Hello, Mudda. Hello, Fadda

[rollhead]

ALLAN SHERMAN
My Son, The Box
119.98
An individually numbered, limited edition of 4000 copies from Rhino Handmade.

The one-time writer for Jackie Gleason and The Steve Allen Show remains the most successful parody artist in pop history. After a string of writing and producing jobs, Sherman had an unexpected hit in 1962 with his Warner Bros. debut, My Son, The Folk Singer, which contained the classic "Sarah Jackman." My Son, The Celebrity followed later that year, providing the brilliant "Hava Nagila" send-up "Harvey And Sheila."

From Mark Cohen's liner notes to this Rhino Handmade release:

His songs depicted people and themes that were so ordinary, so ungussied up, so devoid of heroic aspirations and behavior that they were a cultural breakthrough as well as comic masterpieces. In the early 1960s the folk music scene was bloated with solemn renditions of antiquated classics performed by The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, and Peter, Paul & Mary. All that hot air begged for release, and Sherman provided the pin. But My Son, The Folk Singer did more than parody the soulful earnestness of the folk revival. Sherman jostled American culture off its high horse and made it mingle with those who had recently arrived in steerage. His songs gave a voice to Americans who had been too embarrassed to call attention to themselves. They spoke off-kilter English, worked low-class jobs, had large, unruly families and were crazy for bargain merchandise. This was also Sherman's appeal to the many non-Jewish buyers who made the album a national sensation. Their parents, too, spoke nonstandard English and struggled to make a buck.

In 1963 Sherman released his masterpiece, My Son, The Nut, which spent eight weeks at the top of the charts on the strength of "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh." He won a Grammy and spent a week as guest host on The Tonight Show. But by 1964 things had changed; Kennedy's death, racial violence, and a somber national mood took a bite out of Sherman's popularity. His subsequent Warner Bros. albums contained brilliant moments all the same, including "Your Mother's Here To Stay," "Peyton Place, USA," and "The Drinking Man's Diet."

This six-disc Rhino Handmade boxed set contains everything Sherman waxed for Warner Bros., and more. The albums My Son, The Folk Singer; My Son, The Celebrity; My Son, The Nut; Allan In Wonderland; Songs For Swingin' Livers Only!; My Name Is Allan; Allan Sherman Live!!!; and Togetherness are included in their entirety, along with previously unreleased outtakes, alternate versions, and live performances, as well as "Sue Me" (with Debbie Reynolds) from the Guys And Dolls soundtrack.

My Son, The Box is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 4,000 copies.


149 Tracks
31 Unreleased
6 Discs

[groover]

I remember wearing the grooves out of a record when I was a kid that I swear was called "My Son the CopyCat", though I don't see the title listed above.

Do you remember this line:

"If I had known that this,
would result from our first kiss,
I'd have married Annie instead,
she's a little orphan girl, and all her folks are dead!"

[Pete C]

Originally Posted by rollhead

In the early 1960s the folk music scene was bloated with solemn renditions of antiquated classics performed by The Kingston Trio, The Limeliters, and Peter, Paul & Mary. All that hot air begged for release, and Sherman provided the pin.

[rollhead]

Who would win in a fight? Allan Sherman or Tom Lehrer?

[rollhead]

or maybe Stan?

[Borat Pri Hagafen]

I don't understand for the life of me why they would release a box like this when very few, if any, of his original albums are on CD. I would buy 'Folk Singer' and 'Nut' for sure if they were available separately, but i'm certainly not buying a $120 box of novelty songs, thanks very much. Tom Lehrer has a box too, but at least his albums are (or at least were) available individually on CD as well. You would think there would be something of a middle ground between the single-CD greatest hits album and the $120 box, but maybe that's just me. Annoying.

[Jon Abbey]

marketing to the baby boomers, I'm sure it'll sell out and go for even more on eBay in a few years.

[rollhead]

I guess these guys can't take part in the tournament, since they aren't really singers.

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Who would win in a fight? Allan Sherman or Tom Lehrer?

Allen would probably kick his Tom’s ass, but then Tom would poison him, and have the last laugh.

[groover]

Originally Posted by Jon Abbey

marketing to the baby boomers, I'm sure it'll sell out and go for even more on eBay in a few years.

Then it's worth buying at least two copies!

[Valerie]

believe it or not, i used to work for allan in the '70s. he was a sweet man who unfortunately was very lonely and had lots of "baggage". i was helping him write a book (researching/editing/typing) that i never hear mentioned, "the rape of the A.P.E." (american puritanical ethics is what i think it stood for.) i actually left his apartment only a few hours before he choked to death. an asthma attack contributed to his demise while he was eating dinner. very sad.

i still have a turntable that he gave me for christmas! and i have an autographed copy of the book somewhere in my house! mem-o-ries!

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by Valerie

believe it or not, i used to work for allan in the '70s. he was a sweet man who unfortunately was very lonely and had lots of "baggage". i was helping him write a book (researching/editing/typing) that i never hear mentioned, "the rape of the A.P.E." (american puritanical ethics is what i think it stood for.) i actually left his apartment only a few hours before he choked to death. an asthma attack contributed to his demise while he was eating dinner. very sad.

i still have a turntable that he gave me for christmas! and i have an autographed copy of the book somewhere in my house! mem-o-ries!

In Stan Cornyn's book "EXPLODING", he talks about what a nice man Allan was, his loneliness and baggage. Very sad.

[rollhead]

Doc, Do you recommend "Exploding"?

[Valerie]

Originally Posted by Doc Martin

In Stan Cornyn's book "EXPLODING", he talks about what a nice man Allan was, his loneliness and baggage. Very sad.

and i don't think he ever came to terms with the guilt of having left his wife.

[Doc Martin]

Originally Posted by rollhead

Doc, Do you recommend "Exploding"?

Yes I do.