles' "The War of the Worlds," Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman would interview
people regarding a flying saucer landing, with their answers used from well-known songs at the time.
"Mr. Jaws" was another "break-in" interview, where Goodman was on his own, creating various
popular topics of the day, with musical answers to his questions. Another 45 I would receive from
visitng garage sales, was "The Touchables"; a parody look at the TV show "The Untouchables."
While I was in junior high school, a classmate had "Batman & His Grandmother"; so it was
cool to know that another person (other than myself) had heard of the name Dickie Goodman.
Jon Goodman, (Dickie Goodman's son), would complete the compilation of his father's music,
Dickie Goodman & Friends: Greatest Fables. Dickie Goodman's "music" would comprise from
the years 1956 until his untimely death when he committed suicide by a self-influcted gunshot in 1989.
Before there was Weird Al Yankovic, Dickie Goodman presented his variations of "break-in"
interviews, and became a novelty favorite. (The other music parodist I remembered while growing up,
was Allan Sherman.) Goodman's "interviews" with the musical answers to his questions were no
doubt, unique in developing a good humor to the topic at hand. Numerous topics, such as many
takeoffs on the Flying Saucer routines (there are six total, including one recorded by Jon Goodman
in 1997 for this compilation).
"Buchanan & Goodman On Trial" claims to the fact of being sued for using the well-known
"bits" / "musical answers." (More on this later...) Santa Claus received
attention with flying saucers, as "Santa & The Satellite" (Parts 1 & 2) appear here.
Goodman's next venture was a spoof on the TV show "The Untouchables," as three sketches are on
this compilation: "Santa & The Touchables," "The Touchables," and "The Touchables In
Brooklyn."
"Ben Crazy" was based on another TV show, Ben Casey. Other character spoofs were
based on Batman "Batman & His Grandmother," Paul Revere ("The Ride Of Paul Revere",
(parody of "Mr. Custer") and two songs on Frankenstein: "Frankenstein Of '59" and
"Frankenstein Returns." "Stager Lawrence" is a spoof on famous bandleader Lawrence
Welk and the Lloyd Price song, "Stagger Lee."
Most of Goodman's material was based on politics. "Senate Hearing" is a spoof on this,
with the interviewing of questions with musical answers. "Harry's Jockstrap" brings back memories
to me, more importantly, Allan Sherman's version, which Goodman parodied. "Congressional Medal Of
Honor" features Susan Smith on lead vocal, and Goodman impersonating President Lyndon Baines Johnson
at the beginning of the song. "Get A Job" is Goodman's parody version of The Silhouettes song.
Another "interview" (Walter Krunkite) with musical responses on "On Campus" with an interview with
Chicago politicians Mayor Daley, Governor Wallace, and other politicians. "Walter Funkite" returns with
interviewing astronauts on "Luna Trip." "Watergate" is obviously, regarding an interview
with President Richard M. Nixon. And another "interview" with "Mr. President." And another
"interview" with the President on "Energy Crisis."
An interview with "Coward Hosell" with the President on "Speaking Of Ecology,"
"The Constitution" has it's reading, with "a band" distracting Goodman towards the end.
Soul music gets attention on "Superfly Meets Shaft." More interviews: King "Kong";
"Super Superman"; Star Wars characters on "Return Of Jedi Returns"; E.T. on "Hey
E.T."
"Attack Of The Z Monster" interviews people regarding the "Z Monster" (a radio station
named Z100). "Election '84" recalls interviewing President Ronald Reagan and Presidential
hopeful Walter Mondale. "Safe Sex Report" interviews President Ronald Reagan (and others),
discussing the topic of safe sex. "Horror Movies" is a parody of the song by The Olynpics'
"Western Movies."
It is interesting to read
Wikipedia's story of Dickie Goodman,
as it lists other tracks he had recorded, not included on this compilation. Goodman's use of bits
from well-known songs would be labeled as "sampling." However, most record companies of the original
hit records wanted to sue Goodman for using these bits, where he did not ask for permission.
In listening to this compilation, and having a good ear for "original recordings," there were many
"bits" that were not taken from the original recordings. One example, was from "Flying Saucer
Part 1": When mentioning "And now I believe we're about to hear the words, of the first
spaceman on earth..." What was originally heard next was Little Richard's "A-whop-bop-a-loo-bop,
a-lop-bam-boom." This was NOT heard on the Greatest Fables compilation.
On "Superfly Meets Shaft," bits from Billy Paul's "Me And Mrs. Jones" were not from
the original record. Using the original music's has been a problem for many years, as this occurred
on CD reissues of The Cruisin' Series (where actual broadcasts from popular radio rock-n-roll
disc jockey programs from the 1950s and 1960s were heard). Another example is when the first season of
the TV show WKRP in Cincinnati was released on DVD, many of the original rock music was altered.
A better compilation is the (hard to find) 2-disc CD set of Buchanan & Goodman's Politically
Correct?. 57 tracks are in this set, and ALL IN THEIR ORIGINAL FORM. If you can find this 2-disc
set, not only does it have every track from Greatest Fables in their original form, but it also
contains more tracks. (Such as "Washington Uptight"; where The Beatles were trying to sue
(among many others) for using "Nowhere Man.") The only new track was "Return Of The Flying
Saucer ('97)" by Jon Goodman. Luckily, for some of the tracks on Greatest Fables, they are
in their original form, (like "Mr. Jaws"), but for those who know their music and original "bits"
Greatest Fables just maybe a disappointment.
The "Flying Saucer Parts 1 & 2," "Mr. Jaws," "The Touchables" and "Batman & His
Grandmother" are the tracks I best remember. It's just sad to learn that Dickie Goodman
committed suicide. Goodman was the first to "sample" other's music, which would later be heavily
popular in later decades. Thanks to Dr. Demento, Goodman's novelty history would be introduced to
another wide audience. We can only imagine what other topics Goodman would create throughout the 1990s
especially with President Bill Clinton's involvement with Monica Lewinsky, and/or trying to be
humorous with 9/11, our current war, President George W. Bush, and our current President, Barack Obama.
Jon Goodman keeps his father's memory alive, by providing information on the
Dickie Goodman myspace page.
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intellectual property of
Hot Productions Records
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