Comedy Music Duos

Subject: Comedy Music Duos
From: thespionage
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 01:16 AM

I'm in a comic folk duo and I was wondering which others are or were out there besides the Smothers Brothers. I've heard of Homer and Jethro, but who else? Thanks.

Russ

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: CeltArctic
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 01:26 AM

I don't know if anybody would know them. I saw them only once at the Winnipeg Folk Festival about 18-20 years ago. They called themselves "The Girls Who Wear Glasses." They were like vaudeville performers.

I remember they sang a song called "The Schitzophrenic Love Song", which I heard them do a couple of times during the festival. I was a teenager at the time and must have been very impressed, because I learned both parts by heart after only a couple of hearings. I taught a girlfriend of mine and we used to sing it at our highschool back in Sudbury, Ontario.

Anyone know what happened to them?

Moira Cameron

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 02:03 AM

Gary & Vera Aspey, great comedy plus great trad and contemporary songs and tunes and Vera dancing.

eric

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Ralphie
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:12 AM

Also from this side of the pond.
Flanders and Swann. (1950s and 1960s)
Cheers

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: gnomad
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:23 AM

Cosmotheka, unfortunately now no more. Music hall material at its finest.

There is a CD "You only had to ask"

Dave Sealey is still around.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Splott Man
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 03:42 AM

Maxi & Mitch (That's Billy Mitchell)
The Panic Brothers (and Richard Morton, now a stand-up)

Currently on the scene; Parker & Watts are very entertaining; Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner have some very funny songs.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,wordy
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 04:28 AM

Back in the 70's/80's a UK Midlands duo called "1812". They did Beethoven's piece with guitar and flute and starting pistol. Derek Craft wrote the songs.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: catspaw49
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 04:51 AM

Gary Muledeer used to be part of the "Muledeer and Moondog Medicine Show" and while more pop than country, they were hilarious. "Tell Laura I Love Her" was priceless.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:13 AM

Geof Bodenham out of 1812 was really nice. He had rheumatoid arthritis. after my wife got the same thing, he was full of help and sympathy and advice.

There was a Manchester couple who used to do the folk scene, The Hooters - they were pretty funny.

Mnay of the duos on the folkscene had a sort of sharp comedic patter - Peabody and McNulty, Fiona Simpson and dave Shannon - although I don't suppose they would want to be considered as a comedy acts.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Scrump
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:27 AM

It depends what you mean by "comedy folk". Many folk acts include a lot of humour and humorous songs in their act, but I wouldn't say they were comedy acts as such - the Aspeys, Heraud/Turner, mentioned above, include a lot of serious folk material in their acts. Another example in this vein is Quicksilver. Not comedy though, just humour IMO.

I guess some folk singers who mutated from being singers into comics after a while, such as Harding, Connolly and Carrott, would have been considered pure comedians at one time in their careers (the latter two at least, still are), but I can't really think of any duos who are more or less pure comedy.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:33 AM

The Harri Watts band.
Mulligan and O'hare.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: The Barden of England
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:59 AM

Grant Baynham and Hillary Spencer do some wickedly funny songs along with some great serious ones. Seek them out
John Barden

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Alan Day
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:44 AM

Mr Gladstone's Bag featuring John Watcham on Anglo Concertina,
I never did know the name of his partner or the dog.
A very funny act
Al

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:51 AM

Cloudstreet's John Thompson was/is part of a duo 'Never the Twain' with Martin Pearson who also does standup comedy. They write songs with titles whose first word is 'The' and last word 'Song' (The Pope Song, The Dungog Song), are both fantastic singers & wonderfully silly.

Last year Martin took his one-man 'Lord of the Rings' musical to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and John put up the website
The Unfinished Spelling Errors of Bolkien

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Splott Man
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 08:58 AM

re Mr Gladstone's Bag

The late Mike Clifton was the other member.

Some info about the duo can be found here:

http://www.dartfordfolk.org.uk/mrgladstone_info.htm

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:21 AM

Les Barker and Mrs Ackroyd

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Nancy King
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:50 AM

Don't forget Lou and Peter Berryman!

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: nutty
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:51 AM

I can't believe that no one has yet mentioned 'His Worship and the Pig'. Dave Boulton and Jeff Parton, two fantastic blokes with the most amazing songs.

See Here

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 11:03 AM

Lonzo and Oscar come to mind. Of course, Trout Fishin In America, Small Potatoes, and Seamus Kennedy come to mind, but they are all part serious as well as comedic.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,wordy
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 12:39 PM

The Hooters were from Liverpool/Wirral. Tom Topping and Artie Shaw. They ran the hugely successful folk club in West Kirby for many years.Then Artie just left and hasn't been seen since. Tom is dad to the young Topping making a name for himself on the scene, and runs the Tom Topping band, a great blend of generations.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Anne Lister
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 12:50 PM

Fondly remembered ... Gasworks ... mostly from the 70s.   Oh, dear - showing my age? I watched them from my pram, of course.

Anne

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 01:35 PM

Ahem!.....Pardon the blatant self plug, but in a parallel incarnation Clive Lever ("Wildrover" on the cat) and myself do comedy gigs at clubs and pubs as "Sic Transit".

Our act is mostly original material, with occasional injections of Les Barker, Jake Thackray, and the aforementioned Flanders and Swan, among others.

We tend to get positive responses from audiences, particularly for some of Clive's witty, and often scurrilous parodies.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Scoville
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 02:11 PM

June Carter did quite a bit of comedy stuff with various other artists. Not strictly a comedy duo, but could be a source of material if that's what you need.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: pdq
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 02:24 PM

I guess The Smothers Brothers is too obvious?

Country entertainers Lonzo & Oskar did some great stuff including "I'm My Own Grandpa".

Pinkard & Bowden are hard to categorize, but Bowden can do some comedy that would make Lenny Bruce cringe and Pinkard can play some guitar chops that would make Hendrix proud.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 02:31 PM

Check out Pinkard and Bowden.

Also, from Picton, Ontario, the Frere Brothers (sometimes called the Cherry Valley Ramblers) A lot of parodies ala Homer & Jethro - Four Two-Fours (a song about cross-border shopping to the tune of 4 Strong Winds)
There's one to the tune of Tell My Ma When I Get Home that goes:
She's big and fat and she's my aunt
And she works down in the mushroom plant.
She picks mushrooms 1,2,3,
Got a light on her hat so she can see.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Geordie-Peorgie
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 05:24 PM

The Phatt B'Stards, Blo na Gael, 9 Mile Ride, The Bridge Brothers (Clifton & Putney), Hooper & Henry, Dracket's Cat & loads more

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: thespionage
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 06:26 PM

Wow, great stuff. I do perform other music, trad and non-comedic songs, but for the purpose of this duo it's just folk or acoustic songs with a comic bent.

Russ

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 06 Jun 06 - 09:20 PM

Roberts & Barrand are another folk duo who do both funny and serious stuff. The funny stuff includes The Rolling Mills of New Jersey.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Jun 06 - 01:31 AM

Let's not forget Andina and Rich.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Telemark
Date: 24 Jun 06 - 09:23 PM

I doubt if any of them could match the aforementioned Lou and Peter Berryman.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Elmer Fudd
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 02:00 AM

Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach) assembled various comedic groups: madrigal singers, orchestral, percussion, et al.

There was Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 02:41 AM

Anybody remember Jehosaphat & Jones ? more country than folk though.

eric

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 05:53 AM

Yes indeed Eric, the two Ronnies at their most mischievous best.

I have the complete set on my hard drive, as I plan to work one or two into my repertoire.

Don T.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Mr Happy
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 08:15 AM

Dr. Sunshine & Professor Wingnut[Dec'd, Alas1]

The Hooters, mentioned above, were named after the Wirral village where they originated; Hooton, Chshire.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 10:24 AM

I saw the thread title, and thought, Cosmotheka, His Worship and the Pig, Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner, so am glad to see that others have added them to the list. Have happy memories of Gasworks (verbalise your pre-orgasmic tensions?) and Gladstone's Bag.

But of course the Kipper Family were also originally a duo.

Kitty

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Jim from Jackson
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 11:20 AM

Some of THE BEST comedy (but they are not a duo)is done by the Dry Branch Fire Squad. Their songs are very traditional and bluegrassy, but the leader of the group has some of the best comedy comments you will ever hear. Their album "Live At The Newberryport Firehouse" is an absolutely great piece of work. Ron Tomlinson is better than most pundits and exceeded by none as he comments on politics and a variety of other topics.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Clinton Hammond
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 11:30 AM

Bowser and Blue are the best I've ever heard....

http://www.bowserandblue.com/

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Bunnahabhain
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 01:54 PM

How about Ronnie Brown and Roy Willianmson- better known as the Corries?

Most gigs would have at least one of their comedy numbers in.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 03:08 PM

Williams and Ree, the white guy and the Indian.    They met at college in western South Dakota and have been doing music and standup comedy ever since.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: C. Ham
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 04:41 PM

Dusty & Lefty from the Prairie Home Companion movie.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: gnu
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 09:10 PM

Spaw mentioned Gary Muledeer.... one of the all-time greatest stand-ups EVER!!!

Yes, CH, Bowser and Blue get my vote as well. Them lads can not only entertain, they are excellent musicians and singers.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Girl Friday
Date: 25 Jun 06 - 09:25 PM

Just found this thread. As Don T and Geordie Porgy have trod the blatent self publicity path - dare I suggest TONE DEAF LEOPARD?

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Anglo
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 12:48 AM

Oh dear, I didn't know it was "the late" Mike Clifton in Mr. Gladstone's Bag. I had a live tape of them I recorded on a trip back over the pond, ah these many years ago. Which sadly got stolen out of the car and lost forever, and as far as I know they never recorded anything. I thought they were absolutely brilliant.

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: jojofolkagogo
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 09:20 AM

Greats:

Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner (Funneee funneee and more funneee !!)

and I will vouch for Don T and Clive Lever, very very good evening had recently at Rainham - both are excellent individuals and together !!!

Regard
Jo0Jo

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,thurg
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 10:31 AM

MacLean & MacLean ("The Rodeo Song" - "It's forty below, and I don't give a ... )

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 12:22 PM

Aside from the aforementioned Lou & Peter Berryman (well worth mentioning again -- 3rd time's the charm!), I can't think of any comedy folk-music duos currently touring the US.

There are two bands I can think of offhand -- 'Zen for Primates' and 'The Arrogant Worms' -- but I don't guess that's what you're looking for.

Anyway, here's where to find the Berryman site: www.louandpeter.com

Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Kaleea
Date: 26 Jun 06 - 02:24 PM

I used to see Williams & Ree around the Twin Cities when I lived in Minnesota. The audience was typically lots of Scandehöovians & a smattering of various & sundry "others." (I was part of the others) They joked that they offended everyone, & proceeded to tell jokes & sing funny stuff & everybody laughed, including me.