Friday Fun: A Looney Tune

You didn’t actually think we were done with Shep Fields, did you?

For some Friday fun, we’re heading back to 1937 with Shep’s band in full Rippling Rhythm mode on The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down. This tune is still instantly recognizable today as the theme for the Looney Tunes cartoons, but most people don't realize it started life as a genuine pop song! If you only know this tune from Bugs and Daffy, you’re in for a treat!

The Sweet Rides

Here’s Shep with Bobby Goday on Bluebird:

I think Shep’s Rippling Rhythm band does the best ‘merry‑go‑round’ of them all — that bubbly, circular texture is practically built for this tune!

But in addition to Shep’s, a couple of other sweet bands jumped on the merry‑go‑round with some popular versions.

The first artist to record the tune was trombonist/composer/arranger Russ Morgan with his orchestra featuring Jimmie Lewis on Brunswick:

Russ was still fiddling with his billing, as it shows Music in the Russ Morgan Manner rather than the later, more familiar Russ Morgan and his Orchestra "Music in the Morgan Manner," which used up a lot of label space!

And the elegant society pianist Eddy Duchin recorded it for Victor with his longtime vocalist Lew Sherwood:

That one fascinates me — it gets a little rippling‑rhythm‑y itself! I think I need to listen to more Eddy Duchin records.

I’m pretty sure the first time I heard “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down” as an actual song was on an album of radio transcription discs by Dick Jurgens and his Orchestra. Here’s that version with Eddy Howard on the vocal:

The skit that bookends the track doesn’t do much for me (although it maybe wouldn't have been included on a commercial record for home use), but the arrangement underneath is pretty snappy. And Eddy Howard could sing the phone book and I’d still be happy!

The Swinging Ride

Jimmie and the boys have upgraded their ride!

The tune also made its way to perhaps the swingiest of the swing bands - Jimmie Lunceford and his Orchestra. Arranger Sy Oliver could make anything swing, and here’s proof. Sy also handles the vocal on this Decca side:

Now that’s a merry‑go‑round I’d hop on!

Across the Pond

Some of the British bands got in on the fun too. Here’s Roy Fox on HMV with Sid Buckman on the vocal:

I know I've said it before, but those 1930s British dance bands had it going on!

Staying in England, we hit perhaps the most surreal version to make it onto shellac - this British Brunswick release by Billy Costello, the (former) original voice of Popeye from the Fleischer cartoons:

I don’t think that version was released in the U.S. at the time, apparently because Billy wasn't authorized to used the Popeye name, but whatever the case, we basically have Popeye singing the theme song of a cartoon series from a rival studio on a British label. Only in the 1930s!

Still in Europe, here’s a fun instrumental version from France by ex-patriate American trumpeter Bill Coleman with a small group including the legendary Stéphane Grappelli on violin, on the Swing label:

Pure 1937 joy right there!

The Winning Revival

After the flurry of recordings in 1937, the tune didn’t get revisited much in the following years - probably because it became the Looney Tunes theme that same year, first used in the cartoon Rover’s Rival.

So it’s especially intriguing that two decades later, in 1958, a trio billed as The Poll Winners included it on their album The Poll Winners Ride Again on the Contemporary label. Said poll winners are guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelley Manne, and bassist Ray Brown! It’s almost unfair to unleash those West Coast Jazz legends on an old novelty tune, but we’re the beneficiaries.

This is where the merry‑go‑round grows up and gets a driver’s license!

The Daffiest Ride of All

We’ve taken a lot of rides on this merry‑go‑round, but we still need to check out what is perhaps the definitive version. Here’s Daffy Duck singing his own take from 1938’s Daffy Duck and Egghead:

Now that’s looney!

Are you dizzy yet?