THE CALL OF THE WILDEST / THE WILDEST SHOW AT TAHOE
by Louis Prima w/ Keely Smith, Sam Butera & The Witnesses
released: 1990
.
Although he's likely listening to the ethereal harmonizing of an angel choir now, when my Pa (who was truly one of my best friends) was still with us, his favorite vocalists were Nat King Cole and Dinah Washington. But the records I remember him most often playing were 'Golden Hits' by Roger Miller (he had a penchant for waking us up for school by blasting, 'You Can't Roller Skate In A Buffalo Herd') and the two LOUIS PRIMA albums collected here on this one compact disc.
.
As a little kid, I was fascinated by the cover photo on 'THE CALL OF THE WILDEST' and I spent a lot of time scrutinizing it. I thought that the over-the-top rambunctiousness of the song THERE'LL BE NO NEXT TIME was hilarious (and I didn't even know what adultery was!)
.
The second album, 'THE WILDEST SHOW AT TAHOE', recorded live at Harrah's Club in 1958 always reminds me of our family vacation to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, about fourteen years later: Out on the lake in a small boat, my Pa says, "Look at the size of that fish!" Stephen, like the idiot he was and is, peers over the side of the boat and gets the predictable shove in the back.
.
My Pa knew he had erred when I resurfaced bluer than the lake. Cold? Folks, you don't even know what cold is until your Pa has pushed you into the notoriously frigid Lake Tahoe! My brain was instantaneously transformed into blue raspberry Jello. Forget swimming! I couldn't even remember how to dog paddle! But over the years, that regrettable little event gained me great leverage -- "What do you mean you won't buy me a stereo? Pa, you remember that time in Lake Tahoe when you...?" Ah, such fond memories this disc calls to mind for me.
.
The music produced by this top-notch small jazz band (featuring Sam Butera on tenor sax) is consistently good. It's performed fast and loose with a sense of humor and an eye toward the novelty. But they play it straight (and quite well) on most of those numbers that feature Keely Smith. Two things about Keely that cannot be disputed: 1) She was perpetually in great need of a decent hair stylist. 2) The lady could really sing! I like her renditions of AUTUMN LEAVES and THE BIRTH OF THE BLUES, but I love FOGGY DAY and I GOTTA RIGHT TO SING THE BLUES with its shifts in tempo. This may be the definitive take on these songs.
.
~ Stephen T. McCarthy
.
Al Bondigas here. I remember that album cover too. I always enjoyed looking for all the animals in it. That one, and of course “whipped cream” by Herb Alpert are the ones I remember best.
ReplyDeleteOh, yeah, WHIPPED CREAM & OTHER DELIGHTS... best album cover ever! Well, at least for "confident heterosexual" males like us.
ReplyDeleteThat one and CALL OF THE WILDEST both made my list of 'Top Fifteen Favorite Album Covers Of All Time' [Link> HERE.
~ D-FensDogG
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends
Hi Stephen! Every time my husband gets behind the wheel of a car, I'm reminded of Roger Miller's "King of the Road" song! Sounds like you had some wonderful memories with your dad and I'm sorry you lost him too soon. I'll have to check out that Keely Smith song. Now I'm feeling a little better about my hair!
ReplyDeleteJulie
GEM JULIE ~
DeleteTrailers for sale or rent
Rooms to let, fifty cents...
Wish I had fifty cents for every time my Pa played that song!
Oh, for sure! Keely Smith should make EVERY women feel good about her hair... even on the "Baddest Hair Days".
~ D-FensDogG
This blog bit came out when I was traveling to the Midwest and Colorado, and so I very late to comment. But Louis Prima is one of the artists you and I have in common.
ReplyDeleteI love Prima, Butera, and Smith! Dad didn't have the 1958 album, but he had "Call of the Wildest" and he played it all the time. I loved the cover photo, too!
As we've discussed, the phrase "NEXT time" is a Sixgun family tradition. My mom, my dad, my aunt, my uncle, me... ALL would sing (in the right situation, like when we had goofed up or missed an opportunity) - "NEXT time? there'll BE no next time!"
Yes, Sir, McBro! We may not have Paris... or even the Diner... but we'll always have Tom Petty and Louis Prima!!
DeleteThat's such a hilarious song -- "...Next Time" -- and I love Prima's little asides like "Uh-Oh!", "You shouldn't have gone to the airport..." So damn funny!
As long as I still have Roger Miller and Louis Prima recordings in my house, my Pa lives ON!!
Glad we can musically agree on at least a few performers while we're running down our dreams.
~ D-FensDogG
Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends