Sonic Discovery: Dumb Ditties

As a kid, we owned several compilation albums full of silly songs. The one I remember listening to the most was called Goofy Gold, released by Ronco Records. It was a double album containing 20 songs, like Monster Mash, Wooly Bully, and Purple People Eater. We listened to the records quite often, and my parents also dumped the records to cassette so we could listen to it in the car. It was a road trip favorite, for sure. Using the song listing from the album, I pieced together my own version of Goofy Gold several years ago, thanks to Napster. Unfortunately, a few of the tracks I downloaded weren’t exactly the right versions. A few years ago, my mom loaned me the record and I converted the tracks into mp3s and I was finally able to enjoy Goofy Gold on my iPod.

Last summer I mentioned tracking down Wonderland Record’s Star Wars Theme. That one was really difficult as I couldn’t remember the record label, and could only vaguely remember what the album cover looked like! After 30 years apart, I was able to track this one down as well; it’s also on my iPod.

I remember listening to another album around that same time. For the life of me I haven’t been able to figure out the name of it. Up until yesterday I was only able to remember a couple of the album’s tracks, and unfortunately so many of these wacky compilation albums were put out during the 1970s and 80s that it’s been almost impossible to track down the name of the album. By combining a few different songs in the correct order yesterday, I was finally able to discover the name of the album: 24 Greatest Dumb Ditties.

Yes! Beans in My Ears! Seven Little Girls! The Martian Hop! Mr. Bass Man! They’re all here, in perfect form. Once I figured out the name of the album, it only took me a few minutes to track down an online copy of the album. For those looking for an original, be warned: K-Tel has released a newer CD also titled Dumb Ditties that only contains 10 songs instead of 24, half of which are remakes.

So, next to Goofy Gold and the Wonderland album on my iPod now sits 24 Great Dumb Ditties. I’m starting to run out of childhood idols to chase down.

PS: I can find 14 song titles on the cover of the album above. How many can you find? I suspect I could find more with the original artwork in front of me.

5 thoughts on “Sonic Discovery: Dumb Ditties”

  2. Coincidentally enough, I think I still have my copy of 24 Greatest Dumb Ditties! If you like, I could see if I could find it and then send you a complete list of all the songs. I haven’t listened to it in a coon’s age. How old do coons get to be anyway?

  3. I dug out my copy and here’s a complete list of the songs on this vinyl album…

    Side One: My Ding-A-Ling by Chuck Berry, Monster Mash (you know who did it), Alvin’s Harmonica by The Chipmunks, On Top of Spaaghetti by Tom Glazer, Beans In My Ears by Serendipity Singers, I’m A Nut by Leroy Pullins, All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth) by Jimmy James, I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat by Tom Katz, Teddy Bears’ Picnic by Lucy Diner, Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead by Gingerbread, Seven Little Girls Sitting In The Back Seat by Paul Evans and The Jolly Green Giant by Kingsmen.

    Side Two: If You Wanna Be Happy by Jimmy Soul, Who Put the Bomp (In the Bomp, Bomp, Bomp) by Barry Mann, Pink Shoelaces by Dodie Stevens, Mr. Bass Man by Johnny Cymbal, Bridget the Midget by Ray Stevens, The Ballad of Irving by Frank Gallop, Martian Hop by Galaxies, Here Comes the Judge by Bobby Biggs, Nuttin’ For Christmas by Billy Pressman, Short Shorts by Bermudas, Little Arrows by Leapy Lee and Happy-Go-Lucky-Me by Paul Evans.

  4. Looking for Dumb Ditties Original. Know anyone who sells a cd of the original? K-Tel has a cd out, but it’s not all the original artists, so I really don’t want it. I can buy the vinyl, then I have to figure out who’s going to play it and be able to put it to a cd for me.

    Played the original vinyl for my daughter when it was new, now I would like to play a cd for my grandson.

    Any ideas? Thanks.

  5. Any chance of you sharing your Goofy Gold mp3s? I have been hunting for months to get this for my brother for xmas 2011. Thanks :)

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