ONE HIT WONDERLAND

Some of my favorite songs from the "vintage years" (50s and 60s) are OHWs. One Hit Wonders. Why do you think that is? I don't think of myself as a person who automatically roots for the underdog. But I do believe that a lot of pretty decent talent kind of withered on the vine. Maybe it was lack of decent material to record, or lack of decent promotion promotion by the label. Or lack of funds for payola. Anyway, this little number, "He's Mine", was a fave of mine back in 1963, and it still is today. Alice Wonder Land (sometimes written as Wonderland) was born Alice Faye Henderson. There's a story out there that Alice's discovery resembles that of the Little Eva with "Loco-motion" - being a maid and/or babysitter for a songwriter, or a friend of a songwriter, or...something like that. Both stories may be all or in part apocryphal, and for our purposes here, I don't think it matters. We just want to hear a great and maybe long-forgotten oldie, right?! Little Eva didn't stay a OH Wonderwoman. We also remember her for one of the great girl group smack-down songs of the era - "Keep Your Hands Off My Baby" which unfortunately, isn't on YT at all. That's a shocking omission I hope some YT channel member rectifies soon!





Anyway, I tried to come up with a photo of Alice, but between Alice Faye the actress, and the little blonde Alice of the book and the Disney movie, it wasn't happening, so I posted them instead. Also, the embedding for this video has been disabled, so I'll have to give you the YouTube link.
LINK to "He's Mine"





Alice in Wonderland photo from Wikimedia Commons
Alice Faye photo from www.classicmoviemusicals.com

SING ABOUT WHAT YOU LOVE, EVEN IF YOUR BREATH OFFENDS

On today's menu: "I Love Onions" by Susan Christie, 1966

Working with what you love is good advice for just about any endeavor, so it should come as no surprise that someone has made a song about this lowly (but versatile) veggie. A lot of people would probably say they love onions, and onions are no less deserving of a song all their own than any other food item. But even so, this tune undoubtedly must be classified more as a novelty than a true love song. It has all the fun elements: amusing lyrics, an unusual voice (a certain Marilyn-Monroe-Happy-Birthday-Mr.-President quality), the goofy onion oration part in the middle, and last but not least, some virtuoso kazoo (for more on the kazoo, see my Nov. 6, 2007 post).

I must admit that beyond remembering this song from my teen years, I didn't know a thing about Susan Christie. So I looked for a bio, and discovered that, in addition to her one (minor) hit wonder status, she had aspirations as a folk singer. Apparently her somewhat startling approach (All Music Guide calls it "acid folk") to a few folk standards didn't win her a contract back in the late 60s, and her demos sat in dusty obscurity until 2006, when they were put out on CD. At the moment I'm debating if I want to check it out or not; I may get back to you. Meanwhile, let's return to the onion patch.

As I typed in a search for this one on YouTube, I was kind of holding my breath, then to my happy surprise someone has indeed posted a video of this song. Someone with really adorable kids, I might add. A few of you may recognize this song from your own youth, watching Captain Kangaroo. It's also been recycled as a commercial for Turtles candy - "Oooo, I love Turtles." Given their choice of snacks, who wouldn't prefer to end up with Turtle breath? Anyway, here's the lyrics and a link so you can check it out for yourselves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADxjvXC7wOo

TITLE: I Love Onions
ARTIST: Donald Cochrane and John Hill

I don't like snails or toads or frogs
Or strange things living under logs
But mmm, I love onions

I don't like to dance with Crazy Ted
He's always jumping on my head
But mmm, I love onions

{Refrain}
Onions, onions, la-la-la
Onions, onions, ha-ha-ha
Root doot doot-doot, doot doot doot
Onions, onions, la-la-la
Onions, onions, ha-ha-ha
Root doot doot-doot, doot doot doot

I don't like rain or snow or hail
Or Moby Dick the great white whale
But mmm, I love onions

I don't like shoes that pinch your toes
Or people who squirt you with a garden hose
But mmm, I love onions

{Refrain}

Onion is a tuberous vegetable, and is a member of the genus Stinkus Delicioso. It was highly prized by the ancient Egyptian pharaohs and their friends and cousins. It causes watering of the eyes and rubifaction of the skin but it is very, very tasty.

{Refrain}

How vewwy, vewwy good

FRAT ROCK RULES!

Woo-hoo, Frat Rock. It's one of those music categories that is, one the one hand, just soooo accurate, while, on the other, it can be frustratingly broad. You can find the same bands and even the same songs listed in several different rock and pop genres; I guess it all depends on who's making the list. But generally, most people agree that Frat Rock is fast and furious, raw and raunchy, the forerunner of garage and punk, and the original you ain't makin' it to class in the morning rock and roll. As you might expect, Frat Rock takes its name from the party bands that played at '60s fraternity parties. At this point I have to tell you that I went to my share of frat parties back in my day, and while you wouldn't have called them conservative or sedate, there never was any live music. But there was always a good selection of records, so everyone managed very nicely. The following is my list (in no particular order) of standout Frat Rock numbers that I partied to.

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" Crazy Elephant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaK600yrvPE

"Let It All Hang Out" The Hombres
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgVMMdOplHw

"Dirty Water" The Standells
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5apEctKwiD8

"96 Tears" ? and The Mysterians
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrTnaPa9BaA

"Keep On Dancing" The Gentrys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9ylOFfdRRw

"Hey Little Girl" The Syndicate of Sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgLy3ArIVRE

"Open Up Your Door" Richard and the Young Lions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrIH1NDlmzc

"Farmer John" The Premiers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyJ7lRwRSbI

"Nobody But Me" The Human Beinz
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mEMfxFEaXw

"Time Won't Let Me" The Outsiders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxghKjbgA_Y

"Louie Louie" The Kingsmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FhwTZPSe0c

"Hang On Sloopy" The McCoys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICO-hrZllHw

"Little Bit o' Soul" Music Explosion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3WEPSaaXwHM

And of course, just about anything by Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhaOWvs4bkA