This One Can't Wait for March 31st

Christmas is a-coming and it's a-jumping

 Christmas is a-coming and it's a-jumping 

 Christmas is a-coming and it's a-jumping 

Boy it won't be long

 - Lead Belly

I wanted to start out by making sure everyone knew that I know what time of year it is, and that Advent starts this Sunday. Because I'm going to share a record which was created for use on an entirely different Christian holiday, but I just obtained the record this week, and I can't wait four months to share it. It looks like this: 

When a song-poem shows up for sale or auction with a title as ridiculous as "I Love My Little Red Nose Rabbit the Best", the chances are - always - that the actual recording will be a let down. That's absolutely usually the case. But I went for it anyway and was delighted to win the auction at a low price and no other bidders. 

It is, as you've no doubt guessed, an Easter-themed record. And Sammy Marshall, under the frequently used name Sonny Marcell, is the performer. And I think that's almost all I'll say, as I'd like you to experience all aspects of this 85 second masterpiece for yourselves. I'll only say that Sammy gives it his all, and never for a moment sounds like he's contemptuous of the material.  Here 'tis. Happy Easter.  

Download: Sonny Marcell - I Love My Little Red Nose Rabbit the Best

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Incidentally, this song was copyrighted on May 18th, 1964, and song-poet John Hansen clearly had big intentions for it, as he took out classified ads in at least three issues of Billboard Magazine in 1964 and 1965. Curiously, only one of those issue dates was before or anywhere near Easter in those years. Also please note that in one of those ads, Mr. Hansen was additionally plugging his song "I Hire a Monkey". Who wouldn't pay to hear that one?  

The flip side is "My Love Letter Came From Paris", and like "Red Nose Rabbit", it just featuring Sammy and a pianist (as stated in those ads, by the way). The narrated part of this record in the middle has some marvelously lyrical phrases, such as "In the state of New Jersey", "Every time I see long, cold winters", and "annual rainfall". In fact, that entire section is one clunky phrase after another, to the point (at least for me) of hilarity. Oh, and don't miss the end of the sung sections, where we learn that receiving a letter from Paris reminds him of.... their time together in Paris.  

Incidentally, I'd like to dedicate this post to Sammy Marshall - real name Marc Simpson, as I learned only recently that Sammy Marshall/Ben Tate/Sonny Marcell/Marc Simpson/Etc.... died five years ago, in May of 2018. Here is his obituary. 

Download: Sonny Marcell - My Love Letter Came From Paris

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The Doodle Bug Rag

One of the largest song-poem factories was called "Globe". Records on the "Globe" label are almost all (if not all) acetates, rather than actual releases, but the company provided material for over 100 song poem labels labels that had been identified by the American Song-Poem Music Archives (before it was mothballed). Many of these labels were vanity names, releasing songs only by one or two writers. Other released hundreds of records. Sometimes the only apparent connection with Globe is the presence of one or more of Globe's standard vocalists. Here's one from the Show label - the only record I've ever seen on this label, although the AS/PMA website shows a different one for the same label. Globe stalwart Mary Kaye sings a peppy number, "The Doodle Bug Rag": 

Download: Mary Kaye - The Doodle Bug Rag

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The best reason to share this record, though, is because when I bought it, it still had, attached to the 45 sleeve, the marketing materials that Globe sent out to... whoever it was that received this record. The record description actually contained brief statements regarding this record on one side, and comments on another single on the other side (you can make out the print on the reverse side, in this scan):

Then there's the comment card, both sides of which I've scanned. Note that the reply card comes from Globe, while the description of the record is credited to a different distributor: Finally, here's the "soothing South Pacific sound" of the flip side, "My Hawaii", featuring the man who truly was "the voice" of the Globe song-poem factory, Sammy Marshall:

Download: Sammy Marshall - My Hawaii

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