High School Confidential by The Collins Kids

Nairobi Trio

What the heck were they thinking?

Give away poster from MAD Super Special #2 Spring 1971

"GREETINGS FROM YOUR ORTHICON TUBE!"

Images from Ernie Kovacs that will haunt me for life;

n      The Nairobi Trio – three actors in rubber monkey masks, overcoats and derbies robotically miming that they are playing an odd song called “Solfeggio”.

n      The “1812 Overture” illustrated by images of a morbidly obese ballerina about to pass out, a Grim Reaper figure chopping celery, a 380 degree rotating cow head with cowbell, flipping, cymbal crashing wind up toy monkeys & eggs tossed at a frying pan

n      Poet Percy Dovetonsils (see photo). “Let’s all link pinkies around the warm glow of your orthicon tube.”

n      Caption, ”Sorry Esmeralda, but to a Doberman Pincher love is a ‘some times’ kind of thing.”

n      An oscilloscope read out of the world’s most obnoxiously nasal performance of ‘Mack the Knife” sung in German.

n      “Whomdunnit” Game show in which panelists try to guess the celebrity gunman who has shot the bleeding & dying contestant.

n      Caption. “Ernie Kovacs – Miss Pitted Prune of California, 1927”

n      German DJ Wolfgang Sauerbraten – Sponsor “Schnitzeldent, der tootpaste mit der flavor uhf schnitzel!”

n      Office equipment coming to life syncopated to the rhythms of Esquivel’s “Jealousy / Sentimental Journey”

n      “The Kapuska Kid in Outer Space” a surrealistic puppet show featuring a cat called “A Girl Named Lester” and a space alien that is clearly a metal funnel.

n      Gorillas in ballerina tutus performing “Swan Lake”

Had it not been for Ernie Kovacs, the early days of television wouldn’t have been intentionally weird at all.

All of this is currently available on DVD. The new lavish Ernie Kovacs box set of DVDs features most of this and tons of other great stuff, most of it not seen in 50 years! Order it from Shout! Factory, pay a little extra and get a bonus seventh disc of rarities. 
"Television is called a medium becaue it's rarely well-done." --Ernie Kovacs            

Ernie Kovacs as the inexplicably masculine Auntie Grusome (later renamed Uncle Grusome)

Just When You Think Life Can’t Get Any Better

Of course, in the world of the internet everyone is self-appointed armchair critic. With rare exceptions I could never see the need to add one more voice of fulsome praise, or snarky descent (almost no one – myself included – ever falls somewhere in between) to the morass of internet fan boy babble. Due to recent developments, however, I find it impossible to continue to keep my big mouth shut.

          Namely, a few weeks ago “40 ODD YEARS” a Loudon Wainwright boxed set was released containing 4 CDs and a Three hour and twenty minute DVD !!! I’ve since learned that about a month earlier, the same company - Shout! Factory – released a lavish 7 DVD boxed set of rare Ernie Kovacs footage – most of it unseen for fifty years!

          The highlight of June 7th will be the DVD release of “Spectacle Season 2” – Elvis Costello’s superstar studded music program.

           On June 14^th, deluxe reissues of Paul McCartney’s “McCartney” and “McCartney II” will each be reissued in multi-disc reissues with DVDs.

           Although it’s a bit farther off, on August 2^nd, the Mystery Science Theater gang will release their five DVD “Gamera” box set.

           Now all we need is for someone to release a complete Laurel & Hardy box set and all the 30 minute episodes of SCTV, and we’ll pretty much have heaven here on earth pop culture wise.  

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth LP cover 1

Great album covers, sucky music, unfortunately. Seems these were aimed more at little boys who made model cars, rather than at actual cool surfer / hot rodder types. Mr. Roth is the vocalist, but rockin' was NOT the man's forte, to say the least.

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth LP cover 2

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth LP cover 3

Coyle and Sharpe

Check out the recordings of thse guys if you can. They were San Francisco radio DJs who would conduct "hoax" man in the street interviews in the early '60's. Their all time classic -- convincing interviewees that a Swedish Scientist had transformed himself into a human leach. He is now looking for volunteer hosts who would surgically be connected to him stomache to stomache. The host would have to carry him around all day and have to eat enough to supply sufficient nutrition to both parties. The scientist is almost 7 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds.

Cliff Edwards "Ukelele Ike"

Bob Andre -er - I mean Bob and Ray

Ernie Kovaks relaxing around the house with his daughters

Kay Martin Best Album cover EVER

ULTRA BOSS UPDATE! See 12/22/11

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