The Spike Jones Show Vol. 4: Starring Spike Jones and his City Slickers

Many of the episodes on this volume were broadcast from Hollywood, but the program (which finally became The Spike Jones Show when it moved to a Sunday evening time slot in January 1949) traveled extensively in its last season—New Orleans, Jacksonville, Charlotte, Richmond, Philadelphia, Washington, New York, Boston, Chicago, Des Moines, and San Francisco. (The City Slickers never missed the opportunity to perform the likes of “Carolina in the Morning” or “Pennsylvania Polka”). Among the highlights heard here are the Slickers’ outlandish takeoff on “Riders in Sky” (May 21, 1949) with the original ending mocking vocalist Vaughn Monroe, who failed to appreciate being the butt of the joke. Despite the show’s popularity with the listening audience, it was ultimately “too raucous” for its sponsor, Coca-Cola. Spike refused to tone things down, resulting in his replacement by Percy Faith. The star-studded guest list on these episodes includes Marlene Dietrich, Boris Karloff (performing a Paul Revere sketch), Charles Boyer, Tony Martin, Cyd Charisse, Gene Tierney (featured in a parody of Spellbound), Madeleine Carroll, Lassie (doing “Il Barkio”), Kirk Douglas, Don Ameche, Frances Langford (in a parody of The Bickersons), and Janis Paige.

2/6/49 w/ Eddy Arnold and Janis Paige; 2/13/49 w/ Tony Martin and Cyd Charisse; 2/20/49 w/ Alec Templeton and Monica Lewis; 2/27/49 w/ Hildegarde; 3/6/49 w/ Burgess Meredith and Peggy Mann; 3/12/49 w/ Gene Tierney; 3/26/49 w/ Madeleine Carroll; 4/2/49 w/ Charles Boyer and Kitty Kallen; 4/9/49 w/ Boris Karloff; 4/23/49 w/ Marlene Dietrich; 4/30/49 w/ Don McNeil and the Dinning Sisters; 5/7/49 w/ Francis Langford; 5/28/49 w/ Eddy Arnold and Lassie; 6/4/49 w/ Dan Dailey; 6/11/49 w/ Kay Starr and Kirk Douglas; and 6/25/49 w/ Don Ameche