Friday, July 20, 2007

Mel Blanc Does The Andy Panda Polka!

I know, I know... we're supposed to be a Looney Tunes blog, but I think everyone will enjoy this one. I just wanted to do something to tie in with the upcoming release of the eagerly awaited Woody Woodpecker & Friends DVD set.

Here's a track from an obscure kiddie record from the mid-1950s, Woody Woodpecker's Family Album (released by Decca Records). It features some catchy original tunes by Clarence Wheeler (who was the musical director of the Lantz shorts at the time), dialogue written by Lantz storyman, Homer Brightman and featuring the voices of Grace Stafford as Woody, Gloria Wood as Chilly Willy and Mel Blanc as... just about everyone else (see? it ties into this blog after all!).



Here's Mel doing the voice of Andy Panda (!) who has invited Woody over to his house to watch "Prof. Flutengluten" (also Blanc) perform "The Andy Panda Polka"... a hilarious piece of audio that you can listen to on your iPod on your way to buy the Woody DVD on Tuesday.

Enjoy! The Andy Panda Polka MP3

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Disturbingly, this is the second cover of this song that I've heard. I think you were at least partly responsible for my having heard the first version, weren't you? (Dull version sung by a non-accented male tenor... without the Woody hand-slapping bits, leaving it unexplained as to why the dance should make its performers into "little jokers.")
Do pandas eat honey? I don't think so.

Jon Cooke said...

I believe the song originates from this album (I have even seen sheet music for it, crediting "Woody Woodpecker's Family Album" as the source) and , believe it or not, there's a *THIRD* cover of this song floating around out there. It's from the Golden Records "Woody Woodpecker Cast Album" from the 1960s sung by an all-female chorus!

Squiggy said...

I've heard yet another version sung by a single female, not polka style, on a 45 from Cricket Records.

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