Spazzy Answer Songs
MP3s: 28 of them below the jump, plus a handful of streaming realaudio archives.
All these periodic payola inquiries would lead you to believe that the only way to get a song played on the radio is by delivering duffel bags full of cash, cocaine and Adidas sneakers to a station's doorstep. Not so. For several decades, another time-tested method was to shamelessly hitch your tune to an already established single, a phenomenon known as the Answer Song.
In 2003, Dave the Spazz collected 28 answer songs for his WFMU marathon premium CD, which are now presented here as MP3s, with a few of the originals linked as realaudio archives.
Ernest Tubb: Dont Talk to Me About Dames (MP3 for download)
Answer to Cindy Walker's Don't Talk to Me About Men
Jody Miller: Queen of the House (MP3 for download)
Answer to Roger Miller's King of the Road (streaming realaudio)
Ralph Emery: I'll Take Good Care of Your Baby (MP3 for download)
Answer to Bobby Vee's Take Good Care of My Baby (streaming realaudio)
The Rag Dolls: Society Girl (MP3 for download)
Answer to The Four Season's Rag Doll
Paul Peek: Brother In-Law (He's A Mooch) (MP3 for download)
Answer to Ernie K-Doe's Mother-In-Law (streaming realaudio)
The Bobbettes: I Don't Like It Like That (MP3 for download)
Answer to Chris Kenner's I Like It Like That (streaming realaudio)
Carla Thomas: I'll Bring It On Home To You (MP3 for download)
Answer to Sam Cooke's Bring It On Home To Me (streaming realaudio)
The Bar-Kays: Son of Shaft (MP3 for download)
Answer to Isaac Hayes' Theme From Shaft (streaming realaudio)
Delores Ealy and The Kenyaettes: Come Into My Bedroom (MP3 for download)
Answer to Chick WIllis' Stoop Down Baby (streaming realaudio)
Ann Cole: I've Got Nothing Working (MP3 for download)
Answer to Muddy Waters' I Got My Mojo Working
The Upfronts: I Stopped The Duck of Earl (MP3 for download)
Answer to Gene Chandler's Duke of Earl
The Pearlettes: Duchess of Earl (MP3 for download)
Answer to Gene Chandler's Duke of Earl
The Dukays: Please Help (MP3 for download)
Answer to The Tokens' The Lion Sleeps Tonight
Wendy Hill: Gary Please Don't Sell Your Diamond Ring (MP3 for download)
Answer to Gary Lewis and the Playboys' This Diamond Ring
Carole King: Oh! Neil (MP3 for download)
Answer to Neil Sedaka's Oh! Carol
Jo Ann Campbell: I'm The Girl on Wolverton Mountain (MP3 for download)
Answer to Claude King's Wolverton Mountain (streaming realaudio)
Sonny Wright: I'll Come Home A' Drinkin' (MP3 for download)
Answer to Loretta Lynn's Don't Come Home A-Drinkin' (streaming realaudio)
Charlie Ryan and The Timberline Riders: Hot Rod Hades (MP3 for download)
Answer to Ramblin' Jimmy Dolan's Hot Rod Race
Little Sammy Yates: Comic Book Crazy (MP3 for download)
Answer to The Olympics' Western Movies
The Sham-ettes: Big Bad Wolf (MP3 for download)
Answer to Sam The Sham and The Pharoahs' Little Red Riding Hood (streaming realaudio)
Sam The Sham and the Pharoahs: I'm In With The Out Crowd (MP3 for download)
Answer to Dobie Gray's The In Crowd
Lou Christie: Mr. Tenor Man (MP3 for download)
Answer to Johnny Cymbal's Mr. Bass Man
The Debs: Sloopy's Gonna Hang On (MP3 for download)
Answer to The McCoys' Hang On Sloopy
The Fabulous Marcels: I Put The Bomp (MP3 for download)
Answer to Barry Mann's Who Put The Bomp (streaming realaudio)
Sugar Pie DeSanto: Slip-In Mules (MP3 for download)
Answer to Tommy Tucker's High Heel Sneakers
Vicki Anderson: I'm Too Tough For Mister Big Stuff (MP3 for download)
Answer to Jean Knight's Mr. Big Stuff
Jeanie and Her Boyfriends: It's Me Knocking (MP3 for download)
Answer to The Genies' Who's That Knocking? (streaming realaudio)
The Spokesmen: The Dawn of Correction (MP3 for download)
Answer to Barry McGuires's Eve Of Destruction (streaming realaudio)
Posto fantastico. Those wanting more should seek out the 3 Bear Family "And The Answer Is ... volumes released sometime in the 90's.
Bonus round: can anyone please point to or post mp3's for any of the 3 "Billie Jean" answer songs?
Details at http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=323469
Posted by: walkathon | August 02, 2005 at 08:04 PM
I know it's more modern, and completely more lame, but
No scrubs by TLC
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/t/tlc/137905.html
was answerd by:
No pigeons by the sporty theives:
http://www.anysonglyrics.com/lyrics/s/sportythieves/nopig.htm
There are countless other modern hip hop examples, I'm sure.
Posted by: Jayson Franklin | August 03, 2005 at 12:20 AM
I think "bear cat" by rufus thomas was the answer to "hound dog" by big mama thornton
But i'm not sure.
Yassine
aka
Dj Alfred Hitchcock magazine
CHOCOMIX
Laboratoire de recherches scientifiques sur la fête
chocomix@laposte.net
Posted by: yassine | August 03, 2005 at 07:05 AM
Great list. Seems hip-hop has too many to include, otherwise you can't forget the countless Roxanne variations.
Posted by: Miguel | August 03, 2005 at 01:51 PM
So happy to find the answer to Sloopy by the Debs. Also looking for Give Him My Love by the Debs. Can you find it?
Posted by: Gale | August 05, 2005 at 10:01 PM
great list - is a cd available? I have many that aren't listed - but can't find one I've been in search of for years: Billy Swan's "Suzie we goofed again" - any leads?
thanks
Bill
Posted by: Bill Brent | October 12, 2005 at 10:42 PM
for those interested - this weekend (nov 12/13) on www.radiomaxmusic.com the show "the vinyl resting place" will have a 2 hour special on answer songs. here's the play list....
---Save the last dance for me
---I'll save the last dance
----tossin and turnin
----tossin and turnin again
---alicia adams - oom dooby doom
---diamonds - she say oom dooby doom
---Mack the knife
---Mackie got married
--- work with me annie
---annie had a baby
---Walflower
---bobbettes - dance with me georgie
---Dovals - Bristol Twisting Annie
---Will you still love me tomorrow
---Yes I will love you tomorrow
---wake up little susie
---susie we goofed again
---Memphis
---little marie
---nat king cole - Please answer me my love
---Oh Pretty Woman
---arlene harden - lovin man
---Mother in law
---blossoms - son in law
---Want Ads
---bobo mr soul - answer to the want ads
---Tie a Yellow Ribbon
---connie francis - tie a yellow ribbon
---Shop Around
---debbie dean - don't let him shop arround
---laurie davis - don'cha shop around
---Roses are red
---Florraine Darlin - Long as the Rose Is Red
---Who put the bomp
---I put the bomp
---King of the road
---Jody Miller - Queen of the House
---big bad john
---big bad john part 2
---Johnny B Goode
---Molly B. Goode
---chuck berry - Bye Bye Johnny
Posted by: bill | November 08, 2005 at 01:01 AM
I just wanted to point out that Paul Peek's Brother In Law (He's A Moocher) (the 45 label says Moocher, not Mooch as you have listed), has a skip in the mp3 at about 1:58 into the song. I've dubbed the song from my 45 and have a 192 bit mp3 ready to email to you as a replacement...anyone else who wants it can email me as well at tomd1685@hotmail.com until i can get it sent to someone on this site to have replaced.
Posted by: Tom Diehl | May 27, 2006 at 09:09 AM
Didn't The Bobbettes answer themselves, as it were, when, after releasing 'Mr Lee', they followed it with 'I Shot Mr Lee'? Does that count as an 'answer record'?
Posted by: Chris | August 05, 2006 at 05:39 AM
Here are a lot of answer songs:
http://doowopy.de/04page/ganswers.html
Posted by: Hans-Joachim Krohberger | September 30, 2006 at 05:30 AM
Just wanted to say thank very much. Thought i was the only one that remenber the Dawn of correction. Thank again.
Joe O.
Posted by: joe | September 26, 2007 at 09:14 AM