An unaired pilot.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
George Kirby: A Night in Hollywood
George Kirby is one of the great mimics in the history of stand-up comedy. He was quite famous throughout the fifties and sixties, known best to regular viewers of The Ed Sullivan Show. He had a remarkable voice that allowed him to impersonate voices in a variety of ranges. His most impressive feats were his bang-on impression of Ella Fitzgerald and what is probably his most famous bit, a perfect vocal impersonation of Pearl Bailey. Both of those are on display on this, his first comedy LP, as well as takes on Marlon Brando (perhaps the earliest of all the Brando impressions), Louella Parsons, Arthur Godfrey, Johnny Mathis and several more. This record was recorded in the late fifties but I can not give you a specific year.
Kirby also drops the name of his contemporary Moms Mabley on this album and does an extended version of a joke about pot smokers that appeared on the Chess LP Moms Breaks Up the Network. This record was pressed by the Dooto outfit.
Dooto Records was known best as the label that released tons of Redd Foxx material, but they also showcased doo-wop groups like The Penguins and The Medallions and up and coming African-American comedians like Don Bexley and a young kid billed as Rudy Moore.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Harvey Korman 1928-2008
An episode of The Liar's Club from 1977 featuring some of Hogan's Heroes and Harvey Korman.
The Humor of Rowan & Martin - Dick Martin 1922-2008
As promised, here is the Rowan and Martin comedy LP, one of several, that Epic Records pressed shortly before Laugh-in took to the air. You got a taste earlier in the week, now hear the whole thing (actually there is a two second glitch at the very, very end, knocking out the last joke).
The Humor of Rowan & Martin
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