FunHouse Radio

Novelty Records, Parodies, Weird Covers, Outsider Music, Oddities, Mashups, Comedy, Nonsense & Cringe.

“Star Trekkin'” by The Firm – From Self-Published Single to International Chart Topper – Goofy Video With Puppets and Stop Frame Animation

Posted on 2023-09-08 by Wacky Alex

Back in 1987, The Star Trek franchise had established a strong cult following after a string of successful motion pictures and decades of reruns of the original series on TV. Public enthusiasm was so strong that the now ubiquitous reboot, Star Trek: The Next Generation. began in the Fall.

But this song is not about TNG. A British novelty music act called The Firm created “this song”Star Trekkin'” with lyrics based on catch phrases and dialog from Star Trek: The Original Series which originally aired in the 1960s.

They tried to get the track published on a major label but they all declined. So the band decided self-published single on 7 in 45 RPM. The original run was just 500 copies. These original pressings are highly collectible today.

The song caught on, but not in North America, It hit number one in The UK and charted in Australia, Japan and parts of Europe. The group subsequently included the song on their first album.

The music video is weird and goofy. It utilized crude puppetry and stop frame animation. It’s so bad that it’s good. It kind of reminds me of Robot Chicken. The original print is believed to be lost today. YouTube has a a few attempts at recovery. The best one I could find is included at the top

Back in North America, “Star Trekkin'” was released on Dr. Demento Presents the Greatest Novelty CD of All Time in 1988, Dr. Demento: 20th Anniversary Collection in 1991, and Dr. Demento: Hits from Outer Space in 2006.

I had a very cool and strange roommate my sophomore year in college. He was lucky enough to own one of the compilations. I had never heard the syndicated radio show, but I had seen music video specials, so I was aware of the good doctor. This was not quite the beginning of my love affair with novelty records but Dr D has obviously been a huge influence on me and this radio channel.

Of course we also love Star Trek around here too.

“Pee-Wee’s Dance” by Joeski Love – Old School HipHop – Goofy Video

Posted on 2023-08-10 by Wacky Alex

The death of Paul Reubens made me really sad. I spent a week reviewing his appearances on Late Night TV. People posted a lot about him and his work on social media. I waited to write a blog for FunHouse Radio but I didn’t want to just repeat the same stuff.

It seems like a lot of Pee-Wee fans never became familiar this track by Joeski Love. I remember the first time I heard it. I was in a small discount store called Shopper’s World in Detroit. They had a small electronics section that included a selection of boomboxes. This track was blasting through one or more of them.

Believe it or not, it was actually on the radio! There was at least one radio station in Detroit at the time that was playing this amusing track.

At the time though, it was only available as a 12 inch single, in limited numbers and on a small independent label. I never found a copy but the label looked like this.

Eventually I found a cassette tape compilation with the song on it. Rap’s Greatest Hits was released in 1986 and it was my main jam until volume two came out.

The video is another story. I might have seen in on TV a few times as a kid. Is that a young Jack Black playing the teacher? Ha! Made you look! Can you do that move with your neck?

Special thanks to Hip Hop History Guy for sharing this restored-ish version of the video. The original master film is probably now considered lost media. It would be great to get the 4K scan and AI remaster treatment if it ever resurfaces.

If you enjoyed this blog, please share it on your social media! Cheers!

“She Tortures Barbies” by Captain Ambivalent – 2023 lyric video

Posted on 2023-07-29 by Wacky Alex

Not all girls are into Barbie dolls. Barbie is in the headlines and some people have been torturing the dolls for views on YouTube.

Captain Ambivalent has a niece who is no stranger to doll torture. She beat these amatures to the punch back in 2014. “She Tortures Barbies” was track three on Private Ninja Zombie and the young lady had just turned 10 years old. The lyrics recall actual conversations he had with his niece at the time.

This rather disturbing song has been in rotation at FunHouse Radio for two years now. We’ve always been a little unsure of the lyrics none-the-less. Lucky for us, The Good Captain released this new lyric video yesterday. Everything makes so much more sense now.

I look forward to watching the Barbie movie, but in 20 minute segments. I can’t look at the color pink for more than 20 minutes at a time.

“Big Lizard” by The Dead Milkmen

Posted on 2022-07-27 by Wacky Alex

This is basically the title track to an amazing album Big Lizard in My Backyard. Of course it contains their big hit “Bitchin’ Camero”. I also love “Swordfish”, “Right Wing Pigeons”, & “Nutrition”. It’s a blast to just listen to the album straight through.

The story behind the song reminds me of Little Shop of Horrors. Rather than a plant that grows too large and gets out of control, it’s a big lizard.

Back in the early 90s my best friend had the album on cassette. I have it on CD now but I would love to find the LP in good condition.

I got to see The Dead Milkmen perform at the Phoenix Amphitheater in Pontiac. They were great and lived up to their zany reputation.

The image above is of the cassette release. It’s sideways or “landscape” rather than the typical “portrait” orientation.

“Feelin’ Groovy” by Liberace & The Young Folk on The Red Skelton Hour 1968

Posted on 2022-06-16 by Wacky Alex

“This is a perfect example of how network television was totally out of touch with what was going on in the 60’s and early 70’s.” -Dane F

“This is how the generation gap ended. All the kids loved hanging out with their parents after this aired, and Jack Webb opened an insurance business with Timothy Leary.” -Rudy S

“…For my birthday in 1969, I received a bike that had a white seat with groovy flowers just like those on the piano.” -Trisha D

“I read that they toured at Leningrad Stadium and sang for Kruschev. It nearly started WW3 when he choked on his vodka and the Politburo took it as an American plot to assassinate him.” -roblindsay101

Wait. WHAT? These are all from the comment section on YouTube.

In my opinion, this bit of footage is so bad that it’s good. It’s like watching a train-wreck but with all the cars painted up in groovy color patterns. Far out man.

If you can find something musical on youtube that is so bad that it’s good, please let us know in the comments!

“99 Words For Boobs” by Robert Lund (Parody of “99 Luftballons” by Nena)

Posted on 2022-06-10 by Wacky Alex

Sun’s out, jugs out. It’s that time of year. The laddies are letting them show. Celebrate the summer blooms with Robert Lund. He’s the nutty creator of this track.

According to discogs, this track has been released on three different compilations. These are The FuMP Volume 2, Dr. Demento’s Basement Tapes 16, and The Best Of Robert Lund. I hope to get a copy of that best of on CD at some point. We love Robert’s parodies!

A number of people have created slideshow-style music videos for this song. You can find them on YouTube but they are all age-restricted. Here is an example.

I found the lyrics too. Go ahead and count the synonyms. See if there are really 99.

Jugs and orbs and darts and gourds
Elmer Fudds and bouncing Buddhas
Sweater stretchers, lung protectors
Beach umbrellas, frost detectors
Scooby Snacks and snake-eyes dice
Jell-o molds and high-beam lights
Every day I probably use
99 words for boobs
Humpty Dumplings, Hardy Boys
Double lattes, Ode to Joys
Hooters, shooters, physics tutors
Bobbsey Twins and bald commuters
Double-WMD’s
MRE’s and PFD’s
Snow-white dwarfs, Picasso cubes
99 words for boobs
Gerber servers, holy grails
Whoopee cushions, humpback whales
Flying saucers, traffic stoppers
Super Big Gulps, Double Whoppers
Pillows, billows, Don DeLillos
Soft-serve cones and armadillos
Pimped-out hubcaps, inner tubes
99 words for boobs
Midget earmuffs, warming globes
Strobes and probes and frontal lobes
Knockers, honkers, knicker bonkers
Smurfs and Screaming Yellow Zonkers
Tannin’ cannons, Mister Bigs
Big bad wolves and Porky Pigs
Jogging partners, saline noobs
99 words for boobs
Two-point jumpers, Bambi’s Thumpers
Rubber baby buggy bumpers
Rutabagas, Chi Omegas
Schwag the showgirls show in Vegas
Congo bongos, bowling pins
Fast-pitch softballs, siamese twins
Your claims I’m breast-obsessed are true
We’re quite a pair ’cause I’m a boob too

Did the song forget to mention a certain word? Do you use a unique word for boobs? My grandma used to call them “chi-chis”. Let us know what you call them in the comments.

-Wacky Alex

“Cheese Roll Call” by Pinky & The Brain

Posted on 2022-06-04 by Wacky Alex

Celebrate National Cheese Day with this classic cartoon and song from Pinky & The Brain. Pinky points out that there are so many different kinds of cheeses in the world that it’s actually quite bizarre.

The song itself is sung to the tune of “Semper Fidelis”, the official march of the United States Marine Corps.

Do you hanker for a hunk of cheese? What are your favorites? Let us know in the comments.