Land of 8 dances
Today’s record is an early concept album called LAND OF 1000 DANCES. The LP opens with the worst recording of “Land Of 1000 Dances” ever. Apparently this crowd was never told to shut up and dance.
The album is credited to Lloyd Thaxton who hosted a Los Angeles dance show in the early Sixties. Which explains why one of the dances is “Do The Slauson.” Art Fern does not get a songwriting credit. This may have been a popular dance, Thaxton also released an LP called DO THE SLAUSON. It’s got the same cover photo as LAND OF 1000 DANCES. Thaxton recycled more than just songs.
The concept falls apart right away. There’s only ten songs. One is the title song and there are two “Twine” songs. LAND OF 8 DANCES doesn’t make a good album title though.
The dance step for the “The Herky Jerky” should be familiar to anybody that’s ever done the Hokey-Pokey. But that song is public domain and there’s songwriting credit to be earned just for coming up with a new song title. "Mashed Potato Time" sounds a lot like "The Monster Mash". The Hully Gully" and "The Pony Express" fill out the dance card.
“Time To Twine” is the best song here. If you’re only going to get one song, get this one. Unfortunately, “Foot Stomping” is not a cover of the Flares song. It’s “Time To Twine” with vocals, they words don’t help the song. I thought “The Laughing Twine” would be “Time To Twine” with a laugh track added but it’s not. It’s a completely different song with a laugh track.
Does "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" count as a dance? Was there a dance called The Shake?
I don’t know who the musicians are on this record. Perry Botkin, Jr. did the arrangements. The Challengers did an LP for Lloyd Thaxton, I wonder if they played on this one?
The album is credited to Lloyd Thaxton who hosted a Los Angeles dance show in the early Sixties. Which explains why one of the dances is “Do The Slauson.” Art Fern does not get a songwriting credit. This may have been a popular dance, Thaxton also released an LP called DO THE SLAUSON. It’s got the same cover photo as LAND OF 1000 DANCES. Thaxton recycled more than just songs.
The concept falls apart right away. There’s only ten songs. One is the title song and there are two “Twine” songs. LAND OF 8 DANCES doesn’t make a good album title though.
The dance step for the “The Herky Jerky” should be familiar to anybody that’s ever done the Hokey-Pokey. But that song is public domain and there’s songwriting credit to be earned just for coming up with a new song title. "Mashed Potato Time" sounds a lot like "The Monster Mash". The Hully Gully" and "The Pony Express" fill out the dance card.
“Time To Twine” is the best song here. If you’re only going to get one song, get this one. Unfortunately, “Foot Stomping” is not a cover of the Flares song. It’s “Time To Twine” with vocals, they words don’t help the song. I thought “The Laughing Twine” would be “Time To Twine” with a laugh track added but it’s not. It’s a completely different song with a laugh track.
Does "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" count as a dance? Was there a dance called The Shake?
I don’t know who the musicians are on this record. Perry Botkin, Jr. did the arrangements. The Challengers did an LP for Lloyd Thaxton, I wonder if they played on this one?
posted by KS at 1/02/2007 09:53:00 PM
2 Comments:
Heck of a read with the first coffee of the day.
Thanks! I think.
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