Big Mattress Song of the Week
Back in 1969, when I first got hired on WBCN radio, this was one of the most heavily played and most often requested songs in our library. (A testament to the off-the-wall taste of BCN's core listeners :)
It's a ditty called, Lily Do the Zampoogie, and it's sung by Mario Van Peebles' famous father, Melvin Van Peebles. The BCN jocks would light up a fattie and then, as soon as Melvin yelled, “Do it Lily!” they would crank up the volume on the scratchy vinyl record.
Click on the red button (top right corner of main page) and you can join in on the Lily celebration. (or was it a eulogistic paean?)
Remember to blast it as soon as MVP says, "Do it Lily!!"
Comments
It's great. I don't think I remember hearing it before. Maybe too many "fatties." It does remind me, though, of "Ambrose" ("just keep walkin'...") Best, BL
Posted by: Bill | January 25, 2009 8:34 PM
I remember it well Charles.
Posted by: I'm from Wusta | January 26, 2009 3:26 AM
thanks charles
Posted by: chas | January 26, 2009 5:47 AM
I found this from an interview with Melvin Van Peebles:
Melvin Van Peebles: »Let’s talk about storytelling: I’m in a hotel in New York and there was a young lady with me. Can everybody hear me? She reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Finally I did. There used to be a cartoon character called Tweety Bird. After we’d made love, she jumped up and started dancing, and I thought, ‘Oh shit, she looks like Tweety Bird’. Tweety Bird was quite a pretty bird by the way (laughter), but this evolved into a story and I’ll tell you the story then play this. A guy is in jail and he’s going to be executed and he’s explaining why he’s in jail just before they come to execute him. OK, play it. The first one.«
(music: Melvin Van Peebles – Lily Done The Zapoughi / repeats the lyrics / gets up and dances / applause)
»But you see, my public understood what this meant, that the guy is going to the electric chair. This became a very famous underground hit
Posted by: Dick | January 27, 2009 4:20 AM
Oh man, I remember that song! I didn't remember it was Melvin Van Peebles.
How about next week you put up "Walter Wart, The Freaky Frog". Or maybe "Green Manalichie". Or how about that "Freddie Herbie" bit about selling soap to help combat necrophilia? "You know me- 'I need a crewcut'". Who was that really?
Posted by: KJ | January 27, 2009 5:05 AM
a true blast from the past
Posted by: vb | January 29, 2009 10:48 AM