My Son, the Folk Singer

Last updated
My Son, the Folk Singer
My Son, the Folk Singer.jpeg
Studio album by
Released 1962
Genre Comedy music
Length37:37
Label Warner Bros.
Allan Sherman chronology
My Son, the Folk Singer
(1962)
My Son, the Celebrity
(1963)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]

My Son, the Folk Singer is an album by Allan Sherman, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1962. On the album sleeve, the title appears directly below the words "Allan Sherman's mother presents."

Contents

The album, recorded before a live audience, is filled with Jewish culture references and in-jokes. His second album followed suit. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year (other than classical) at the 5th Annual Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Side One

  1. "The Ballad of Harry Lewis" ("The Battle Hymn of the Republic")
  2. "Shake Hands with Your Uncle Max" ("Dear Old Donegal", a.k.a. "Shake Hands with Your Uncle Mike")
  3. "Sir Greenbaum's Madrigal" ("Greensleeves")
  4. "My Zelda" ("Matilda")
  5. "The Streets of Miami" ("The Streets of Laredo")

Side Two

  1. "Sarah Jackman" (with Christine Nelson) ("Frère Jacques")
  2. "Jump Down, Spin Around (Pick a Dress o' Cotton)" ("Pick a Bale of Cotton")
  3. "Seltzer Boy" ("Waterboy")
  4. "Oh Boy" (Chiapanecas a.k.a. "The Hand Clapping Song")
  5. "Shticks and Stones" (medley)

Chart positions

Chart (1962)Peak
position
Billboard Top LPs—Monaural1

Songs

Almost all the songs on the album contain some Jewish reference, or at least a main character or characters with apparently Jewish names. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shel Silverstein</span> American poet, cartoonist, and writer (1930–1999)

Sheldon Allan Silverstein was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer-songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended university before being drafted into the United States Army. During his rise to prominence in the 1950s, his illustrations were published in various newspapers and magazines, including the adult-oriented Playboy. He also wrote a satirical, adult-oriented alphabet book, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book, under the stylized name "Uncle Shelby", which he used as an occasional pen name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allan Sherman</span> American musician and comedian (1924-1973)

Allan Sherman was an American musician, satirist and television producer who became known as a song parodist in the early 1960s. His first album, My Son, the Folk Singer (1962), became the fastest-selling record album up to that time. His biggest hit was "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh", a comic song in which a boy describes his summer camp experiences to the tune of Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Von Tilzer</span> American songwriter

Albert Von Tilzer was an American songwriter, the younger brother of fellow songwriter Harry Von Tilzer. He wrote the music to many hit songs, including, most notably, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vincent Youmans</span> American composer

Vincent Millie Youmans was an American Broadway composer and producer.

"Billy Boy" is a traditional folk song and nursery rhyme found in the United States, in which "Billy Boy" is asked various questions, and the answers all center on his quest to marry a girl who is said to be too young to leave her mother.

"Jamaica Farewell" is a Jamaican-style folk song (mento). The lyrics for the song were written by Lord Burgess, an American-born, half-Barbadian songwriter. It is about the beauties of the West Indian Islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aura Lea</span> Song

"Aura Lea" is an American Civil War song about a maiden. It was written by W. W. Fosdick (lyrics) and George R. Poulton (music). The melody was used in Elvis Presley's 1956 hit song "Love Me Tender".

"Streets of Laredo", also known as "The Dying Cowboy", is a famous American cowboy ballad in which a dying ranger tells his story to another cowboy. Members of the Western Writers of America chose it as one of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.

<i>March 16–20, 1992</i> 1992 studio album by Uncle Tupelo

March 16–20, 1992 is the third studio album by alternative country band Uncle Tupelo, released on August 3, 1992. The title refers to the five-day span during which the album was recorded. An almost entirely acoustic recording, the album features original songs and covers of traditional folk songs in near equal number, and was produced by R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck.

<i>Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book</i> 1959 box set by Ella Fitzgerald

Ella Fitzgerald Sings the George and Ira Gershwin Song Book is a box set by American jazz singer Ella Fitzgerald that contains songs by George and Ira Gershwin with arrangements by Nelson Riddle. It was produced by Norman Granz, Fitzgerald's manager and the founder of Verve Records. Fifty-nine songs were recorded in the span of eight months in 1959. It is one of the eight album releases comprising what is possibly Fitzgerald's greatest musical legacy: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Complete American Songbook, in which she recorded, with top arrangers and musicians, a comprehensive collection of both well-known and obscure songs from the Great American Songbook canon, written by the likes of Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Harold Arlen, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer.

Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! is a musical revue based on the song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh" by Allan Sherman and Lou Busch. It is the life story of Barry Brockman and his lifelong sweetheart Sarah Jackman from birth to early education, summer camp to marriage, and parenthood in suburban New York to Florida retirement. Songs include the title song, "Harvey and Sheila", and "Glory, Glory Harry Lewis".

"The Riddle Song", also known as "I Gave My Love a Cherry", is an English folk song, a lullaby carried over by settlers to the American Appalachians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterboy (song)</span> Song

"Waterboy" is an American traditional folk song. It is built on the call "Water boy, where are you hidin'?" The call is one of several water boy calls in cotton plantation folk tradition.

<i>Away We a Go-Go</i> 1966 studio album by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles

Away We a Go-Go is a 1966 album by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles. The album features the singles "(Come 'Round Here) I'm the One You Need", a Billboard top 20 Pop hit, written and produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland; and "Whole Lot of Shakin' in My Heart ", written and produced by Frank Wilson. The album uses a different take of "I'm the One You Need" than what was issued on the single. A third single was planned for release from this album, the tune "More, More, More ", cataloged as Tamla T-54005, but the single was never released. It was later covered by the regional group Bob Brady and The Con Chords. Another single from this album, the Stevie Wonder/Ivy Jo Hunter composition of "Can You Love a Poor Boy", was released to radio stations as a special Disc Jockey Advanced Single, Tamla T-540, but was never given an official catalog number for general release. It too, inspired cover versions by Gil Bernal and Ronnie Walker.

"Gospel Plow" is a traditional African American spiritual. It is listed in the Roud Folk Song Index, number 10075. The title is biblical, based on Luke 9:62.

<i>My Son, the Celebrity</i> 1963 studio album by Allan Sherman

My Son, the Celebrity is a musical comedy album by Allan Sherman, released in the United States by Warner Bros. in January 1963.

Harry Lewis may refer to:

The following is a list of albums released with songs from or based on the animated series VeggieTales.

"Dear Old Donegal" is an Irish-American song popularised by American singer Bing Crosby and written by Steve Graham. The song has an 'upbeat' rhythm and is meant to be the words of an Irishman returning to his native County Donegal after becoming successful in the United States.

<i>100 Memories</i> 1979 studio album by Bobby Vinton

100 Memories is the thirty-first studio album of Bobby Vinton, released in 1979 by the Canadian label Ahed. This album is a cover album of 100 songs from the 1950s to 1970s and contains two LPs. While the album contains 100 songs, they are all recorded as medleys: 1 - 4, 5 - 9, 10 - 14, 15 - 19, 20 - 24, 25 - 28, 29 - 33, 34 - 38, 39 - 42, 43 - 47, 48 - 51, 52 - 56, 57 - 61, 62 - 66, 67 - 71, 72 - 75, 76 - 80, 81 - 85, 86 - 90, 91 - 95, and 96 through 100.

References

  1. Allmusic review
  2. "Shine on, Harvey Bloom: Why Allan Sherman made us laugh. - Free Online Library". Thefreelibrary.com. 1994-04-22. Retrieved 2012-01-11.