Category: pop music

Parodies’ Paradise: 1971/1985 “Jealous Guy”

John Lennon’s introspective wandering was released on the Imagine album in 1971… not released as a single until November 1985, five years after Lennon’s murder, and (four-and-a-half years after Roxy Music’s cover hit number one)… the single reached number 65 in the UK charts… in the United States, the single reached number 80 on the Billboard Hot 100… also peaked at number 22 on the Hot Adult Contemporary chart.

Let’s give Duncan G and Brian the benefit of doubt here taking an odd hit and making it high concept about a regular guy apologizing to St. Nick for his bad roof conditions in their “Careless Guy.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_miZ7f-dNbQ

Parodies’ Paradise: 1969 “Sweet Caroline”

Neil Diamond’s super smash was completely titled ‘Sweet Caroline (Good Times Never Seemed so Good).’ It hit #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart… eventually went platinum… hit #3 on the US, Easy Listening chart… might’ve been about JFK’s kid… still gets play in Fenway Park, many Irish football games, and cricket.

Joel Kopischke sings a Christmas song about singing Christmas song singing (i’ve got to devote a month to that) in “Sweet Caroling.”

Parodies’ Paradise: 1966 “I am a Rock”

This Paul Simon song is a bugbear for vinyl collectors. Originally released in the Paul Simon Songbook only in the UK, it was later tacked onto The Leaves That are Green with Garfunkle. Station samples were pressed in red with mono on on side and stereo on the other. The single charted to #3 in the Billboard Hot 100. It was my high school girlfriend’s signature song.

The following parody is not exactly holiday themed, but it is seasonal. And Simon and Garfunkle bits are hard to come by. So there. “Polar Bear Anthem” chronicles the wacky antics of those who jump into sub-zero December waters. Thanks, Balderdash & Humbug!

Parodies’ Paradise: 1965 “I Got You Babe”

From Sonny and Cher’s debut studio album Look at Us, their single spent three weeks at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States where it sold more than 1 million copies and was certified Gold… also reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and Canada. Kitsch pop music got a big shot in the arm here and has never recovered.

Joel Kopischke goes to town with “I Got Yule Babe” sampling all manner of reindeer games. Have fun!

Behold a Star: Jack Black, etc.

Here in the mysterious world of novelty music awkward fusions and joke bands are a rare and wonderful thing. No one usually gets them and they die a cover death at airport lounges. But Jack Black has nurtured his Tenacious D duo ‘mock rock’ with Kyle Glass for decades. He loves the metal music as much as the tongue in the cheek. So his funny musical career works.

La Parola Persa is an Italian group of no little energy who has devoted webspace to ‘begging Jack’ to musically notice them. Their holiday tribute “Merry Christmas, Jack Black” goes off the rails early, however, and hyperactively salutes more than a hundred stars (of the movie/music type). What a masked ride! (Caveat: The second half of the video is encore.)

Behold a Star: Justin Bieber

Justin Drew Bieber went platinum when he was 15. That’s the power of youtube, bitches. Which also unleashed the trolls. Justin’s had several world records, including most ‘Hated” video of all time. His style pusher Usher may get the blame for his streetwise wannabe missteps, but he’s just a boy in a ‘Truman Show’ world of microscopic focus. And he can sing pretty well, which doesn’t get the attention any more.

Brittani Taylor has an appropriately awkward fan song “JUSTIN BIEBER CHRISTMAS!” based on ‘Hippopotamus.’ I kinda like it

Behold a Star: Wham!

Wham! was the Top of the Pops sensation created by members Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael. They helped shape the whispery androgyny of the ’80s pop music scene, even if they flamed out quickly.

The Boy Least Likely To chronicles their struggle with fame in “George and Andrew” (no, it IS a Christmas song). This is sung in the style of Wham! (pastiche) but it’s totally a shout out to these boys. Happy Holidays!

Behold a Star: Harry Nilsson

And this song is why i chose this theme this month.

Harry Nilsson was on my young man music radar from the kids’ movie ‘The Point’ and i probably heard ‘Me and My Arrow’ as a personal inner soundtrack throughout my teens. Sure he wrote for the Monkees and Three Dog Night, created the tune for the opening of ‘Courtship of Eddie’s Father’ and most of the songs for the Robin Williams’s ‘Popeye’ movie, and won a Grammy for the love theme for ‘Midnight Cowboy.’ But it wasn’t until SFO Dave hipped me to his cult-like underappreciated 1970s albums that i realized this guy’s an actual artist. (And a carouser, i guess.)

Todd McHatton was also inspired enough to write “A Christmas Song for Harry Nilsson.” So you’re cool by association, Todd. Thanks.

Behold a Star: Ringo Starr

Richard Starkey might be the fifth Beatle, a Skiffle player who replaced Pete Best. But boyhowdee did he stand out from the other mop tops. Not handsome or smart or even plain, Ringo was the talking dog of The Beatles. Girls wanted to keep him under the bed and take him out and play with him.

Christine Hunter gets silly with song references in “Santa Bring Me Ringo.” I think she means it.

Three Blonde Mice don’t have quite the quickened vocals as The Chipmunks, but dig that twist/bosa nova beat/sax. Overall, however, “Ringo Bells” is just painful.

Gary Ferrier applied Canadian élan to pop rock to celebrate “Ringo Deer.” That’s right, one of Santa’s fliers (probably Cupid) with a Beatles’ haircut. Check this 1964 fan piece out.

Behold a Star: The Beatles

The Beatles are the #1 highest-certified music artists in the United States based on album certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Their reign from 1960 to 1970 can not be overstated. So, whatever.

Dora Bryan might seem to borrow a couple chords from ‘Hippopotamus,’ but “All I Want for Christmas is a Beatle” is so annoying i’ll call it all-original.