A Compendium of Blue Material

What a wonderful cornucopia of sound revealed itself when I lined up today's roll of tape through the ol' reel to reel machine. Because here was someone's collection of vintage off-color antics of a variety of well known and lesser known performers, all of which seems to predate the mid '60's, most of it much earlier than that.

A few of these clips are extremely well known, and probably readily available. Several of the ones in the first third of the tape are new to me, and likely fairly rare, although someone out there may well inform me otherwise. The first 18 minutes of this 45 minute reel are the "gold" to me. The last 27 minutes or so are from one of the Friars' roasts, and while it's an interesting recording (which may, again, be easily available elsewhere), it's fairly one-note humor but for who is doing some of the speaking.

Here, in order, is what you'll hear:

1.) An unidentified woman talking about a man in terms that the audience misconstrues (very short)

2.) Mike Wallace (of all people) giving a loaded question, from a listener at home, to Virginia Graham, catching her off guard. Her reaction seems quite over-the-top and insincere to me.

3.) A very funny fake commercial for "Duz". This is probably my favorite segment here.
4.) A very famous Bing Crosby outtake.

5.) Another well known excerpt from a children's interview show, featuring a child who reports having farted, and a host who can't keep it together.

6.) A singer introduces his song by slipping over its name, very badly.

7.) An announcer has difficulty getting through some very questionably written copy.

8.) Some rearranged Hedda Hopper quotes, attached to some off color questions.

9.) Perhaps the most famous bit here, in which Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis do promos for "The Caddy" and take a turn into the filthy. I've heard this a dozen times, and still don't find it funny. I guess it's because I don't find Jerry Lewis funny, and that I suspect that the way he acts here is how I suspect he really is, when not on camera.

10.) A discussion of love making between an anonymous man and woman.

11.) The aforementioned Friars' Roast recording, notable for its inclusion of such usually wholesome entertainers as Jack Benny and (of all people) Art Linkletter, engaging in filthy language. The honoree is someone named Harry Joe (I never did catch his last name).

I hope you find this (or at least parts of it) as entertaining as I do.

Download: Various Artists: A Compendium of Blue Material
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