The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records
Encyclopedia
The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records is a compilation album
released by Rhino Records
in 1983. It features mostly novelty song
s, parodies
and cover version
s of popular songs, performed very poorly (though in many cases, intentionally so, either as a novelty or as a joke). None of the songs were ever top 40 hits (though at least one hit the Billboard Hot 100
), and only one of the featured bands (The Turtles
) contributed significantly to popular music outside their lone featured song, though Ogden Edsl
and Barnes and Barnes also had other contributions to the novelty music field. The original album included an airsickness bag
and a warning that the album "may cause internal discomfort;" Dr. Demento
wrote the liner notes for the album.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
released by Rhino Records
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
in 1983. It features mostly novelty song
Novelty song
A novelty song is a comical or nonsensical song, performed principally for its comical effect. Humorous songs, or those containing humorous elements, are not necessarily novelty songs. The term arose in Tin Pan Alley to describe one of the major divisions of popular music. The other two divisions...
s, parodies
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
and cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s of popular songs, performed very poorly (though in many cases, intentionally so, either as a novelty or as a joke). None of the songs were ever top 40 hits (though at least one hit the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
), and only one of the featured bands (The Turtles
The Turtles
The Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
) contributed significantly to popular music outside their lone featured song, though Ogden Edsl
Ogden Edsl
Ogden Edsl was an American band, formed in 1970 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their music was often darkly comedic and satirical, and was frequently featured on the weekly Dr...
and Barnes and Barnes also had other contributions to the novelty music field. The original album included an airsickness bag
Airsickness bag
An airsickness bag is a small bag commonly provided to passengers on board airplanes and boats to collect and contain vomit in the event of motion sickness. Hovercraft-ferry operators and even train companies have also been known to supply bags...
and a warning that the album "may cause internal discomfort;" Dr. Demento
Dr. Demento
Barret Eugene Hansen , better known as Dr. Demento, is a radio broadcaster and record collector specializing in novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings dating from the early days of phonograph records to the present....
wrote the liner notes for the album.
Volume 1
- "The CrusherThe CrusherThe Crusher may refer to:* Reginald Lisowski, a former wrestler.* The Crusher, an album by melodic death metal band Amon Amarth.* The Crusher, a song by The Ramones.* The Crusher, a song by Dee Dee King....
" (The Novas) - "Big Girls Don't CryBig Girls Don't CryBig Girls Don't Cry is a 2002 film. It is written and directed by Maria von Heland.The movie is about two best friends, Kati and Steffi....
" (Edith MasseyEdith MasseyEdith Massey was an American actress and singer. Massey was best known for her appearances in a series of movies by director John Waters...
and The EggsEdie and the EggsEdie and the Eggs were a punk/celebrity-exploitation band featuring Edith Massey, known for acting in several films by John Waters. The band's name referred to Massey's character in Pink Flamingos who had an obsession with eating eggs and romanced an egg delivery man...
) - "I Want My Baby Back" (Jimmy CrossJimmy CrossJimmy Cross was an American radio producer and singer who attained a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit with the novelty song "I Want My Baby Back" in 1965....
) - "I LikeI Love"I Love" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Tom T. Hall. It was released in October 1973 as the only single from the album, For the People in the Last Hard Town. The song would be Hall's most successful single becoming his fourth number one on the U.S....
" (Heathen Dan) - "Kazooed on KlassicsHooked on ClassicsHooked on Classics was a series of record albums first introduced in 1981, toward the end of the disco era's peak in popularity.Louis Clark, former arranger for Electric Light Orchestra, conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra playing a collection of very recognizable extracts from classical...
" (The Temple City Kazoo Orchestra) - "Fluffy" (Gloria Balsam)
- "Paralyzed" (Legendary Stardust Cowboy)
- "I Wanna Be Your DogI Wanna Be Your Dog"I Wanna Be Your Dog" is a 1969 song by the American rock band The Stooges. The song is featured on their self-titled debut album. Its memorable riff, composed of only three chords , is played continuously throughout the song...
" (The Seven Stooges) - "Boogie Woogie Amputee" (Barnes and Barnes)
- "Kinko the Clown" (Ogden EdslOgden EdslOgden Edsl was an American band, formed in 1970 in Omaha, Nebraska, by Bill Frenzer, Bill Carey and Otis XII. Their music was often darkly comedic and satirical, and was frequently featured on the weekly Dr...
) - "Umbassa and the Dragon" (The TurtlesThe TurtlesThe Turtles are an American rock group led by vocalists Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman. The band became notable for several Top 40 hits beginning with its cover version of Bob Dylan's "It Ain't Me Babe" in 1965...
) - "Ugly" (Johnny Meeskite)
- "Surfin' Tragedy" (The Breakers)
- "Young at Heart" (Wild Man FischerWild Man FischerLarry Wayne Fischer , better known as Wild Man Fischer, was an American songwriter in the outsider genre. He was notable for being responsible for Rhino Records' first release, Go To Rhino Records...
)
Volume 2
A follow-up album was released in 1985, under the title The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records, Vol. 2. This volume featured some more recognizable names from the novelty music field; it also included at least one top-40 hit ("Nag" by The Halos) and was more focused on the comedic than the outright-bad tone of its predecessor.- "DowntownDowntown (Petula Clark song)"Downtown" is a pop song composed by Tony Hatch which, as recorded by Petula Clark, became an international hit – No. 1 in the US and No. 2 in the UK – at the end of 1964.-Original recording:...
" (Mrs. Miller) - "K'nish Doctor" (Mickey KatzMickey KatzMickey Katz , was an American comedian and musician who specialized in Jewish humor. He was the father of actor Joel Grey and grandfather of actress Jennifer Grey.-Family:...
) - "Party in My Pants" (Barnes and Barnes)
- "Foreign Novelty Smash" (The Credibility GapThe Credibility GapThe Credibility Gap was a satirical comedy team comprising Harry Shearer, Richard Beebe, David L. Lander and Michael McKean. Lew Irwin, John Gilliland, Thom Beck, and Len Chandler also performed in their early days...
) - "Nag" (The HalosThe HalosThe Halos were an American doo wop group from The Bronx.The group formed with members Al Cleveland, J.R. Bailey, Harold Johnson, and Arthur Crier . Phil Johnson replaced J.R. Bailey shortly after the recording of "Nag". .The group got its start as session musicians, backing up vocalists recorded by...
) - "Who Hid the Halibut on the Poop Deck" (Yogi Yorgesson)
- "Goodbye Sam" (Shad O'Shea)
- "Just a Big EgoJust a Gigolo (song)"Just a Gigolo" is a popular song, adapted by Irving Caesar in 1929 from the Austrian song "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo", written in 1928 by Leonello Casucci and Julius Brammer .-History:...
" (Bob RiversBob RiversBob Rivers is a well-known American rock and roll radio on air personality in the Pacific Northwest as well as a prolific producer of parody songs, most famous for his Christmas song parodies....
and Zip) - "Candy Rapper" (Sticky Fingers)
- "Hands" (Debbie Dawn)
- "Baseball Card Lover" (Rockin' Richie Ray)
- "Fudd on the HillThe Fool on the Hill"The Fool on the Hill" is a song by The Beatles. It was written and sung by Paul McCartney and recorded in 1967...
" (Little Roger and the GoosebumpsLittle Roger and the GoosebumpsLittle Roger and the Goosebumps is a pop/rock band from San Francisco active during the 1970s and early 1980s and resurrected in 2006. It has been led throughout its history by Roger Clark and Dick Bright, with various sidemen....
) - "Split Level Head" (Napoleon XIVNapoleon XIVNapoleon XIV was the pseudonym of the American singer-songwriter and record producer Jerry Samuels , who achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Samuels also wrote The Shelter of Your Arms, a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis, Jr...
) - "Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage" (Killer Pussy)
- "The Troggs Tapes" (The TroggsThe TroggsThe Troggs are an English rock band from the 1960s that had a number of hits in UK and the US. Their most famous songs include, "Wild Thing", "With a Girl Like You", and "Love Is All Around"...
)
External links
- WFMU's 365 Days - Rhino!
- "The Rhino Brothers Present the World's Worst Records" on Amazon.comAmazon.comAmazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...