Evanier on Freberg #1

4/8/2015

It appears that Mark Evanier is going to start posting long tales about the wonderful Stan Freberg, who passed away yesterday. Given that Mark was such good friends with the fellow, and worked with him, as well, and is one of the best storytellers I know, I'm guessing they should be required reading.

The first piece is about Freberg's classic Stan Freberg Presents The United States of America -- Volume 1: The Early Years, and why it took 35 years for Volume 2 to get done.

He mentions that his next tale will be about the making of that Volume 2 (on which Mark worked). What he doesn't mention yet is that Volume 2 was released by Rhino Records. Rhino's president at the time was Harold Bronson, a fellow I know -- and have always been proud that he was the one who put out Volume 2.

You can read the first one here.

2 Comments

Chris Acklin

4/9/2015 06:13:21 am

Stan Freberg was a childhood idol of mine. My sole exposure to him at the time was an LP that contained the first two episodes of his terrific 1957radio show, plus assorted song parodies I heard on the Dr Demento Show. Later, in high school and college, I discovered his "United States of America" LP and and watched a pal's bootleg video containing a couple "Time for Beany", a show that greatly influenced him. After that, I became something of a student of Freberg, seeking out the TV commercials, printed interviews, and anything else I could find.

My memories are peppered with a number of Freberg-related moments, like the time (in high school) when my journalism teacher asked us to come up with an instant ad campaign to present within five minutes to the class and I stole Stan's "Puffed Grass" commercial from his western parody "Bang Gunley, US Marshal Field" that he'd used on his radio show. I got an A for it. Also, for the past 30+ years I've shared inside jokes with my brother related to lines in Stan's song parodies of "The Banana Boat Song" (Spiders! I don't dig spiders!) and "Rock Island Line" (You didn't let let me get to the part abut the pig iron. That's the payoff to the whole song!).

And several years ago, after a heated argument with a girlfriend while we were on vacation, I spent the entirety of our ten-hour return drive listening to Freberg's radio show through headphones on my portable CD player. The girlfriend didn't last, but my love for Stan remains strong.

I missed meeting Stan on two occasions and I've long regretted it. I loved his autobiography and have held on to my Freberg memorabilia when most other items from my past have disappeared or been discarded. But if I had met Stan what would I have said? Can you ever adequately express to a hero how much they've meant to you? I doubt it. Yet Stan's body of work will stand the test of time and, more personally, he will remain a towering figure in my heart and mind for the rest of my life.

Robert Elisberg

4/9/2015 10:53:05 am

Chris, thanks for your terrific note. (My own appreciation dates back to that "Rose Marie Reid" promo I mentioned, and another 45 my uncle got for me, "The Old Payola Road Blues.") My suggestion is to go to Mark Evanier's website (www.newsfromme.com) and do a search for "Freberg." You're going to come up with a LOT of wonderful stories.

Evanier on Freberg #1

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