Did you know that Tiny Tim could sing high notes that only dogs could hear?
That's true. There's an Institute in Chicago that conducted this research and proved it be factual.
Personally, I prefer (many of) the notes Tiny Tim sang that I can hear. I mean, who cares about dogs anyway? Everyone knows that dogs and giraffes are selfish. The dogs hogging all the notes that others can't hear, and giraffes always looking out for Number One. Boy, giraffes are selfish!
In my last BOTB comment section I mentioned that I'm a genuine Tiny Tim fan. What an original character! I don't like all the stuffs he sang but once, years ago, I got out a calculator and calculated that I liked 57% of Tiny's recordings. Since then I've found plenty more I like, so maybe I'm up to about 66.6% now.
Below are two Tiny songs that appeared on his debut album. I really dig 'em and I know you're going to dig 'em, too.
In this first one, Nico of Lou Reed and 'The Velvet Underground' played the voice of Tuesday Weld. Listen and enjoy:
'THEN I'D BE SATISFIED WITH LIFE' - TINY TIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AHHyaGgQz0
Now here's a great anti-war song written by Irving Berlin which Tiny Tim made his own:
'STAY DOWN HERE WHERE YOU BELONG' - TINY TIM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txpwTG7KP3k
You're not going to tell me you disliked those two songs, are you? If so, I'm going to hit you with a shovel.
Ukulelely Yours,
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
~ D-FensDogg, I listened to both songs last week, along with an old Howard Stern radio interview with Tiny. He was amazing... I hate I never gave him more credit, but who knew (besides you)? The first song has a certain Rudy Vali touch, coupled with a country band twist (I always liked that; GranDad would be proud).
ReplyDeleteThe second song broke my heart the first time I heard it, because I got too caught up in the photos. Hearing them both gives me another chance to really take in the vocal and musical accompaniment. One of these should have been another hit. Certainly the lyrics are impressive and his creativity in styles baffles.
Anyway - I've been slowly getting round to hearing other tunes of his. Ironically, I almost posted, "Then I'd be Satisfied with Life," on my BOTB intermission time - but something said to hold off.
I'm glad you posted them, with a bit more information on Tiny Tim's life. Thanks a bunch. (dixie)
DIXIE POLKA ~
DeleteHey, thanks for coming by and listening (again).
Your Rudy Vallee connection is spot-on. Tiny Tim, despite the "Summer Of Love" hairstyle, was much more interested in the music of the early 20th Century, and even some tunes from the late 1800s.
One of Tiny's musical heroes WAS Rudy Vallee, and there is at least one photo floating around out there that shows Tiny got to meet his hero in person.
Like everybody else from my era, I spent most of my life thinking Tiny was just a One-Note, One-Hit-Wonder weirdo. All I knew was 'Tip-Toe Thru The Tulips' and I just dismissed the guy as having one freak success.
But I'm sure you read the blog bit I linked to on my defunct STUFFS blog where I publicly outed myself as a Tiny Tim fan when I learned more about him. No one could have been more surprised than I was, and if someone had told me 10 years earlier that I would one day be a genuine Tiny Tim fan, I would have said that person should be locked up in a padded cell.
For the record, although Tiny did write a few songs and recorded some, most of what he sang was his reinterpretations of older songs. George M. Cohan wrote 'Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life' and Irving Berlin wrote the anti-war song about the devil and his son. But Tiny did add some touches, like bringing in Tuesday Weld and mentioning wheat germ for his breakfast, which is something he really did eat regularly.
I can understand why some people wouldn't like Tiny's music - it was totally DIFFERENT and Tiny truly was pretty strange, but it was an honest strange (it wasn't just a public relations ploy).
But if Tiny really had nothing valid to offer, one might wonder why a record producer like Richard Perry was so excited about producing Tiny's debut album and some of his second:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_produced_by_Richard_Perry
Have you heard 'FRISCO FLO'? It was never released on an album but is now available as an unreleased track on a 3-CD boxed set. It might be my very favorite Tiny Tim song, although I like plenty of others.
I sincerely thought Tiny Tim should have beaten The Doors on the song 'People Are Strange', my 17th BOTB installment. Who knew "strange" better, Tiny Tim or Jim Morrison? Plus, the musicians backing Tiny were pretty good and right for the part:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Albums_produced_by_Richard_Perry
I don't like people who deliberately act weird, write weird, paint weird, etc., just for the "Look-At-Me" attention factor. But Tiny was for real (not that we'll ever really understand him, thank God!), and Tiny had more talent and creativity than most folks realize. And nobody loved music more than Tiny Tim did. He surely deserves a second hit song!
Thanks again for listening and commenting. See ya at the next BOTB.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Tiny's performance of the second song sounded like it belonged on an episode of The Addams Family. It was just a little too creepy for me. Before you grab your shovel, I must add that my son LOVED your avocado recipe!
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
ReplyDeleteOh, I didn't mean I would hit YOU with a shovel. I was referring to all those OTHER people. You're way too nice to hit with a shovel.
I love the production values on that second one, from the sound of crackling fire in hell to the horns and laughter. But most of all, that huge organ sound at the beginning - gets me every time!
I'm glad your son approved of the avocado recipe. I was pretty sure he would since after several decades I've not found a "thumbs down" person yet. The only requirement is that the eater must truly love the taste of avocado.
Now 'Avocado On Toast' is on my mind and I suppose I'm going to have to scratch that itch soon.
Thanks for stopping by!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I am convinced that if there is any one person on the earth today who can help TT have a second hit, it is you Mr. McCarthy.
ReplyDeleteFAE ~
DeleteI'm sure it's a lost cause, but that won't keep me from making a wish for him every Christmas Day and dropping a coin into a body of water.
Who knows but that maybe the Truckee River will do the trick?
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
I didn't say I hated his voice...I just find him a bit creepy.
ReplyDeleteNone of my opinions would stand in the way of a comeback, however.
I nominated you for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award!
Thank you, CHERDO.
DeleteI'm not exactly sure what that is, but I'll hazard a guess: Is it an award for a very inspiring blogger?
Where do I pick up my trophy and cash prize? (Do you also supply the form I need to declare it as income with the I.R.S.?)
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'
Maybe Tiny Tim was born in the wrong time, but then again I'm not sure that there is any time that would have accommodated his talent. It might be that he was just born on the wrong planet.
ReplyDeleteI like Tiny and his music is interesting, but I'll have to admit that I wouldn't just sit around listening to him for musical enjoyment like I might listen to music by Beethoven, Schubert, or Debussy...or Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, or Uriah Heep.
Stay away from that shovel!
Arlee Bird
A to Z Challenge Co-host
Tossing It Out
Oh, no, NOT Uriah Heep!
DeleteUriah Heep the Dickens character, yes.
But Uriah Heep the band? No!
In my teens I was a big fan of theirs and owned several of their albums. But by the time I was 20 or 21, I had correctly identified them as a second rate (or even third rate) Hard Rock group.
Where's my shovel?!
Who the hell moved my shovel?!
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'