Back when I was a kid, a friend of mine and I stumbled on his folk's collection of Spike Jones albums. Spike Jones, if you never heard of him, was one of the craziest performers ever. He was a band leader popular on the radio, on record, on film and live in the 1940's and early 1950's. Jones was reported to be a good musician but Spike Jones and his City Slickers relied more on zany sound effects and antics than on anything that could be called serious musicianship. Jones records, and filmed appearances, were orchestrated with gunshots, screaming, horns, rude noises, cross-dressers, short people, you name it. If it got a laugh, they used it. Jones pulled out all the stops to make his act bizarre -- even by today's standards he did strange stuff. Weird Al Yankovic says that his inspiration comes from a childhood of grooving to Spike Jones. If you have heard Spike's albums, you never forgot them. One of the trademarks of Jones and his City Slickers was murdering popular songs of the era. They did that not only with sound but with clowning around and visuals. Cocktails for Two, was one of their weird popular hits back in 1944. This video will take you back to simpler times. By the way, the composer of that song hated that rendition of it. Jones and his City Slickers had a big hit during the war years with an anti-Hitler song called Der Fuhrer's Face. This material must look pretty bizarre to those people who are not old enough to remember Spike Jones. And, if you are old enough to remember Spike, and the nostalgia is fun, you can find many of his videos available online. For more "Stories Behind the Music" click on the guitar Steven L. Smith Bellingham WA Home Inspections 
The Weirdest of the Weird -- Remembering Spike Jones
Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's. I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.
17 comments • Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector • May 25 2009 12:27PMComments
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My parents had Spike Jones records too! I used to giggle at them and thought they were really silly. The one I remember the best was the race horse...and here comes Feitlebaum which I of course thought was "beetlebaum." Thanks for bringing back a fun memory today.
Cindy,
I think it was Beetle Bomb. That is the one I remember the best of all of them too. Unfortunately, the only online audio I found has a weird video with it. You can hear it again for old times sake right here.
Steven, you finally made me feel young. I don't remember Spike Jones. It's probably a thing you remember if the parents liked him and mine probably didn't. I must say, I found him pretty silly in the song. He was probably too cultured for my hillbilly parents. LOL
Barbara,
I liked him. That is probably why I like Charlie Bee. He acts and looks like Spike, but Spike did not wear coveralls. My friend, whose dad had all the albums, was a PHd head of the math department at the local university. So one cannot say Spike only appealed to dunderheads.
Steve, I hate to say this but sometimes dunderheads are the weirdest. My folks went for simple true stuff like Hank Williams and Tennessee Earnie Ford and Bill Monroe and others of their caliber.
Steve that was so painful I would just as soon listen to chalk screeching across a black board.
Steve, OK, even I'm not old enough to remember these guys. And my mom and dad were too straight - we watched "Your Hit Parade" instead of Spike!
Charlie,
I know darn well YOU remember Spike. Honest to goodness he looks and acts like you. Seriously. Crazy man crazy.
Steve, the memory is VERY vague as I had a Spikectomy some years back.
Charlie,
Before you lost your memory you told me he was your uncle from the serious side of the family.
I swear---I just don't remember that---you are fibbin. Are you eating squirrel food again?
Charlie,
The memory is the first to go. You even look like him. I bet that, in that profile photo you got here, if it was not cropped we would see uncle Spike over to the side. I think this kid feels you are fibbin' about familial ties.
So Steve do you still have that blue hat---I know how much you liked it?
Steven - I don't remember Spike Jones firsthand... but my father was a fan, so I do remember hearing many spike jones songs when I was a kid. I thought they were awful... but awfully funny, too.
I particuarly remember hearing Spike Jones "heil right in the Fuehrer's face" many times.
Mr Alan,
No problem. I don't remember him either. I think you and I like the same stuff.
Nutsy
Gee reminds me a little of the Old three stooges TV programs, must have something to do with the era and what was funny then.
I thought this seemed sort of three stooges.