Here's a set of records I've known for as long as I've known what a record was. Abe Burrows was a writer, humorist, radio performer, and much more (including being the father of James Burrows). In 1950 or so, he released a set of four 78's (and, apparently, a 10" 33 RPM album, too) under the title "Abe Burrows Sings?". My parents bought it shortly thereafter, and it was the sort of thing that received frequent plays (and frequent references to it in conversation) in our house.
If and when I come across this collection I will post a scan of the cover, but for now it's hidden somewhere amongst my parents' things in the basement. Some time ago, I made MP3 copies of all of these songs, though, and offer them here for your enjoyment.
I love all seven of these songs/skits (one being a two-parter) to varying degrees - "Boulder Dam" and "The Gypsy's Violin" are favorites. But there are great little jokes sprinkled throughout, really funny set pieces (particularly in the Boulder Dam record), and just a great, winning way with the whole presentation. I'd be surprised if these weren't a big influence on Tom Lehrer. (And at least a couple of these songs were reworked for use by the Muppets, a fact that I find fairly mind-boggling.)
Abe Burrows later released another 10" 33 RPM album, which featured a song called "The Girl with Three Blue Eyes", and which is also somewhere in that basement of mine. It's also got some fantastic material, which I'll share here when I come up with it.
1.) Abe Burrows - Brooklyn (MP3)
2.) Abe Burrows - The Gypsy’s Violin (MP3)
3.) Abe Burrows - Lopin’ Along (MP3)
4.) Abe Burrows - Sweet Memories (MP3)
5.) Abe Burrows - Boulder Dam, Part One (MP3)
6.) Abe Burrows - Boulder Dam, Part Two (MP3)
Thanks - there are also stray episodes of his radio show floating about where he does more of the same sort of material.
There's a small problem in the above post -- Sweet Memories (#4) is linked to a repeat of #3.
This is great stuff!
Posted by: David | July 13, 2009 at 03:17 PM
Thanks for bringing that to my attention. It has been corrected!
Bob
Posted by: Bob Purse | July 13, 2009 at 03:28 PM
I not only know these and more, but I also have the Abe Burrows Songbook. Go dig around in the basement - they were a lot more songs on 78s. I once made an outgoing phone message with a bit of his "Pansy In My Garden" parody tenor song.
You want to dig up his musical travelogue "Waukesha Natural Bridge" and his operetta parody "The Duke of Dittendorten."
Burrows was known as a show doctor and wrote the book for Guys & Dolls. He also "talked" to HUAC, which kind of tarnished his reputation once HUAC was tarnished.
Posted by: jhhl | July 14, 2009 at 12:21 PM
Holy Toledo! I've been trying to hunt down Abe Burrows' material for ages, ever since I first heard his songs on (you guessed it) The Muppet Show. Thank you! I hope you can dig up more.
Posted by: Nathan | July 17, 2009 at 11:21 PM
I didn't know he was one of those who "talked" to HUAC. I think Burl Ives was in that category, too. That does take him down a notch in my view.
"Pansy" and "Waukesha" are both on the 10" album that I have somewhere, and I will post it when I find it.
Posted by: Bob Purse | July 18, 2009 at 09:37 AM
THANK YOU for the posts by Abe Burrows. Over 60 years ago he had us in convulsions with "Typical Topical Type Songs" like the Hospital Song (I may be stuck in the hospital, but I'm still stuck on you, and the capture of the "Notorious Tokyo Rose: "You stuck a knife into the USA. You forgot what they learned you at UCLA!"Also a long gone transcription contained "On the Santa Fe Trail I Came to Grief, when I tried to Lasso The Super Chief."
Posted by: Gene Joslin | November 18, 2012 at 08:47 PM