Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | 1961[1] |
Genre | Comedy |
Length | 47:49 (LP) 56:03 (CD) |
Label | Capitol |
Producer | Ken Nelson |
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
New Record Mirror | 5/5 [2] |
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years is a 1961 American comedy album with music and lyrics written by Stan Freberg and sketches written by Freberg and Ken Sullett, released as Capitol W/SW-1573 in 1961. Freberg satirizes episodes of the history of the United States from 1492 until the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783. The album combined dialogue and song in a musical theater format. Billy May orchestrated and conducted the music, with the Jud Conlon Singers providing background vocals.
In addition to Freberg, the cast included the following performers:
Freberg used anachronistic and self-referential humour in these sketches, such as referring to the Fourth of July weekend in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, Thanksgiving Day in the skit on "Take an Indian to Lunch" as well as the "Thanksgiving Turkey" portion, and Columbus Day in "Columbus Discovers America". Freberg also satirized McCarthyism in the "Declaration of Independence" sketch, for example where Benjamin Franklin says, "You . . . sign a harmless petition, and forget all about it; ten years later, you get hauled up before a committee."
Admirers of this album have included Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss and Paul McCartney. [3] Dr. Demento's listeners have repeatedly voted The United States of America as the greatest comedy album of all time.
In 2019, Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume One: The Early Years was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry as "culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress. [4] [5]
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America Volume Two: The Middle Years | |
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Studio album by | |
Released | 1996 |
Genre | Comedy |
Label | Rhino Records |
Producer | Donna Freberg Stan Freberg |
Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume Two was planned for a release during America's Bicentennial in 1976, but did not emerge until 1996. In his autobiography, Freberg detailed his efforts to have the songs and skits produced on Broadway; when this failed, he used material omitted from the original album in the sequel.
Besides Freberg, the cast for this volume included:
Freberg originally intended for Leeds, White, Byron Kane, and Paul Frees to all return, but Kane and Frees had died and White could only appear in a cameo role. Lorenzo Music, David Ogden Stiers, and Corey Burton filled the parts originally meant for Kane, White, and Frees respectively. [7] Fayard Nicholas also recorded tap dancing sounds for the record. [8] Billy May once again arranged and conducted the music.
A third volume was planned. Due to the death of Freberg's wife, Donna, and Freberg's personal health problems, the project was shelved.
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris. It was produced by Lorne Michaels and written by Mike Myers and Bonnie & Terry Turner. Based on the Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World, it stars Myers in his feature film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, a pair of rock and heavy metal fans who broadcast a public-access television show. It also features Tia Carrere, Rob Lowe, Lara Flynn Boyle, Brian Doyle-Murray, Chris Farley, Ed O'Neill, Ione Skye, Meat Loaf, Robert Patrick and Alice Cooper in supporting roles.
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The 4th Annual Grammy Awards were held on May 29, 1962, at Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1961. Henry Mancini won 5 awards.
Stan Freberg was an American actor, author, comedian, musician, radio personality, puppeteer and advertising creative director.
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A comedy album is an audio recording of comedic material from a comedian or group of comedians, usually performed either live or in a studio. Comedy albums may feature skits, humorous songs, and/or live recording of stand-up comedy performances, but the most common type of comedy albums are stand up, and are often made in conjunction with a DVD with recorded video of a particular comedy show.
An album musical is a type of recording that sounds like an original cast album but is created specifically for the recording medium and is complete entertainment product in itself, rather than just promoting or reflecting an existing or planned musical theatre production or revue. Although there has been no one term consistently used to describe this type of recording, the genre predates the use of the term "concept album" by several decades, dating back to the era of 78-rpm records with such original works as Gordon Jenkins' Manhattan Tower, The Letter, (1959) starring Judy Garland, and Stan Freberg's Stan Freberg Presents the United States of America, Volume One: The Early Years (1961). On most contemporary concept albums, the performers or bands sing as themselves, whereas on an album musical the performers are playing characters in a story.
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