Let's celebrate with a performance of #MacNamarasBand (or maybe "McNamara's Band") by another legendary group of performers, #SpikeJones and His City Slickers!
Uncharacteristically, they are playing the song relatively straight.
☘️
Thank you, Music Lovers.
#IrishSongs
35/35
It was 1945. The Jesters had recorded #MacNamarasBand twice before, but they were strictly a small-time trio.
Suddenly they were cutting wax with the biggest star of all!
The record charted: Top Ten.
And will probably be played this very Saint Patrick's Day, somewhere, on the radio.
☘️☘️☘️
31/n
Record label from "McNamara's Band", Decca record 23495 A, with Bing Crosby and the Jesters with Bob Haggart and His Orchestra.
So, as I said, I don't know how they got connected, but when it came time for #BingCrosby to record #MacNamarasBand, who got the call to be Bing's backup singers?
You guessed it. The lyricists for the "American Version."
The Jesters.
☘️☘️☘️
#IrishSongs
30/n
On 24 May 1932, near the beginning of their career, the Jesters cut a record, Victor 24052, of #MacNamarasBand.
But they spelled it "McNamara's Band."
#IrishSongs
15/n
Wikipedia can show you both the original Belfast verses and the Jesters' "American Version."
General Grant is substituted for the Prince of Wales, Uncle Yulius shows up ("But by Yimminy, I'm the only Swede in #MacNamarasBand"), and so forth.
#IrishSongs
14/n
However, Wamp Carlson's bio lists him as "Baritone, Swedish comedian," so maybe that's where the #MacNamarasBand verses about Uncle Yulius come from: "But by Yimminy, I'm the only Swede in McNamara's Band."
☘️
Or maybe Red was just adding lyrics to showcase his pal's talents.
#IrishSongs
13/n
Portrait of the trio from cover of sheet music. Text reads, "Featured by the Tastyeast Jesters: Dwight Latham, Wamp Carlson, Guy Bonham." Dwight usually went by the name "Red."
Did it really require three guys to rewrite the lyrics of #MacNamarasBand?
I suspect Red Latham did the heavy lifting; later he would co-author "I'm My Own Grandpaw."
However…
#IrishSongs
12/n
