Spike Jones  

From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia

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Spike Jones (1911 - 1965) was an American musician and bandleader specializing in performing satirical arrangements of popular songs.

Ballads and classical works receiving the Jones treatment would be punctuated with gunshots, whistles, cowbells, hiccups, burps and outlandish and comedic vocals.

Telex had a discotheque hit with "Spike Jones" (1986).

Influence

There is a clear line of influence from the Hoosier Hot Shots, Freddie Fisher and his Schnickelfritzers and the Marx Brothers to Spike Jones — and to Stan Freberg, Gerard Hoffnung, Peter Schickele's P.D.Q. Bach, The Goons, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, Mr. Bungle and "Weird Al" Yankovic. Billy Barty appeared in Yankovic's film UHF and a video based on the movie.

Syndicated radio personality Dr. Demento regularly features Jones' music on his program of comedy and novelty tracks. Jones is mentioned in The Band's song, "Up on Cripple Creek". (The song's protagonist's paramour states of Jones: "I can't take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk.") Novelist Thomas Pynchon is an admirer and wrote the liner notes for a 1994 reissue, Spiked! (BMG Catalyst). A scene in the romantic comedy I.Q. shows a man demonstrating the sound of his new stereo to Meg Ryan's character by playing a record of Jones' music.

In 1997, singers Artie Schroeck and Linda November directed a production in Atlantic City entitled "The New City Slickers Present a Tribute to Spike Jones", with a band that attempted to re-create the style and humor of Jones' music.

Discography

• Dinner Music For People Who Aren't Very Hungry (1956)
• Spike Jones in Stereo (1959)
• Omnibust (1960)
• Washington Square (1963)
• Spike Jones New Band (1964)

Popular recordings

• "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth"
• "Black Bottom"
• "The Blue Danube"
• "Bottom's Up"
• "By the Beautiful Sea"
• "Chloe"
• "Cocktails for Two"
• "Dance of the Hours" (Ponchielli)
• "Der Fuehrer's Face"
• "Down In Jungle Town"
• "Flight of the Bumblebee" (Laughing Record)
• "Hawaiian War Chant"
• "Holiday for Strings"
• "Hotcha Cornia"
• "The Hut-Sut Song"
• "I Want Eddie Fisher For Christmas"
• "I Went to Your Wedding"
• "Mairzy Doats"
• "The Man on the Flying Trapeze"
• "Never Hit Your Grandma With A Shovel"
• "Old MacDonald Had a Farm"
• "Omnibust, (LP Album of spoken-word comedy)"
• "Powerhouse" by Raymond Scott (Recognizable as the 'industrial factory' music from cartoons.)
• "The Sailor With The Navy Blue Eyes"
• "The Sheik of Araby"
• "The Sound Effects Man"
• "Spike Jones in Stereo (A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound, LP album)"
• "(Mono version: Spike Jones in Hi-Fi - A Spooktacular in Screaming Sound, LP album)"
• "That Old Black Magic"
• "Pal-Yat-Chee"
• "William Tell Overture"
• "Yes, We Have No Bananas"
• "You Always Hurt the One You Love"

Sources

Notes by Peter Gamble from Clink Clink Another Drink CD by Audio Book & Music Company, ABMMCD 1158.

Further reading

• Corbett, Scott C. (1989) An Illustrated Guide to the Recordings of Spike Jones. Monrovia: Corbett. No ISBN.
• Mirtle, Jack. (1986) Thank You Music Lovers: A Bio-discography of Spike Jones. Westport; Greenwood Press ISBN 0-313-24814-1