Entertainment For Lively Minds
Comedy songs and the original "Right Said Fred"
Posted by Mousey on 22 July 2009 - 6:48am.
I recently moved my 83yr old parents to a retirement home, and in amongst their stuff was a single by BERNARD CRIBBINS called RIGHT SAID FRED which I recall we used to play after dinner every night when I and my sister were allowed to "choose a record before bed".
I played it for the first time in 40 years or so and promptly went out and bought a "Best Of Bernard Cribbins" CD which contains a bunch of gems by the same songwriters - the tragically unheralded TED DICKS and MILES RUDGE.
Further research revealed that this and other tracks were PRODUCED by GEORGE MARTIN.
These are seriously funny songs, brilliantly crafted and carefully arranged.
Who is doing this today?
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Its not exactly Bernard Cribbins
But when it comes to questions of funny, these days, I tend to answer "Sarah Silverman". This one has been cut, but it's a great "Let's do the show right here" parody.
during the lunch break in the cricket
on Sky on Saturday, they had Richard Stilgoe on singing a song which he'd written about the '75 Ashes series, and which was complete with some of the funniest one-liners and couplets I'd heard in a while and made me think:
1) I've not heard from Richard Stilgoe in a while - he used to be on the telly loads
2) He's REALLY funny...
Good stuff really...
here's the song
For anyone who doesn't know the original song here it is (with complimentary Lego animation)
...and here's the original promo:-
...and here's the other one :-)
Gossip Calypso - "...a shocking time with Ern and his stomach"
I've banged on before about "Gossip Calypso" being even better than "Fred" and "Hole". It's written by actor Trevor Peacock (Vicar of Dibley, etc, etc).
Here's the original:
And here's the otherwise great Rolf Harris (and The Young Generation) ruining it with dodgy accents:
Trevor Peacock
also wrote this
Dare I suggest
one of the Word massive's favourite acts? I suppose the debate is more whether it's satire rather than comedy
If however, we are looking for straightforward comedy that will appeal to kids and amuse adults, try this
Here is a classic
Ah
The Ballad Of Barry And Freda
Bend me over backwards on me hostess trolly indeed.
Just love the way the tempo increases and it gets progressively more manic, though I can't say I'd be more interested in vinyl flooring.
I Come Thru The Window
Not exactly a song
but this always hits my funny bone
and They MIght be Giants can be relied upon to write humourous songs about ancient civilisations in rock bands
Tim Minchin - Inflatable You
Bo Burnham
Is a young and ferociously clever American lad who does scabrously funny songs and standup. Sort of like Nellie McKay but with laughs.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned
Flight of the Conchords or HalfMan HalfBiscuit.
I did actually mention
Birkenhead's finest in an earlier post
We were talking about this on the podcast not long ago
Mark Ellen and I yield to nobody in our admiration of those Cribbins records. Those and the Peter Sellers records of around the same time had a lightness of touch that George Martin brought to production of the Beatles.
"It might just be sewage to you..."
"...but it's bread and butter to me"
George Martin's touch
I think you're absolutely right - the key to comedy is not overdoing it, not winking at the audience, playing it straight. Which George's production does - he's faithful to he song.
Which is what he did with The Beatles.
And you can immediately hear, after listening to BC, where so many of the SFX on the Fabs' albums originated.
Not to mention the entirely listenable production.
Peter Sellers
When I was a child, "Auntie Rotter" was one of my favourites
and even today I cannot hear of a certain area of London without automatically adding the words "gateway to the south"
I suspect
you are not alone.
I certainly do that. Not forgetting, of course, to pronounce it in two very distinct, very American, syllables
Which I guess must have inflenced Hank Wangford's
onstage patter - e.g. "Welcome to y'all at the Mean Fiddler in Har-Les-Den" (when such a thing existed).
The 4th most popular folk parody duo
I love a good bum on a woman...
...it makes my day.
As we seem to have drifted from the 'who does this now?' theme.
DaVinci's Notebook
This always makes me smile (their Irish Drinking Song is also rather good). I think it's the whistling solo that does it.
The Lonely Island
2009's Incredibad by The Lonely Island has been on my iPod of late. Their track, Punch You in the Jeans recently made me laugh very loudly outside a Budgens. Their take is mainly on hiphop, I'd advice a Youtube search for "I'm On A Boat" tout suite.
And the first Tenacious D album is pretty perfect.
And The Mighty Boosh do good tunes too.
Please Watch This...
The Lonely Island, contains cursing...
My wife
Hits the roof if one tub of olive-based spread is opened before another is fully consumed. After committing another kitchen faux pas recently, I pointed her in the direction of this heart-wrenching tale of domestic discord from one of Britain's foremost social observers.
Ted Chippington & George Dawes
Cribbins, Bernard: Gaiety of the nation, contribution to
Bernard Cribbins is a National Treasure - one of those people who doesn’t get much attention and who will only get the appreciation he deserves when he’s gone. I’ve said it before on here but The Word should interview him while he’s still with us. Got to Alan Coren in the nick of time.
The thing about “The Crib” is that he crops up in all those warm, cosy corners of British popular culture: bit-part in the sort of film it’s a joy to stumble upon on a Sunday afternoon; those great comedy records; the most prolific Jackanory storyteller; masterful narration of The Wombles; best episode of Fawlty towers (The Hotel Inspector); The Railway Children, of which, this being the Massive, I need say no more.
My favourite Crib moment , however, is tucked away on the greatest hits CD. “I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face” is a masterpiece of songcraft: it’s the moment in My Fair Lady when Eliza’s decided to sling ’er ’ook and Henry Higgins has to confront the fact that he’s fallen in love with her but is too proud and pompous to admit anything more than “I’ve grown accustomed to her face”. Crib sings it straight. And it‘s just lovely.
http://open.spotify.com/track/1JzU54P9jATDjjWL9ZUm2L
Purest Cribbins
I agree - I looked for Cribbins' "I've Grown Accustomed..." on YouTube yesterday, with no luck.
I wholeheartedly agree that The Cribster
will only be truly recognised when he's gone and, as is the way with these things, he'll probably pass on within hours of some reality show nonentity who'll get all the plaudits and tributes.
And probably one of the reasons
Russell T Davies cast him in the 2008 Doctor Who season. He was really rather wonderful in that. His valediction to Tennant's Doctor right at the end of the series finale was just hearbreaking.
Right Said Fred
Anyone heard Maya Angelou and Jessica Mitford's version? It's hard to forget if you have. Trust me, I've tried...
I love that Bernard Cribbins album. I've listened to that on Spotify far too many times. But this Peter Sellers track is a firm favourite:
Also, anyone who enjoys novelty records of a certain vintage could do a lot worse than have a look at this:
http://www.we7.com/#/album/You-Are-Awful--Showbiz-Comedy-Titbits-Of-60s-and-70s-!albumId=52472
thanks for last link
so much to listen to!
Worthy successor to Stilgoe?
Heeeey, we've all forgotten about Adam & Joe!
Adam & Joe, national treasures in waiting...
Adam:
Joe:
Adam & Joe:
(won't allow embedding...)