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ALLAN SHERMAN LIVE! (HOPING YOU ARE THE SAME)
1966 (LP) Sherman had a pretty successful turn playing the Nevada casinos for a
year or three there, though it was rumored that much of his salary found its way
back into the hotel coffers via the Blackjack tables. Like many comedians,
he found that once he'd put out an album, the audiences that came to see him
knew the material too well to laugh properly, so he usually worked "one ahead."
He'd perform a few of his bigger hits of the past but at any given point, his
live act generally consisted of tunes he'd be recording for his next album.
(He also had a few that he never put on records, either because of rights
problems or because he didn't want the material to be lost to him for live performance.
Overweight, a parody of Over the Rainbow, didn't make it onto
vinyl because it couldn't be cleared so he performed it live.) This album, recorded live over several nights at the
Nugget casino in Sparks, Nevada, gives a good example of what he did in casino showrooms and nightclubs. His full act at the time generally
included a rendition of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (not Nevada style), a "Shticks" medley of short snippets from different tunes, and at
least one "straight" song, usually Oddball (see below).
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! - Nevada style • A Song Written by Elizabeth Taylor • Taking Lessons • A Waste of Money
• Smog Gets in Your Eyes • Sorry 'bout That • Mononucleosis • Dodgin' the Draft • The Rebel • When I'm in the Mood for
Love (You're in the Mood for Herring) • Second Hand Nose • Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long • If I Could Play Piano • Son of
Peyton Place
SECOND HAND NOSE
IF I COULD PLAY PIANO
1966 (45) Two songs from Allan Sherman Live! One is a
parody of a then-recent Barbra Streisand hit. The other is Sherman's
not-so-terrific imitation of Jimmy Durante. So he had a kind of "nose"
theme going with this single.
ODDBALL
HIS OWN LITTLE ISLAND
1966 (45 RPM) This single contains two ballads that represent Sherman's one attempt to convince America that he was not just a parodist but a
writer/singer of poignant serious songs. The attempt was not successful and the record received limited distribution and even less
attention. Oddball was a tune he had written much earlier in his career as a love song to his wife, Dee.
In the space on the label where the artist's name is given, it says, "Another
side of Allan Sherman."
TOGETHERNESS
1967 (LP) Sherman's final mainstream album contains more attempts to move beyond song parodies.
Of the eleven cuts, only three were based completely on pre-existing tunes,
though a few others were intended to remind us of known songs. Sales on
the album were poor and Sherman didn't even attempt another for several years. (That
album, which was apparently only partly written and never recorded, was to
be a collection of songs about golf.) One of Sherman's associates suggested that the problem was that he'd left behind the chubby little
Jewish guy with the crewcut who audiences had found so adorable, and was trying too hard to become Sinatra, only funny. There were only two
Jewish-themed songs on this record — his only mainstream album (that is,
apart from the two he did for advertising concerns) to be recorded in a studio without a live audience in attendance. One, a parody of
If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof, was a long, dreary effort that might have been funny to folks who were aware that
Tishman was the name of a large real estate development company. Faring somewhat better — but still far from hits — were the first
two cuts. Westchester Hadassah parodied the then-recent hit by a rock group called The New Vaudeville Band. Strange Things in
My Soup started life as a rewrite of Frank Sinatra's 1966 hit, Strangers in the Night
but Sherman's publisher was unable to obtain parody rights for a reasonable
price, so a "sound-alike" tune was written instead. All in all, it added
up to his most disappointing record...and, sadly, the last time he ever recorded
comedy songs for general release.
Westchester Hadassah • Strange Things in My Soup • Turn Back the Clock • Signs • Down the Drain • Plan Ahead
• Togetherness • Spanish Flea • My Aunt Minnie • If I Were a Tishman • There's No Governor Like Our New Governor
WESTCHESTER HADASSAH
STRANGE THINGS IN MY SOUP
1967 (45 RPM) The single release of the best two songs on Togetherness.
ALLAN SHERMAN POURS IT ON FOR CARPETS MADE WITH ENCRON
POLYESTER
1968 (LP) An ultra-rare commercial album recorded by Sherman for the
American Enka Corporation and distribute only to its employees, suppliers and
associates. Silly songs about rugs.
Introduction • Encron Is A Brand New Fiber • Put Them All
Together, They Spell Encron • There Is A Fiber Called Encron • Encron Alive,
Alive-O • Encron's the Name • Why They Call It Encron • Encron, Encron •
Encron Is A Great New Fiber
 
THE FIG LEAVES ARE FALLING
1968 (LP) In 1967, Sherman wrote the the lyrics and book for a proposed Broadway
show called The Fig Leaves Are Falling. The music was by Albert Hague,
who was better known for the Broadway show, Redhead, the legendary
cartoon of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and his role as the music
professor in the movie and TV show, Fame. To interest investors, a "demo" record was recorded containing nine proposed
songs for the show, three of them sung by Sherman. The show, directed by
the legendary George Abbott, debuted on Broadway on January 2, 1969 and closed
four days later, joining the ranks of legendary flops of the Great White Way.
The demo album is therefore among the
few remnants of the venture and is very rare.
All of My Laughter • We • Juggling • Today, I Saw a Rose • The Fig Leaves Are Falling • Light One Candle •
Like Yours • For the Rest of My Life • Did I Ever Really Live?
THE FIG LEAVES ARE FALLING
JUGGLING
1968 (45 RPM) Sherman recorded two songs from his ill-fated Broadway show, the
release apparently timed to coincide with the opening. When the show
folded, the records quietly vanished from stores and so are hard to find.
Only six years after he had the hottest-selling record in history, Allan
Sherman's career as a recording artist was effectively over. From this
point on, everything would be reissues.
FOUR DEMOS
1972 (LP) Almost impossible to find is a small-circulation LP,
apparently bootlegged, which contains the demo recordings for four flop Broadway
shows — Come Summer, which starred Ray Bolger and which ran seven
performances in 1969; Celebration, which was written by Harvey Schmidt
and Tom Jones, and which ran 109 performances, also in 1969; Comedy, a
1972 revue which closed out of town; and The Fig Leaves are Falling.
DR. DEMENTO'S DELIGHTS
1975 (LP) A collection of novelty songs includes Hello Muddah, Hello
Fadduh!
THE VERY BEST OF ALLAN SHERMAN
1976 (LP) Apart from the 45 RPM version of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
and the above Dr. Demento LP, Sherman's material was out of print in America when this British
collection was issued. U.S. dealers imported copies in sufficient quantity to demonstrate that there was a market for a good Allan Sherman
reissue, but it took a few years for it to come about.
That Old Back Scratcher • Your Mother's Here To Stay • Sarah Jackman • Shine On, Harvey Bloom • The Painless
Dentist Song • Second Hand Nose • Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! • The Twelve Gifts Of Christmas • Mexican Hat Dance • My Zelda
• A Waste Of Money • Bye Bye Blumberg
25 YEARS OF RECORDED COMEDY
1977 (LP) The Warner Brothers record division puts out a 3-record set of
great comedy recordings with liner notes by Gary Owens. The Allan Sherman
selection is Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
  
BEST OF ALLAN SHERMAN
1979 (LP) A very good collection of Sherman's best work, including the first appearance on an LP of Crazy Downtown and the '64 version of
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! • Crazy Downtown • Eight Foot Two, Solid Blue • Harvey and Sheila • When I Was a Lad
• Good Advice • Sarah Jackman • You Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louie • J.C. Cohen • One Hippopotami • The Twelve
Gifts of Christmas • Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! (1964 Version)
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS
1981 (LP) In the sixties, Sherman performed occasionally on the NBC comedy series, That Was the Week That Was. In 1981, Radiola Records
issued an album collecting bits of soundtracks from various episodes and they included one of Sherman's spots.
BEATLESONGS
1982 (LP) Sherman's Pop Hates the Beatles is included in this Rhino compilation of novelty songs about the Fab Four.
The album gained a certain notoriety when, months after it was released, someone
noticed that artist Bill Stout had included John Lennon's assassin, Mark David
Chapman, among the group shot of Beatles fans. Rhino Records pulled the
record and rereleased it with a different cover.
GOOFY GOLD
???? (LP) A record compilation of silly songs by various artists, including Sherman's Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
FUNKY FAVORITES
???? (LP) A Ronco record of novelty tunes by various artists. Includes Sherman's Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
 
A GIFT OF LAUGHTER: THE BEST OF ALLAN SHERMAN, VOL. 2
1986 (LP) A hard-to-find album, put out at about the time all the
record stores were giving up on vinyl.
A Waste of Money • Grow, Mrs. Goldfarb • Shake Hands with Your
Uncle Max • Lotsa Luck • You're Getting To Be a Rabbit with Me • Me • Shticks of
One, Half a Dozen of the Other • Al N' Yetta • The Rebel • Pop Hates the Beatles
•Rat Fink • Chim Chim Cheree • The Streets of Miami • Hail to Thee, Fat Person
MY SON, THE GREATEST: THE BEST OF ALLAN SHERMAN
1988 (CD) The most available source of Sherman these days and a good selection. Crazy Downtown is a slightly longer version than the original
45 RPM record and the first release of the song in stereo.
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! • Crazy Downtown • A Waste Of Money • Harvey And Sheila • Good Advice •
Sarah Jackman • You Went The Wrong Way, Old King Louie • One Hippopotami • Shake Hands With Your Uncle Max • You're Getting To Be
a Rabbit With Me • Shticks Of One and Half A Dozen Of The Other • Al N' Yetta • The Rebel • Pop Hates The Beatles, • The
Twelve Gifts Of Christmas • Chim Chim Cheree • Lotsa Luck • The Streets Of Miami • Hail To Thee, Fat Person
DR. DEMENTO PRESENTS THE GREATEST CHRISTMAS NOVELTY CD OF ALL TIME
1989 (CD) Includes Sherman's version of The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.
DR. DEMENTO 20th ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
1991 (CD) Includes Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
DR. DEMENTO PRESENTS SPOOKY TUNES AND SCARY MELODIES
1994 (CD) Includes My Son, the Vampire.
RHINO'S FAMOUS SWEET 16 SAMPLER
1994 (CD) The Rhino record company celebrated its 16th anniversary by
issuing a sampler designed to resemble a box of candy. Included was Mr.
Sherman's Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! An enormously rare item.
HAVE A FUN CHRISTMAS
1995 (CD) Includes The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.
THE BEST COMEDY ALBUM IN THE WORLD...EVER!
2000? (CD) This 3-CD set of great comedy recordings includes Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
REPRISE MUSICAL REPERTORY THEATRE
2000 (CD) A 4-CD set of the four records issued in 1963 and 1964 on the
Reprise label with all-star casts singing the scores of great musicals.
Contains Kiss Me Kate, South Pacific, Finian's Rainbow and Guys and
Dolls. Sherman is heard in one cut on the Guys and Dolls disc.
THE VERY BEST OF DR. DEMENTO
2001 (CD) Includes Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
CHRISTMAS OLDIE HITS (aka CHRISTMAS COMEDY HITS)
2002? (CD) Includes The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.
ORIGINAL COMEDY CLASSICS
2002? (CD) Includes Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
GUYS AND DOLLS
2003 (CD) Reissue of the version with Frank Sinatra and an all-star cast. For some reason, this CD is generally advertised as "1976 Studio
Recording" even though it was recorded in 1963 and initially released in 1964. Allan Sherman died in 1973, which would have made it difficult to get much of a
performance out of him three years later.
PETER AND THE COMMISSAR
2004 (CD) The album Sherman did with the Boston Pops finally makes it to CD.
WACKY CHRISTMAS
2004 (CD) The Twelve Gifts of Christmas is included in yet another CD compilation of silly Christmas tunes.
CHART-TOPPING CRAZY HITS
2004 (CD) Yet another compilation including Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
COMEDY FOR CHRISTMAS
2005 (CD) What else? Contains The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.
CHRISTMAS COMEDY CLASSICS, VOL. 2
???? (CD) Yep. Another CD with The Twelve Gifts of Christmas.
THAT WAS THE WEEK THAT WAS
2005 (CD) CD issue of the 1981 Radiola LP.
NOW, THAT SOUNDS KOSHER!
2005 (CD) A compilation of Jewish-themed comedy. Includes Sir
Greenbaum's Madrigal by Sherman.
THESE GHOULISH THINGS: HORROR HITS FOR HALLOWEEN
2005 (CD) A whole bunch of monster-themed tunes including Mr. Sherman's
My Son, the Vampire.
 
MY SON, THE BOX
2005 (CD) A six CD set containing almost everything Allan Sherman ever
recorded.
Disc 1: Jack Benny Introduction • Ballad of Harry
Lewis • Shake Hands with Your Uncle Max • Sir Greenbaum's Madrigal • My Zelda •
Streets of Miami • Sarah Jackman • Jump Down, Spin Around (Pick a Dress O'
Cotton) • Seltzer Boy • Oh Boy • Shticks and Stones • Goldeneh Moments from
Broadway ("My Fair Lady")
Disc 2: Al 'N Yetta • Medley: Barry Is the Baby's
Name/Horowitz/Get on the Garden Freeway • Mexican Hat Dance • The Bronx Bird
Watcher • Let's All Call Up A.T.&T. And Protest to the President March • Harvey
and Sheila • Won't You Come Home, Disraeli? • No One's Perfect • When I Was a
Lad • Me • Shticks of One and Half a Dozen of the Other • Chopped Liver
(outtake) • Smart Ass (outtake) • You
Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louie • Automation • I See Bones • Hungarian
Goulash No. 5 • Headaches • Here's to the Crabgrass
Disc 3: Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! • One
Hippopotami • Ratt Fink • You're Getting to Be a Rabbit with Me • Eight Foot
Two, Solid Blue • Hail to Thee, Fat Person • Sue Me • Twelve Gifts of Christmas
(Unedited Single Version) • Skin • Lotsa
Luck • Green Stamps • Holiday for States • You Need an Analyst • Drop-Outs March
• I Can't Dance • Night and Day (With Punctuation Marks) • Little Butterball •
Good Advice • My Son, the Vampire
Disc 4: Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
(1964 Version) • Grow, Mrs. Goldfarb •
Your Mother's Here to Stay • Pills • Shine on, Harvey Bloom • J.C. Cohen • Pop
Hates the Beatles • Beautiful Teamsters • Kiss of Myer • America's a Nice
Italian Name • Twelve Gifts of Christmas
(Edited Version) • Bye Bye Blumberg • It's a Most Unusual Play •
The Laarge Daark Aardvark Song • That Old Back Scratcher • Call Me • Peyton
Place, U.S.A. • Drinking Man's Diet • Secret Code • The Painless Dentist Song •
Chim Chim Cheree • Go to Sleep, Paul Revere! • An Average Song • When I'm in the
Mood for Love (You're in the Mood for Herring)
(Alternate Version) • Overweight People
(Outtake)
Disc 5: Crazy Downtown
(Extended Version) • Hello Muddah, Hello
Fadduh! (1964 Version, alternate) • Where Do You Come From, Tex?
(outtake) • Between 18th & 19th on
Chestnut Street (outtake) • Christmas
'65 (outtake) • Intro to Allan Sherman
Record • Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! - Nevada style • A Song Written by Elizabeth Taylor • Taking Lessons • A Waste of Money
• Smog Gets in Your Eyes • Sorry 'bout That • Mononucleosis • Dodgin' the Draft • The Rebel • When I'm in the Mood for
Love (You're in the Mood for Herring) • Second Hand Nose • Sam, You Made the Pants Too Long • If I Could Play Piano • Son of
Peyton Place • His Own Little Island (outtake)
Disc 6: Odd Ball • His Own Little Island • Makin'
Coffee • Vending Machines • There Are Cups • That's How The Change Is Made • The
Wonderful Tree in the Forest • Scott Cups • Westchester Hadassah • Strange Things in My Soup • Turn Back the Clock • Signs • Down the Drain • Plan Ahead
• Togetherness • Spanish Flea • My Aunt Minnie • If I Were a Tishman • There's No Governor Like Our New Governor
• Dum Dum Song (outtake) • Somewhere •
Westchester Hadassah (Alternate Version) • Turn Back the Clock (Alternate
Version) • Down the Drain (Alternate Version) •
Plan Ahead (Alternate Version) •
Togetherness (Alternate Version) •
Spanish Flea (Alternate Version) • If I
Were a Tishman (Alternate Version) •
There's No Governor Like Our New Governor (2
Alternate Versions) • Introduction • Encron Is A Brand New Fiber • Put Them All
Together, They Spell Encron • There Is A Fiber Called Encron • Encron Alive,
Alive-O • Encron's the Name • Why They Call It Encron • Encron, Encron •
Encron Is A Great New Fiber • Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!
(Live Version)
Allan Sherman died on November 21, 1973 due to emphysema. He was survived by his wife, Dee, and his two children, Robert and
Nancy. Robert followed in some of his father's footsteps by becoming a producer for Goodson-Todman.
As you can see above, many of Allan Sherman's recordings remain in print to be re-experienced by old fans and discovered by new
ones. A few references have dated but for the most part, his body of work is still making people laugh, still delighting listeners. And
it will continue to do that for a long time.
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