Either you love it or you hate it, but once it gets to you it's impossible to stay unconcerned. There's many stories about this guy and how the stage character emerged. The one I choose to belive is the tale about the lonely child who grew up by the radio in the thirties, listening and learning both announcements and all the popular songs, thus introjecting both male vocals and high pitch female. At least that saga fits the impression. After attending clubs and talent competitions in the early sixties, singing old vaudeville numbers with a distinct vibrating falsetto accompanying himself on a ukulele, he became a novelty and started to get roles in films and TV-shows. 1968 he got a contract with Reprise records and they obviously decided to go all in and give him the best for this debute. Produced by Richard Perry, who just finished Captain Beefhearts "Safe As Milk", and arranged by legend Artie Butler. It's hard to give a brief description of the album. Most of it is early 20th century vaudeville tied toghether by short monologues/announcements, but there's also country, rock and psychedelia. Vocals ranging from deepest bariton to falsetto. On some of the songs he's singing duettes with himself, doing both male and female parts. Serious and very humoristic at the same time. The arrangement goes from sparse to heavily orchestrated, all elaborated and on the spot. It was odd back then and still is, defying zeitgeist and temporal tastes, and to my ears as fresh today as 1968. Favorite tracks - "Living In The Sunlight, Loving In The Moonlight" and "The Other Side". Premiere US on Reprise (RS 6292), also as mono promo (R 6292). First UK release in stereo only had label as shown here and laminated flip/back cover. (MÖRS*)
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