Spike Jones and his City Slickers
Spike Jones | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lindley Armstrong Jones Template:Birth date Long Beach, California, U.S. |
| Died | May 1, 1965 (aged 53) |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, conductor, bandleader |
| Years active | 1930s–1960s |
| Known for | Humorous reinterpretations and parodies of popular and classical music; leader of Spike Jones and His City Slickers |
Lindley Armstrong "Spike" Jones (December 14, 1911 – May 1, 1965) was an American musician, conductor, and bandleader celebrated for his humorous reinterpretations and parodies of both popular and classical music. His renditions of ballads often incorporated a variety of sound effects such as gunshots, whistles, cowbells, hiccups, burps, sneezes, animal noises, and comedic vocalizations. From the early 1940s through the mid-1950s, Jones and his ensemble recorded under RCA Victor as Spike Jones and His City Slickers, touring extensively throughout the United States and Canada with their show titled "The Musical Depreciation Revue."
Early years
Born in Long Beach, California, Jones was the son of Ada (Armstrong) and Lindley Murray Jones, who worked as a Southern Pacific railroad agent. Due to his slender physique, he earned the nickname 'Spike'. He received his first drum set at age eleven. During his teenage years, he formed several bands, including Spike Jones and his Five Tacks. A chef employed by the railroad introduced him to unconventional instruments such as pots, pans, forks, knives, and spoons. Jones frequently performed in pit orchestras for theaters and became a member of the Victor Young orchestra during the 1930s. His radio appearances included shows like Al Jolson's Lifebuoy Program, Burns and Allen, and Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall.
Spike Jones and His City Slickers
Growing weary of performing the same repertoire nightly with orchestras, Jones assembled a group of musicians who shared his interest in creating satirical takes on standard tunes. Their weekly practice recordings eventually caught the attention of an RCA Victor executive, leading to a recording contract. One of their early RCA releases was Del Porter's version of "Der Fuehrer's Face". The popularity of this record propelled Jones into leadership of the band, prompting him to concentrate more on comedic arrangements in response to audience enthusiasm.
Between 1937 and 1942, Jones played percussion with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra, which accompanied Bing Crosby on his original recording of "White Christmas". Additionally, he supported songwriter Cindy Walker during her formative years at Decca Records. Her composition "We're Gonna Stomp Them City Slickers Down" inspired the name chosen for Jones's band.
The City Slickers originated from the Feather Merchants, a group led by vocalist-clarinetist Del Porter who initially took a secondary role to Jones. They produced experimental recordings for Cinematone Corporation and performed locally in Los Angeles, gradually cultivating a modest fan base. Founding members included vocalist-violinist Carl Grayson, banjo player Perry Botkin, trombonist King Jackson, and pianist Stan Wrightsman.
Initial recordings were issued on RCA Victor's budget Bluebird imprint before transitioning to the more prestigious Victor label. The band maintained an extensive recording relationship with RCA until 1955 and featured prominently on radio broadcasts from 1945 to 1949 as well as their own television programs on NBC and CBS between 1954 and 1961.
Orchestra members
Key personnel during the 1940s comprised:
- George Rock (trumpet, vocals from 1944 to 1960)
- Mickey Katz (clarinet, vocals)
- Doodles Weaver (vocals – recognized for sports announcer parodies and comic malapropisms)
- Red Ingle (tenor saxophone, clarinet, violin, vocals)
- Frank Rehak (trombone)
- Del Porter (clarinet, vocals)
- Carl Grayson (violin, vocals)
- Perry Botkin (banjo)
- Country Washburne (tuba)
- Luther "Red" Roundtree (banjo)
- Earl Bennett known as Sir Frederick Gas (vocals)
- Joe Siracusa (drums)
- Joe Colvin (trombone)
- Roger Donley (tuba)
- Dick Gardner (baritone saxophone, clarinet, violin)
- Paul Leu (piano)
- Jack Golly (alto saxophone, clarinet)
- John Stanley (trombone)
- Don Anderson (trumpet)
- Charlotte Tinsley (harp)
- Eddie Metcalfe (saxophone, clarinet)
- Dick Morgan aka I. W. Harper (banjo)
- Freddy Morgan (banjo, vocals)
- George Lescher (piano)
- [Purv Pullen|A. Purvis Pullen]], aka Dr. Horatio Q. Birdbath (bird calls, dog barks)
- Russ "Candy" Hall (bass, tuba)
Personnel during the 1950s included:
- Helen Grayco (vocals), who was Spike Jones's second wife and frequent collaborator
- Earl Bennett performing as Sir Frederick Gas
- Billy Barty (vocals and comedic acts including impersonations of Liberace)
- Lock Martin (comedy routines; notable for his height of seven feet)
- Freddy Morgan (banjo)
- Peter James (vocals; occasionally billed as Bobby Pinkus)
- Jad Paul (banjo)
- Gil Bernal (saxophone, vocals)
- Paul "Mousie" Garner (vocals)
- Bernie Jones (saxophone, vocals)
- Phil Gray (trombone)
- Marilyn Olsen Oliveri (vocals, harp)
It is important to note that Freddy Morgan and Dick Morgan were not siblings; Freddy's birth surname was Morgenstern. Both Peter James and Paul "Mousie" Garner had previous experience working with Ted Healy’s Broadway productions; James performed alongside Shemp Howard and Larry Fine in A Night in Spain during 1927–1928 while Garner replaced an original member of the Three Stooges in the 1930s.
"Der Fuehrer's Face"
The American Federation of Musicians strike in 1942 caused a pause in Jones's commercial recording activities for more than two years. Nevertheless, he continued to create records intended for radio broadcasts, which were issued under the Standard Transcriptions label from 1941 to 1946 and later re-released on the CD compilation (Not) Your Standard Spike Jones Collection.
Just prior to the recording moratorium, Jones scored a significant broadcast triumph in late 1942 with "Der Fuehrer's Face", a satirical tune ridiculing Adolf Hitler. The song featured raspberries punctuating every "Heil" salute within the line "Heil, (raspberry), Heil (raspberry), right in Der Fuehrer's face!".
Additional Parody Songs
Jones transformed the romantic standard "Cocktails for Two" in 1944 into a lively, horn-blaring, hiccup-filled homage to cocktail hour, which became one of his major hits.
Subsequently, he released parodies of "Hawaiian War Chant", "Chloe", "Holiday for Strings", "You Always Hurt the One You Love", "My Old Flame", and "Laura".
"Ghost Riders"
In 1949, Jones created a parody of Vaughn Monroe's "Ghost Riders in the Sky", performed as if slurred under the influence, directly mocking Monroe by name in the concluding verse:
CHORUS: ...'cause all we hear is "Ghost Riders" sung by Vaughn Monroe.
I.W. HARPER: I can do without his singing.
SIR FREDERICK GAS: But I wish I had his dough!
Due to Monroe's status as an RCA Victor artist and shareholder, the American release omitted this pointed reference. The uncut version was issued in Europe, and limited 78-rpm pressings containing the original ending have become prized collector's items. This version later appeared on a German RCA LP as well as select CD and cassette compilations.
"Trailer Annie"
During the 1940s, Spike recorded a humorous number entitled "Trailer Annie," narrating the story of a woman seeking employment within the U.S. military.
"All I Want for Christmas"
Jones's 1947 rendition of "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth", highlighted by George Rock's distinctive vocals, was held back until fall 1948, when it achieved the number-one spot on the charts. (Dora Bryan subsequently recorded a 1963 adaptation titled "All I Want For Christmas is a Beatle.")
Murdering the Classics
Throughout the 1940s, Spike Jones and his City Slickers crafted humorous takes on classical music, including a rapid-fire version of Liszt's Liebestraum No. 3 played on unconventional instruments. Other notable parodies featured Rossini's William Tell Overture performed using kitchen utensils against a horse race soundscape—an act that may have inspired the nickname for the U.S. Navy Blue Angels' late-1940s "Beetle Bomb" aircraft. During live performances, Jones would acknowledge applause with solemnity by saying: "Thank you, music lovers."
In 1971, RCA issued an LP under its prestigious RCA Red Seal imprint titled Spike Jones Is Murdering the Classics, compiling twelve comedic classical renditions such as Pal-Yat-Chee (featuring hillbilly duo Homer and Jethro), Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours, Tchaikovsky's None but the Lonely Heart, Strauss's Blue Danube waltz, and Bizet's Carmen.
Additionally, RCA Victor released "Spike Jones presents for the Kiddies," a 1944 adaptation of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite spread across three 10-inch 78-rpm discs. This arrangement by Joe "Country" Washburne with lyrics by Foster Carling was reissued on 7-inch vinyl and extended play formats into the early 1950s. An abridged rendition is included on the RCA Red Seal classics album, while the complete original recording is available on the CD collection Spiked: The Music of Spike Jones.
Radio
Following his tenure as the house band on The Bob Burns Show, Spike earned his own NBC radio series in 1945, titled The Chase and Sanborn Program, where he filled in for Edgar Bergen during the summer months. The show, co-hosted by Frances Langford, featured guests such as Groucho Marx. Between 1947 and 1949, Jones led a CBS program sponsored by Coca-Cola, initially named The Spotlight Revue and eventually retitled The Spike Jones Show. This program showcased a diverse lineup of guests including Frankie Laine, Mel Torme, Peter Lorre, Don Ameche, Burl Ives, and Frank Sinatra, who appeared twice in 1948. The series also included a 1949 appearance by Lassie.
During this era, Dorothy Shay, famously known as "The Park Avenue Hillbillie," served as the show's primary female vocalist. Early in his career, announcer Mike Wallace contributed to the program. The writing team comprised talents such as Eddie Maxwell, Eddie Brandt, and Jay Sommers. The show's final broadcast occurred on June 25, 1949.
Spike Jones and His Other Orchestra
Although enjoying considerable success, Jones aspired to demonstrate his capability to create serious musical works and established Spike Jones and His Other Orchestra in 1946. This ensemble concentrated on elegant dance arrangements and mainly performed in nightclub settings. Despite artistic achievements, it did not capture the same audience as the City Slickers, prompting Jones to personally cover some financial shortfalls. The Other Orchestra included accomplished Los Angeles studio musicians alongside occasional contributions from City Slickers members.
One of their standout recordings was "Laura," which juxtaposed a sophisticated first section performed by the Other Orchestra with a humorous latter half delivered by the City Slickers. Jones’s son emphasized the meticulous precision involved in his father's unconventional compositions, noting that even comedic sound effects like gunshots required exact timing.
Movies
Jones made a brief appearance as a bandleader in the 1940 film Give Us Wings. As the City Slickers rose to prominence, they were featured in several movies including Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), Meet the People (1944), Bring on the Girls (1945), Breakfast in Hollywood (1946), and Variety Girl (1947). In 1954, following Lou Costello’s departure from a Universal Pictures comedy project, Jones was elevated to star in Fireman Save My Child, marking his sole leading role in a theatrical film.
Soundies
In 1942, Jones's band produced numerous soundies—short musical films displayed on coin-operated machines found in venues such as nightclubs and arcades. They appeared on-screen in four soundies including "Clink! Clink! Another Drink" and provided musical accompaniment for at least thirteen others. Notably, Mel Blanc contributed a drunken verse to "Clink! Clink! Another Drink," which was later reissued under the title "The Clink! Clink! Polka."
Television
Recognizing television's emerging influence, Jones filmed two half-hour pilots—Foreign Legion and Wild Bill Hiccup—in 1950 with director Edward F. Cline. Although neither pilot succeeded, the band flourished on live television through their spontaneous humor and visual comedy. Frequently donning an oversized checkered suit, Spike performed multiple instruments while delivering lively routines. The City Slickers appeared on variety programs such as The Colgate Comedy Hour (1951, 1955) and All Star Revue (1952), before NBC granted them their own series, The Spike Jones Show, debuting in early 1954. They also featured on NBC's Club Oasis during summer 1958 and CBS's The Spike Jones Show across summers of 1957, 1960, and 1961. Additionally, Jones and his ensemble appeared on NBC's The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford in November 1956. In 1990, BBC2 broadcast six compilation episodes derived from these performances; these were subsequently aired on PBS stations.
Later years
Following World War II, the waning popularity of big bands coupled with the emergence of rock and roll in the early 1950s significantly influenced Jones's musical selections. Early rock tunes, being novel, no longer lent themselves to parody as they once did; for instance, he comically introduced "the bottom half of Elvis Presley" by featuring dwarf actor Billy Barty running across the stage.
Jones responded to evolving audience preferences: in 1950, he issued a playful Charleston-themed album tapping into America's 1920s nostalgia, and by 1953, he ventured into the expanding children's record segment with songs like "Socko, the Smallest Snowball." Growing frustration with RCA Victor over censorship and other disagreements led to his departure in 1955. Afterwards, his recordings appeared on labels such as Verve, Liberty, and Warner Bros.. In 1956, he oversaw a Christmas album that featured numerous earnest performances.
By 1957, inspired by television programs like Lawrence Welk, Jones redesigned his act for the small screen: he abandoned the anarchic City Slickers approach in favor of a more conventional big-band sound punctuated with witty moments under the moniker Spike Jones and the Band that Plays for Fun. The final City Slickers album was the LP Dinner Music for People Who Aren't Very Hungry.
With spoken-word comedy gaining traction in the late 1950s—exemplified by performers such as Bob Newhart, Mort Sahl, Stan Freberg, and Shelley Berman—Jones adjusted his focus accordingly. His later works incorporated spoken-word humor, including the horror spoof Spike Jones in Stereo (1959) and the television satire Omnibust (1960). Staying relevant to contemporary trends, his last ensemble—Spike Jones's New Band—produced four LPs featuring brassy renditions of 1960s pop-folk hits like "Washington Square" and "The Ballad of Jed Clampett." A standout 1964 track creatively blended "Dominique" by The Singing Nun with "When the Saints Go Marching In" in a quodlibet style.
Personal life
Jones fathered four children: Linda (from his first marriage to Patricia), along with Spike Jr., Leslie Ann, and Gina from his union with Helen Grayco. Spike Jr. has established himself as a producer specializing in live events and television broadcasts. Leslie Ann serves as Director of Music and Film Scoring at George Lucas' Skywalker Ranch located in Marin County.
A lifelong heavy smoker—consuming reportedly four to five packs daily—Jones developed emphysema. Despite declining health and dependence on an oxygen tank during performances, he continued smoking until his passing on May 1, 1965, at age 53. He was laid to rest at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.
His second wife, Helen Grayco, passed away from cancer in Los Angeles on August 20, 2022, at age 97.
Influence and legacy
Jones’s comedic musical approach was influenced by 1920s ensembles such as Harry Reser's "Six Jumping Jacks," along with groups like the Hoosier Hot Shots and artists including Freddie Fisher. His legacy has impacted performers like Stan Freberg, Peter Schickele’s creation P.D.Q. Bach, Frank Zappa, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, and "Weird Al" Yankovic. As noted by David Wild in Rolling Stone, Elvis Costello’s 1989 album Spike partially pays tribute to Jones.
Syndicated radio personality Dr. Demento regularly features Jones’s recordings. He is mentioned in The Band’s song "Up on Cripple Creek" and admired by novelist Thomas Pynchon, who contributed liner notes for the 1994 CD reissue titled Spiked!. A scene in the film I.Q. includes a character demonstrating stereo sound using a Jones recording.
In animation, the 1948 Warner Bros. cartoon Back Alley Oproar presents a Sylvester the Cat performance inspired by Spike Jones’s distinctive sound effects style.
Jones is referenced multiple times throughout the TV series M*A*S*H, including nods to his records and his influence on characters’ dialogue and musical preferences.
In 1974, future King Crimson bassist Tony Levin recorded a tribute to Spike Jones under the name The Clams, reimagining popular songs in Jones’s signature style.
Belgian synthpop band Telex honored Jones with a track bearing his name on their 1986 album Looney Tunes.
In 1997, Artie Schroeck and Linda November produced "The New City Slickers Present a Tribute to Spike Jones" in Atlantic City, aiming to revive his distinctive brand of musical comedy.
Comedian Spike Milligan and filmmaker Spike Jonze both received nicknames inspired by Spike Jones.
Discography
- Spike Jones Performs the Charleston (1950)
- Bottoms Up Polka (1952)
- Spike Jones Takes on Carmen and Classics (1953)
- Dinner Music For People Who Aren't Very Hungry (1956)
- Spike Jones Presents a Christmas Spectacular (1956) (later reissued as It's a Spike Jones Christmas and Let's Sing a Song of Christmas)
- Hi-Fi Polka Party (1957)
- Spike Jones in Stereo (1959) (reissued under the title Spike Jones in Hi Fi)
- Omnibust (1960)
- 60 Years of "Music America Hates Best" (1960)
- Thank You, Music Lovers! (1960) (re-released as The Best of Spike Jones in 1967 and 1975)
- Rides, Rapes and Rescues (1960)
- Washington Square (1963)
- Spike Jones New Band (1964)
- My Man (1964)
- The New Band of Spike Jones Performs Hank Williams Hits (1965)
- Spike Jones Is Murdering the Classics (1971)
- The Best of Spike Jones Volume 2 (1977)
- Spike Jones and His Other Orchestra, 1946 (Hindsight Records HUK185 1982)
- Never Trust a City Slicker: Standard Transcription Discs 1942–1944 (Harlequin HQ2042 1986)
Selected singles
| Year | Title | US Chart |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | "Clink, Clink, Another Drink" | 23 |
| 1942 | "Der Fuehrer's Face" | 3 |
| 1944 | "Behind Those Swinging Doors" | 20 |
| 1945 | "Cocktails for Two" | 4 |
| 1945 | "Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma" | 14 |
| 1945 | "Chloe" | 5 |
| 1945 | "Holiday for Strings" | 10 |
| 1946 | "Hawaiian War Chant (Ta-Hu-Wa-Hu-Wai)" | 8 |
| 1948 | "William Tell Overture" | 6 |
| 1948 | "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" | 1 |
| 1949 | "Ya Wanna Buy a Bunny?" | 24 |
| 1949 | "Dance of the Hours" | 13 |
| 1950 | "Chinese Mule Train" | 13 |
| 1950 | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | 7 |
| 1951 | "Tennessee Waltz" | 13 |
| 1951 | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | 22 |
| 1952 | "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" | 4 |
| 1953 | "I Went to Your Wedding" | 20 |
External links
- 1911 births
- 1965 deaths
- American jazz bandleaders
- American novelty song performers
- American big band bandleaders
- American parody musicians
- RCA Victor artists
- Liberty Records artists
- Burials at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City
- Deaths from emphysema
- Musicians from Long Beach, California
- 20th-century American musicians
- 20th-century American comedians
- American music arrangers
- Comedians from Long Beach, California
- Long Beach Polytechnic High School alumni
- American male comedians
- Musical groups disestablished in 1965