A novelty song is a type of song built upon some form of novel concept,such as a gimmick,a piece of humor,or a sample of popular culture. Novelty songs partially overlap with comedy songs,which are more explicitly based on humor,and with musical parody,especially when the novel gimmick is another popular song. Novelty songs achieved great popularity during the 1920s and 1930s. They had a resurgence of interest in the 1950s and 1960s. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music;the other two divisions were ballads and dance music. Humorous songs,or those containing humorous elements,are not necessarily novelty songs.
"California Dreamin'" is a song written by John Phillips and Michelle Phillips in 1963 and first recorded by Barry McGuire. The best-known version is by the Mamas &the Papas,who sang backup on the original version and released it as a single in December 1965. The lyrics express the narrator's longing for the warmth of Los Angeles during a cold winter in New York City. It is recorded in the key of C-sharp minor.
Jerrold Laurence Samuels was an American singer,songwriter,record producer,and talent agent. Under the pseudonym Napoleon XIV,he achieved one-hit wonder status with the #3 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away,Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels occasionally revisited the Napoleon XIV character to record other songs,usually comedy records with an insanity theme.
Reverse tape effects are special effects created by recording sound onto magnetic tape and then physically reversing the tape so that when the tape is played back,the sounds recorded on it are heard in reverse. Backmasking is a type of reverse tape effect.
"I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" is a soul song most popularly released as a joint single performed by Diana Ross &the Supremes and the Temptations for the Motown label. This version peaked for two weeks at No. 2 on the Hot 100 in the United States,selling 900,000 copies in its first two weeks,and at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart in January 1969.
"I'm a Believer" is a song written by Neil Diamond and recorded by American band the Monkees in 1966 with the lead vocals by Micky Dolenz. The single,produced by Jeff Barry,hit the number-one spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart for the week ending December 31,1966,and remained there for seven weeks,becoming the last number-one hit of 1966 and the biggest-selling single for all of 1967. Billboard ranked the record as the number-five song for 1967. While originally published by Screen Gems-Columbia Music (BMI),it is now published by Stonebridge Music/EMI Foray Music (SESAC),with administration passed to Sony Music Publishing and Universal Music Publishing Group.
Lonestar is an American country music group from Texas. The group consists of Drew Womack,Michael Britt,Dean Sams,and Keech Rainwater (drums). Britt,Sams,and Rainwater co-founded the band in 1992 with original lead vocalist Richie McDonald and bass guitarist/vocalist John Rich. Rich exited the band in 1998 and went on to join Big Kenny as one-half of the duo Big &Rich. Since his departure,Lonestar has relied alternatingly on session and touring musicians for bass guitar accompaniment. McDonald exited the band in 2007 to record as a solo artist,and was replaced by former McAlyster vocalist Cody Collins before returning in 2011. McDonald left a second time in 2021 to join The Frontmen,with former Sons of the Desert lead vocalist Drew Womack replacing him.
Robert George Pickett,better known as Bobby "Boris" Pickett,was an American singer,songwriter,and comedian. He is best known for co-writing and performing the 1962 smash hit novelty song "Monster Mash".
"I'm Not in Love" is a song by British group 10cc,written by band members Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman. It is known for its innovative and distinctive backing track,composed mostly of the band's multitracked vocals. Released in the UK in May 1975 as the second single from the band's third album,The Original Soundtrack,it became the second of the group's three number-one singles in the UK between 1973 and 1978,topping the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. "I'm Not in Love" became the band's breakthrough hit outside the United Kingdom,topping the charts in Canada and Ireland as well as peaking within the top 10 of the charts in several other countries,including Australia,West Germany,New Zealand,Norway and the United States.
"Out of Time" is a song by the Rolling Stones,first released on their 1966 album Aftermath. The most commercially successful version of the song was by Chris Farlowe,an English solo artist. Farlowe's single,produced by Mick Jagger,peaked at number one in the UK Singles Chart on 28 July 1966 and stayed at the top for one week. A shorter alternative mix of the Rolling Stones' recording was released in the US in 1967 on the album Flowers. A third version featuring Jagger's lead vocal and the orchestration and backing vocals from Farlowe's cover version was released on the 1975 rarities album Metamorphosis and as a single.
"Look Away" is a 1988 power ballad by American rock band Chicago. Written by Diane Warren,produced by Ron Nevison,and with Bill Champlin on lead vocals,it is the second single from the band's album Chicago 19. "Look Away" topped the Billboard Hot 100 for two weeks in December 1988,becoming the group's third and final number one hit,following "If You Leave Me Now" (1976) and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" (1982). "Look Away" is Chicago's seventh song to have peaked at No. 1 on the Adult Contemporary chart,and it was also the No. 1 song on the 1989 year-end Billboard Hot 100 chart,even though it never held the No. 1 spot at all in 1989. This is because Billboard's year-end chart covers the charts as far back as late November of the previous year.
Renaissance is the second album by the Association. This was their last album recorded for the Valiant Records label,and was reissued by Warner Bros. Records after the company acquired Valiant. The album peaked at #34 on the Billboard Top LPs albums chart.
The Firm was a British music act,formed by guitarist,session musician and music producer John O'Connor,which had hits in the 1980s with novelty songs.
"Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavour" is a novelty song by Lonnie Donegan. Released as a single in 1959,it entered the UK Singles Chart on 6 February 1959 and peaked at number three. It was also Donegan's greatest chart success in the United States,reaching number five on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1961.
"I'm Gonna Let My Heart Do the Walking" is a disco-styled soul single composed by the Holland brothers Eddie and Brian,members of the former Holland–Dozier–Holland team and was released as a single by Motown vocal group The Supremes in 1976 on the Motown label. It was the first single since "Your Heart Belongs to Me" in 1962 to feature four Supremes. It is also notable for being the last top forty single the group would score before they disbanded in 1977.
"Hold On,I'm Comin'" is a 1966 single recorded by soul duo Sam &Dave,issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
Hold On,I'm Comin' is the 1966 debut album by Atlantic Records soul duo Sam &Dave,issued on the Atlantic-distributed Stax label in 1966.
Hudson &Landry were an American comedy team who wrote and recorded four gold albums on the DoréRecords label in the 1970s:Hanging in There (1971),Losing Their Heads (1972),Right-Off! (1972),and The Weird Kingdom (1974). The vignette "Ajax Liquor Store" (1971) was nominated for a Grammy Award. They also wrote material for Jim Backus' 1974 Dore album The Dirty Old Man.
Savage Garden were an Australian pop duo consisting of Darren Hayes on vocals and Daniel Jones on guitar,keyboards,and vocals;they formed in Brisbane,Queensland,in 1993. They were signed to John Woodruff's talent agency and achieved international success with their No. 1 hit singles "I Want You","To the Moon and Back","Truly Madly Deeply" (1997),and "I Knew I Loved You" (1999).
"Fire" is a song by American hip hop duo Kids See Ghosts,composed of the rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi,from their only studio album (2018). West,Kid Cudi,BoogzDaBeast,and André3000 produced the song,while additional production was handled by Evan Mast. Written by the producers with the exception of BoogzDaBeast,it is a rock-influenced track that includes a sample of Napoleon XIV's "They're Coming to Take Me Away,Ha-Haaa!". In the lyrics,Kids See Ghosts refuse to let haunting demons define them.
