To Thread - Forum Home

The Mudcat Café TM
https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=92007
47 messages

Comedy Music Duos

06 Jun 06 - 01:16 AM (#1753876)
Subject: Comedy Music Duos
From: thespionage

I'm in a comic folk duo and I was wondering which others are or were out there besides the Smothers Brothers. I've heard of Homer and Jethro, but who else? Thanks.

Russ


06 Jun 06 - 01:26 AM (#1753881)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: CeltArctic

I don't know if anybody would know them. I saw them only once at the Winnipeg Folk Festival about 18-20 years ago. They called themselves "The Girls Who Wear Glasses." They were like vaudeville performers.

I remember they sang a song called "The Schitzophrenic Love Song", which I heard them do a couple of times during the festival. I was a teenager at the time and must have been very impressed, because I learned both parts by heart after only a couple of hearings. I taught a girlfriend of mine and we used to sing it at our highschool back in Sudbury, Ontario.

Anyone know what happened to them?

Moira Cameron


06 Jun 06 - 02:03 AM (#1753890)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Dave Hanson

Gary & Vera Aspey, great comedy plus great trad and contemporary songs and tunes and Vera dancing.

eric


06 Jun 06 - 03:12 AM (#1753911)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Ralphie

Also from this side of the pond.
Flanders and Swann. (1950s and 1960s)
Cheers


06 Jun 06 - 03:23 AM (#1753914)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: gnomad

Cosmotheka, unfortunately now no more. Music hall material at its finest.

There is a CD "You only had to ask"

Dave Sealey is still around.


06 Jun 06 - 03:42 AM (#1753921)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Splott Man

Maxi & Mitch (That's Billy Mitchell)
The Panic Brothers (and Richard Morton, now a stand-up)

Currently on the scene; Parker & Watts are very entertaining; Lynne Heraud & Pat Turner have some very funny songs.


06 Jun 06 - 04:28 AM (#1753938)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,wordy

Back in the 70's/80's a UK Midlands duo called "1812". They did Beethoven's piece with guitar and flute and starting pistol. Derek Craft wrote the songs.


06 Jun 06 - 04:51 AM (#1753947)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: catspaw49

Gary Muledeer used to be part of the "Muledeer and Moondog Medicine Show" and while more pop than country, they were hilarious. "Tell Laura I Love Her" was priceless.

Spaw


06 Jun 06 - 05:13 AM (#1753956)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Al Whittle

Geof Bodenham out of 1812 was really nice. He had rheumatoid arthritis. after my wife got the same thing, he was full of help and sympathy and advice.

There was a Manchester couple who used to do the folk scene, The Hooters - they were pretty funny.

Mnay of the duos on the folkscene had a sort of sharp comedic patter - Peabody and McNulty, Fiona Simpson and dave Shannon - although I don't suppose they would want to be considered as a comedy acts.


06 Jun 06 - 05:27 AM (#1753962)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Scrump

It depends what you mean by "comedy folk". Many folk acts include a lot of humour and humorous songs in their act, but I wouldn't say they were comedy acts as such - the Aspeys, Heraud/Turner, mentioned above, include a lot of serious folk material in their acts. Another example in this vein is Quicksilver. Not comedy though, just humour IMO.

I guess some folk singers who mutated from being singers into comics after a while, such as Harding, Connolly and Carrott, would have been considered pure comedians at one time in their careers (the latter two at least, still are), but I can't really think of any duos who are more or less pure comedy.


06 Jun 06 - 05:33 AM (#1753964)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Paco Rabanne

The Harri Watts band.
Mulligan and O'hare.


06 Jun 06 - 05:59 AM (#1753971)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: The Barden of England

Grant Baynham and Hillary Spencer do some wickedly funny songs along with some great serious ones. Seek them out
John Barden


06 Jun 06 - 08:44 AM (#1754030)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Alan Day

Mr Gladstone's Bag featuring John Watcham on Anglo Concertina,
I never did know the name of his partner or the dog.
A very funny act
Al


06 Jun 06 - 08:51 AM (#1754038)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Sandra in Sydney

Cloudstreet's John Thompson was/is part of a duo 'Never the Twain' with Martin Pearson who also does standup comedy. They write songs with titles whose first word is 'The' and last word 'Song' (The Pope Song, The Dungog Song), are both fantastic singers & wonderfully silly.

Last year Martin took his one-man 'Lord of the Rings' musical to the Melbourne Comedy Festival and John put up the website
The Unfinished Spelling Errors of Bolkien


06 Jun 06 - 08:58 AM (#1754041)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Splott Man

re Mr Gladstone's Bag

The late Mike Clifton was the other member.

Some info about the duo can be found here:

http://www.dartfordfolk.org.uk/mrgladstone_info.htm


06 Jun 06 - 09:21 AM (#1754065)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Al Whittle

Les Barker and Mrs Ackroyd


06 Jun 06 - 09:50 AM (#1754091)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Nancy King

Don't forget Lou and Peter Berryman!


06 Jun 06 - 09:51 AM (#1754092)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: nutty

I can't believe that no one has yet mentioned 'His Worship and the Pig'. Dave Boulton and Jeff Parton, two fantastic blokes with the most amazing songs.

See Here


06 Jun 06 - 11:03 AM (#1754132)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Jim from Jackson

Lonzo and Oscar come to mind. Of course, Trout Fishin In America, Small Potatoes, and Seamus Kennedy come to mind, but they are all part serious as well as comedic.


06 Jun 06 - 12:39 PM (#1754209)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,wordy

The Hooters were from Liverpool/Wirral. Tom Topping and Artie Shaw. They ran the hugely successful folk club in West Kirby for many years.Then Artie just left and hasn't been seen since. Tom is dad to the young Topping making a name for himself on the scene, and runs the Tom Topping band, a great blend of generations.


06 Jun 06 - 12:50 PM (#1754215)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Anne Lister

Fondly remembered ... Gasworks ... mostly from the 70s.   Oh, dear - showing my age? I watched them from my pram, of course.

Anne


06 Jun 06 - 01:35 PM (#1754250)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T

Ahem!.....Pardon the blatant self plug, but in a parallel incarnation Clive Lever ("Wildrover" on the cat) and myself do comedy gigs at clubs and pubs as "Sic Transit".

Our act is mostly original material, with occasional injections of Les Barker, Jake Thackray, and the aforementioned Flanders and Swan, among others.

We tend to get positive responses from audiences, particularly for some of Clive's witty, and often scurrilous parodies.

Don T.


06 Jun 06 - 02:11 PM (#1754273)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Scoville

June Carter did quite a bit of comedy stuff with various other artists. Not strictly a comedy duo, but could be a source of material if that's what you need.


06 Jun 06 - 02:24 PM (#1754285)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: pdq

I guess The Smothers Brothers is too obvious?

Country entertainers Lonzo & Oskar did some great stuff including "I'm My Own Grandpa".

Pinkard & Bowden are hard to categorize, but Bowden can do some comedy that would make Lenny Bruce cringe and Pinkard can play some guitar chops that would make Hendrix proud.


06 Jun 06 - 02:31 PM (#1754289)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Jim

Check out Pinkard and Bowden.

Also, from Picton, Ontario, the Frere Brothers (sometimes called the Cherry Valley Ramblers) A lot of parodies ala Homer & Jethro - Four Two-Fours (a song about cross-border shopping to the tune of 4 Strong Winds)
There's one to the tune of Tell My Ma When I Get Home that goes:
She's big and fat and she's my aunt
And she works down in the mushroom plant.
She picks mushrooms 1,2,3,
Got a light on her hat so she can see.


06 Jun 06 - 05:24 PM (#1754449)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Geordie-Peorgie

The Phatt B'Stards, Blo na Gael, 9 Mile Ride, The Bridge Brothers (Clifton & Putney), Hooper & Henry, Dracket's Cat & loads more


06 Jun 06 - 06:26 PM (#1754501)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: thespionage

Wow, great stuff. I do perform other music, trad and non-comedic songs, but for the purpose of this duo it's just folk or acoustic songs with a comic bent.

Russ


06 Jun 06 - 09:20 PM (#1754612)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Gerry

Roberts & Barrand are another folk duo who do both funny and serious stuff. The funny stuff includes The Rolling Mills of New Jersey.


07 Jun 06 - 01:31 AM (#1754674)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST

Let's not forget Andina and Rich.


24 Jun 06 - 09:23 PM (#1768418)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,Telemark

I doubt if any of them could match the aforementioned Lou and Peter Berryman.


25 Jun 06 - 02:00 AM (#1768499)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Elmer Fudd

Peter Schickele (P.D.Q. Bach) assembled various comedic groups: madrigal singers, orchestral, percussion, et al.

There was Kinky Friedman and the Texas Jewboys.


25 Jun 06 - 02:41 AM (#1768507)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Dave Hanson

Anybody remember Jehosaphat & Jones ? more country than folk though.

eric


25 Jun 06 - 05:53 AM (#1768566)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T

Yes indeed Eric, the two Ronnies at their most mischievous best.

I have the complete set on my hard drive, as I plan to work one or two into my repertoire.

Don T.


25 Jun 06 - 08:15 AM (#1768611)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Mr Happy

Dr. Sunshine & Professor Wingnut[Dec'd, Alas1]

The Hooters, mentioned above, were named after the Wirral village where they originated; Hooton, Chshire.


25 Jun 06 - 10:24 AM (#1768659)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Herga Kitty

I saw the thread title, and thought, Cosmotheka, His Worship and the Pig, Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner, so am glad to see that others have added them to the list. Have happy memories of Gasworks (verbalise your pre-orgasmic tensions?) and Gladstone's Bag.

But of course the Kipper Family were also originally a duo.

Kitty


25 Jun 06 - 11:20 AM (#1768687)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Big Jim from Jackson

Some of THE BEST comedy (but they are not a duo)is done by the Dry Branch Fire Squad. Their songs are very traditional and bluegrassy, but the leader of the group has some of the best comedy comments you will ever hear. Their album "Live At The Newberryport Firehouse" is an absolutely great piece of work. Ron Tomlinson is better than most pundits and exceeded by none as he comments on politics and a variety of other topics.


25 Jun 06 - 11:30 AM (#1768694)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Clinton Hammond

Bowser and Blue are the best I've ever heard....

http://www.bowserandblue.com/


25 Jun 06 - 01:54 PM (#1768776)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Bunnahabhain

How about Ronnie Brown and Roy Willianmson- better known as the Corries?

Most gigs would have at least one of their comedy numbers in.


25 Jun 06 - 03:08 PM (#1768842)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST

Williams and Ree, the white guy and the Indian.    They met at college in western South Dakota and have been doing music and standup comedy ever since.


25 Jun 06 - 04:41 PM (#1768903)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: C. Ham

Dusty & Lefty from the Prairie Home Companion movie.


25 Jun 06 - 09:10 PM (#1769037)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: gnu

Spaw mentioned Gary Muledeer.... one of the all-time greatest stand-ups EVER!!!

Yes, CH, Bowser and Blue get my vote as well. Them lads can not only entertain, they are excellent musicians and singers.


25 Jun 06 - 09:25 PM (#1769048)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Girl Friday

Just found this thread. As Don T and Geordie Porgy have trod the blatent self publicity path - dare I suggest TONE DEAF LEOPARD?


26 Jun 06 - 12:48 AM (#1769105)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Anglo

Oh dear, I didn't know it was "the late" Mike Clifton in Mr. Gladstone's Bag. I had a live tape of them I recorded on a trip back over the pond, ah these many years ago. Which sadly got stolen out of the car and lost forever, and as far as I know they never recorded anything. I thought they were absolutely brilliant.


26 Jun 06 - 09:20 AM (#1769288)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: jojofolkagogo

Greats:

Lynne Heraud and Pat Turner (Funneee funneee and more funneee !!)

and I will vouch for Don T and Clive Lever, very very good evening had recently at Rainham - both are excellent individuals and together !!!

Regard
Jo0Jo


26 Jun 06 - 10:31 AM (#1769329)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: GUEST,thurg

MacLean & MacLean ("The Rodeo Song" - "It's forty below, and I don't give a ... )


26 Jun 06 - 12:22 PM (#1769404)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: SharonA

Aside from the aforementioned Lou & Peter Berryman (well worth mentioning again -- 3rd time's the charm!), I can't think of any comedy folk-music duos currently touring the US.

There are two bands I can think of offhand -- 'Zen for Primates' and 'The Arrogant Worms' -- but I don't guess that's what you're looking for.

Anyway, here's where to find the Berryman site: www.louandpeter.com


26 Jun 06 - 02:24 PM (#1769501)
Subject: RE: Comedy Music Duos
From: Kaleea

I used to see Williams & Ree around the Twin Cities when I lived in Minnesota. The audience was typically lots of Scandehöovians & a smattering of various & sundry "others." (I was part of the others) They joked that they offended everyone, & proceeded to tell jokes & sing funny stuff & everybody laughed, including me.