Whales? Really?
You've heard chipmunks singing Christmas songs. You've heard dogs singing Jingle Bells. You've seen entire albums featuring dogs, cats or cows. You've heard reindeer sing. Even snowmen. But I'm guessing you've never heard whales! Whales with tubas no less! If this doesn't take the cake, I don't know what will. This is The Whales Featuring Rathbone And His Tuba-The Chipmunk Song b/w If It Doesn't Snow On Christmas (Cenpro 7" 45 RPM 45001, Stereo, 1975). If this isn't the strangest animal you've ever heard sing Christmas carols, you'd better leave me a comment and prove it!
Thinking about it, when did those recording of whale songs become popular? I remember getting a National Geographic when I was a wee tyke, and there was a flexidisc in there with whale songs on it. Later on there were whole records devoted to such recordings, I wonder if this was part of that whole fad? Looks like this record preceded the National Geographic one. So much for my theory...
I think the whale craze (for want of a better term) peaked in the early 1980s, though it seems to have start at least a decade before that. Very funny sides--I wonder if it all started with the innovation of reversing the David Seville trend and slowing down, rather than speeding up, the voices? And what mammals have hyper-low "voices"? Whales. Not to make light of the ecological concern in question, but I think the makers of this record saw a chance to ride a trend.
ReplyDeleteI can wholeheartedly endorse the following of trends for Christmas songs! Or creating new trends! Either way...
ReplyDeleteIf either of these tracks came on as part of the holiday soundtrack while shopping in a retail store, people would think something had gone wrong... Thanks for this oddity, Ernie!
ReplyDeleteI didn't even know that Basil Rathbone OWNED a tuba.
ReplyDeleteSweet!
ReplyDeleteholy shit.
ReplyDeleteShould I download this? Midas Whale :-)
ReplyDeleteHoly schnikes, this sounds like it was made by Jigsaw from the Saw movies. That's not to say I didn't enjoy it lol
ReplyDeleteWell, this one seems to have touched a chord. Glad you all like it, or at least tolerate it. Thanks for the comments, but the puns are killing me! :)
ReplyDeleteWOW! Finally got a chance to listen. This is messed up!
ReplyDeleteThe big problem is sustained notes. Listen at the end of every line. When you slow the sound down every warble gets magnified and extended. The normal vibrato that occurs with a sustained note (outside of Autotune) just gets magnified. So anything out of tune at normal frequency is just multiplied. So those sustained notes just go way out of tune.
Crazy!
ReplyDeleteI have a friend for whom Christmas pretty much only lasts the one day, and he needs to hear The Chipmunk Song for it to be Christmas (he's...a character). I've sent him this version and I can't wait to hear how much he hates it.
I hope to see one side or the other from this one on all of your Christmas comps next year!
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ReplyDeleteAn update: my friend didn't like it. His email contained a lot of all-caps words.
Your friend obviously has no taste... ;)
ReplyDeleteWhales doing The Chipmunk Song - what's not to like?
ReplyDeleteExactly!! :)
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