TV

Another Canadian TV curiosity.  Patof the Clown. “Chez Les Petits Hommes Verts” I don’t know much about him, but check out this trippy, cult-like youtube music video from 1972!

Mr. Dress Up aka Fancy Pants.   From a Canadian Broadcasting Company TV Show.  I guess like their Capt. Kangaroo and Mr. Green Jeans.

The two-sided cover of an Underdog picture-sleeve from 1965.  I really liked Underdog as a kid and remember Sweet Polly Purebred fondly.  “There’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!” Wally Cox, TV’s mild-mannered Mr. Peepers, provided the voice of NBC-TV’s Underdog, a super-canine who talked in rhyme. Underdog was the alter-identity of Shoeshine Boy. He was usually called into action by his girlfriend, ace TV reporter Sweet Polly Purebred (voiced by Norma McMillan).  When he heard Polly’s singing plea of “Oh where, oh where has my Underdog gone?”, “humble, lovable” Shoeshine Boy would slip into a phone booth and emerge as the champion of justice. “When Polly’s in trouble I am not slow, it’s Hip, Hip, Hip and away I go !”

The Underdog Show began with a parody of Superman’s famous opening: “Look, up in the sky, it’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a frog…a frog?” At that point, the canine would correct the observers with: “Not bird, nor plane, nor even frog, it’s just little ‘ole me, Underdog !” Like his human counterpart, Underdog was not infallible. While he didn’t have to contend with Kryptonite, occasionally his power would fade, causing him all kinds of trouble. For cases like that, the pooch would carry a revitalizing energy pill in a secret compartment in his ring.

Underdog’s main foes included underworld boss Riff Raff, and Simon Bar Sinister, an evil scientist who once created a Big Dipper Machine to steal the world’s water supply. He then enslaved the citizens and made them do as “Simon Says” just to get a drink.

“Tina”  “Her Portrait in Hi-Fi”  Tina Louise sings.  (1957)  Louise made four record albums, this one and “It’s Time for Tina” on Concert Hall, and two others on the Urania label in 1958 and 1959.  Before being forever remembered as Ginger on the TV Land staple, “Gilligan’s Island”, Tina Louise was in films like “God’s Little Acre,” on Broadway in the musical “Lil’ Abner (with Batman’s future “Catwoman” Julie Newmar) and one of the favorite pin-up girls and models of the fifties, appearing in Playboy and many other men’s magazines of the time.  Her last notable film role was in 1975’s “Stepford Wives”.

Felix the Cat: Television Cartoon Star goes record shopping. 1960.

Thunderball, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. & Other Secret Agent. Design Records.

“It All Happens On Saturday”  The Harry Stoneham Five”  (From the BBC TV Parkinson’ Series).  EMI Studio 2.  These two blokes in a boat are living the high life, not a care in the world.  Toasting their own good taste and good fortune.

SUPERCAR The Original TV Cast Recording. Golden Guinea Records. From the UK. (1962) Music by Barry Gray.

Buddy Morrow “Double Impact” (RCA) Sixties TV themes about guns and poker games.

Shelly Manne & His Men Play PETER GUNN. Music by Henry Mancini from the TV program starring Craig Stevens. Contemporary Records. Shelly Manne (drums); Victor Feldman, Conte Candoli, Herb Geller, Russ Freeman, Monty Budwig. Recorded in January 1959. Manne and his West Coast jazz band interpret a selection of Henry Mancini-composed themes from the popular late-1950s TV show PETER GUNN, including the title track and a variety of atmospheric interludes. Cuts include “A Profound Gass” and “Sorta Blue,” “Soft Sounds” and the shimmering “The Brothers”.

For the most part, television music was a vast jazz wasteland before the Peter Gunn series debuted in the fall of 1958. The show’s score made a name for composer Henry Mancini and changed the sound of televised drama. It was inevitable that Shelly Manne, Hollywood studio mainstay and a proven champion at jazz interpretations of Broadway shows (e.g., “My Fair Lady” also on Contemporary), would give Mancini’s music a more expansive blowing treatment, and the resulting album reminds us that there was more to Peter Gunn than its dramatic theme and the classic ballad “Dreamsville.” Fans of Manne’s Men should note that the album was taped during the brief tenure of alto saxophonist Herb Geller, and that it makes winning use of the vibes and marimba of added starter Victor Feldman.

Before he was James West on The Wild Wild West TV show, Bob Conrad in 1961 cut a single — “Ballin’ the Jack” (Odd choice, but hey…)

The hits that made it happen baby! with Curtis Mayfield, Al Green, Four Tops, Billy Paul, James Brown, The O’Jays, Barbara Mason and the host with the most afro, Don Cornelious.   This is one “bad” (as in “good”) comp - and it’s only $3.98!  That’s right soul brothers and soul sisters, only $3.98!  So don’t delay, order yours today! (On the “as seen on TV” label ADAM VII)

This is an import from Argentina.

“This one is from 1966, I loved the series when I was a little boy.” — Kerstan Reineke

The Archies (Betty, Archie, Jughead, Reggie, Veronica) “Sugar, Sugar”. This sweet, piece of bubblegum pop hit #1 on the charts in 1969. The Archies were created to be the real live musical group behind the Saturday morning TV cartoon series The Archie Show that debuted in 1968. The show’s music was the work of Don Kirshner, who was also behind the Monkees, and producer Jeff Barry. “Sugar Sugar” sold six million singles! The group had another top ten single in 1970 with “Jingle Jangle”. The studio group included Ron Dante who sang lead. Dante went on to produce most of Barry Manilow’s hits in the 70’s but previously he was with the Detergents who had a top ten hit with “Leader of the Laudromat” a take off of “Leader of the Pack”. The female singers were Ellie Greenwich (Brill Building composer of “Leader of the Pack” and many other huge hits) and Toni Wine. Another Archies backup singer, Andy Kim, had his own #1 hit in 1974 with “Rock Me Gently”.

Two cover variations for the 1964 release of “Music for Monsters, Munsters, Mummies & Other TV Fiends” The Exciting Sound of Milton Delugg and his Orchestra. Cover illustration by Jack Davis top and the cast of “The Munters” bottom. Both on Epic.

Milton DeLugg is the composer of “Hooray for Santy Claus,” the catchy theme song for the low-budget motion picture Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. In 1958 he produced Buddy Holly’s famous record, “Rave On.” DeLugg enjoyed a long association with Chuck Barris, beginning as arranger of the original theme to The Newlywed Game in 1966. From 1976 to 1980 he was musical director of The Gong Show. DeLugg often appeared on the show as a comic foil, in the characters of bad joke teller Naso Literatus and philosopher Old Drool. DeLugg’s venerable “Hoop Dee Doo” became a fixture on The Gong Show and was used whenever the contest winner was chosen.

Some things are better left unsaid.

Smiley Burnette star of TV, Movies and Song.