Feb 12 2007

Flying Saucer Music #6

Born Jimmie Drake, Norvus scored his biggest hit in 1956 with the well-known “Transfusion,” perhaps the most tasteless novelty tune ever recorded. Drake spent most of his career recording demos for mostly talentless songwriters.

From the American Song-Poem Music Archives:

Drake maintained split musical identities, his Singing Jimmy Drake discs being quickly-made and generally uninspired affairs, while his Nervous Norvus recordings enjoyed the greater bulk of his attention and imagination. As a result, the latter still sound great today. Drake’s six Nervous Norvus sides on Dot, released in a meteoric burst during the middle of 1956, form the cornerstones of his legitimate career. Add in some excellent unreleased demos and a small handful of other Nervous Norvus records, and you have one of the richest bodies of novelty work ever made, as inventive, as timelessly fresh and as purely musical as any since Spike Jones. His songs zip and bounce along in jittery rhythms perfectly suited to the “nervous” quality of his delivery; the lyrics cleverly written in accord with conventional craft, yet informed by a unique middle-aged hepcat persona; his cutting-edge sound effects (most of them created by his mentor, radio host Red Blanchard) integrally woven so that music and effects are inseparable.

This song is one of three flying saucer-themed tunes that Drake recorded. The other titles were “The Lean Green Vegetable Fiend (From ‘tuther Side Of The Moon)” and “Kibble Kibble (The Flying Saucer Song).” 1956 saw saucers in the news almost weekly in some form or another, and the release of films like Forbidden Planet, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers kept the subject on the forefront of public consciousness.

The Fang is the story of a Martian (hear that Mac Tonnies?) who comes to Earth wearing pegged pants with a gold chain, making the scene at a dance club, and wowing the chicks. No chipmunk voices in this one, unfortunately.

Here’s Nervous Norvus reflecting that wild mid-1950s zeitgeist right into your computer speakers!

The Fang: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

This entry was posted on Monday, February 12th, 2007 at 6:00 pm and is filed under Music, Pop Culture, Wake Up Down There. You can follow responses via RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is not allowed.
del.icio.us Digg Reddit BlinkList Google Ma.gnolia StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Help