Ludwig von Drake - Professor Ludwig von Drake (1961)

"All About Recording" by Ludwig von Drake


Paul Frees voiced the iconic Disney Duck scholar and showman Ludwig von Drake.

A self-described genius who says he knows just about everything and says he invented almost everything, Ludwig von Drake is also something of a musician.  He can sing jazz and rock and roll and even conduct an orchestra.  His talents were first noticed by a large audience when he appeared on Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color for the episode "An Adventure in Color".  In it, he sings a couple songs and teaches the audience all about color, one of his many expert subjects.

Walt Disney noticed von Drake's musical talent and had the learned duck record his album Professor Ludwig von Drake released in 1961.  His initial wave of popularity and success trickled down to a couple more singles and solitary songs on the occasional Disney TV Show.  His last hurrah was the release of his own talking doll that included a tape of recorded bedtime stories.

His career as a recording artist was brief, but I'm sure he'd answer the call and drop a surprise album if the nostalgia machine started working on his behalf.  I'd dig it.

Here is the complete discography for (Professor) Ludwig von Drake:

Professor Ludwig von Drake
I'm Ludwig von Drake (1961 single)
Carnival Time Featuring Professor Ludwig von Drake (1961 single)
The Voice of Professor Ludwig von Drake Offers Songs and Stories for Children (1961 tape for talking Ludwig von Drake doll)
Twistin' with Professor Ludwig von Drake (1962 promo single)
Rutabaga Rag (1962 song)
Rock, Rumble and Roar (1962 song)

"Green With Envy Blues" by Ludwig von Drake on Disney's An Adventure in Color


"The Spectrum Song" by Ludwig von Drake on Disney's An Adventure in Color


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Paul Frees - Paul Frees and the Poster People (1970)

"Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Paul Frees (as W. C. Fields)


An impressionist and comedian from an early age on vaudeville and radio, Paul Frees found a natural home doing voices for animation.  Frees was one of the many voice actors working on Rocky & Bullwinkle.  He provided the voice for main baddy, Boris Badinov, and other minor characters.

He released a 1970 novelty comedy album Paul Frees and the Poster People where he sings popular songs in the voices of classic Hollywood actors like Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, and Peter Lorre.

Note: Paul Frees was a prolific voice actor with many iconic characters.  Not all his songs for these characters are included because I'll be treating those characters as their own "artists" with their own pages (like the last blog entry or even *hint* the next one).

Here is the discography surrounding Paul Frees's debut album:

Although I Dropped $100,000 (I Found a Million Dollars in Your Smile) (1962 song)
A Girl (1966 single)
No More Toymakers to the King (1970 song)
Paul Frees and the Poster People
Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head (1971 single)

"Up, Up and Away" by Paul Frees


Paul Frees Recorded Message to David Koenigsberg


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Rocky & His Friends - Rocky (The Flying Squirrel) and His Friends (1961)

Rocky (The Flying Squirrel) and His Friends by Rocky & His Friends


There was no Herman in Herman's Hermits; that is... no band member named Herman.  Originally, the band thought their very young lead singer, Peter Noone, looked like Sherman (of Mr. Peabody & Sherman) and nicknamed him such.  Sherman shortened to Herman and the band named themselves Herman and His Hermits which, in its turn, shortened to Herman's Hermits.

Mr. Peadbody & Sherman were recurring "friends" on the hit animated show The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends.  Off the success of the show, there was released a 1961 comedy album Rocky (The Flying Squirrel) and His Friends.

Here is the complete discography by Rocky & His Friends:

Rocky (The Flying Squirrel) and His Friends

"Fast and Moose" Episode of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends


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Herman's Hermits - Herman's Hermits (1965)

"For Your Love" by Herman's Hermits


The Who were one of the top bands in the UK circa their second album, but they saw a scene change on the horizon with which they didn't really jive.  Their beloved mods were now passé and the flower children and their music were ascending to national prominence.  Rather than shift styles to follow the crowd, they saw an alternate path to maintain relevance.  They had to expand their base which meant courting an American audience.

You might imagine that "My Generation" had already established their popularity or, at least, their recognition worldwide, but initially the song didn't catch in the United States like it did in Europe.  They started to make headway at the Monterey Pop Festival (though they felt out of place at this hippie cultural touchstone) then followed it up with a US tour as the opening act for a very, unlike-them, Herman's Hermits.

A sort of inverse of The Who, Herman's Hermits were not that big in their own UK but really big in the United States.  Part of the reason is that before they got any traction in their native music scene, Herman and His Hermits's bubblegum pop and good looks were shipped and, rather vehemently, sold to the US market as the next Beatles after only a couple singles and one major hit.  They released their debut album Herman's Hermits in 1965 with different track listings in the UK for EMI and the US for MGM Records.

Note: Since Herman's Hermits released more albums in the US than in the UK, I'll mostly be following the US discography for their future blog spots.  This stop, however, highlights the UK album mostly because it has the better album cover.  (I also think it's a better record).

Here is the discography surrounding Herman's Hermits's debut album:

I'm Into Something Good (1964 single)
Show Me Girl (1964 single)
Can't You Hear My Heartbeat (1965 single)
Hermania (1965 EP)
Silhouettes (1965 single)
Herman's Hermits (1965 US album)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 single)
Wonderful World (1965 single)
Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter (1965 EP)
Herman's Hermits

"I'm Into Something Good" by Herman's Hermits


"Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits


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The Who - A Quick One (1966)

"A Quick One, While He's Away" by The Who


John's Children had a paucity of talent and their manager knew it.  Instead of pressing for the improvement of the band's technical chops (he saw their lack of talent as part of their attraction), he focused on improving the songwriting (the addition of Marc Bolan) and encouraging the band members' stage antics.  Even the release of the faux-live album whose release was banned/delayed because of its name had the texture of an outrageous publicity stunt rather than a bothered-about album release.

The band's stage antics were like The Who's own, so it was a natural fit for them to tour Germany together with John's Children opening.  But the match didn't work out because the Children were just too "loud and violent" according to Townshend.  They upstaged The Who with their theatrics and destruction and one time caused a riot before the headliners even took the stage.  John's Children were good at something, if not music.  The band was fired mid-tour. (Note: The drummer, Chris Townson, was probably the most skilled member of the band (outside of late-joiner Bolan) and was asked by The Who to sub for an injured Keith Moon.)

The Who (previously visited) released their second album A Quick One in 1966 on Polydor Records.  They released an American version of the album re-titled Happy Jack in 1967 on Decca records with a slightly different track listing.

Here is the discography surrounding The Who's second album:

Ready Steady Who (1966 EP)
Happy Jack (1966 single)
A Quick One
Pictures of Lily (1967 single)
Whiskey Man (1967 single)
Happy Jack (1967 American album)

"Cobwebs and Strange" by The Who


Pete Townshend Talks About A Quick One


The Who Live July 9, 1966 at Westminster Technical College


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John's Children - Orgasm (1970)

"Desdemona" by John's Children


Before he was the primary artist and songwriter for Tyrannosaurus Rex, Marc Bolan had dreams of great stardom but hadn't much traction.  Through gall and talent, he hooked a manager in Simon Napier-Bell who most famously worked for The Yardbirds.  Originally, Napier-Bell mulled over adding Bolan to The Yardbirds lineup. Instead, he decided to add him to another one of his bands, John's Children.  Bolan brought to the outfit a catalog of ready-to-go songs which quickly became singles, but he was unhappy with the artistic direction of the band and left it after four months.  Before Bolan even joined, the four-piece had already recorded a couple singles and an album, Orgasm, which was scheduled to release in 1967.  The name of the album was a bit of a hang up, though, and delayed its release in the United States until 1970, well after the band had dissolved.

Here is the discography surrounding John's Children's debut album:

The Love I Thought I'd Found (1966 single)
Smashed! Blocked! (1966 single)
Just What You Want - Just What You'll Get (1967 single)
Desdemona (1967 single)
Live at the BBC (1967 radio session)
Midsummer Night's Scene (1967 single)
Come and Play With Me in the Garden (1967 single)
Come and Play With Me in the Garden (1967 EP)
Go-Go Girl (1967 single)
It's Been a Long Time (1967 single by Andy Ellison)
Fool from Upper Eden (1968 demo by Andy Ellison)
You Can't Do That (1968 single by Andy Ellison)
Orgasm
A Midsummer Night's Scene (1989 compilation album)
Playing With Themselves (1990 compilation album)
Playing With Themselves (Vol. II) (1991 compilation album)
A Strange Affair (The Sixties Recordings) (2013 compilation album)

"Smashed! Blocked!" by John's Children


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Tyrannosaurus Rex - My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows (1968)

"Hot Rod Mama" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


Yes recorded their second album at Advision Studios in London.  Advision was a top recording studio in the late sixties and seventies and one of the first with an eight-track machine.  An artist that took an early crack at the eight-track was the psych-folk band Tyrannosaurus Rex.  The duo released their debut album My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows in 1968 on Regal Zonophone Records.

Here is the discography surrounding Tyrannosaurus Rex's debut album:

The Road I'm On (Gloria) (1964 single as Toby Tyler)
All at Once (1964 song as Mark Feld)
The Wizard (1965 single as Marc Bolan)
Reality (1965 single as Marc Bolan)
Hippy Gumbo (1966 single as Marc Bolan)
The Third Degree (1966 single as Marc Bolan)
Debora(h) (1968 single)
My People Were Fair and Had Sky in Their Hair... But Now They're Content to Wear Stars on Their Brows
The Beginning of Doves (1974 compilation album as Marc Bolan)
The Maximum Sound Session (1993 compilation as Toby Tyler)
The Beginning of Doves (2004 compilation album as Marc Bolan)

"Debora(h)" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


"Sarah Crazy Child" by Tyrannosaurus Rex


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