I had heard of Spike Jones but hadn't heard any of his work. Now I'm hooked, and can't go a day without watching him and the slickers. Those guys were amazing musicians.
Every single one of them too. The guy playing the trombone, Larry Collins, would regularly play 3-4 instruments in a night; brass, strings, percussion, tap dance. A true musical talent.
Besides being an excellent showman and musician, Spike Jones had the ability to put a smile on your face. Even after 50 years, these clips are still creative and funny to watch!
I'm a professional trombonist and have never heard of Larry Collins....that was a great show of flexibility on the instrument. Very neat way of disconnecting the bell also.
It's odd being a professional trombone player and never heard of him. I was a professional guitar player for years so I get it, it depends on what style your into the most, but to us string players a brass is a brass, make it a trio sax trumpet trombone and then you have a real sound
There will never be another ! I watched the original on TV on a 12 inch DuMont my uncle FRANK MUSTICA was a musician and he would play his records for me , what great times they were!
I bet you remember that Dumont had a net work. It languished though because Dumont was more interested in manufacturing TVs then running a network. I think they got it backwards
So much energy, so much talent and so much creativity. It's amazing jut how far ahead of its time this material seems. The Entertainers of toay could do with taking a look back at a time when you had to have real talent and charisma to be a public figure.
What talent these guys had to be doing all this stuff LIVE without breaking up and ruining the whole skit. As kids we had old 78 rpm records of Spike and his orchestra and just LOVED them. Ah when fun and comedy were real fun and comedy. Nothing to compare with it today.
The fact that she’s knitting is a reference to the fact that in a professional symphony the harpist does not play all that often and in fact there is no harp in most classical orchestral repertoire; Beethoven, Braum’s, Mozart.An inside joke maybe, but in those days the average person knew a hell of a lot more about music than they do today. Many in the audience would’ve gotten the joke.
Any fan of PDQ Bach can readily see how Peter Schiekele modeled his spoofing of classical music on Spike Jones. Also, Spike got in a gentle jab at Ed Sullivan with his quip at the end, "...and we finally got to see the bottom half of Elvis."
The beautiful satirical irony of only showing the legs of the man whose legs weren't shown on tv for fear of inflaming the gals. I love Spike for so many different reasons
OMG! WOW!! My introduction into Music when I was about 12yo... Scottie (from Woodplumpton) played this on his clarinet... my introduction to the Blues/Jazz and music in general... I actually learned the ersion By Pee Wee Hunt on the Accordian when I was about 13yo! LOL... dont knock it! an accordian was cheaper and more transportable than a piano and a helluva lot cheaper than Synthesizers in the early 1970s LOL
Astonishing musicianship in his bands. The comedy is superb “the bottom half of Elvis” was the sort of thing makes even English blokes like me laugh! One thing caught my eye. At 45 seconds a chap is seen playing what looks like a white Fender Jazzmaster on his lap. He may have a steel or glass bottle neck going on, but at the end it looks like he is playing in that bizarre but effective way the late Jeff Healey played, where your thumb gets used for fretting giving the fretting hand enormous reach. I wondered if he was Roy Clark, himself an incredible musician, but sadly back then, guitars were seen as a bit gimmicky and featured only as novelty items
Eliezer Pennywhistler Believed that I needed to know if it was W. Hall playing the pump. (It looked like him, but maybe someone knew for sure). Why are you using that Christus portrait?
bottom halth of elvis lol spike mate pity your not alive to day in this drab world where music has reached rock bottom r i p spike and all city slickers
![What's My Line? - Spike Jones; Steve Allen [panel] (Jul 4, 1954)](/img/1.gif)
I had heard of Spike Jones but hadn't heard any of his work. Now I'm hooked, and can't go a day without watching him and the slickers. Those guys were amazing musicians.
Every single one of them too. The guy playing the trombone, Larry Collins, would regularly play 3-4 instruments in a night; brass, strings, percussion, tap dance. A true musical talent.
Same. Discoverd him las week, and I'm still watching it every night.
"….and, for the first time on television, we showed the bottom half of Elvis. " Priceless!
Besides being an excellent showman and musician, Spike Jones had the ability to put a smile on your face. Even after 50 years, these clips are still creative and funny to watch!
That's true.😅😅
I'm a professional trombonist and have never heard of Larry Collins....that was a great show of flexibility on the instrument. Very neat way of disconnecting the bell also.
It's odd being a professional trombone player and never heard of him. I was a professional guitar player for years so I get it, it depends on what style your into the most, but to us string players a brass is a brass, make it a trio sax trumpet trombone and then you have a real sound
EVERYONE on that show was a Maniac... And the best damn Musicians of all time.
There will never be another ! I watched the original on TV on a 12 inch DuMont my uncle FRANK MUSTICA was a musician and he would play his records for me , what great times they were!
I bet you remember that Dumont had a net work. It languished though because Dumont was more interested in manufacturing TVs then running a network. I think they got it backwards
So much energy, so much talent and so much creativity. It's amazing jut how far ahead of its time this material seems. The Entertainers of toay could do with taking a look back at a time when you had to have real talent and charisma to be a public figure.
could not have said it any better!
so, why do you say it's "ahead of it's time". ????
Enjoy very much. Was a quintet with George Rock during the 1960s
just when you thought you had seen it all, a guy dissembles his trombone and plays the pieces.
That's "disassembles" -- otherwise, he lied [to/through/with] his trombone. But I concur with your observation!
sonyahannah - what the heck did i write? I am going to blame auto correct. Or maybe the cat.
Blame auto-correct, unless your cat is like my sister's monster. "Dissembles" means "lies" or "misleads." Think "dis-assembles."
There's always at least one jaw-dropping moment in each clip.
loved watching him when i was a kid and still do
such a surreal quality about this production. Respectfully, not unlike a Warner Bros. cartoon form the 40's, or 50's.
No, their zany antics are totally like a living cartoon.
Watched these guys as a kid. They were brilliant musicians and very funny too. Great combo of talents
Love Spike!!!!!!
The man was a genius.
I remember rolling on the floor, laughing every time Spike Jones show came on television.
The bottom half of Elvis! Fun!
+Timothy Dalbeck because he always did all that pelvic thrusting.
Laughed til I cried. What an entertainer. Thank you.
Sheer comic genius and musical virtuosity.
Larry Collins and Wilbur Hall were popular featured performers with Paul Whiteman in the 1920's. They were fairly "big names" at that time.
What talent these guys had to be doing all this stuff LIVE without breaking up and ruining the whole skit. As kids we had old 78 rpm records of Spike and his orchestra and just LOVED them. Ah when fun and comedy were real fun and comedy. Nothing to compare with it today.
One does not often think of Spike's band having a harpist.
Dude, when she's not playing she usually sits there knitting a scarf.
And to think I thought they were all har-pist!
Charlotte Tinsley is her name, her relatives has commented on Spike's vids here on RUclips.
@@lordeden1475 up
The fact that she’s knitting is a reference to the fact that in a professional symphony the harpist does not play all that often and in fact there is no harp in most classical orchestral repertoire; Beethoven, Braum’s, Mozart.An inside joke maybe, but in those days the average person knew a hell of a lot more about music than they do today. Many in the audience would’ve gotten the joke.
His musicians were first class players. 👍
Roy Clark later recorded it to open his first album. His version will make your fingers hurt!
Old TV shows with my grandma...
The bottom half of Elvis was genius and Bart barty was in the 👖 dancing his heart away
Any fan of PDQ Bach can readily see how Peter Schiekele modeled his spoofing of classical music on Spike Jones. Also, Spike got in a gentle jab at Ed Sullivan with his quip at the end, "...and we finally got to see the bottom half of Elvis."
The beautiful satirical irony of only showing the legs of the man whose legs weren't shown on tv for fear of inflaming the gals. I love Spike for so many different reasons
Was that Billy Barty in the outfit?
Freddy Morgan played the banjo in the orchestra. The rubber-faced guy
^^ im glad this isnt gone. one of my favs....
I've been looking for this for a while
Controlled Chaos!
This is pure genius. PDQ Bach followed Spike Jones with the same zany orchestra. Love the humour.
OMG! WOW!! My introduction into Music when I was about 12yo... Scottie (from Woodplumpton) played this on his clarinet... my introduction to the Blues/Jazz and music in general... I actually learned the ersion By Pee Wee Hunt on the Accordian when I was about 13yo! LOL... dont knock it! an accordian was cheaper and more transportable than a piano and a helluva lot cheaper than Synthesizers in the early 1970s LOL
They were amazing!
Astonishing musicianship in his bands. The comedy is superb “the bottom half of Elvis” was the sort of thing makes even English blokes like me laugh! One thing caught my eye. At 45 seconds a chap is seen playing what looks like a white Fender Jazzmaster on his lap. He may have a steel or glass bottle neck going on, but at the end it looks like he is playing in that bizarre but effective way the late Jeff Healey played, where your thumb gets used for fretting giving the fretting hand enormous reach. I wondered if he was Roy Clark, himself an incredible musician, but sadly back then, guitars were seen as a bit gimmicky and featured only as novelty items
thank you.
The Clarences love & support Spike!
Brilliant.
A super charged version of Lawrence Welk.
No band complete, without a harp!
And I thought I was good on the stereo bicycle pump. Oh, well.
The best
Was it Wilbur Hall on bicycle pump?
+Leif Vejby Gee. What did Spike say? Didn't you watch?
+Eliezer Pennywhistler
Watched it again - obviously didn't pay attention the first few times!
+Leif Vejby And yet you posted here.
Eliezer Pennywhistler
Believed that I needed to know if it was W. Hall playing the pump. (It looked like him, but maybe someone knew for sure).
Why are you using that Christus portrait?
+Leif Vejby It's my avatar.
Ah, the days of innocence ... I remember watching Amos and Andy back in the 50s and on until, yes they did, the naacp cost them their good jobs ...
And the NAACP should be ashamed and sued. They denied those wonderful actors their due. It’s the NAACP who are the real racists.
I just wonder if we should tell Priscilla Presley that Elvis' bottom half was played by Billy Barty?
how many times did they have to rehearse this stuff
and 'bottom half of elvis' LOL
At around 2:50 -- Is it just me or does Spike look like he could be Bob Crane's (Hogan's Heroes") father?
Thumbs Carlisle at 00:41? On the left?
I guess not... Thumbs was right-handed.
I was thinking the same thing......
ALL live, done with no electronics whatsoever.
These guys must’ve been wired for 220 V 😆
...Spongebob?
bottom halth of elvis lol spike mate pity your not alive to day in this drab world where music has reached rock bottom r i p spike and all city slickers
A mockery against African-American music from Chicago and New Orleans?
Ha,ha bottom half of Elvis. Lol