Laverne was so believable as a shy and ordinary audience member, I was really surprised as I realized she was a professional comedian and singer. The talent level on this show was amazing!
I'm 53 and I was with my Dad in about 1978/79 at a record and book clearance and he picked up a vynal copy of the best of spike Jones and his city slickers. I still give it a spin every now and then. I love it
As kids in the 50's we lived in a two story bldg above my grandparents. Some nights we would "gather around" my grandparents TV (my parents couldn't afford one in those days") and watch this and many other great comedy shows of that era. Spike Jones was my favorite!! Man watching this brings back such great memories of that time. Now I watch Spike and his City Slickers on RU-vid on my TV with my grandkids, and we laugh our asses off. I'm building great memories for them with hopes that they can watch Spike Jones with their grandkids in whatever medium will be available at that time. Maybe they will be watching it on their trip to Mars? Or maybe on Mars!! I HOPE SO!!
What memories.My mother took me to see his show and I can remember some of the bits like it was yesterday. I met some of the players .I still have the autographs and program.Thakns for the great videos.
These guys knew how to have fun and create a hell of a mess on stage. Much more modern and creative than the garbage we get these days 😜 Tex Avery world coming alive. Brilliant
Contrary to an earlier posting, this is not Spike Jones's wife. This is LaVerne Pearson, whose game show appearance brought her a brief career as a singer and comedian in the US and Australia. A lovely singer, much of her comedy seems to have hinged on her weight.
I just saw this and besides laughing a lot, I want to say that I just assumed LaVerne Pearson was a trained operatic soprano. She obviously has had voice training! She's great!
I will have to research her. A very good voice reminds me of Dorothy Kirsten and Eileen Farrell and so many others who sang properly back in those days. Unlike the Renee Flemings and Juan Diego Flores of the world now.
Try imagining an act today where the band leader fires off a couple of shots on a revolver for comedic effect! Cop stops Jones for speeding. "What's that revolver for?" "That? Oh, I'm a bandleader. It's part of the act." "Okay, have a good day, sir!"
From the late 50s to late 90s sometimes the swiss singer/musican Hazy Osterwald appeared in german TV. When performing the song ,Kriminaltango' one band member always fired a blank shot.
Why something like Spike and the Slickers aren't on TV shows just how down our culture has fallen. Thanks to everyone who posts content like this, we need the laughs
6:08 - no count off. Spike just raises his hands as part of the act and the entire ensemble comes right in with him when he strikes the first note, right on the beat and super tight! Great ensemble!
Bloody brilliant - pity we dont have that sort of entertainment any more, insted of the garbage we are brainwashed with this modern crap day in and day out.
I have been watching these Spike Jones videos because I’d never heard of him until I watched the Last Waltz film by The Band. Up on Cripple Creek has a line about Spike Jones. After watching a few I can see why I didn’t know about him, kind if the same joke over and over with different song and people. Glad he had such a following, but it’s not my cup of tea. Still don’t know why they say “can’t take the way he sings”, I can’t find a video where he sings at all.
That line in the Band's song is referring to the Spike Jones parody of the Ink Spot's song, 'You Always Hurt the One You Love.' There's a singer and a narrator, who has a southern accent - if you listen to it you'll understand. And no, Spike didn't sing, the idea that Spike was doing both voices is what makes it funny.
Anyone remember an announcement by Spike Jones somewhere in the 1950s on tv that he was abandoning the funny stuff and switching to just straight up Dixieland Jazz?
People did not want to listen to him being serious 😂 so he switched back to his more outrageous music shenanigans. And thank goodness he did! No one can doubt his musical savvy, nor play it as he did. It takes a real skilled musician to perform these skits here.
+Eliezer Pennywhistler Hi - Band leaders and their musicians in his day dressed for the most part in tux's and were very reserved. Spike chewed gum, shot off guns, and he and his band wore loud, checked suits. More ways of not being PC. Hope that helps.
Also before my time. But my dad had a couple of 78 rpm records with 'Spike Jones and His Cis City Slickers' in his collection, and that's how I came to know about these guys. (I remember, that one of those records also contained a song by: 'Spike Jones and His Country Cousins') Having now watched some of these very funny videos of the band here on RU-vid, I must admit that I rather prefer just listening to the recordings they made. To me, all that goofing around on the stage takes too much focus away from Spike Jones' clever musical arrangements.
