OLD SCHOOL #32 Slightly Off

As usual Professor Mikey is lost in the music. This episode is full of weird rarities that would inspire a radio general manager to rush into the air room, swear loudly, rip the record off the turntable, frisbee it against a soundproof wall, and threaten your paltry salary should you ever play such again over his airwaves. 

And you thought radio drama was dead.

Any one of these often cringeworthy cuts could get you in radio timeout. There’s a novelty about them but they aren’t necessarily novelty songs. 

Some were meant to be funny, others I fear are oddly quite serious. Many are rarities. Some are forgotten for good reasons. Most of them could get you fired

All of them are slightly off center. For instance Captain Beefheart and Edith Piaf share the same playlist. They are in good company with Nervous Norbert and Lothar and the Hand People.  Chubby Checker teaches us the Lose Your Inhibition Twist. The Monkees drop acid, and the Electric Prunes expose the Great Banana Hoax.

Use them when you need diversion or something way different. Or when you want to swear and throw your headphones against the wall.

Let’s begin with John Hartford, a fabulous songwriter who helped launch the career of Glen Campbell with a beautiful song called “Gentle on My Mind.” For this song he ha boogie on his mind. OLD SCHOOL #32. Slightly off. Hey babe. Wanna boogie?

BOOGIE John Hartford

EAT IT Weird Al Yankovic (1984)

BIG 10-INCH Bull Moose Jackson (1952)

ROCK THERAPY Johnny Burnette (1956)

BLACK DENIM TROUSERS Edith Piaf (1958)

KOOKIE, KOOKIE, LEND ME YOUR COMB Ed “Kookie” Burns & Connie Stevens (1958)

LOSE YOUR INHIBITION TWIST Chubby Checker (1962)

SO DO THE ZONK Donna Loren (1965)

EGYPTIAN SHUMBA The Tammys (1963)

KING TUT Steve Martin (1978)

TRANSFUSION Nervous Norvus (1956)

LICK MY DECALS OFF BABY Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band ( 1970 )

CIRCLE SKY The Monkees (1968)

LISTEN TO THE SKY Sands (1967)

TV WEATHERMAN Lothar and the Hand People (1966)

FAIRY TALE IN THE SUPERMARKET The Raincoats (1979)

THE GREAT BANANA HOAX The Electric Prunes (1967)

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Header key: Buddy Ebsen as the Tin Man, the world is cubed, Dali as Mona, Abe and Clark, the ultra rare upside down plane stamp, Hairy Potter, Samantha and the “other Darren (so witchy), The Beatles in Denmark: John, Jimmy, George, and Paul.

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