Month: October 2017

Parodies’ Paradise: 1963 “Louie Louie”

The fabled Kingsman song is notorious for errors and profanity and was considered bad music, but it entered the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for December 1963, and peaked at number two the following week, a spot which it held for six non-consecutive weeks–remaining in the top 10 through December and January before dropping off in early February… did reach number one on the Cashbox pop chart for two weeks, as well as number one on the Cashbox R&B chart… quickly became a standard at teen parties in the U.S. during the 1960s, even reappearing on the charts in 1966.

The ’60s Invasion, of course, honors “Santa Santa” with all the slurred and repeated lines of the original. Sell it, boys.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1961 “Can’t Help Falling in Love”

Elvis’s slow dance ballad topped the British charts… was certified by the RIAA as a Platinum record, for US sales in excess of one million copies… peaked at number two on the US pop chart… went to number one on the Easy Listening chart for six weeks.

ApologetiX couldn’t resist the wise men referent, hence “Wise Men Still.” Whadja bring?

Parodies’ Paradise: 1960 “Shop Around”

The Miracles’ big hit was their first number 1 on the Billboard R&B singles chart… eight weeks at the top… also hit No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100… also reached No. 1 on the Cash Box magazine Top 100 pop chart… the first million-selling record for the Miracles and for the Motown Record Corporation… a 2006 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.

The Mistletones get easy mileage out of awkward lingerie gift getting by guys in their “Shop Around.” Oh my!

Parodies Paradise: 1959 “Mack the Knife”

Bobby Darin rode Louis Armstrong’s hit to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number six on the Black Singles chart, and earned him a Grammy Award for Record of the Year… Frank Sinatra and Simon Cowell have raved about this version descended from Brecht’s Die Dreigroschenoper, alienating Marxist theater. Most of us mack fun of the finger-snapping, cool-scatting lounge lizard it spawned.

Make way for Joel Kopischke’s “Santa’s Back in Town.” Yeah, i think it’s cool. ‘Cuz it is.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1956 “Hotebreak Hotel”

The first of Elvis’s hits topped Billboard‘s Top 100 chart for seven weeks… Cashbox‘s pop singles chart for six weeks… No. 1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks… reached No. 3 on the R&B chart… his first million-seller… reached the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues charts simultaneously… eventually be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America… inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame… in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’… also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s ‘500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.’

Those chameleons of ApologetiX has transformed the lyrics but not the smooth soul for “Cut-Rate Hotel.” I think they mean manger.

Parodies’ Paradise: 1953 “That’s Amore!”

Okay, douglove needs a little holiday break….

For the next couple months i will share the sincerest form of flattening, copying someone else’s tune. But inserting a Christmas song to it! Totally. Some people are spot on this paro-deus form of musicality. Bob Rivers is the Obi Wan of it all. ApologetiX will be featured again and again as masterful Christian cover-makers. Robert Lund (from FuMP) fills in FM stations with his latest jiggery pokery. My man here Joel Kopischke has a cottage industry in performing little shows THAT time of year. As do The ’60s Invasion. Many amateurs post their talents. Other big deal ‘tubers (like KeyofAwesome) bring studio quality to the fun.

So, we’ll wend our way through the decades, stealing stats from Wikipedia to clue you in to the monster hits that are the targets here. (None of the originals will be linked; they aren’t Xmas. So there.)

Let’s get going.

Dean Martin’s signature number tumbled out of his Martin-Lewis pic ‘The Caddy’ and was nominated for an Academy award. It hit number 2 as a single later and has followed him like the smell of cheese since (many enjoy that smell).

Gentile Joel Kopischke reminds of of other holidays with “That’s a Menorah.” Sing a long! Now just the Jews!

Ghost of Christmas Pastiche: Miley Cyrus

Key of Awesome is so cool they get a mention with “12 Days of Miley.” It’s not funny. It’s mean. If you can’t stand her, here.

Venetian Princess gets fanny funny with “A Miley Cyrus Christmas.” It’s only a silly minute.

The “Miley Christmas/Parody of ‘The Christmas Song'” from our friends at FuMP: Robert Lund and Spaff.com. It replays over the credits if you don’t get it the first minute and a half.