I used to take my Mother’s case of 45 records and play radio station when I was a kid. (I played DJ for actual radio station as an adult and it didn’t go well but that’s a whole other story). I played her records on a children’s record player and I had a lot of dead air between songs but since my audience was just my best friend Joe (or maybe my sister) it didn’t matter much. My Mom’s collection was mostly the hits of the late 50’s early 60’s and I don’t remember specifically which ones but a couple of disc got a lot of play. David Seville’s The Witch Doctor, The Tokens- The Lion Sleeps Tonight and Bob McFadden and Dor’s (Rod McKuen) The Mummy. The Mummy is one of the goofiest songs I’ve ever heard and it made references to a song regarding a TV show (77 Sunset Strip) I have never seen. That didn’t matter to me at all, I loved the song and whenever my cousins would visit we would always put the record on and take turns playing the characters in the song. So The Mummy had multiple uses as play radio fodder and talent show material. The Witch Doctor was just a fun sing-a-long but The Lion Sleeps Tonight inspired greatness. My friends became convinced the song elevated our athletic abilities and enthusiasm like playing Rock and Roll part 2 pumps up crowds in modern pro stadiums. In our case it was driveway basketball and whiffleball but you get the idea. Sadly those original 45 were lost (I should know, I lost them) and are probably sitting in a basement or closet someplace far, far away. Since I am getting my first real turntable this year as a Christmas present I must take a moment to acknowledge the three pieces of vinyl that brought so much joy to my childhood. I may try to hunt down those 45’s at some point but getting started on a new (to me anyway) format is too exciting for me to think about specifically what I want. I’m just going to browse my local vinyl shops and Cincinnati happens to have a lot of them in which to find some hidden gems. But until I own them again all I can say is Ooh, eeh, ooh ahh ahh, ting, tang, wallawalla bing bang. (Repeat)
No Rhyme Or Reason 