What better way to celebrate the holidays than with some Allan Sherman, the master of novelty songs who burned brightly (but quickly) in the 1960s? One of the few performers of the day who embraced his Jewish heritage, Allan had a knack for putting clever lyrics to popular tunes. After President Kennedy was overheard quoting a Sherman song (Sarah Jackman), his career ignited. A later song (Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah) captured the public imagination by capturing the summer camp experience that most kids ACTUALLY have. The JFK assassination, which chilled US comedy, and the British invasion ended Sherman's fame as quickly as it began. But in recent years an excellent biography and a stage review have rekindled interest in Allan and his silly songs. As always, find extra cuts below and thanks for sharing our shows.
Want more Allan Sherman?
You can't do an Allan Sherman show without his magnum opus. "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah (A Letter from Camp) resonated with anyone who had ever been near a summer camp. Very little video evidence of his work was saved, but this appearance on the Kraft Music Hall in 1963 does a good job of capturing his appeal. https://youtu.be/4yFTOvO0utY
Allan's big break came when JFK was overheard singing his first hit -- "Sarah Jackman". It really captures his style -- clever lyrics set to familiar tunes. And it also features an excellent vocal assist from Christine Nelson. https://youtu.be/vpzLcFBv5zA
Allan embraced his Jewish roots, never mores than on this opus -- a trip through punchlines galore -- "Shticks of One, Half a Dozen of the Other". Cue the rimshot! https://youtu.be/K2Cut3XwJxM
Allan was reputed to have written many song parodies of Broadway musicals, but they never saw the light of day because of licensing issues. In recent years, though, a number of these gems have surfaced including this spot on parody of "76 Trombones" from The Music Man, except in Allan's version the sleepy town is replaced by a country club. And what does Allan find there? Why "76 Sol Cohens" of course! https://youtu.be/VjGe5kXqfQw