When someone hears a record by Spike Jones for the first time, they recognize the wacky sound effects -- the acoustic gargles, raspberries, and hiccups -- as inspired silliness; a whoopee cushion inserted into the deadpan melodies and lyrics of classic Tin Pan Alley songs. Behind the wackiness and low-brow mayhem, though, was an arranger with an exquisite sense of comedy and timing and a shrewd head for business.
He was born Lindley Jones on December 14, 1911, to a railroad agent who called his son "Spike" because he was as thin as a railroad spike. The musical youth was inspired by the pit orchestras in theatres that accompanied silent movies, where he sat close enough to the conductor to hear his shoes squeak.
He ran with the idea that gag sounds could be inserted for laughs into classical music -- hence Jones's version of Rossini's classic "William Tell Overture," played at breakneck speed on kitchen utensils.
Expanding his repertoire, Jones recorded such outrageous songs as "All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth" with dentition-in-absentia whistling from George Rock, and "Der Fuehrer's Face," a song that ridiculed Adolf Hitler, replete with tuba razzberries.
During the '40, Jones toured with his band, The City Slickers. In the 50s, he saw the potential of television, and The City Slickers played on shows like The Colgate Comedy Hour. When the market for children's records started to grow, Jones recorded songs like "Socko, the World's Smallest Snowball." The 60s brought about the popularity of spoken-word comedy albums, and Spike adapted, making "Spike Jones in Stereo," a send-up of the horror genre.
Music is indebted to Spike Jones. From him came the moonbeam, weirdo songs of Frank Zappa and the pop parodies of Weird Al Yankovic. So the next time you hear a whoopee cushion, give a razzberry salute to Lindley "Spike" Jones.
Suggested Sites...
- Spike Jones Radio - a sampling of Jones-inspired lunacy.
- Spiked! The Music of Spike Jones - the liner notes by Thomas Pynchon (yes, that Thomas Pynchon).
- The Spike Jones Appreciation Society - forum and watering hole for fans, with downloads of songs.
- YouTube: Spike Jones - videopalooza of Jones material.
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