Posted on 06/07/2010 11:56:20 PM PDT by raccoonradio
The novelty tunes, wacky sounds, comedy bits and parody songs, all hosted by one crazy "doctor," has come to an end. This weekend is the final airing for the syndicated "Dr. Demento Show." The show's syndicator, Talonian Productions -- which is owned by Dr. Demento -- has told the affiliates that this is the end.
In a simple email to its few remaining stations, the email stated "Dr. Demento and his management have decided to no longer offer The Dr. Demento Show on terrestrial radio stations and to concentrate on offering the show via internet streaming only."
The Dr. Demento Show was one of the most unique syndicated radio shows in history, specializing in finding, playing and promoting novelty songs, comedic songs, and the strangest songs ever recorded, from new recordings to classic recordings from decades ago. Dr. Demento, who real name is Barret ("Barry") Eugene Hansen, got his start playing oldies on a radio station in Pasadena, California. As he and his listeners had fun focusing on the old novelty songs like "Alley Oop" and "Purple People Eater," the show then focused only on that. By 1970, the "Dr. Demento" personality was born. The weekly, goofy, all-novelty song Pasadena show from 1970 grew in popularity and became syndicated nationally by 1974.
The popular weekly show is credited with bringing "Weird Al" Yankovic to world wide fame. The show is also credited (or blamed, depending upon your perspective) for bringing the song "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" by Elmo and Patsy to national attention in the late 70's and early 80's. Because of Dr. Demento, that song is now heard seemingly non-stop through the month of December.
Dr. Demento was inducted into the Comedy Music Hall of Fame in June 2005. This past November, Dr. Demento was honored with an induction into the Radio Hall of Fame -- introduced at the induction ceremony by Chicago's Jonathon Brandmeier.
In the last few years, his syndicated radio show had fallen on tough times. Some of the reasons had to do with comedy songs not being very popular any more and very few new novelty songs are being released. That seemed to peak in the mid-80's. Some of the reasons had to do with the fact finding advertisers for this show became close to impossible in the last few years. While some of the reasons had to do with Dr. Demento himself. He and his management team had become very demanding of their affiliates. Asking for high fees for the show, demanding certain time slots, and most recently, demanding that all affiliate radio stations shut down their Internet streaming while his show was on the air. Listeners were only allowed to listen via airwaves or via a subscription to his own website. These demands, coming from a low-rated weekend show, did not sit well with many station managers. In the last three years, the show went from many, many dozens of stations down to under a dozen. As of this weekend -- Dr. Demento's final weekend on the air -- the show is down to only six radio affiliates.
The very last station to drop the Dr. Demento Show? Chicago's own WLUP-FM, who had been one of the show's longest supporters, even through numerous management and ownership changes. For around 25 years, Dr. Demento was heard in Chicago on 97.9. WLUP dropped the show three weeks ago. A few days later, Dr. Demento took that lost Chicago affiliate as a sign to end the show. It was only a matter of weeks before the true 40th Anniversary of the show was to happen.
The show will continue on, but now it will only be streaming and in podcast form on his own website. Even then, only for those who choose to join the "Demento Online Club."
It's the end of era for novelty songs. It's the end of an era for radio.
UPDATE #1 06/06/10: As a point of clarification for Chicago readers, Dr. Demento's company did not ever make payment demands or time demands upon WLUP. For many years, the show was on the air there via a barter agreement. In recent years, the show simply aired for free. WLUP management did not choose to cancel airing the show for these reasons.
UPDATE #2 06/06/10: This evening, Dr. Demento's website did finally acknowledge the end of the terrestrial radio show and make this news official. The good Doc had this to say: "This weekend, the Dr. Demento Show will have its final broadcast...
This was a very painful decision for the Doctor...he really hates to let it go after almost 40 years...but he has come to agree with his manager and his family that it's necessary. The broadcast has been losing money for some time.
THE GOOD NEWS -- Dr. Demento intends to continue producing new shows every week for www.drdemento.com for the foreseeable future. A new one will be available Saturday morning, June 12, and more new shows will be posted every Saturday thereafter."
LOL...is that for real?
Rhino Records put a lot of that stuff out on CD as Dr Demento collections.
Paul had a '45 of it.
I’m looking over
My dead dog Rover
Whom I hit with
the power mower
One leg is missing
the other is gone
the third leg is scattered
all over the lawn
No need explaining
the one leg remaining
is spinning on the car port door
I’m looking over
my dead dog Rover
Whom I hit with the power mower
(I think that’s right)
“Dead Skunk” by Louden Wainright 3rd...
Smokin’ them wild wood flowers got to be a habit
We never seen no harm
We thought it was kinda handy
Take a trip and never leave the farm!
and
On day this feller from Washington came by and spied them and turned what as a SHEET!!!
And he dug and he burned and he burned and he dug
And he killed all our cute little weed
And then he drove away
We just smiled and waved......
SITTIN’ THERE ON THAT SACK OF SEEDS!
He was short and fat and road out of the West
With a Mogen David on his silver vest
He was mean and nasty right clear through
Which was kind of weird cause he was yellow too
They called him Irving
Big Irving
Big, short Irving
Big, short, fat Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
He came from the old Bar Mitzvahs spread
Schlepping a salami and pumpernickel bread
He always followed his mother’s wishes
Even on the range he used two sets of dishes
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sissy Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
A hundred and forty-one could draw faster than he
But Irving was looking for one forty-three
Walked into Saul’s saloon like a man insane
And ordered three fingers of two-cents plain
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big sport Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
The James boys was comin’ on the train at first sun
And the town said, “Irving, we need your gun”
When that train pulled in at the break of dawn
Irving’s gun was there, but Irving was gone
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big help Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
Well finally Irving got three slugs in the belly
It was right outside the frontier deli
He was sittin’ there twirling his gun aroun’
And butter-fingers Irving gunned himself down
Irving
Big, fat Irving
Big dumb-dumb Irving
Big dumb-dumb, dead Irving
The hundred and forty-second fastest gun in the West
LOLOLOL.
Ben Gay & the Silly Savages Ballad of Ben Gay Lyrics:
[All spoken:]
Hi, I’m Ben Gay. I’d like to dedicate this number to Wayne
and Bruce and all my friends at the Chartreuse Moose. One,
two, buckle your shoe! OK boys. Let’s slap it from the bottom.
Want to be a cowboy,
That’s what I try to be.
Wanted to be a cowboy,
But they poked fun at me.
Dreamed of riding horses,
Roping and herding cattle.
Oh, how those brutes terrorized me
When they saw my velvet saddle.
Can I help it if my skin’s delicate?
‘Course not.
I tried to be a wrangler,
Really and truly I tried.
But after this experience,
I’ll stick to pony rides.
You should’ve seen the way they looked,
Their faces all turned pale,
Each time I took my brush out,
And ratted my horse’s tail.
I though it looked just darling.
OK boys. Play the bridge.
[A couple of bars from
“Mary Had a Little Lamb” plays.]
Not that kind of bridge, you silly savages
You want Ben Gay all over you?
He-he-he.
A cowboy’s life is not for me,
In fact it was a curse.
Wanna know why I gave up?
They took away my purse.
Now my wrangling days are over,
But I can honestly say,
Whoever heard of a cowboy,
Named Hopalong Ben Gay.
I don’t know why they took my purse.
They have saddle bags, don’t they?
If you want to be a wrangler,
Take Ben’s advice, hang loose.
Come see ole Wayne and me,
We’ll be at the Chartreuse Moose.
Fix you up. Whatever!
They laughed at me when I ripped my
pantyhose pulling them over my spurs.
I probably haven’t heard that song since ‘75 (maybe you have to be Jewish to appreciate it!). Demento’s show was always on my radio on Sunday nights back in those days. I still have a 45 copy of “Shaving Cream” somewhere...
For those who actually recall when records had “flip sides”.;-)
Thanks for the lyrics!
Do you remember trying to stay up for the top 10, but not making it?? So many nights I'd fall asleep to something weird like "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha Ha..." and have crazy dreams!
Oh my gosh, I LOVED that!!!!!
I do believe it’s still true. Nobody’s dreams have ever come true on Pico and Sepulveda. Certainly no one trying to get anywhere at 5:30 pm.
ROFL!!!
K M E T... Tweedledee! (Memories, LOL)
What? No "Cow Pattie"?
OK, now THAT one should be played at Gitmo. Sheesh!!! If that is going to go through my head all day, I’m a comin’ after you!!!
PENCIL NECK GEEK
(Pete Cicero / Martin Margulies)
Freddie Blassie
Back when I was a kid, life was going swell.
Till something happened, blew every thing to hell.
That night my daddy stumbled in, all pale and weak,
Said “A woman up the block just gave birth to a geek.”
Mom said, “Sell it to the circus, what the heck.”
Dad said, “Nope, this one’s a pencil neck.
And if there’s one thing lower than a side show freak,
It’s a grit eatin’, scum suckin’, pencil neck geek.”
You see if you take a pencil that won’t hold lead,
Looks like a pipe cleaner attached to a head,
Add a buggy whip body with a brain that leaks,
You got yourself a grit eatin’, pencil neck geek.
(chorus)
Pencil neck geek, grit eatin’ freak,
scum suckin’, pea head with a lousy physique.
He’s a one man, no gut, loosing streak.
Nothin’ but a pencil neck geek.
Soon the geeks were poppin’ up all over town.
You couldn’t hardly sneeze without knockin’ one down.
After a nice juicy steak, if you need a toothpick,
Just reach for a geek, they’ll do the trick.
One day we cut one up for fish bait.
Learned our lesson just a little bit late.
Soon as the geek hit the drink, the water turned red.
Next day, sure enough, all the fish were dead.
chorus
Most any night you know where I can be found.
Yeah, stomping some geek’s head into the ground.
So keep the faith ‘cause in Blassie you can trust,
I won’t give up ‘til the last geek bites the dust.
chorus
They say, “these geeks come a dime a dozen.”
I’m lookin’ for the guy who’s supplin’ the dimes.
Its gonna be real hard times for all of these
grit eatin’,
scum suckin’,
boot lickin’,
drop kickin’,
gut grindin’,
nail bitin’,
glue sniffin’,
scab pickin’,
butt scratchin’,
egg hatchin’,
sleezy,
smelly,
pepper bellied,
dirty, lousy, rotten, stinkin’, freaks.
Nothing but a pencil neck geek.
Pencil neck geek.
Pencil neck geek.
Pencil neck geek
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