ALLAN SHERMAN
For Swingin' Lovers Livers Only!
Arguably the most successful musical humorist in pop history, Allan
Sherman's initial ambition was to be a serious songwriter, and in 1945 he
came to New York with 75 ballads. When he couldn't get them published, he
became a gag writer for Jackie Gleason, Joe E. Lewis, Lew Parker, Jerry Lester
and other comedians. He drifted into television around 1947 during its formative
years and soon became a writer or producer of such early television variety
shows as the CAVALCADE OF STARS, BROADWAY OPEN HOUSE, MASQUERADE PARTY, and
54TH STREET REVUE. He joined the popular I'VE GOT A SECRET CBS TV game show
in 1951, which he helped invent, with which he stayed for seven years. A tenure
as the writer-producer of THE STEVE ALLEN SHOW followed, but when the series
ended in 1961, Sherman found himself on the unemployment line. CBS sent him
to Hollywood to produce YOUR SURPRISE PACKAGE and he rented a house in Beverly
Hills, where Harpo Marx was his next-door neighbor. Harpo introduced him to
Jack Benny and George Burns. Soon Allan was being invited to Hollywood parties
and breaking everybody up with his song parodies. Then Bullets Durgom, the
agent, talked Warner Brothers into making an LP of the Sherman satires. In
just three weeks Sherman thought up all the parodies in MY SON THE FOLKSINGER,
his debut album issued in October 1962, which became the fastest-selling album
in Warner's history. This is Allan Sherman's 5th LP, titled "For Swingin'
Livers Only", and was recorded live & released in 1964 at the height of Beatlemania,
and the Liverpool Mersey Beat. With music Arranged and Conducted by Lou Busch,
and the voices of Jimmy Joyce, we hear: SIDE ONE: Grow Mrs. Goldfarb
3:20 (Parody of The Glow-Worm by The Mills Brothers); Your Mother's Here To
Stay 2:45 (Parody of Love Is Here To Stay); Pills 1:50 (Parody of Smiles);
Shine On, Harvey Bloom 2:43 (Parody of Shine On Harvest Moon); J. C. Cohen
4:46 (Parody of Casey Jones by Billy Murray & The American Quartet). SIDE
TWO: Pop Hates The Beatles 3:04 (Parody of Pop Goes The Weasel); Beautiful
Teamsters 2:40 (Parody of Beautiful Dreamer by Stephen Foster); Kiss Of Myer
2:27 (Parody of Kiss Of Fire by Georgia Gibbs); America's A Nice Italian Name
5:03 (Parody of Funiculi, Funicula); The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas 3:22 (Parody
of The Twelve Days Of Christmas); Bye Bye Blumberg 3:00 (Parody of Bye Bye
Blackbird).
The spoof liner notes by columnist Art Bushwald reads as follows: To Whom
It May Concern: I have known Allan Sherman for the past 35 years. My mother
worked as a domestic on his family's plantation in Oxford, Mississippi,
and my father did odd jobs for the Sherman family. Although Allan had few
friends in those days, his family permitted him to play with the servants'
children, and we had some wonderful times together. Although he knew he
would some day inherit wealth and position, Allan always treated me as an
equal. I'll never forget in those days how we used to discuss out future.
Allan said he wanted to renounce his inheritance, give up the plantation,
and become a Jewish Folk Singer, "Why, Allan, why?" I asked him, "Because
it pays more money than singing songs about the South." When Allan was 12
years old, his father bought him a pair of boxing gloves. "Son," he said,
"I'd like you to become a professional boxer." "No, father," Allan said,
"I'd rather become a guitar player." His father became so angry he never
spoke to Allan again. Well, everyone knows the rest of the story. After
Allan finished Eton, Harrow, Oxford, and M.I.T., he became a doctor. Then
a lawyer and then a judge. As a judge, he used to pick up a guitar and sing
his decisions to the defendants. One day a recording executive was being
sentenced for an anti-trust violation, and when he heard Allan sing the
verdict, he signed him up to a contract. Despite Allan's success, he has
still remained one of my dearest friends. He sends me free copies of his
records, and every Christmas he sends out family a large basket of food.
He may be known as Allan Sherman to millions of record fans, but to me he'll
always be "Mister Allan", the slim, lonely boy who even as a youth had decided
he would rather write the nation's songs than be the governor of Mississippi.
Sincerely, Art Bushwald
Just in time for Valentine's Day, this is an Original 1960s Mono pressing
on WARNER BROS. RECORDS (1589), with the gold label. Everything appears
in overall beautiful near MINT condition!
