COLUMN: Songs that helped us through the Good War Sep 30, 2009
Songs like 1943 s Der Fuehrer s Face by Spike Jones and His City Slickers also helped to cheer us up. When White Christmas was introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1942 musical Holiday Inn, it won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. (Winchester Star, MA, MA)
Fall 2009 movie preview Sep 18, 2009
Where the Wild Things Are -- Spike Jones goes where others wouldn't dare. He adapts Maurice Sendak's book into a live-action film. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
The Fall Films: Safe for Grown-Ups Sep 14, 2009
"So, the director is Spike Jones ("Being John Malkovich"), who's a very innovative director. If anyone can pull this off, it's him.". For more predictable family fare, there's "Cloudy, With a Chance of Meatballs," and the classic story of "The Princess and the Frog," featuring the Disney Studio's first African American princess. (CBS News)
Kaye Ballard Losing 10 pounds in 53 years! Jul 24, 2009
Funny guy Spike Jones found her ushering in a theatre and put her on his tour singing, playing tuba and doing her wonderful comedy impressions. Kaye briefly performed with the Vaughan Monroe and Stan Kenton bands and made her way to Broadway, appearing in Three To Make Ready in 1946, followed by the musical Once In A Lifetime and later The Golden Apple, Pirates of Penzance and many more. (Desert Entertainer, CA)
Kevin Frisch: Another old-time radio voice fades away May 15, 2009
The Dr. Demento Show combined off-beat artists of yore, like Spike Jones and his City Slickers, with modern parodists ( Weird Al Yankovic got his big break on the show). Even that radio rarity Frank Zappa made the doctor s playlist. (Belmont Citizen Herald, MA)
Bradley’s Buzz: Not much spring love for new-look Braves Apr 6, 2009
In Up on Cripple Creek, the Band s Levon Helm sings of his paramour Bessie and her feeling about the humorist/vocalist Spike Jones: She said, I can t take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk. I have no idea if Les Miles can sing actually, I wouldn t be one bit surprised if he s another Perry Como but I do love hearing the man talk. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)
Compadres kick off sizzling February lineup at Heyde Center Friday Feb 13, 2009
The show will feature comedic jugglers, In Capable Hands; Bill Halgren as Spike Jones, the 40s and 50s bandleader and arranger of satirical popular songs; Chippewa Falls ventriloquist Nate Plummer; the Sahaja Gypsy Tribe, and Magician Matt Rightmire. Just Write the Darn Thing. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
