Nowadays, the connection between punk rock and novelty records may seem tenuous at best. In fact, some modern punks might even be offended by the suggestion that they’re related at all: punk is serious art about serious issues, man! Before the days of po-faced hardcore sourpusses, though, punk basically was novelty music; a concerted effort by a ragtag group of rejects, queers, and cough syrup drinkers to undercut any and all of the self-seriousness that had leaked into the rock ‘n’ roll enterprise post-Woodstock.
In the context of the time, the connection makes perfect sense, at least economically: by the mid-1970s, when punk was initially gestating as a defined concept, it was a buyer’s market for the hundreds of twisted, juvenile songs that were tossed out on cheap 45s by the barrelful in the 1950s and 60s. Along with back issues of MAD magazine, trashy pulp novels, and Z-grade movies on late night TV, this was the essential food that nourished punk into existence, and frequent tribute was paid to this bygone era of goofery, from the New York Dolls’ take on the Cadets’ “Stranded in the Jungle,” to the Ramones’ update of the Trashmen’s “Surfin’ Bird.” Richard Hell lifted the structure of his signature song “Blank Generation” from the Bob McFadden/Rod McKuen novelty “The Beat Generation”; early west coast art-punks Smegma collaborated with Larry “Wild Man” Fischer in their very early days, and sampled the car crash sounds from the Nervous Norvus novelty hit “Transfusion” in their song “Mutant Baby” (although they may have just been sampling the same sound effects phonograph record from whence that earlier track originally lifted the sound). The overwhelming bulk of the Cramps catalog is novelty songs, covers and originals alike; notorious punk promoter/alleged creep Kim Fowley, who would produce the Runaways and the Modern Lovers in the 70s, spent much of the ’60s producing weird joke songs like “Alley Oop” and “The Trip.”
It’s well known that punk didn’t have many mainstream champions in its nascent days, but Barry Hansen, a.k.a. Dr. Demento, was an outspoken fan. In 1974, Demento launched his syndicated, all-novelties radio show on KMET in Los Angeles, right around the same time Jeffrey, John, Douglas, and Thomas were becoming Ramones on the other side of America. Like them, Demento longed for simpler, funnier times, and was digging through the same thrift store stacks where the punks were finding inspiration; and when those punks started putting out records, Demento would occasionally sandwich one of their songs in between Spike Jones and the Okeh Laughing Record, and it seemed to make about as much sense as anything else.
With all that in mind, Dr. Demento Covered in Punk, a new double album compilation which comes out today, seems like something that should have already happened a few decades ago, but hey, better late than never! Structured like an episode of Demento’s radio show, it features both punk covers of beloved novelty songs and novelty interpretations of punk favorites, along with a couple of totally sideways surprises. Osaka Popstar’s John Cafiero, who produced the album and corralled its nutso lineup, has really pulled out all kinds of oddball stops here: a leering version of the Cramps’ “Garbageman” with vocals by William Shatner! Adam West doing a rocked-up cover of Phil Harris’ “The Thing!” The Misfits doing “The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati!” New Orleans freak duo Mr. Quintron and Ms. Pussycat’s organ-drenched take on Roky Erickson’s “Creature with the Atom Brain!” Brak (of Space Ghost Coast to Coast fame) with a completely bizarre rendition of the Suicidal Tendencies evergreen “Institutionalized!” And of course, no Dr. Demento project would be complete without a contribution from his most touted discovery, “Weird Al” Yankovic, who storms his way through a rendition of “Beat on the Brat.” If only there were enough Ramones left on Earth to return the favor and cover Yankovic’s “Dare To Be Stupid” (itself a Devo pastiche), we’d have a perfect record, but it’s pretty damn sturdy as it stands.
The aforementioned is all just the tip of the iceberg, of course, since the program is a full two hours, and neither punk nor novelty songs tend to be very long (brevity being, after all, the soul of wit). There are plenty of high points from which to choose, divided more or less equally between yuks and rock & roll kicks. Best of all, though, and as with the early days of punk, the division between what is punk and what is novelty is pretty blurry; hell, who knows, maybe it’s high time you let a little more Shatner into the circle pit for a change.
Dr. Demento Covered in Punk comes out today (Friday, January 12); see full track listing below.
The Los Angeles Times reviewed the record even better than we did, so head on over there to learn more about Dr. Demento Covered in Punk.
You can order bundles of the 2 CD/3 LP set — including a cool splattered colored vinyl option, as well as T-shirts — from the good doctor himself at his oft-updated store, located at CoveredInPunk.com.
Dr. Demento Covered in Punk Full Track Listing [editorial reactions included]:
DISC 1
1. “Dr. Demento Opening Theme (Pico & Sepulveda)” (feat. Osaka Popstar’s Demented Punk Orchestra with the Roto Rooter Goodtime Christmas Band)
2. “Demento Segment I” (feat. Osaka Popstar)
3. “Fish Heads” (feat. Osaka Popstar)
4. “Demento Segment II” (feat. Barnes & Barnes)
5. “Garbageman” (feat. William Shatner)
6. “Shaving Cream” (Punk Lyrics) (feat. “Uncle Floyd” Vivino & Oogie)
7. “Demento Segment III”
8. “Fluffy” (feat. Fred Schneider)
9. “Demento Segment IV” (feat. Gloria Balsam)
10. “Dead Puppies” (feat. James Kochalka Superstar)
11. “Demento Segment” V
12. “Surfin’ Bird” (feat. Nobunny)
13. “Rat Fink” (feat. Balzac)
14. “Demento Segment VI”
15. “I Like” (feat. Colleen Green)
16. “Demento Segment VII”
17. “Creature With The Atom Brain” (feat. Quintron & Miss Pussycat)
18. “I Love Beans” (feat. the Meatmen)
19. “It’s A Gas” (feat. Los Straitjackets)
20. “Demento Segment VIII”
21. “Brak Takeover” (feat. Brak) [holy shit… BRAK!!!!]
22. “Institutionalized” (feat. Brak once again)
23. “Demento Segment IX” (feat. Brak — because we can’t ever get enough of Brak — and Oglethorpe)
24. “Eat It” (feat. Shonen Knife)
25. “Batman Theme” (feat. The Hamburglars)
26. “The Thing” (feat. Adam West)
27. “Adam West ID”
28. “Science Fiction/Double Feature” (feat. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts)
29. “Demento Segment X”
30. “Gloria Balsam Closing ID”
DISC II
1. “Dr. Demento Covered in Punk Theme” (feat. Osaka Popstar)
2. “Demento Segment XI”
3. “National Brotherhood Week” (feat. the Vandals)
4. “Demento Segment XII” (feat. Tom Lehrer!)
5. “Mah Na, Mah Na” (feat. the Kipper Kids) [wocka]
6. “Demento Segment XIII”
7. “Those Two Dreadful Children” (feat. Rasputina)
8. “Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H)” (feat. JuiceheaD)
9. “Demento Segment XIV” (feat. Moon Unit Zappa)
10. “Disco Boy” (feat. Missing Persons)
11. “Telephone Man” (feat. Quintron & Miss Pussycat)
12. “Demento Segment XV”
13. “Punk Rock Girl” (feat. Philly Boy Roy)
14. “Lydia, The Tattooed Lady” (feat. the Dead Milkmen)
15. “Demento Segment XVI”
16. “Me and My Vibrator” (feat. Caroline & the Treats)
17. “Monster” (feat. Nobunny)
18. “Demento Segment XVII” (feat. MC Pee Pants)
19. “My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama” (feat. the Meatmen)
20. “Demento Segment XVIII” (feat.Bobby “Boris” Pickett)
21. “Monster Mash” (feat. the Kids of Widney High!)
22. “Elvira, Mistress of the Dark (Intro)” (feat. Elvira, Mistress of the Dark)
23. “The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati” (feat. the Misfits!)
24. “Demento Segment XIX”
25. “Pico & Sepulveda” (feat. Osaka Popstar)
26. “Demento Segment XX” (feat. “Weird Al” Yankovic)
27. “Beat On The Brat” (feat. “Weird Al” Yankovic)
28. “Shaving Cream” (Reprise, Traditional Lyrics) (feat. “Uncle Floyd” Vivino & Oogie)
29. “Demento Segment XXI” (feat. Uncle Floyd & Oogie)
30. “Dr. Demento Show Outro” (feat. “Uncle Floyd” Vivino)
31. “Cheerio, Cherry Lips, Cheerio” (feat. “Uncle Floyd” Vivino)
32. “Dr. Demento Covered in Punk Theme” (Reprise) (feat. Osaka Popstar)
33. “Dr. Demento Theme (Pico & Sepulveda)(Reprise)” (feat. Osaka Popstar’s Demented Punk Orchestra with the Roto Rooter Goodtime Christmas Band)
34. “Brak Closing Message” [gotta love closing the album with a little Brak for the road…]
Speaking of Weird Al, who remember UHF? That movie totally ruled.
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