GITARZAN
“Gitarzan” is a novelty song released by Ray Stevens in 1969, about a character who lives in a jungle and forms a musical band with his female partner, Jane, and their pet monkey. The song features Tarzan yells, scat singing, and a funky Boogie Woogie, as well as a quote from the song “Swinging on a Star”, with the line “Carrying Moonbeams Home in a Jar” sung with the wrong notes. The song reached #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1969, and #10 in Canada in May 1969. (More from Wikipedia)
It is more difficult for someone to make a career out of novelty records, but there have been a few. Ray Stevens started with “Ahab the Arab” (it hit #5 in 1962) and had a series of other hits later in the 1960’s and into the 1970’s: “Harry the Hairy Ape”, “Gitarzan”, “Santa Claus Is Watching You”, “The Streak”, etc. He did some serious songs also, notably “Everything Is Beautiful”.
(March 2013)
