National Lampoon Songbook
Encyclopedia
National Lampoon Songbook was an American humorous songbook which was issued in 1976. Although it appears to be a book in its own right, it was a "special issue" of National Lampoon magazine and as such it was only sold on newsstands. People who had a subscription to the magazine would still have to buy these special issues; they were not included in the subscription.
Many of the songs in the songbook were from the musical stage show, Lemmings. A few other songs, including the whole musical "Moby!" were from The National Lampoon Radio Hour
. Other songs were from the album Goodbye Pop. There were also some visual print pieces (illustrations and photographs) included. The first piece in the songbook is Deteriorata
, which was on the album Radio Dinner. The musical arrangements were by Dan Fox.
The songbook was edited by Sean Kelly
. The cover illustrations was a drawing showing a number of musicians on stage and a row of the audience. The drawing was a group effort by cartoonists Randall Enos, Gahan Wilson
, Bobby London
, Jeff Jones, Shary Fleniken and Charles Rodrigues. The songbook was designed by the design studio Pellegrini, Kaestle & Gross
, Inc.
Many of the songs in the songbook were from the musical stage show, Lemmings. A few other songs, including the whole musical "Moby!" were from The National Lampoon Radio Hour
The National Lampoon Radio Hour
The National Lampoon Radio Hour was a comedy radio show which was created, produced and initially written by staff from National Lampoon magazine. The show ran weekly, for a little over a year, from November 17, 1973 to December 28, 1974...
. Other songs were from the album Goodbye Pop. There were also some visual print pieces (illustrations and photographs) included. The first piece in the songbook is Deteriorata
Deteriorata
Deteriorata is a famous parody of San Francisco radio and television personality Les Crane's spoken word recording of Desiderata. It was written by Tony Hendra. It was recorded by National Lampoon as part of their National Lampoon Radio Dinner album of 1972...
, which was on the album Radio Dinner. The musical arrangements were by Dan Fox.
The songbook was edited by Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly
Sean Kelly may refer to:* Sean Kelly , Professor of philosophy at Harvard University* Sean Kelly , Irish professional road bicycle racer...
. The cover illustrations was a drawing showing a number of musicians on stage and a row of the audience. The drawing was a group effort by cartoonists Randall Enos, Gahan Wilson
Gahan Wilson
Gahan Wilson is an American author, cartoonist and illustrator known for his cartoons depicting horror-fantasy situations...
, Bobby London
Bobby London
Bobby London is an American underground comix and mainstream comics artist.-Biography:London created his underground newspaper comic strip Merton, in his native New York in 1969 and the raunchy Dirty Duck strip in 1971...
, Jeff Jones, Shary Fleniken and Charles Rodrigues. The songbook was designed by the design studio Pellegrini, Kaestle & Gross
Michael C. Gross
Michael C. Gross is an American artist and film producer. He is best known for his work as the art director for National Lampoon magazine. He was hired in 1970, and his work first appeared in the eighth issue of the magazine, the "Nostalgia" issue, which was November 1970...
, Inc.
Songs
- DeteriorataDeteriorataDeteriorata is a famous parody of San Francisco radio and television personality Les Crane's spoken word recording of Desiderata. It was written by Tony Hendra. It was recorded by National Lampoon as part of their National Lampoon Radio Dinner album of 1972...
, a parody of DesiderataDesiderataDesiderata is a 1927 prose poem by American writer Max Ehrmann... - Lemmings Lament, a parody of Woodstock (song)Woodstock (song)"Woodstock" is a song about the Woodstock Music and Art Festival of 1969.Joni Mitchell wrote the song from what she had heard from then-boyfriend, Graham Nash, about the festival. She had not been there herself, since she was told it would be more advantageous to appear on The Dick Cavett Show by...
- Pizza Man, a parody of 1950s death songs such as Leader of the PackLeader of the Pack"Leader of the Pack" is a 1964 pop song recorded by girl group The Shangri-Las. It became number one on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 28, 1964.-Original Shangri-Las recording:...
- Nirvana Banana, a parody of DonovanDonovanDonovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
- Colorado, A Parody of John DenverJohn DenverHenry John Deutschendorf, Jr. , known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer/songwriter, activist, and humanitarian. After growing up in numerous locations with his military family, Denver began his music career in folk music groups in the late 1960s. His greatest commercial success...
- Positively Wall Street, a parody of Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
- Pull the Tregroes, a parody of Joan BaezJoan BaezJoan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
- Papa was a Running-Dog Lackey of the Bourgeoisie, a parody of Motown music
- Highway Toes, a parody of James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
- Lonely at the Bottom, a parody of Joe CockerJoe CockerJohn Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE is an English rock and blues musician, composer and actor, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and is most known for his gritty voice, his idiosyncratic arm movements while performing, and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of The Beatles...
and Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music.... - Megadeath, a parody of heavy metal (music)
- Overdose Heaven
- Well-Intentioned Blues, a parody of Pete SeegerPete SeegerPeter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
- Closet Queen, a parody of a lounge singer
- The Ballad of K. C. River Rat, a parody of a trucker song
- Saint Leonard's Song, a parody of Leonard CohenLeonard CohenLeonard Norman Cohen, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, musician, poet and novelist. Cohen published his first book of poetry in Montreal in 1956 and his first novel in 1963. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality and interpersonal relationships...
- Mother Goose's Wine
- Riding Out on a Rail, parody of the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
- Bleeding Heart, A parody of Cat StevensCat StevensYusuf Islam , commonly known by his former stage name Cat Stevens, is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, educator, philanthropist, and prominent convert to Islam....
- Psychology Ptoday Blues (Every Day I Feel Depressed), Chicago bluesChicago bluesThe Chicago blues is a form of blues music that developed in Chicago, Illinois, by taking the basic acoustic guitar and harmonica-based Delta blues, making the harmonica louder with a microphone and an instrument amplifier, and adding electrically amplified guitar, amplified bass guitar, drums,...
style - Methadone Maintenance Man, A parody of James TaylorJames TaylorJames Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
- Goodbye Pop, a parody of Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
- Kung Fu Christmas, A parody of disco ballad style
- The B Side of Love, a parody of country music
- I'm a Woman, a parody of I am WomanI Am Woman"I Am Woman" is a song cowritten by Helen Reddy and singer/songwriter/guitarist Ray Burton and performed by Reddy. Released in its most well-known version in 1970, the song became an enduring anthem for the women’s liberation movement.-Success:...
- Old Maid (Southern California Brings Me Down), a parody of Neil YoungNeil YoungNeil Percival Young, OC, OM is a Canadian singer-songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation...
- Art Rock Suite, a parody of mid-70s Art rockArt rockArt rock is a subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s, with influences from art, avant-garde, and classical music. The first usage of the term, according to Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, was in 1968. Influenced by the work of The Beatles, most notably their Sgt...
- Down to Jamaica, a reggaeReggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and Bob Dylan parody - Moby!, the novel Moby Dick as musical theatre
-
-
- All Ashore
- Call Me Ishmael
- Seaman's Lexicon
- The Unhappiest Man at Sea
- The Present
- You're Never Too Old to Love
- All Hands on Me
- Moby
- You're Never Too Old to Love (reprise)
-