Sheriff John and Engineer Bill
Bob Beecher
For those in the (or from the) Los Angeles area, there were a couple of
children's show hosts on local TV stations.
One, "Sheriff John", is best known for his "Birthday Song" which most
Angelenos who grew up in the sixties know just as well as the one penned
by the Smith sisters ("Happy Birthday to you...etc.) It started out,
"Put another candle on the birthday cake..."
The other, "Engineer Bill", ran a model railroad as his gimmick and he
produced a record which was called a magic record. It had three separate
tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random placement
of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are there
copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
Thanks!
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track, Inc.
1Lt., CAP 34-12-35.315N / 118-29-23.904W
VNY Sr. Sqdn. 81 / PAO, CAWG VNY (Van Nuys, CA)--The busiest
bbee...@cris.com GA airport in the United States
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norm Katuna
On 12/13/52 Billboard magazine reviewed Savoy 877, Dolly Coooper------"Beilieve
in Me", giving it a rating of 81 , and on Sun, 12 Jan 1997 13:08:28 -0800, on a
totally different subject, Bob Beecher <bbee...@cris.com>, wrote:
::: One, "Sheriff John", is best known for his "Birthday Song" which most
::: Angelenos who grew up in the sixties know just as well as the one penned
::: by the Smith sisters ("Happy Birthday to you...etc.) It started out,
::: "Put another candle on the birthday cake..."
:::
::: The other, "Engineer Bill", ran a model railroad as his gimmick and he
::: produced a record which was called a magic record. It had three separate
::: tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random placement
::: of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
:::
::: Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are there
::: copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
-
::: -------------------------------------------------------------------------
::: Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track, Inc.
To the group and to Bob by e-mail.
I don't have time right now, I was just checking the group before leaving for
the afternoon. I have "Laugh and Be Happy" and "The Birthday Song" and
"Engineer Bill", "Engineer Bill's Magic Record" and "Red Light--Green Light" all
on 45. I'll try and get back to the group tonight (unless someone else beats me
to it) and give all label info. P.S. If you are a regular reader to this
group, you know I collect original novelty 45s, so don't ask for me to part with
these. They mean as much to me as to you, since I grew up listening to both of
these guys and Tom Hatten with the Popeye show.
_________________________________
Norm Katuna
------------------
Astronauts Come along baby Palladium 610
Wiley Barkdul I ain't gonna waste my time Hickory 1074
Bill Beach Peg pants King 4940
Norm Katuna
On 12/13/52 Billboard magazine reviewed Savoy 877, Dolly Coooper------"Beilieve
in Me", giving it a rating of 81 , and on Sun, 12 Jan 1997 13:08:28 -0800, on a
totally different subject, Bob Beecher <bbee...@cris.com>, wrote:
::: children's show hosts on local TV stations.
::: Angelenos who grew up in the sixties know just as well as the one penned
::: by the Smith sisters ("Happy Birthday to you...etc.) It started out,
::: "Put another candle on the birthday cake..."
:::
::: The other, "Engineer Bill", ran a model railroad as his gimmick and he
::: produced a record which was called a magic record. It had three separate
::: tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random placement
::: of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
:::
::: Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are there
::: copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
::: Thanks!
::: --
::: Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track, Inc.
To the group and to Bob by e-mail.
First. I'm a firm believer of posting responses to the group, even if I'm going
to send e-mail to the person requesting the information. You never know how
many people that saw this thread might be interested in the information that I'm
about to give.
Also, Bob e-mailed me and I'm going to include a response to that in here also.
About the making of a tape of these for you. I'm really bad about that. I
don't like to make promises and then not come through. I have a friend that I
met through the Usenet that constantly asks me to verify lyrics from my 45s so
that he can correctly transcribe complete lyrics to songs. He asked me about
"Carol" by Chuck Berry several days ago. I just finally got around to listening
to it to help him out, and that was just one record. So, I'll have to think
about your request.
Here's the information that you requested:
"Birthday Song" Sheriff John on Sheriff John Records # 101. I seem to remember
that either this one or "Laugh and Be Happy" (Sheriff Jones theme song) appeared
on Imperial records also.
"Engineer Bill's Magic Record" The George Garabedian Little Players. Mark 56
832. The flip is "Red Light--Green Light"--The milk drinking record. This is
the same George Garabedian that did "Mr. Grillon".
Then there was the Engineer Bill theme song called Engineer Bill done by the
George Garabedian Gandy Dancers. For some reason it was numbered Mark 56 832
also.
A little trivia. Engineer Bill used to do Super market appearances. He would
bring his model railroad set-up along to give all the kids a ride on. It was in
the store's parking lot. I went to a few of those appearances.
_________________________________
Norm Katuna
------------------
Dean Beard Rakin' and Scrapin' Atlantic 1137
Boyd Bennett Move King 5115
Walt Benton Stuck up 20th cent 143
Bob Beecher
Michael Biel mb...@kih.net wrote:
>
> Norm Katuna <no...@cts.com> wrote in article
> <32da6b11....@news3.cts.com>...
> > On 12/13/52 Billboard magazine reviewed Savoy 877, Dolly
> Coooper------"Beilieve
> > in Me", giving it a rating of 81 , and on
>
> >
> > "Engineer Bill", ran a model railroad as his gimmick and he
> > ::: produced a record which was called a magic record. It had three
> separate
> > ::: tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random
> placement
> > ::: of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
> > :::
> > ::: Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are
> there
> > ::: copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
> > :::
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > ::: Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track,
> Inc.
>
> Trick records like this were not new even then. They date back to at
> least the teens. There was a 12-inch 78rpm acoustical recording that came
> out in England on Gramophone and in the U.S. on Victor as "The
> Connondrum--Which Will I Play Next." Others came out later, and in the
> early 1930s the British ran wild with them.
Anyone on 78-l heard of these?
> There even is a Jimmy Rodgers
> Puzzle Record! There were horse racing records in the 40s that are rumored
> to have been outlawed in some places as betting items! There was, I think,
> a Mickey Mantle baseball game on RCA Camden, and also another game on
> Camden--I have them but not right here.
> The neatest one is John Zacherlie's "Scary Tales" on Parkway P 7023. (You
> remember Cameo Parkway, don't you Norm? :-) ) Back in the mid-sixties I
> came across a whole PILE of 'em at Gem Electronics on Route 17 in Paramus,
> N.J. They usually sell just junk electronics (I can't believe they are
> still in business after over 30 years!) But suddenly they had about 25 or
> 50 copies each of about a dozen Cameo Parkway cutouts--all with the big NR
> on the back! I grabbed ONE copy of Scary Tales (probably 49 cents.) When
> I got home and realized that the first part of one side was a puzzle record
> I flipped out. I drove back the NEXT DAY and EVERY ZACHERLIE RECORD WAS
> GONE! DAMN. :-(
AAGGHHH! I've GOT a copy of Zacherley's "Scary Tales" in my LPs somewhere
from when I was a kid. I knew there was a good reason I hung onto that thing.
Really takes you back to the sixties, too! I'll have to dig it out and find
which track is the "magic" one. (Do you know offhand?)
Zacherley even has a web page for releasing a new album. I found it through
Dr. Demento's page. (The stuff you find, eh?)
see: http://www.zacherley.com (a curiosity, not a plug!)
Revolving at many speeds,
Bob
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track, Inc.
Michael Biel mbiel@kih.net
Norm Katuna <no...@cts.com> wrote in article
<32da6b11....@news3.cts.com>...
> On 12/13/52 Billboard magazine reviewed Savoy 877, Dolly
Coooper------"Beilieve
> in Me", giving it a rating of 81 , and on
On Sun, 12 Jan 1997 13:08:28 -0800, Bob Beecher <bbee...@cris.com>, wrote:
>
> "Engineer Bill", ran a model railroad as his gimmick and he
> ::: produced a record which was called a magic record. It had three
separate
> ::: tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random
placement
> ::: of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
> :::
> ::: Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are
there
> ::: copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
> -
> :::
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ::: Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track,
Inc.
Hi Bob, and Norm, and the group,
Trick records like this were not new even then. They date back to at
least the teens. There was a 12-inch 78rpm acoustical recording that came
out in England on Gramophone and in the U.S. on Victor as "The
Connondrum--Which Will I Play Next." Others came out later, and in the
early 1930s the British ran wild with them. There even is a Jimmy Rodgers
Puzzle Record! There were horse racing records in the 40s that are rumored
to have been outlawed in some places as betting items! There was, I think,
a Mickey Mantle baseball game on RCA Camden, and also another game on
Camden--I have them but not right here.
The neatest one is John Zacherlie's "Scary Tales" on Parkway P 7023. (You
remember Cameo Parkway, don't you Norm? :-) ) Back in the mid-sixties I
came across a whole PILE of 'em at Gem Electronics on Route 17 in Paramus,
N.J. They usually sell just junk electronics (I can't believe they are
still in business after over 30 years!) But suddenly they had about 25 or
50 copies each of about a dozen Cameo Parkway cutouts--all with the big NR
on the back! I grabbed ONE copy of Scary Tales (probably 49 cents.) When
I got home and realized that the first part of one side was a puzzle record
I flipped out. I drove back the NEXT DAY and EVERY ZACHERLIE RECORD WAS
GONE! DAMN. :-(
Also, like in Norm's P.S. below, I also am a novelty collector who won't
part with these. If I had gotten those extras, perhaps, but . . . .
By the way Norm, I'll get back to you soon.
Mike Biel
> To the group and to Bob by e-mail.
>
magent...@aol.com
> For those in the (or from the) Los Angeles area, there were a couple of
> children's show hosts on local TV stations.
>
> One, "Sheriff John", is best known for his "Birthday Song" which most
> Angelenos who grew up in the sixties know just as well as the one penned
> by the Smith sisters ("Happy Birthday to you...etc.) It started out,
> "Put another candle on the birthday cake..."
>
> tracks on each side, so what you heard depended upon the random placement
> of the tonearm! Hey, for a six-year-old, that's MAGIC!
>
> Does anyone have information on the recordings for these songs? Are there
> copies out there that someone would be willing to part with?
>
> --
> Bob Beecher, - Music Editor - Click Track, Inc.
> VNY Sr. Sqdn. 81 / PAO, CAWG VNY (Van Nuys, CA)--The busiest
> bbee...@cris.com GA airport in the United States
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------