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The whacky song, Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp) was released on August 3, 1963.
vinyl LP front cover detail
album cover photo by Sid Avery
detail photo of album cover by Styrous®
Hello Muddah was based on the ballet music, Dance of the Hours (link below) from the opera La Gioconda composed by Amilcare Ponchielli; it was Sherman's biggest hit single and the song propelled him to international success.
The novelty song is from the album, My Son, the Nut by Allan Sherman. Although it was his third album released by Warner Bros. Records, he was not known outside of "Nuts" (pun intended) who were into comedy albums; that would've been me.
vinyl LP front cover
album cover photo by Sid Avery
photo of album cover by Styrous®
The words to the song, written by Sherman, are based on letters of complaint he received from his son Robert who was attending summer camp at Camp Champlain in Westport, New York.
photo of album cover by Styrous®
The lyrics describe unpleasant, dangerous, and tragic developments,
such as fellow campers going missing or contracting deadly illnesses.
Hello Muddah, hello Faddah
Here I am at Camp Grenada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining
I went hiking with Joe Spivey
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got Ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner
All the counsellors hate the waiters
And the lake has alligators
And the head coach wants no sissies
So he reads to us from something called Ulysses
Now I don't want this should scare ya'
But my bunkmate has Malaria
You remember Jeffery Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party
Take me home, oh Muddah, Faddah
Take me home, I hate Grenada
Don't leave me out in the forest where
I might get eaten by a bear
Take me home, I promise I will
Not make noise, or mess the house with
Other boys, oh please don't make me stay
I've been here one whole day
Dearest Fadduh, Darling Muddah
How's my precious little bruddah
Let me come home if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me
Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's bettah
Muddah, Faddah kindly disregard this letter
Here I am at Camp Grenada
Camp is very entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining
I went hiking with Joe Spivey
He developed poison ivy
You remember Leonard Skinner
He got Ptomaine poisoning last night after dinner
All the counsellors hate the waiters
And the lake has alligators
And the head coach wants no sissies
So he reads to us from something called Ulysses
Now I don't want this should scare ya'
But my bunkmate has Malaria
You remember Jeffery Hardy
They're about to organize a searching party
Take me home, oh Muddah, Faddah
Take me home, I hate Grenada
Don't leave me out in the forest where
I might get eaten by a bear
Take me home, I promise I will
Not make noise, or mess the house with
Other boys, oh please don't make me stay
I've been here one whole day
Dearest Fadduh, Darling Muddah
How's my precious little bruddah
Let me come home if you miss me
I would even let Aunt Bertha hug and kiss me
Wait a minute, it's stopped hailing
Guys are swimming, guys are sailing
Playing baseball, gee that's bettah
Muddah, Faddah kindly disregard this letter
Lou Busch
was the arranger and conductor for Sherman's albums. He was an American
record producer, musician and songwriter, who was best known for
performing as a pianist under the nickname Joe "Fingers" Carr. In 1955 he had an internationsl hit, Zambezi, which was written by Nico Carstens. In 1982 the British ska-influenced punk band, The Piranhas did a great cover of the song (links below).
Variations of the song include adaptations in Swedish ("Brev från kolonien" by Cornelis Vreeswijk), Finnish ("Terve mutsi, terve fatsi, tässä teidän ihmelapsi") and Norwegian ("Brev fra leier'n" by Birgit Strøm).
The Finnish version is included in the Finnish Boy Scouts' songbook.
The Swedish version notably does not revolve around the camper hating
the camp, but is about the kids running roughshod over it and having run
off all the counselors, one of whom has committed suicide after they
let a snake into the mess hall, and the organizer of the camp being
arrested by police after the kids start a forest fire. The song begins
with the boy writing the letter asking his parents to send more money,
because he has lost all his pocket money playing dice with the other
campers. The song then ends with the boy having to wrap up the letter as
he is about to join the others in burning down the neighboring camp
lodge.
The delightful album cover photo was by Sid Avery whose photos were also used on the albums, My Son the Celebrity, My Son the Folk Singer, and Allan In Wonderland, also by Sherman.
vinyl LP back cover detail
detail photo of album cover by Styrous® Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! has been an inspiration for many projects a couple of which are:
A 1965–66 sitcom, Camp Runamuck, was loosely inspired by the song. It starred Alice Nunn, whose big break was in New Faces of 1956, the follow up to New Faces of 1952 and who was in the Tim Burton 1985 film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Dave Madden, of The Partridge Family, also appeared in it.
A musical revue (link below), Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!, was inspired by the song. The production included the title song, as well as ditties from other Sherman albums, Harvey and Sheila (to the tune of Hava Nagila), and Glory, Glory Harry Lewis (aka Battle Hymn of the Republic).
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A1 - You Went The Wrong Way, Old King Louie, music by Russell*, Brooks* - 3:26
A2 - Automation, music by Sherman*, Busch* - 3:20
A3 - I See Bones, music by Hornez*, Betti*, Seelen* - 3:14
A4 - Hungarian Goulash Number 5, music by Sherman*, Busch* - 2:32
A5 - Headaches, music by Hoffman*, Klenner*Vocals [Childish Remark By] – Tom Greenleigh - 2:50
A6 - Here's To The Crabgrass, music by Sherman*, Busch*Vocals [With] – Jacqueline Ward - 3:19
Side 2:
B1 - Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!, music by Sherman*, Busch* - 2:48
B2 - One Hippopotami, music by Sherman*, Busch* - 3:29
B3 - Ratfink, music by Anderson*, Wills* - 2:16
B4 - You're Getting To Be A Rabbit With Me, music by Dubin*, Warren* - 1:50
B5 - Eight Foot Two, Solid Blue, music by Young*, Henderson*, Lewis* - 2:23
B6 - Hail To Thee, Fat Person, music by Sherman*, Busch* - 1:42
Credits:
Arranged By – Lou Busch
Conductor – Lou Busch
Engineer – Lowell Frank
Lyrics By – Allan Sherman, Lou Busch
Photography By – Sid Avery
Producer – Jimmy Hilliard
Songwriter – Allan Sherman
Notes:
Subtitle: "Sings Nutty Things, This Time With Strings"
Silver label
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side 1 Matrix Stamped): 8787-1L
Matrix / Runout (Side 2 Matrix Stamped): 8788-1A
Allan Sherman – My Son, The Nut
Label: Warner Bros. Records – W 1501
Format: Vinyl, Mono, LP
Country: US
Released: 1963
Genre: Non-Music
Style: Comedy, Parody
Net links:
NPR ~ Beyond Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh
The Hollywood Reporter ~
How Allan Sherman Became the Unlikeliest Pop Star
Daily Doo Wop ~ Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! review
Forward ~
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh, Hello Grandkids of My Original Fans
Tablet ~ Allan Sherman’s Last Laugh
Shiny New Wrinkle ~ No Laughing Matter
NY Times ~ From Birth to Death, Via Allan Sherman theater review
Variety ~ Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! theater review
YouTube links:
Allan Sherman ~
Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh! (A Letter from Camp)
songs from My Son the Nut
Amilcare Ponchielli ~ Dance of the Hours
Amilcare Ponchielli ~ Dance of the Hours "nude" version
Lou Busch and his Orchestra ~ Zambezi 78 RPM
Nico Carstens ~ Zambezi - live
The Piranhas ~ Zambezi
Styrous® ~ August 3, 2018
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