Friday, July 15, 2011

"America's Most Nonsensical Band"

Continuing our survey of Spike Jones-like comedic music from the 78rpm era (we've already checked out Irving Aaronson and Borrah Minevitch & His Harmonica Rascals) comes this album surveying the long, prolific career of one of the greatest novelty/oddball groups of the era, the Korn Kobblers (no relation to that Korn). During their 1940's heyday, they were a constant presence on the radio and concert circuit.

Apart from the lyrical nonsense of songs like "Horses Don't Bet On People" ("horses don't have no remource-es
...") and "I'm My Own Grandpa" (a song that really does my head in trying to follow it), their musical attack was a mad riot of frantic Dixieland horns, barrelhouse piano, furious drumming and, well, look at that tricked -out washboard, festooned with "electric auto horns, siren, klaxon, doorbell, whistle, woodblock, and twenty-one auto and bicycle horns." Song styles range from hillbilly to cosmopolitan swing, from children's music to Irish dialect humor. Essential.

The Korn Kobblers



1. When You Wore A Tulip 2. Up In The Balcony 3. Myrtle The Turtle And Flip The Frog 4. Five Foot Two, Eyes Of Blue 5. I'm My Own Grandpa 6. I Can't Get Offa My Horse 7. If You're Cheating On Your Baby 8. Oh You Beautiful Doll 9. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate 10. The Light Turned Green (And The Light Turned Red) 11. Drifting And Dreaming 12. Ain't She Sweet 13. Since They Stole The Spitoon 14. Trumpet Blues 15. Never Make Eyes (At Gals With Guys Bigger Than You) 16. We Got To Put Shoes On Willie 17. Horses Don't Bet On People 18. Clancy Lowered The Boom 19. Why Did I Teach My Girl To Drive 20. Dardanella 21. Don't Shoot The Bartender (He's Half Shot Now) 22. Don't Give Me No Goose For Christmas, Grandma

If you want more, hezzie.com can hook you up with plenty more CDs and DVDs.

5 comments:

Ed said...

So that's where Uncle Floyd got "I'm My Own Grandpa"

Mr Fab said...

Yeah, it's been recorded a number of times since the Korn Kobblers - pretty sure the Homer and Jethro version was the one I heard Dr Demento play.

Rafa Murillo said...

Repost, please...?

The In Crowd said...

Hey! Thanks so much for The Korn Kobblers! Nifty!

You reminded me also of Freddie Fisher & The Schnickelfritz Band - - another "korny" band of that era.

A quick google-fication led me to a nice freebie collection over at bandcamp:

https://theocarinacenter.bandcamp.com/album/freddie-fisher-the-schnickelfritz-band

More stuff! Yay!

Also: I believe the version of "I'm My Own Grandpa" that I heard most often on the Demento Show was the one by Lonzo & Oscar.

Thanks again!

Mr Fab said...

You are quite welcome, and yes indeedy-do, I also wrote about Freddy Fisher and co., and posted that very bandcamp link you were referring to on these here virtual pages. Swell stuff indeed. See also: the Hoosier Hot Shots.