Articles

Party Parodies Pay Off - October 30, 1962

HOLLYWOOD.

Newton Minow in Washington bought it; the disk jockeys all over the country are arguing about who introduced it first; Ed Sullivan in New York used it as a warm-up for his TV show; Brentano's book shop in Chicago has it in a glass case outside the door like Tiffany's displays a diamond; in L.A., Frank Sinatra bought 25, and Sammy Davis Jr., bought eight; people in Europe are so anxious to get it that they take it without its cover.

What is it? It's Allan Sherman's album, "My Son, The Folksinger," the newest phenomenon in the record business. In less than three weeks more than 200,000 copies of the album have been sold.

Its popularity, in the words of one record shop owner, has "bought people into my bookstore who previously wounldn't be caught dead looking into the window."

The album is a pun-derful set of parodies on ten old established folksongs. Highlights are Sarah Jackman on the phone with Jerry Bachman to the tune of "Frere Jacques" and the "Ballad of Harry Lewis" based on the "Battle Hymn of the Republic."
Sherman Most Surprised

Success of the record is surprising to most everyone. The most surprised person of all, however, is Allan Sherman who is known in TV circles as past producer and part-creater of "I've Got a Secret" and "Surprise Package."

"Three weeks ago I was a producer and writer and now all of a sudden, I've assumed some identity." Mr. Sherman said at lunch the other day.

"It's amazing," he added, continuing to dwell on the wonder of it all, "these parodies are things I used to do at parties at my house. I used to ask people to come in off the street to hear me. Now I get mail from all over--from Mark Goodson, whom I haven't talked with in five years, from kids I went to high school with, from a favorite aunt in Chicago who hopes I will call when I come to town. For years I called her, now she thinks maybe I'm too important to call. And I got offers from all over to perform.
On Other Side

"To perform? I've yet to perform in front of anybody exept guests in my house. Wild things happen in this business, I'll tell you. For 17 years I've been on the other side--now this. It's like an old Eddie Bracken movie."

Mr. Sherman, whose good humor could displace his weight (which is considerable), recalled how four months ago he hedged like the most no-talent person in the world. "I was fired as producer of Steve Allan's show--I got along fine with him, but not with some others on the show. I was umemployed and working on my own projects when Bullets Durgom, my agent, called and said he had made a deal with Warner's to record my party parodies for them.

"I did the record at a party in the studio. We had Theo Bikel, Pop Carroll, Harry Warren and a dozen others there. Everyone had from one to three drinks, including me, and I did the album. What's happened to me is a parody on success. It's really a big joke on the record industry."