Comedy in music

Subject: Comedy in music
From: Will Fly
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 10:24 AM

Doing one of my regular trawls through the musical world and surfing around the ether, coffee by my side, I've been enjoying some wonderfully funny pieces of music. Most of them are many, many years old. But I wondered - where are the modern equivalents? Where are the anarchists? Is it my jaded and outmoded memory, or were there many more of them in my youth - Tom Lehrer, the Bonzo-Dog Doo-Dah Band, Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band?

Where are the Leslie Saroneys, the Rufe Davis's (both singers of "The Old Sow") of today, for example? The Spike Jones's? The Barron-Knights - formed around 1960 - are still doing stage shows today, but I'll bet very few here, including me, have heard of them over the last few years. Remember Dr. Crock & The Crackpots? Sid Millward & The Nitwits? In Sussex, until a few years ago, we had the Harry Strutters Orchestra, and some appearances by Bob Kerr. I've heard the Bonzos still get together occasionally.

I suppose the comedy song, at its height, flourished within the music-hall tradition and in children's entertainment. One of the reasons to be grateful for folk clubs, singarounds, etc., is that comedy in song is alive and flourishing. I was at Elsie's (the Queen's Head) in Kent last night, to see the Twagger Band in action, and we had a number of songs from the company that brought roars of laughter to the room. But outside that genre of musical entertainment...? Any offers?

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 02:21 PM

You should also look up Gerard Hoffnung, Will. I won't say more for fear of spoiling the surprise!

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bert
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 02:46 PM

There's a few on my website, Here

British Workman's Grave
Country Vicar
Cuckoo's Nest
Espresso Machine
Plastic Flower Seeds
Seven Dear Old Ladies
Silicone Cindy
Size Doesn't Matter
Thrashing Machine
When your Pickle Glows at night

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: pdq
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 03:00 PM

The Austin Lounge Lizards "Employee of the Month" is great fun. Almost all good songs and that is not easy with humorous material.

The send-up of Leonard Cohen is priceless.

Great playing too.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: TheSnail
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 03:10 PM

The New Rope String Band

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 05:51 PM

There are people out there writing and singing funny stuff. Martin Pearson. Tim Minchin. Roy Zimmerman. Katie Goodman, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdn3O6aaMNc (NSFW).

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Leadfingers
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 07:14 PM

Will - Check out London Philharmonc Skiffle Orchestra - More Visual Lunacy than just comic songs , but some excellent musicians !

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: andrew e
Date: 24 Feb 13 - 10:12 PM

Check out Dudley Moore playing piano on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l3hq4G1iHs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GazlqD4mLvw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n7BCUVJkhU

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Eddie1 (sans cookie)
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 04:35 AM

For more info on the Bonzos have a look at this:
3 Bonzos and a Piano

I had Legs Larry Smith on my radio programme about a year ago and the rest on telephone. Unfortunately, due to a technical problem, although we, and the rest of the world, could hear them, I couldn't talk to them on air so they interviewed themselves - pure Bonzo chaos!
I saw them in Windsor and they were brilliant!

Eddie

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 09:03 AM

videos of Australia's Martin Pearson in action.

something topical (tho written many years ago!) The Pope Song

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 10:49 AM

if you want comical music I heartily recommend a ceilidh (that turns out to be a Playford dance) with Belshazzar's Feast.
They made po-faced ceilidhnauts, who wouldn't be seen dead at Playford, laugh. Strong medicine - I submit.

But then their concerts are punctuated with humour, most of it schpiel.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Long Firm Freddie
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 12:34 PM

I'm partial to Flight of the Conchords, John Shuttleworth and The Lancashire Hotpots.

The Bill Posters Will Be Banned (feat. many ex Bonzos and Bob Kerr's Whoopee Band) play at the Bull's Head in Barnes on the first Thursday of every month.

LFF

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 01:18 PM

Fortunately, a huge array of this.

PDQ Bach is not to be missed.    One of my alltime favorites of his:    first movement of Beethoven's 5th broadcast as a baseball game.   Called "New Horizons In Music Appreciation".   Skewers sports announcers, among many other targets.

The whole album, "PDQ Bach On The Air" is an absolute delight. The more you know about music, especially classical music, the better-but a lot of it works without any knowledge of classical music.


In another field, lots of Steve Goodman's output:   "Door #3,", "Dying Cub Fan's Lament", "Vegematic", "Banana Republics". etc, etc..   Sometimes comedy and pathos in the same song.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: deepdoc1
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 01:23 PM

Brobdingnagian Bards
Austin Lounge Lizards

Ditto Steve Goodman & John Prine
Gibson & Camp had their moments

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ebbie
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 02:02 PM

Among many others, Shel Silverstein:

Oh, if you read in the papers that she's been seen
A gettin' in an' out of some millionaire's long, custom made limousine
She may fool you with her smiles, but I can see
That's just a poor hopeless hapless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me

So you were down at Joe's on the night she broke her zipper
And some lame brain drank champagne out of her slipper?
And she danced on the piano and she screamed hurray, I'm free?
That's just her poor hopeless hapless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me

Oh she'll do anything she can just to make me jealous
Of course forgettin' me is gonna take her lots of years
So I call her now and then just out of pity. When she laughs at me
That's just her way of bravely holding back her tears

What's that you say? She got married? Oh the poor little fool!
To some handsome movie star with a mansion and a swimming pool?
And she's looking good and she's got a kid or two or three?
That's just her poor hopeless hapless helpless pathetic way of gettin' over me

(Pathetic way of tryin' to get over me but she ain't never gonna make it honey. I mean those guys, those guys you see her with now, they're relatives, maybe business associates. I mean I know this woman and she's sittin' home bitin' her fingernails. Let me tell you she's just readin' magazines. She may look like she's enjoyin' herself. That's the way she looks when she's really gettin' bad. I know this woman. She'll be back.)

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: pdq
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 02:13 PM

Both Mike Cross and Steve Goodman did serious songs and great comedic songs in reasonable proportion and made both work.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 02:30 PM

Someone who carries on the madness of the Bonzos and Spike Jones is the Amazing Mr Smith, with his condom bagpipes and harps. He is also a very fine guitarist.
Quick plug - he will be appearing at HaverFolk on Wednesday June 26.
And for more laughs we have Dennis Homes, formerly with Synanthesia now a fine comic song writer, on Wednesday July 31.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 03:44 PM

In any list of this sort, we need to be sure to include the classic song written by our own McGrath of Harlow:   "The Bovril's With the Gravy But The Marmite's With The Jam".    Especially when sung by the author himself--as he's done at Sidmouth, for instance.   Totally unforgettable.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 04:06 PM

And should be not only on any such list but way up towards the top.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 04:19 PM

My favorite: Victor Borge.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bert
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 05:14 PM

That's a great song Ron. I would sing it but Bovril and Marmite are not too well known in Colorado.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: deepdoc1
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 07:21 PM

Add Mike Cross, the inimitable Kendall, double up on Art Thieme, and most of the Cowboy singers have some hilarious songs.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 08:41 PM

The correct way to laugh at English folksong is in 16/18 rhythm in the Phyrgian mode.

Ho! Ho! Ha! Ho! Ho! Ho!....and so on in descending triplets.

As far as I'm concerned if you can't manage that, you're not really understanding the spirit of the tradition. If you can't be bothered to laugh 'in the tradition'. You're obviously one of the untermenschen. Probably a northerner - you would be more comfortable watching Bernard Manning on dvd, or squeezing ladies bums to choose Lib/Dem parliamentary candidates.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Joe_F
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 09:13 PM

Flanders & Swann

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 25 Feb 13 - 11:17 PM

The original question was, "where are the modern equivalents?"

I don't know that Flanders & Swann, Victor Borge, Steve Goodman, Shel Silverstein, Gibson & Camp, PDQ Bach, and Dudley Moore, hilarious as they all were, fall within the intent of the original post.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 04:12 AM

Spot on Gerry. They're all excellent entertainers - and I have records by many of them - but they are of yesteryear. I really was curious to see if any modern musicians, outside the folk world, were bringing comedy into their act. And thanks to those in the thread who offered some names - I've been investigating them and liking what I've seen and heard.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Guest mike
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 04:36 AM

Will

if you are into the Bonzo-Dog Doo-Dah Band then check out
Biggles wartime band

Biggles Wartime Band have been around a long time and are undoubtedly the leading exponents of jugband music in the UK.
Comedy is the order of the day with lots of corny gags, musical and otherwise

mike m

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 05:10 AM

Cheers, Guest mike - just checked out their YT clips - great fun! No 2013 gigs listed as yet on their website, but I'll keep looking...

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 06:25 AM

Flossie Malavialle and Keith Donnelly do the odd "funny":

Riddle Song

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 06:42 AM

And on the other side of the Pond, there's Taryn Southern:


The Wrong Hole

Though she does appear to have something of an anal fixation as the other songs of hers I've encountered include fixations on farting and pooing. An acquired taste (or not)!

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: bubblyrat
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 07:02 AM

One of the funniest acts I ever saw in a folk club were three Portsmouth "locals " Pat Nelson , Jon Isherwood and Diz Disley playing as a trio ; amazing and side-splitting . I don't know if they recorded anything , though ( although Joni Sherwood / Jo Nisherwood
did , ie The Cucumber Song !).

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 11:21 AM

Les Barker
Jeremy Taylor


Both still appearing at folk clubs.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Will Fly
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 11:56 AM

Ah well, as I said in my initial post - comedy is alive and well in folk clubs. Not quite as prevalent as it was in areas outside folk.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: deepdoc1
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 12:06 PM

Tom Rush, Four Bitchin' Babes, Christine Lavin, Arlo Guthrie, Red Clay Ramblers ... these should get me back on track with current artists who frequently use humor. More regionally located (but with available albums) to Southern Chesapeake, Them Eastport Oyster Boys are great, too.

For political satire, The Capitol Steps are good. Garrison Keillor also uses a lot of humorous songs, but I'm not sure if he goes with the spirit of this thread.

Definitely going to look up some of the above.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,David W
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 12:37 PM

Trout Fishing in America is hilarious.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 12:38 PM

Dan and Dan do (or does) the odd comedy song:

Daily Mail Song

And Mitch Benn of course:

Rasta Queen Mother

Stairway to'Eaven

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 12:43 PM

And Axis of Awesome:

Axis of Awesome

Though they do seem a bit derivative of Rob Paravonian's "Pachelbel Rant" in this one.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bernard
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 02:07 PM

Two that spring to mind are Hayseed Dixie (bluegrass versions of heavy metal...!) and 'Weird Al' Yankovic (clever parodies of pop songs).

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: alanabit
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 02:37 PM

I find this Australian gentleman amusing: Kevin Bloody Wilson

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 03:44 PM

Bert--

I think you should sing Kevin's song about marmite and bovril--even in Colorado. You could preface it by giving him credit for writing it and saying something about what these 2 substances are--maybe even mentioning that one was even mistaken--by a person from this side of the Pond (not me, I hasten to add)-- for chocolate--with interesting results. I'm a Colonial, and knew very little about them, but I still found Kevin's performance of his own song one of the most hilarious experiences I've ever had.    You might want to do what he did in Sidmouth and put in a Dylan imitation as part of the song.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bert
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 05:58 PM

Maybe you're right Ron, I'll give it a try and see how it goes down. I'll have to get a jar of each to show on stage.

Other groups are Modern Man

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 08:10 PM

Colum Sands - could easily make his living just telling his funny stories, but he has some cracking songs too.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 10:00 PM

Also in the US: Lou and Peter Berryman and Small Potatoes.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 10:54 PM

Depends on how exclusively up to date you want to be.   But PDQ Bach for instance (no spring chicken, that's for sure) is still very much active--I get lists of his appearances since I'm on his e-mail list.

Dry Branch Fire Squad is still around (I hope, at any rate), and Ron Thomason, the leader has a great-- appropriately enough, dry--sense of humor (e.g. "We believe in aggressive ignorance in bluegrass music").

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bert
Date: 26 Feb 13 - 11:24 PM

I said groups but only gave you one. Somehow the other link disappeared; here 'tiz again

Hot Soup

And here's the guy that Skiff posted on the jokes thread

Senior moments:brain farts

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 27 Feb 13 - 03:17 PM

Weird Al is indeed amazing. He's made a great career--a pretty good living, I think,-- exclusively out of parodies, on an impressively high level. Who would have thought there was enough of a market to do that?

My alltime favorite of his:   "White and Nerdy".   Even better as a video.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Guest TF
Date: 28 Feb 13 - 02:29 PM

Alanabit Kevin "Bloody" Wilson is the equivalent of Bernard Manning singing. Remember all, there are people around here who regard comedy in folk music as the devil's work.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 28 Feb 13 - 08:48 PM

Vin Garbutt - does a lot of talking between songs but usually has people falling about laughing.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Ron Davies
Date: 28 Feb 13 - 08:53 PM

"comedy in folk music as the devil's work" ?

C'mon.    There are few things better in life than the combination of humor and music. Anybody who can't see that must have had his sense of humor shot off in the war.

Assuming you are in fact serious--which I actually doubt, somehow.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Acorn4
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 04:12 AM

You do run across the dreaded political correctness sometimes. Not sure if Jake Thackray would have got away with some of his lyrics in this day and age?

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Bert
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 04:31 AM

And dont forget Cheryl Wheeler

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 06:25 PM

I'll check my collection of recordings and see if I can find any more performers who do music and comedy.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Rob Naylor
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 07:06 PM

I think Will was really after *modern* proponents of the art. Most of the names mentioned here seem to be of people from the 60s and 70s who still happen to be performing.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: vindelis
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 07:23 PM

Fred Wedlock, I believe sang some songs written by Miles Wootton. Jake Thackery is another character altogether. Fred and Jake have both 'gone along' now.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Thomas Stern
Date: 01 Mar 13 - 09:09 PM

Notes from the Underground
Fugs
Holy Modal Rounders
Capital Steps

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,John Foxen
Date: 02 Mar 13 - 12:35 PM

In such august company I hesitate to mention a duo called Foxen

My Bottom Is Wide

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: framus
Date: 02 Mar 13 - 04:34 PM

Seeing Colum Sands' name reminds me that Crawford Howard has two albums behind him, The Diagonal Steam Trap, and The Slopin' Beauty.
Some bits perhaps a bit parochial to N Ireland, but a lot of his humour is pretty Universal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=dZLH9dEr3oI

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 02 Mar 13 - 08:04 PM

There are a number of others who spring to mind, who have their comedic interludes in between other more serious material: Eric Bogle, who could take you from tears of laughter to abject misery between 2 songs: John Tams, who invariably has his audiences in stitches at several moments in any performance: then the recently departed Michael Marra, whose observations of life in Dundee could be totally hilarious.
On the other hand there are people like Les Barker, probably best known for his funny poems and songs, but who has written some very hard- hitting really serious stuff too

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Dickmac
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 02:52 PM

Tattie Bogle - you and I must move in the same circles as I recognise and agree with your list, as well as the earlier posting for The New Rope String Band. Saw them at Celtic Connections in January and going to see them next Sunday at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine (Scotland).
One additional name who will be known to many in the west of Scotland is Graham Gass who has penned many very clever funny songs , including
"He Works For Cunard" - try saying it quickly!!

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Kenny B (inactive)
Date: 03 Mar 13 - 05:00 PM

Is thiis the song Graham sings

"Uncle Wullie"

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Dickmac
Date: 07 Mar 13 - 11:17 AM

Don't remember ever hearing Graham singing Uncle Wille.
The particular song i was referring to concerned a a man who had made good and returns to his home town where his old school pals wonder how he can afford the smart car etc.
His explanation is that "he works for Cunard"- but in the song it comes our as "he works fuckin' hard". which is typical of the smart play on words used by Graham

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST,Andrew
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 12:01 PM

If you are looking for some new comedy folk music then you might liek to have a listen to my band - Dr Butler's Hatstand Medicine Band

www.hatstandmedicineband.com

On our first album 'Music for Parlours and Promenades' try 'Penny Farthing' and on our recent one 'The Art of Good-Time Music' try 'Vicky From the Chippy' and 'Tongue Twister'.

They're both free to listen to at:

http://drbutlershatstandmedicineband.bandcamp.com/



Ta

A

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: Artful Codger
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 02:53 PM

Garfunkel & Oates (Riki Lindhorne & Kate Micucci)
Uncle Bonsai/Electric Bonsai Band/Mel Cooleys (Andrew Ratshin &o.)

A number of comics do musical parodies and write original songs, but, understandably, you'll find them more on the comedy stages than at music venues.

Martin Mull did a lot of funny songs before moving more into acting. Check out his bottleneck ukulele on YouTube.

Subject: RE: Comedy in music
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Aug 13 - 03:18 PM

Kirsty MacColl who died back in 2000, had some humorous songs about some very contemporary subjects on her album Tropical Brainstorm. "Here Comes That Man Again" (about an online erotic webcam encounter...."what is that you have in your hand...is that a mouse I see?") "Celestine" (about a woman with split personality) ...and one tune about becoming obsessed with a fan and stalking him (nice little turnabout) ...she follows him to a record store where she notices he buys some other female artist's CD ..then she follows him home and watches through the window as he plays the CD and dances about the room, which sends her into a jealous rage. Funny stuff, very clever lyrics and salsa-inspired melodies. Mucho listenable.