Awful songs you just can't get enough of

[BobC]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

That is the title. Hello Muddah Hello Faddah by Allan Sherman

I have that and many others in my iPad now. The Best of Allan Sherman.

Boooooyeah!

Maybe a little known fun fact. The group Lynyrd Skynyrd got the basis for their name from that Allie Sherman song.

[GasHouseGang]

Originally Posted by BobC

Maybe a little known fun fact. The group Lynyrd Skynyrd got the basis for their name from that Allie Sherman song.

That's not the story I heard. This is what the band said:

The basketball coach at their high school, Forby Leonard Skinner, had more of an impact than he could have imagined. Skinner was a gym coach who at some point in the 1960s disciplined two members for letting their hair grow long. The young musicians eventually dropped out of school, but remembered all the hassles. In 1970, the band, which at the time called themselves “One Percent,” had a gig at a local club where they called out to the crowd, "Hey, we're Leonard Skinner and we're gonna play for y'all tonight". Since most of the crowd had run into Coach Skinner at one point or another the name was an instant hit and stuck. To make themselves more original, the spelling was later changed to “Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

[Writehooks]

I submit two hideous releases from 1976: Charlene's "I've Never Been to Me" and the equally putrid "Torn Between Two Lovers" by Mary MacGregor (written by Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary fame).

[irv]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

That's not the story I heard. This is what the band said:

The basketball coach at their high school, Forby Leonard Skinner, had more of an impact than he could have imagined. Skinner was a gym coach who at some point in the 1960s disciplined two members for letting their hair grow long. The young musicians eventually dropped out of school, but remembered all the hassles. In 1970, the band, which at the time called themselves “One Percent,” had a gig at a local club where they called out to the crowd, "Hey, we're Leonard Skinner and we're gonna play for y'all tonight". Since most of the crowd had run into Coach Skinner at one point or another the name was an instant hit and stuck. To make themselves more original, the spelling was later changed to “Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

I heard and watched the same vid, Dave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quWzKAoT50E

[BobC]

Originally Posted by irv

I heard and watched the same vid, Dave.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quWzKAoT50E

Yes, but see what I said in post #73, and check out the documentary on Netflix if you can. I would tend to believe the documentary is factual since it includes interviews and stories from actual band members.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

That's not the story I heard. This is what the band said:

The basketball coach at their high school, Forby Leonard Skinner, had more of an impact than he could have imagined. Skinner was a gym coach who at some point in the 1960s disciplined two members for letting their hair grow long. The young musicians eventually dropped out of school, but remembered all the hassles. In 1970, the band, which at the time called themselves “One Percent,” had a gig at a local club where they called out to the crowd, "Hey, we're Leonard Skinner and we're gonna play for y'all tonight". Since most of the crowd had run into Coach Skinner at one point or another the name was an instant hit and stuck. To make themselves more original, the spelling was later changed to “Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

I've seen that video also, but there's currently a documentary about the band on Netflix, and they do mention the high school teacher, Leonard Skinner. But in the documentary it also shows Bob Burns, the band's drummer, going into further detail about how the reference and name supposedly came from him and originally started from the Allie Sherman song 'Hello Muddah, Hello Fadddah'. They actually play a little soundbite from the song in the documentary and, lo and behold, the lyrics actually mention the name Leonard Skinner as one of the other campers at Camp Granada, who gets ptomaine poisoning. It was apparently a sheer coincidence that they also ended up with a high school teacher named Leonard Skinner, but Burns seems to clearly indicate the initial, earlier influence came from the song. You can check out the song's lyrics, and the documentary, to see I'm not making this up.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

I've seen that video also, but there's currently a documentary about the band on Netflix, and they do mention the high school teacher, Leonard Skinner. But in the documentary it also shows Bob Burns, the band's drummer, going into further detail about how the reference and name supposedly came from him and originally started from the Allie Sherman song 'Hello Muddah, Hello Fadddah'. They actually play a little soundbite from the song in the documentary and, lo and behold, the lyrics actually mention the name Leonard Skinner as one of the other campers at Camp Granada, who gets ptomaine poisoning. It was apparently a sheer coincidence that they also ended up with a high school teacher named Leonard Skinner, but Burns seems to clearly indicate the initial, earlier influence came from the song. You can check out the song's lyrics, and the documentary, to see I'm not making this up.

Insane coincidence, that's amazing. I recall my favorite lyric from that song

You remember Jeffrey Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party
LOL

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Insane coincidence, that's amazing. I recall my favorite lyric from that song

You remember Jeffrey Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party
LOL

You're right, it is an absolutely insane coincidence. And if you have access to Netflix, I highly recommend checking the documentary out where Burns talks about where the name came from, it's hilarious.

(Good lord, are we old, or what?)

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by BobC

Maybe a little known fun fact. The group Lynyrd Skynyrd got the basis for their name from that Allie Sherman song.

I know people love Free Bird, but I always though it was awful and a rip off sort of of Stairway.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I know people love Free Bird, but I always though it was awful and a rip off sort of of Stairway.

Have always heard the allegations, but actually like 'Freebird'.

Now if you want to talk ripoff, lets look at Bowie's 'Under Pressure' and Vanilla Ice's 'Ice, Ice, Baby'. I read somewhere that they got away with that by adding an extra note or beat to the baseline, or something like that.

And if you want to talk about bad songs you can't get out of your head, anyone remember the Banana Splits theme song!?!?!?

[butchie_t]

Originally Posted by BobC

Have always heard the allegations, but actually like 'Freebird'.

Now if you want to talk ripoff, lets look at Bowie's 'Under Pressure' and Vanilla Ice's 'Ice, Ice, Baby'. I read somewhere that they got away with that by adding an extra note or beat to the baseline, or something like that.

And if you want to talk about bad songs you can't get out of your head, anyone remember the Banana Splits theme song!?!?!?

Hahaha, you bet I remember the banana split theme song, I watched it religiously in my impetus youth…

[TUM301]

"Yes I Like Pina Coladas, Getting caught in the Rain".......

[irv]

Originally Posted by BobC

Yes, but see what I said in post #73, and check out the documentary on Netflix if you can. I would tend to believe the documentary is factual since it includes interviews and stories from actual band members.

Interesting. I have never heard that before until now. I hope to check out the Documentary sometime.
Thanks

Speaking of songs you can't get out of your head, how about songs with the same title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrffDM3hHk8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c18441Eh_WE

Got to admit, this thread brought back memories and made me look into some of these songs yesterday that I had never heard of before.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by TUM301

"Yes I Like Pina Coladas, Getting caught in the Rain".......

Rupert Holmes, the singer of "Escape" aka The Piña Colada song wrote and played piano on 'Timothy' by The Buoys which is mentioned in another post.

[Michael B]

Originally Posted by BobC

Have always heard the allegations, but actually like 'Freebird'.

Now if you want to talk ripoff, lets look at Bowie's 'Under Pressure' and Vanilla Ice's 'Ice, Ice, Baby'. I read somewhere that they got away with that by adding an extra note or beat to the baseline, or something like that.

And if you want to talk about bad songs you can't get out of your head, anyone remember the Banana Splits theme song!?!?!?

"Under Pressure" is a Queen song featuring David Bowie. Vanilla Ice did sample the song and has admitted it. No extra bass line note. He did lose in court, but purportedly purchased the rights to the song. Queen and Bowie were given writing credits for "Ice, Ice Baby"

[BobC]

Originally Posted by Michael B

"Under Pressure" is a Queen song featuring David Bowie. Vanilla Ice did sample the song and has admitted it. No extra bass line note. He did lose in court, but purportedly purchased the rights to the song. Queen and Bowie were given writing credits for "Ice, Ice Baby"

Thanks for clarifying and correcting me. I always think just of Bowie with that song, and not Queen, for some reason. Never heard about that final legal outcome. I may mistakenly have been thinking of some other past copyright case and got Vanilla Ice's song in my head.

[steve B]

Along the sort of novelty line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyJSetm6U0k

They did get the guitar player from Blue Oyster Cult to do this song.

[irv]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

I know people love Free Bird, but I always though it was awful and a rip off sort of of Stairway.

Lynyrd Skynyrd is likely my favorite band, or next to Led Zeppelin, and although I love Free Bird, I rarely have the patience anymore to listen to it in its entirety.

My wife and I seen them a few years ago. (Obviously, not the original band) They put on a really good concert, and of course played Free Bird to cap the night off. Listening to it live and knowing it was the last song of the night, (their encore) however, made me wished the song never ended.

[GasHouseGang]

1975 interview with Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original band members). One minute into the interview they are asked about the band's name. Check it out on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep15rFi6rMQ

I tend to believe this story since it was repeated so many times over the years.

[mcgwirecom]

So the OP called it "awful songs you can't get enough of". But really they are mostly great songs that you don't want to admit you like. A lot of these I have on my iPhone But in keeping with what everyone is posting I will submit Anne Murray's Snowbird. I also am a closet ABBA fan.

[BobC]

Originally Posted by GasHouseGang

1975 interview with Lynyrd Skynyrd (the original band members). One minute into the interview they are asked about the band's name. Check it out on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep15rFi6rMQ

I tend to believe this story since it was repeated so many times over the years.

Well, check out the Netflix documentary also if you can. It mentions both the name from the Allie Sherman song, and the high school teacher, being sources for the name.

[irv]

Originally Posted by mark evans

I guess off-topic because the following are excellent songs IMO. I would distinguish rock and roll from ballads. Free Bird in my mind is a classic rock song but I'm partial to Southern rock. The other song I would cite among rock classics is Can't You See by the Marshall Tucker Band. I saw the original band in Maryland in the 70s -- excellent.

My favorite ballad would be Adele's Someone Like You. For me, it replaced Will You Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles which I bought as a 45 in 1960 when a ten-year old.

All above available on YouTube.

I love Southern Rock as well. Years ago some friends of mine got to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special, Molly Hatchet, The Outlaws and I believe another band or 2 at a concert in Gainesville Florida. When they told me this, I thought what a concert to be at! When my wife and I went to see Lynryd Skynryd, 38 Special opened up but our train was delayed so we missed every bit of them but the last song . Thankfully, however, we got see an excellent show put on by ZZ Top but since I had never seen 38 Special before live, I was disappointed. Would have loved to see the Marshall Tucker Band!

Originally Posted by BobC

Well, check out the Netflix documentary also if you can. It mentions both the name from the Allie Sherman song, and the high school teacher, being sources for the name.

Bob, if you don't mind, what is the name of the documentary? I have seen a couple but I do know Artimus was coming out with one a year or more ago that I never seen so I am curious if the one you speak of is his?

[BobC]

Originally Posted by irv

Bob, if you don't mind, what is the name of the documentary? I have seen a couple but I do know Artimus was coming out with one a year or more ago that I never seen so I am curious if the one you speak of is his?

It is titled 'If I Leave Here Tomorrow - A Film About Lynyrd Skynyrd'. Shows it having a 2018 release date, so I don't believe it is the same one you are looking for, though it does include clips and interviews with Artimus Pyle. It is fairly comprehensive, starting all the way back when they were just kids growing up in Jacksonville, playing sandlot baseball and hanging out. It goes through the history of the band, and all the personnel issues and changes, from their high school days and playing as The One Percent, through the fatal crash in 1977. There's also a slight follow-up on the group's continuance after the crash, but the gist is all the details of the group through the crash. A lot of greats clips and voice recordings of most all the groups members, including a lot of Ronnie Van Zant, and wonderful archival footage from interviws and performances. There's also a lot of scenes throughout the film with then present day clips of Gary Rossington talking about the band's history and the numerous members, along with him making present day visits to old sites and locations in the group's history, including a visit to Ronnie's grave. One thing that surprised me was how so few members of the band that survived the crash, or weren't even involved in it, are still with us today.

From reading this thread, it got me reinterested, and I ended up watching the entire film again last night. Well done film/documentary and worth the time to watch, even if you're not an over-the-top Skynyrd fan. And of course, as you would expect, they end the film with the band live on stage doing their long, extended climax ending to 'Freebird'.