Early Tiny Tim (Tom Asutpen, Photobucket)
It's amazing what passed for entertainment in the "good old days" of television.
You'll have to remember who Tiny Tim was (a 60s icon famous for his rendition of the 1926 pop song, Tiptoe Through the Tulips), but even if you don't, just remember that anyone who says music was better in the good old days isn't being entirely accurate.
Check out this video of Tiny Tim singing on stage to a bunch of kids who haven't got a clue what he's singing about (he mentions the polar ice caps melting), in what can only be describe as a bizarre performance. In the 1960s, they called this television.
Tiny Tim sings about global warming!
Tiny Tim performs Tiptoe Through the Tulips on Laugh-In, c 1967
Tiptoe Through the Tulips catapulted Tiny Tim to fame (the song charted at #17) but the song was originally written in 1926 and became popularized on record after a guy named Nick Lucas performed it in the 1929 Hollywood musical, Gold Diggers of Broadway
Nick Lucas performing Tiptoe Through the Tulips in 1944
One of several popular 1929 recordings of Tip Toe
On December 17, 1969, Johnny Carson hosted the wedding of Tiny Tim to Miss Vicky on The Tonight Show. Being a big fan of Lucas, Tim asked Carson to invite Lucas on the program, and here he sings "Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses" and "Tiptoe Through the Tulips," and then talks about his life and career. Historically fascinating.
Comments
Tiny Tim was the William Hung of that era...the persona he created was liked for the same reasons William Hung was...I believe that the Tiny Tim persona was supposed to be a one time thing, then people kept asking for more and more.
I'll take the Stones, Doobie Brothers, Grand Funk, CCR, even 80's acts like Pat Benatar, Hall & Oates, Joan Jett, Genesis, Billy Idol, Patty Smyth etc. over this crap we've had since the mid-90's any day.
Old School, I think the point is that every era has its junk. God the 80s were horrendous! There are some good performers from the 90s and now but plenty more to be forgotten. Vanilla Ice, anyone?
Hey now! Next thing you know you'll be talking bad about The Archies.
I think there is good and bad music in every era. Right now here in TN, Kings of Leon and Paramore are kicking butt.
Paramore reminds me a bit of Bjork and Patti Smith (not the Smyth one, yuk!)
Kings of Leon are every bit as sexy as the music of AC/DC and have a slight Allman Brothers sound.
I have the same feeling about both bands as I did the first time I ever heard Elvis Costello and then Graham Parker. (Great excitment and enthusiasm.)
Frank Zappa used to say that there was no such thing as bad music. If it was music and you liked it, that was good.
Girl you crazy! Patti Smyth can sho nuff sing, there is a video on youtube of her singing "Whole Lotta Love" on an old Letterman show from the early 90's. Best version I ever heard including the original. Very underrated singer from the 80's probably the only other female singers from that era in her league are Ann Wilson or Pat Benatar.
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