10 Quotes from Allan Sherman
Hello Muddah. Hello Fadduh. Here I am at. Camp Granada…
I found myself muttering…or was I faddah-ring…that iconic parody of Allan Sherman’s the other day, and realized that I did not know too much about this quirky, talented comedian/writer/producer/singer/author.
Born Allan Copelon in Chicago, in 1924, Sherman died of emphysema just shy of his 49th birthday. While his life may not have always been a sunny day in Camp Granada—he was divorced, obese and also not doing well financially when he passed—Sherman gave the world lots of laughter during his brief years.
Sherman was more than just a song parodist, although that was the genre in which he realized his greatest success. His debut album, 1962’s My Son, the Folk Singer, was purported to be the fastest-selling record album (remember them?) to that time, selling more than one million copies. The breakout single was, of course, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, detailing a youngster’s distressing letter home from the perilous Camp Granada. (A quick thought: Perhaps, one should be grateful that there was no Intifada then.)
The folk singer’s follow-up album, entitled My Son, the Celebrity, featured more than a bissel of Jewish-flavored offerings, including “Shticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other.” What’s not to like? At his height of both of their popularity, it was reported that President John F. Kennedy was once observed singing another Sherman parody, Sarah Jackman (pronounced “Jockman”, to the tune of Frere Jacques), in a hotel lobby. Not a bad endorsement.
Courtesy of youtube and the talents of Dave and Haley Brinnel, please enjoy a version of that song performed in tribute to Sherman.
Among Allan Sherman’s other distinctions was guest-hosting an episode of The Tonight Show which featured the debut of a promising comedian named Bill Cosby. In those days, Cos would have been an opening act for Sherman.
Sherman also published two books, A Gift of Laughter (1964) and The Rape of the APE (American Puritan Ethic) and created one of television’s most popular game shows, I’ve Got a Secret, which ran from 1952-67. He was a multi-talented man who left us much too soon.
Here are ten quotes attributed to Allan Sherman, a very witty, Jewish comedian who certainly had a way with words.
10. Nobody ever told me anything about sex. I was a nice Jewish boy so I knew you shouldn’t do it, whatever it was, to nice girls. All my life I have been attracted to nice girls—the kind you aren’t supposed to do it to. And they, too, have been brought up, at least in my generation, that they shouldn’t do it either. How it gets done between nice people is a mystery to me. What I think happens is, nice people do it, but their hearts aren’t in it.
9. When the great history of trouble is written, my family will stand extremely high in the table of content. When the great history of horticulture is written I will be listed among the absent.
8. Our act started at the bottom and went downhill.
7. Nothing fazes Nancy. She’s always laughing and singing and happy. She’s popular and well adjusted and gets straight A’s in school. Where did we go wrong? Why isn’t she crazy like the rest of the family?
6. Adultery—which is the only grounds for divorce in New York—is not grounds for divorce in California. As a matter of fact, adultery in Southern California is grounds for marriage.
5. I had moved out of the Edison Hotel because I couldn’t pay the bill and was living at the Lincoln Hotel, where I couldn’t pay the bill either, but it was cheaper…. After the Lincoln Hotel people showed their colors by demanding payment, we turned our back on them. We moved out.
4. I have always lived beyond my means. I am still trying to live beyond my means, but it is getting harder all the time. I am very rich.
3. Somewhere, over the rainbow, Way up tall / There’s a land where they’ve never heard of cholesterol.
2. At first I only used the Scotch to flavor the seltzer. Then I left out the seltzer altogether and only retained the ice cubes with the Scotch. Today, I am proud to say, I have emancipated myself from all such crutches. I drink my Scotch straight.
1. I didn’t decide I was crazy until 1952. That’s when I began making a steady salary and could afford to be crazy.
I found myself muttering…or was I faddah-ring…that iconic parody of Allan Sherman’s the other day, and realized that I did not know too much about this quirky, talented comedian/writer/producer/singer/author.
Born Allan Copelon in Chicago, in 1924, Sherman died of emphysema just shy of his 49th birthday. While his life may not have always been a sunny day in Camp Granada—he was divorced, obese and also not doing well financially when he passed—Sherman gave the world lots of laughter during his brief years.
Sherman was more than just a song parodist, although that was the genre in which he realized his greatest success. His debut album, 1962’s My Son, the Folk Singer, was purported to be the fastest-selling record album (remember them?) to that time, selling more than one million copies. The breakout single was, of course, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, detailing a youngster’s distressing letter home from the perilous Camp Granada. (A quick thought: Perhaps, one should be grateful that there was no Intifada then.)
The folk singer’s follow-up album, entitled My Son, the Celebrity, featured more than a bissel of Jewish-flavored offerings, including “Shticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other.” What’s not to like? At his height of both of their popularity, it was reported that President John F. Kennedy was once observed singing another Sherman parody, Sarah Jackman (pronounced “Jockman”, to the tune of Frere Jacques), in a hotel lobby. Not a bad endorsement.
Courtesy of youtube and the talents of Dave and Haley Brinnel, please enjoy a version of that song performed in tribute to Sherman.
Among Allan Sherman’s other distinctions was guest-hosting an episode of The Tonight Show which featured the debut of a promising comedian named Bill Cosby. In those days, Cos would have been an opening act for Sherman.
Sherman also published two books, A Gift of Laughter (1964) and The Rape of the APE (American Puritan Ethic) and created one of television’s most popular game shows, I’ve Got a Secret, which ran from 1952-67. He was a multi-talented man who left us much too soon.
Here are ten quotes attributed to Allan Sherman, a very witty, Jewish comedian who certainly had a way with words.
10. Nobody ever told me anything about sex. I was a nice Jewish boy so I knew you shouldn’t do it, whatever it was, to nice girls. All my life I have been attracted to nice girls—the kind you aren’t supposed to do it to. And they, too, have been brought up, at least in my generation, that they shouldn’t do it either. How it gets done between nice people is a mystery to me. What I think happens is, nice people do it, but their hearts aren’t in it.
9. When the great history of trouble is written, my family will stand extremely high in the table of content. When the great history of horticulture is written I will be listed among the absent.
8. Our act started at the bottom and went downhill.
7. Nothing fazes Nancy. She’s always laughing and singing and happy. She’s popular and well adjusted and gets straight A’s in school. Where did we go wrong? Why isn’t she crazy like the rest of the family?
6. Adultery—which is the only grounds for divorce in New York—is not grounds for divorce in California. As a matter of fact, adultery in Southern California is grounds for marriage.
5. I had moved out of the Edison Hotel because I couldn’t pay the bill and was living at the Lincoln Hotel, where I couldn’t pay the bill either, but it was cheaper…. After the Lincoln Hotel people showed their colors by demanding payment, we turned our back on them. We moved out.
4. I have always lived beyond my means. I am still trying to live beyond my means, but it is getting harder all the time. I am very rich.
3. Somewhere, over the rainbow, Way up tall / There’s a land where they’ve never heard of cholesterol.
2. At first I only used the Scotch to flavor the seltzer. Then I left out the seltzer altogether and only retained the ice cubes with the Scotch. Today, I am proud to say, I have emancipated myself from all such crutches. I drink my Scotch straight.
1. I didn’t decide I was crazy until 1952. That’s when I began making a steady salary and could afford to be crazy.
'Happy Together' tour unites sixties artists starting June 8
The 2012 Happy Together tour
will once again bring together a collection of some of the most popular musical
acts of the sixties for a string of concert dates in North America, kicking off
Friday, June 8 in Columbus, GA.
Gary Puckett & The Union Gap was one of the
most successful musical groups of the sixties. Gary's unmistakable signature
voice garnered six consecutive gold records and top ten Billboard hits such as
"Young Girl" and "Woman Woman."
In 1968, far ahead of their time, they would
release one of music's first concept albums, The Turtles Present the Battle of
the Bands, where they pretended to be eleven different bands with different
names, each providing a song in a different genre.The album -- which showcased
their incredible range of vocal talent -- spawned the hits "Elenore"
and "You Showed Me" (both peaking at #6 on the Billboard charts).
Mark and Howard have remained plenty busy over the years with both The Turtles
featuring Flo & Eddie and their extracurricular music activities. In 2009,
a new Turtles compilation CD was released titled, Save The Turtles: The Turtles
Greatest Hits, which was issued on their own FloEdCo label. In all, the band
has sold over 60 million albums worldwide to date.
In 1966, hot on the heels of their new NBC
television show, The Monkees would release a self-titled debut album that would
top the U.S. charts for thirteen consecutive weeks and sell an overwhelming 3.2
million copies in just three months. The single, "Last Train to
Clarksville," from the album would be their first #1 hit. Their second #1
hit came quickly with "I'm a Believer" (featured on the band's second
album, More of The Monkees), which had over a million advance orders.
The band would continue to put out numerous hits
such as "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone" and "Pleasant Valley
Sunday" among others... In 1986, the four members got together for
"The Monkees 20th Anniversary World Tour," a 145 date trek that would
become the largest grossing tour of the year. The band -- who reconvened this
year for a brief but memorable tour -- remain as iconic as ever...
Sunday, June 10 / Riverbend Festival Grounds / Chattanooga, Tennessee
The tour originated in 1985
with artists like The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie, The Grass Roots and
The Buckinghams. In 2010 promoters revived the idea for a 25th anniversary tour
that was so successful that it has become a yearly event.
In fact, the tours in 2010
and 2011 proved so successful that this year's road trek has been extended to
42 dates in North America. This year's show features The Turtles featuring Flo
& Eddie, Monkees singer Micky Dolenz, The Buckinghams, The Grass Roots, and
Gary Puckett & the Union Gap.
"This
looks like the best year yet," Mark Volman of The Turtles said in a press
release Wednesday. "Hope everyone makes it out."
"Happy Together" by The Turtles hit #1 on
the charts in 1967 (displacing the Beatles' "Penny Lane") and remains
a staple on classic rock radio to this day. Although their biggest hit and
signature song, it's just one of their nine Top 40 hits, which includes such
popular songs as "She'd Rather Be With Me," "Elenore,"
"You Showed Me" and "It Ain't Me Babe."
"Kind of a Drag" from The Buckinghams
would also reach the pinnacle of chart success, yet mark just one of many
popular hits from the band including "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,"
"Don't You Care," "Susan" and "Hey Baby (They're
Playing Our Song)." Their success in 1967 would lead them to be named
"The Most Listened To Band in America" by Billboard Magazine.
The Grass Roots
burst upon the scene in '67 and would not only amass over a dozen Top 40 hits,
but go on to perform in front of an estimated 600,000 people in Washington,
D.C. on July 4, 1982 setting an all-time attendance record for an concert
performance consisting of just one act. Between 1967 and 1972 -- thanks to
numerous hits such as "Midnight Confessions," "Let's Live For
Today," "Sooner or Later," "I'd Wait A Million Years"
and "Temptation Eyes," the band would set a record for being on the
Billboard charts for 307 consecutive weeks. Sadly, we lost lead singer Rob
Grill in 2010 but the music lives on...
Tour
Dates:
Friday,
June 8 / River Center / Columbus, Georgia
Saturday,
June 9 / Civic Center Arena / Dothan, Alabama
Sunday, June 10 / Riverbend Festival Grounds / Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tuesday,
June 12 / The Plaza / Orlando, Florida
Wednesday,
June 13 / The Hard Rock / Hollywood, Florida
Thursday,
June 14 / Florida Theatre / Jacksonville, Florida
Friday,
June 15 / Ruth Eckerd Hall / Clearwater, Florida
Saturday,
June 16 / Anderson Music Hall / Hiawasee, Georgia
Sunday,
June 17 / Renaissance PAC / Montgomery, Alabama
Tuesday,
June 19 / Keswick Theatre / Glenside, Pennsylvania
Wednesday,
June 20 / State Theatre / New Brunswick, New Jersey
Thursday,
June 21 / Music Hall / Tarrytown, New York
Friday,
June 22 / American Music Theater / Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Saturday,
June 23 / NYCB Theatre / Westbury, New York
Sunday,
June 24 / Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom / Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Wednesday,
July 11 / Humphrey's By The Bay / San Diego, California
Thursday,
July 12 / Chumash Casino / Santa Ynez, California
Friday,
July 13 / California State Fair / Sacramento, California
Saturday,
July 14 / Orange County Fair / Pacific Amphitheatre / Costa Mesa, California
Sunday,
July 15 / Fort McDowell Casino / Fountain Hills, Arizona
Monday,
July 16 / Buffalo Thunder Casino / Santa Fe, New Mexico
Tuesday,
July 17 / Sandy City Amphitheatre / Sandy, Utah
Friday,
July 27 / Waterfront Park / Bangor, Maine
Saturday,
July 28 / The Paramount / Asbury Park, New Jersey
Sunday,
July 29 / Filene Center at Wolftrap / Vienna, Virginia
Monday,
July 30 / Musikfest Cafe Artsquest Center / Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Wednesday,
August 1 / Cain Park / Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Thursday,
August 2 / Fraze Pavilion / Kettering, Ohio
Friday,
August 3 / Caesars Windsor / Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Saturday,
August 4 / Genesee Theatre / Waukegan, Illinois
Sunday,
August 5 / Wisconsin State Fair / West Allis, Wisconsin
Tuesday,
August 7 / Sanford Center / Bemidji, Minnesota
Thursday,
August 9 / Performance Center / Effingham, Illinois
Friday,
August 10 / Iowa State Fair / Des Moines, Iowa
Saturday,
August 11 / Little River Casino Resort / Manistee, Michigan
Thursday,
August 23 / Cardinal Stadium / Louisville, Kentucky
Friday,
August 24 / Paramount Theatre / Aurora, Illinois
Saturday,
August 25 / Ho - Chunk Casino / Baraboo, Wisconsin
Sunday,
August 26 / Corn Palace Festival / Mitchell, South Dakota
Monday,
August 27 / Minnesota State Fair / St. Paul, Minnesota
Wednesday,
August 29 / Carnegie Library Music Hall / Homestead, Pennsylvania
Thursday,
August 30 / New York State Fair / Syracuse, New York
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