September 25, 2022

20,000 vinyl LPs 328: Li'l Abner & Peter Palmer

 ~  
  vinyl LP front cover detail 
front cover design by Al Capp
photo by Styrous®


This month is the birthday of Broadway musical actor, Peter Palmer, who was born on September 20, 1931, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was best known for his portrayal of Li'l Abner, with Edie Adams who played Daisy Mae Scragg; Palmer played the role of Li'l Abner Yokum both on Broadway and in the film.  
 
I used one of the satirical songs he sang in Li'l Abner, The Country's in the Very Best of Hands, during the, The Vote, event at the Gray Loft Gallery (link below) last weekend.       
 
 
  vinyl LP front cover 
front cover design by Al Capp
photo by Styrous®
 
 
Palmer chose the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to study voice. He was the first music major to letter in football at the university. He was an impressive 6' 3" and well built . . .     
 
 
L'il Abner theater program
 
 
. . . so he was perfect in the role of the innocent, muscle-bound but gentle L'il Abner of Dogpatch which was often referred to by its inhabitants and outsiders as being the most miserable and unnecessary place on earth.                     
 
 
L'il Abner theater program
 
 
While he was at UI, his team won the Big Ten championships in 1951 and 1953 and the Rose Bowl in 1952. Palmer sang the national anthem at every home game in 1953 before taking the field. He was deaf in one ear.          
 
 
 
  vinyl LP back cover 
photo by Styrous®
 
 
Palmer won a singing contest while in the U.S. Army, he was rewarded with an appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, where he sang Granada. The producers of L'il Abner, Melvin Frank and Norman Panama, happened to spot him on the TV show and sought out to hire him immediately. In 1956, Palmer was cast in the title role of the musical L'il Abner and won a Theatre World Award.          
 
In a couple of months, it will be sixty four years ago when L'il Abner opened on November 15th, 1956, at the St. James Theater on Broadway in New York City; seems like only yesterday.          
 
 
L'il Abner theater poster
 
 
In 1959 Palmer reprised the role of L'il Abner as did Julie Newmar for the role of Stupefyin' Jones in the movie version of L'il Abner, however, the original Daisy Mae, Edie Adams, was changed to Leslie Parrish.    
 
In 1963 Palmer appeared in Brigadoon and in 1974, he appeared on Broadway with Carol Channing in Lorelei, a revision of  the 1949 production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.     
 
Throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, Palmer appeared on numerous television episodes, including small parts on Dallas, M*A*S*H, Leave It To Beaver and Emergency!       

In 1990 he had a small role in the Tim Burton film, Edward Scissorhands, which starred Johnny Depp; it is one of my very favorite movies.       

 
Edward Scissorhands movie poster
 
       
Peter Palmer died in Tampa, Florida on September 21, 2021, the day after his 90th birthday. His son, Steven Palmer, said, “As a family we knew this was coming and that’s why we had such a wonderful celebration of his birthday this weekend,” Steven Palmer wrote. “He enjoyed being celebrated by his children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews and friends and extended family. Gonna miss you, Pops.”  
 
 

 
  vinyl LP side 1
photos by Styrous®

 
 

 
  vinyl LP side2
photos by Styrous®

 

 Act I

    A Typical Day – Dogpatchers
    If I Had My Druthers – Li'l Abner and Cronies
    If I Had My Druthers (Reprise) – Daisy Mae
    Jubilation T. Cornpone – Marryin' Sam and Dogpatchers
    Rag Offen the Bush – Dogpatchers
    Namely You – Daisy Mae and Li'l Abner
    Unnecessary Town – Li'l Abner, Daisy Mae and Dogpatchers
    What's Good for General Bullmoose – Secretaries
    There's Room Enough For Us†
    The Country's in the Very Best of Hands – Li'l Abner and Marryin' Sam
    Sadie Hawkins Day (Ballet) – Dogpatchers

Act II

    Oh Happy Day – Drs. Finsdale, Smithborn, Krogmeyer and Schleifitz
    I'm Past My Prime – Daisy Mae and Marryin' Sam
    Love in a Home – Li'l Abner and Daisy Mae
    Progress Is the Root of All Evil – Bullmoose
    Progress Is the Root of All Evil (Reprise) – Bullmoose
    Put 'Em Back – Wives
    Namely You (Reprise) – Daisy Mae
    The Matrimonial Stomp – Marryin' Sam and Dogpatchers
    Finale – Company       
       
        


   
Tracklist:
       
Side 1:
        
A1 - Orchestra* - Overture And A Typical Day
A2 - Ensemble* - A Typical Day
A3 - Peter Palmer (2), Marc Breaux, Ralph Linn, Jack Matthew, Robert McClure, George Reeder - If I Had My Druthers
A4 - Stubby Kaye, Ensemble* - Jubilation T. Cornpone
A5 - Ensemble* - Rag Offen The Bush
A6 - Edith Adams*, Peter Palmer (2) - Namely You
A7 - Edith Adams*, Peter Palmer (2), Ensemble* - Unnecessary Town
       
Side 2:
       
B1 - Peter Palmer (2), Stubby Kaye - The Country's In The Very Best Of Hands
B2 - Stanley Simmonds, George Reeder, Ralph Linn, Marc Breaux - Oh, Happy Day
B3 - Edith Adams*, Stubby Kaye - I'm Past My Prime
B4 - Peter Palmer (2), Edith Adams* - Love In A Home
B5 - Howard St. John - Progress Is The Root Of All Evil
B6 - Carmen Alvarez, Pat Creighton, Lillian D'Honau, Bonnie Evans (3), Hope Holiday, Deedee Wood - Put 'Em Back
B7 - Stubby Kaye, Ensemble* - The Matrimonial Stomp
       
Companies, etc.
       
    Arranged By [Ballet Music Arranged By] – Genevieve Pitot
    Artwork [Cover], Concept By [Based on the Characters Created By] – Al Capp
    Featuring, Performer [With] – Charlotte Rae, Edith Adams*, Howard St. John, Peter Palmer (2), Stubby Kaye
    Lyrics By – Johnny Mercer
    Music By – Gene De Paul*
    Music Director – Lehman Engel
    Orchestrated By [Orchestrations] – Philip J. Lang
    Performer [Cast] – Al Nesor, Bern Hoffman, Joe E. Marks, Julie Newmar, Stanley Simmonds, Ted Thurston, Tina Louise, William Lanteau
    Performer [Singers] – Anthony Saverino, Don Braswell, George Ritner, Hope Holiday, Jack Matthew, James Hurst, Jane House, Jeanette Scovotti, Joan Cherof, Joyce Gladmond, Lanier Davis, Louise Pearl, Margaret Baxter, Oran Osburn, Pat Creighton, Robert McClure
    Producer [Produced For Records By] – Goddard Lieberson
    Written-By [Book By] – Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
       
Credits:
       
    Arranged By [Ballet Music Arranged By] – Genevieve Pitot
    Artwork [Cover], Concept By [Based on the Characters Created By] – Al Capp
    Featuring, Performer [With] – Charlotte Rae, Edith Adams*, Howard St. John, Peter Palmer (2), Stubby Kaye
    Lyrics By – Johnny Mercer
    Music By – Gene De Paul*
    Music Director – Lehman Engel
    Orchestrated By [Orchestrations] – Philip J. Lang
    Performer [Cast] – Al Nesor, Bern Hoffman, Joe E. Marks, Julie Newmar, Stanley Simmonds, Ted Thurston, Tina Louise, William Lanteau
    Performer [Singers] – Anthony Saverino, Don Braswell, George Ritner, Hope Holiday, Jack Matthew, James Hurst, Jane House, Jeanette Scovotti, Joan Cherof, Joyce Gladmond, Lanier Davis, Louise Pearl, Margaret Baxter, Oran Osburn, Pat Creighton, Robert McClure
    Producer [Produced For Records By] – Goddard Lieberson
    Written-By [Book By] – Melvin Frank, Norman Panama
       
Notes:
       
Based on the characters created by Al Capp

Although original versions were on Columbia Masterworks labels, this version is on Columbia label style that ran 1965-70, though without "NONBREAKABE", this label version would date from 1967-70. LP is housed in original Columbia Masterworks sleeve.
       
Barcode and Other Identifiers
       
    Pressing Plant ID (Small “ᴘ” stamped in run-outs): P
    Matrix / Runout (Side A label matrix): (x"Lp" 39344)
    Matrix / Runout (Side B label matrix): (x"Lp" 39345)
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped): XXLP-39344-2BE A o
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped): XXLP-39345-1BF P A2 o
 
Norman Panama, Melvin Frank & Michael Kidd, Johnny Mercer, Gene De Paul* – Li'l Abner - An Original Musical Comedy
Norman Panama - Li'l Abner - An Original Musical Comedy album cover
Label:    Columbia Masterworks – OL 5150
Format:    Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Musical
       
       
Viewfinder links:        
         
Edie Adams         
Tim Burton          
Carol Channing          
Johnny Depp            
Gray Loft Gallery         
Johnny Mercer            
Julie Newmar            
Peter Palmer         
Ed Sullivan             
        
Net links:        
         
Gray Loft Gallery             
        
        
YouTube links:        
        
Li'l Abner ~  
     complete film       
     Jubilation T Cornpone        
     Put 'Em Back       
Peter Palmer ~  Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child       
        
        
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Sunday, September 25, 2022       
       
 
 

























No comments:

Post a Comment

PLEASE NOTE: comments are moderated BEFORE they are posted so DO NOT appear immediately.

Thank you.