The Spike Jones Story - Part 2

1988 documentary.

[@demef758]

I love this comment made by Spike Jr. It really does capture the essence of Spike Sr.: "One of the things that people don't realize about Dad's kind of music is, when you replace a C-sharp with a gunshot, it has to be a C-sharp gunshot or it sounds awful."

[@brucemcgee2281]

These people make this look so easy. It shows the professionalism of the band. I love the arrangements they invent of so many classic songs.

[@lenhummel5614]

A true genius of musical comedy. Never to be surpassed. He had a great team too. hysterical zaniness❗😅🎼🤐🎶

[@wadeconnell1493]

A Stranger In Paradise....just keep singing....no matter what. BRILLIANT.

[@CrampedGrampy]

Spike Jones was much more than I ever could have imagined in my youth; those of us who became aware of Spike, enjoyed the music and the antics of him and the band lived in a very special time. Though I am 76 years, most memories are faint now but Spike Jones is unforgotten.

[@CrampedGrampy]

Carol Worth We were and yet are blessed to have had the experience of a Spike Jones. Laughter is great medicine, Pretty certain Spike knew that, also enjoyed being the provider. Be well, Carol.

[@thomasklugh4345]

I'm 70 y.o., and I remember seeing Spike Jones on our tiny screen TV back in the early '50s when I was about 4 y.o.

[@kylermessiah2215]

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[@deandredario2797]

@Kyler Messiah instablaster ;)

[@kylermessiah2215]

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[@errolfellows409]

Genius! I'm South African. I first heard Spike Jones on radio in the late 50s/early 60s. This country did not have TV until 1975 (Politicians and preachers cause a lot of crap!) so we had no idea of the wonderful visual mayhem that accompanied the musical madness.

[@hoozerob]

Spike Jones and his crew, influenced countless people in the entertainment business. Upon watching so many of his and his band's work, I see so many bits and pieces that others have copied. Of course Benny Hill comes to mind. I believe Spike was a big influence on him. There was so much talent in Spike and the musicians he worked with. I understand that he could be tough and demanding at times, but like a real professional and perfectionist, he expected those who he worked with, to be the same way. Nothing but the best, and that's what he was. The Best.

[@hhairball9]

Thank you for this! In the early 1970s, I had been introduced to the music of Spike Jones by my music teacher. He also introduced us to Dr. Demento, which gave me more exposure to Spike Jones. I know my life was definitely enriched by this!

[@chriskroll4166]

I used to tape the doctor demento show every Sunday night in the late seventies and I have about 120 entire shows. Eventually I burned them all on CD . Over the years I have listened to the many many times and it's the most interesting music I have ever heard. My favorite Spike jonze tune was when he would play the Hawaiian War Chant . 😂

[@hhairball9]

​@@chriskroll4166 Oh, how I loved the Doctor! I can't hear either of the words, "Pico" or "Sepulveda" without my brain singing, "Pico and Sepulveda...Pico and Sepulveda... Pico and Sepulveda..." (I know this is supposed to be about Spike Jones, but when you mentioned Dr Demento, my mind suddenly became 14 yrs old again and first thought was about the Dr Demento Show!) I envy your collection of Dementia!

[@kriskarr3686]

Thank you for posting this. It would be overwhelming to understand just how many hours he and his bandmates put in to acheive this type of success. There are so many things you give up being a musician, arranger, producer, manager, entertainer of his caliber, your time is never your own when music owns you.

[@brianbyrne8163]

The best bit is that they’re ALL top level musicians .

[@jourwalis-8875]

As a swede I was really amazed that the Post Production Facilities was performed by Sonet Studios in Stockholm, Sweden! Quite a surprise!

[@harrypowers9412]

I grew up in the 40’s and early 50’s and remember him well! I miss clean comedy like his.

[@fitzspike]

Used to watch this on t.v. in the early 1950s. As a kid anytime Billy Barty showed up it was delightful.

[@HOHOHO33983]

My favorite guy!

[@frankbrinkmann151]

Best quote from a Spike Jones Song: " Turn on the big lights! I just can't see the music!"

[@johnnyjames7139]

I grew up in the 1950's. Two TV shows got me interested in music, they were Liberace and Spike Jones.

[@verdew8181]

This documentary was good but I feel it should also have shown some of the amazing worldwide legacy of Spike Jones on all sorts of comedy and musical shows.

[@tonybmusic1166]

Watching the Spike Jones show made me realize where Ernie Kovacs and later Steve Allen (who stole Ernie’s bits) got his short vignettes from.

[@Melicflucius]

Thank you!

[@halcyon289]

I would imagine that Frank Zappa was influenced by Spike Jones.

[@GetBenched2010]

I'm willing to guarantee Frank was a HUGE Spike fan. From using everything from bicycles to guns to create musical sounds, (Frank of course was famous for treating every type of sound under the sun as a musical note,) to how rehearsed his band always was. Frank's many Mothers' lineups were easily the most rehearsed musicians in any band other than Spike's City Slickers.

[@sdgakatbk]

I thought of Frank Zappa during this too. But the one he was really influenced by was the composer Edgard Varese.

[@vanadam8096]

"Yeah, I was a massive Spike Jones fan, and ah when I was I guess about six or seven years old he had a hit record called "All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth". And I sent him a fan letter because of that, and … hem … I was expecting a photograph of Spike Jones in the mail, but instead I got a photograph of a man named George Rock who was the actual vocalist on that … hem … tune. And he looked like a master criminal. It was like a frightening thing to receive in a mail. (...) And the, ah … the guy he looked, ah … if you remember the old Untouchables television series, there was a guy named Bruce Gordon who played Frank Nitti? Yeah. Well, that's what this guy looked like. And he was a trumpet player." - Frank Zappa in Ode To Gravity - Frank Zappa: World Affairs Commentator.

[@vanadam8096]

"During the pretour rehearsals, the band members pencil in these 'extras' in next to 'the real notes', so when they originally have the show learned, they know not only the 'song as originally-written' but also, superimposed on it, a flexible grid which will support a constantly mutating collage of low-rent Americana. I owe this part of my creative existence to Spike Jones" - FZ, The Real Frank Zappa Book

[@breezeben]

the elvis impression is hilarious

[@jwmc41]

Never missed was the quality of the musicianship

[@bockforzelorum01]

He and his companians was so amazing. I like it so much. Build new Spikes not Weappons.

[@simon78606]

Still makes you laugh

[@danvanlandingham3854]

In George T. Simon's book "The Big Bands",said he started out as a studio drummer.I'd heard he was good.

[@mannetjestrip]

Mel Blanc with Spike Jones?! I didn't know.

[@jamespuleo3269]

Seems Spike Jones and Frank Zappa had a lot in common... A diet of coffee and cigarettes, perfectionistic, always pushing for something new....

[@kennithumperovitch1312]

Spike Jones 😊😅😮😢😂🎉

[@jourwalis-8875]

There were no real ending of Part 1, and no real start of Part 2 of this series. What did I miss here?

[@KnowlesKnows]

It was originally 1 program that I had to split into 2 pieces when I uploaded it. It should all be there (at least everything that was on the tape I transferred it from which was from a TV broadcast).

[@lenhummel5614]

@@KnowlesKnows Thank you. This is priceless.👍👍👍💖💎

[@peterheiman8621]

And Mel Blanc even…

[@MattMurdockCZ]

1:05 whaaat Mel Blanc was the voice??

[@MultiPetercool]

Guitar smashing? Pete Townsend has nothing on Spike!

[@2malscott]

completely above board? well that was pretty clever of them to give a backwards middle finger salute to hitler in da fuhers face song which seemingly flew past the censors :)

[@DavidArdittiComposer]

Don’t think anyone would have worried about that at the time, when Hitler was the most hated person in the world. But much more risqué was the gag he did in the TV show (I think not shown in this video) where the backcloth falls down to reveal a man embracing a life-size female doll.

[@glennso47]

My wife wants to know what is so "clean " about people chasing each other around with meat cleavers, shooting guns, etc. I was watching this on our large screen tv and she made me shut it down.

[@kalanredstone9658]

Glenn Lego compared to the stuff we have now, this is a clean as one could get.

[@GeorgeLawrence24]

She probably doesn't "get" Frank Zappa either.

[@shiobhanmorganray6857]

Spoil sport! Bet she don't like Tom and Jerry either!!😂

[@tinavk4141]

It's one of the best comments on Spike ' s artistic heritage . He would love it ❤