Musical Depreciation Revue: The Spike Jones Anthology

• Artist: Spike Jones
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1994
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Comedy

Review

Given the sheer range of Jones' music over many years, a totally definitive compilation is probably out of the question, so this two-disc effort makes a conscious decision to steer away from Jones' later (and arguably much sappier) work, as well as mostly sidestepping the failure of the Other Orchestra. But it's all for the good, because Musical Depreciation Revue, another success from the Rhino Records crew, makes for a great introduction to the maddeningly wonderful work of Jones and his various crews of City Slickers. All the legendary jaw-droppers and head-scratchers are here -- "Der Fuehrer's Face," "All I Want for Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)," "Cocktails for Two," the manifold classical parodies -- plus plenty of odder and less-known efforts. There's even a true lost number, "By the Beautiful Sea," which in a precursor of the "obscene or not?" lyric wars of later generations was withdrawn because the line "then up for air" was heard as "then up her ass." Rhino's remastering job does the best it can with the original source discs and generally succeeds quite well, while a slew of photos and notes (from a perfect one-two team of Cub Koda and Dr. Demento) gives plenty of interesting background detail. They also make a really good case for Jones and his crew being the unheralded forebears to George Clinton and the Parliament/Funkadelic empire. It may sound strange, but consider: a core central personality who acts more as conductor and ringleader than individual performer, a rotating lineup adjusting and trying out different things over the years, and an emphasis on musical ability and nutty humor in equal measures. Jones may never have tried for the mothership, but in his own way he found his groove, and given all the non-musical noises he turned into music, who's to say he didn't help invent sample-based music as well? ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide

Tracks

CD 1

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Clink, Clink, Another Drink	Phil Ohman, Foster Carling	Spike Jones
Der Fuehrer's Face	Oliver Wallace	Spike Jones
The Sheik of Araby	Harry Beasley Smith, Ted Snyder, Francis Wheeler	Spike Jones
Hotcha Cornia (Black Eyes)		Spike Jones
Cocktails for Two	Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow	Spike Jones
Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma	Milton Berle, Spike Jones & His City Slickers	Spike Jones
Holiday for Strings [*]	David Rose, Sammy Gallop	Spike Jones
Chloe	Gus Kahn, Neil Moret	Spike Jones
That Old Black Magic	Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer	Spike Jones
You Always Hurt the One You Love	Doris Fisher, Allan Roberts	Spike Jones
Liebestraum	Franz Liszt, Spike Jones, Del Porter	Spike Jones
The Glow Worm	Paul Lincke, Lilla C Robinson	Spike Jones
Hawaiian War Chant	Ralph Freed, Johnny Noble	Spike Jones
Laura	Johnny Mercer, David Raksin	Spike Jones
Jones Polka	Spike Jones, Mickey Katz	Spike Jones
Love in Bloom	Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin	Spike Jones
The Man on the Flying Trapeze	George Leybourne	Spike Jones
My Old Flame	Arthur Johnston, Sam Coslow	Spike Jones
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth	Donald Gardner	Spike Jones
Happy New Year [*]	Freddie Morgan, Eddie Brandt	Spike Jones

CD 2

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
The William Tell Overture	Gioacchino Rossini	Spike Jones
By the Beautiful Sea	Harry Carroll	Spike Jones & His City Slickers
Ill Barkio (Il Bacio) [*]	Luigi Arditi	Spike Jones
None But the Lonely Heart (A Soaperetta)	Camille Saint-Saëns, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky	Spike Jones
Ya Wanna Buy a Bunny?	Del Porter	Spike Jones
Dance of the Hours	Amilcare Ponchielli, Spike Jones, Doodles Weaver	Spike Jones
Wild Bill Hiccup		Spike Jones
Barney Google	Con Conrad, Billy Rose	Spike Jones
Morpheus	Jacques Offenbach	Spike Jones
Rhapsody from Hunger (Y)	Franz Liszt	Spike Jones
Black Bottom	Lew Brown, Buddy DeSylva, Ray Henderson	Spike Jones
Pal-Yat-Chee	Spike Jones, Eddie Maxwell	Spike Jones
Yes! We Have No Bananas [*]		Spike Jones
April Showers		Spike Jones
I Went to Your Wedding	Jessie Mae Robinson	Spike Jones
Secret Love [*]		Spike Jones
I'm in the Mood for Love	Jimmy McHugh, Dorothy Fields	Spike Jones
Black and Blue Danube Waltz, Paris Symphony (Texas) [*]	Johann Strauss II, Spike Jones	Spike Jones
The Late Late Movies, Pt. 2	Spike Jones, Eddie Brandt	Spike Jones
I Only Have Eyes for You	Al Dubin, Harry Warren	Spike Jones

Credits

Dr. Demento (Producer), Dr. Demento (Liner Notes), Homer & Jethro (Vocals), Cub Koda (Producer), Cub Koda (Liner Notes), Spike Jones (Arranger), Spike Jones (Drums), Spike Jones (Sound Effects), Spike Jones (Vocals), Spike Jones (Main Performer), Spike Jones (Bandleader), Spike Jones (Cowbell), Zep Meissner (Saxophone), Don Anderson (?), Ken Perry (Remastering), Mel Blanc (Vocals), Perry Botkin (Banjo), John Cyr (Clarinet), John Cyr (Saxophone), Bill Inglot (Remastering), King Jackson (Trombone), Loulie Jean Norman (Vocals), Bob Poland (Saxophone), Dick Shanahan (Drums), Lou Singer (Xylophone), Stanley Wrightsman (Piano), Mickey Katz (Clarinet), Mickey Katz (Composer), Mickey Katz (Vocals), Mickey Katz (Vocal Effect), Paul Frees (Vocals), Billy Barty (Vocals), Sir Frederick Gas (Vocals), Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath (Vocal Effect), Bill DePew (Clarinet), Bill DePew (Saxophone), Geoff Gans (Art Direction), Carl Grayson (Violin), Carl Grayson (Vocals), Carl Grayson (Vocal Effect), Red Ingle (Clarinet), Red Ingle (Vocals), Red Ingle (Vocal Effect), Frank Leithner (Piano), Freddie Morgan (Banjo), Freddie Morgan (Composer), Freddie Morgan (Vocals), Phillip Shuken (Flute), Jad Paul (Guitar), George Rock (Trumpet), George Rock (Vocals), George Rock (Vocal Effect), Spike Jones & His City Slickers (Performer), Rosemary Woods (Remastering), Tommy Pederson (Trombone), Joe Colvin (Trombone), Arthur Rando (Tuba), Willie Spicer (?), Del Porter (Clarinet), Del Porter (Arranger), Del Porter (Composer), Del Porter (Saxophone), Del Porter (Vocals), Eddie Maxwell (Arranger), Eddie Maxwell (Composer), Eddie Brandt (Arranger), Eddie Brandt (Composer), Herman Crone (Piano), Art Most (Trombone), Beauregard Lee (Drums), Aileen Carlisle (Vocals), Jimmy Cassidy (Vocals), Roger Donley (Bass), Roger Donley (Tuba), Chick Dougherty (Trombone), Dick Gardner (Violin), Helen Grayco (Vocals), Candy Hall (Bass), Ray Heath (Trombone), Merle Howard (Trombone), Joyce Jameson (Vocals), Paul Judson (Vocals), Paul Leu (Piano), Emilio Malione (Drums), Tony Martinez (Vocals), Eddie Metcalfe (Clarinet), Eddie Metcalfe (Saxophone), Betsy Mills (Harp), Herschell Ratliff (Tuba), Luther Roundtree (Banjo), Ina Souez (Vocals), Charlotte Tinsley (Harp), Country Washburne (Bass), Country Washburne (Tuba), Country Washburne (Arranger), Doodles Weaver (Arranger), Doodles Weaver (Vocals), Jack Golly (Clarinet), Jack Golly (Saxophone), Jack Golly (Vocals), Joe Siracusa (Drums), Joe Siracusa (Vocals), Dick Morgan (Banjo), Dick Morgan (Guitar), Dick Morgan (Vocals)