UNUSUAL SONGS

Old, Fun, Silly, and Unusual Songs of the
Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies

The novelty songs listed below dating from 1952 made the British charts. All links are to You Tube
More contrived novelty Christmas songs are here

Older songs surviving into the Fifties and Sixties

1950s

A

B

C

D, E, F

G

H

I, J

K, L

M

N, O

P, Q

R

S

T

U, V

W

X, Y, Z

1960s

A

  • Abergavenny (“Taking a trip up to Abergavenny”) (Shannon aka Marty Wilde, 1969)
  • Ahab the Arab (Ray Stevens, 1965)
  • Ally Oop (The Hollywood Argyles, 1960)

B

C

D

E, F

G

H

I

J, K

L

M

N, O

P, Q

R

S

T

U, V

  • Up, Up and Away (The 5th Dimension, 1967)
  • VACATION (Connie Francis, 1962)

W

X, Y, Z

1970s

A, B

C

D, E, F

G, H, I

J, K, L

M, N, O

P, Q, R

S, T, U

V, W, X, Y, Z

To be amalgamated above:

  • Horsey, Horsey, Don’t You Stop (?)
  • The Laughing Policeman (Charles Penrose, 1922, but still going strong in the 1950s)

Some novelty songs did not make the charts, but were still well known, e.g.

  • Flash Bang Wallop (Tommy Steele, 1963)
  • Give Me Back my Gabardine Mac (Bernard Cribbins, 1960s)
  • I’m Backing Britain (Bruce Forsyth, 1967)
  • I’m Shy, Mary Ellen, I’m Shy (Stanley Holloway in 1962 after Jack Pleasants in 1912)
  • The Last Cigarette/The Tobacco Song (Sheila Hancock, 196?, originally sung by Miriam Karlin)
  • Let’s All Go Down the Strand (Stanley Holloway, 1962)
  • Mexican Hat Dance (Allan Sherman, 1963)
  • My Word, You Do Look Queer (Stanley Holloway, 1960, but originally recorded by him in 1938)
  • Pheasant Plucker’s Son (Bill Maynard, 1975)

Hit songs from some well-known and often viewed musicals, films and cartoons are omitted, e.g. Chim-chiminee, Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, Fortuosity, When I see an elephant fly, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Religious songs and spirituals such as “Amazing Grace“, “Little Drummer Boy“, “Mary’s Boy Child“, “She’ll be Coming Round the Mountain” not included.

Flanders & Swann: omitted, as too many, and mostly connected with stage musicals. The following, however, deserve a mention, as they were very well known: “The Gasman Cometh“, “The Hippopotamus“, “I’m a Gnu”, and the paean to the London omnibus, “A Transport of Delight” (1957).

There were many other well-known odd songs in the 1950s and 1960s that did not make the charts, such as “Frankfurter Sandwiches”.

© Stephanie Jenkins and Joan Williams

 

Last updated: 9 February, 2012