Man, there definitely were a lot of drugs around back then. What else explains both Bowie recording it and the public buying it! It's saving grace for me is the abundance of terrible puns. I love a good pun. Overall I'd call it silly rather than dumb, and I for one love it. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Bowie always had a great sense of humor & loved a pun. He was certainly having a good time with this & most definitely you can see his Anthony Newley influence here. There were a few novelty songs that became chart toppers in the late 60's as well - some other baby boomers may remember. He wanted to divorce himself from it in later years, but I think he may have found the humor in again in his senior years.
David Bowie used to get annoyed when this song was mentioned by any journalist who interviewed him later when he was credible and famous. His singing style was influenced by a British singer of the early sixties called Anthony Newley.
To me, this fits with his saying he originally wanted to do Broadway shows. Sounds like he’s practicing at arranging the instruments and playing with vocal effects. And having fun. It’s also deep between the lines. Gnomes symbolizing freedom and laughter beyond subduing. This before his ego stretch of cocaine, etc. I actually think he returned somewhat to his pre drug self in later years. Got more silly and pleasantly reachable. His re-recording of earlier songs which became Toy tips a hat to his past.
You should react to Lazarus by David Bowie. I recently sent my vinyl sleeve of Blackstar to the guy who played the saxophone on Lazarus and Blackstar in general. He has actually signed the album sleeve! Donny McCaslin is the musician. He knew and worked with David on the album. He appreciated my praise for his work and also praised the thin white duke. C.J.P. 2022.
One of the earliest songs that I can remember. I was about three when it was in the charts and I loved and still do. I disagree that he was copying Syd Barrett, his biggest influence at this point in his career was Anthony Newley an all round entertainer, married to Joan Collins. If you listen to some of his stuff you will notice the similarities.
I don't think he was under the influence of anything, just a lark. This was from when he was still experimenting with stylistic directions - and I'm so happy he dropped the folksy option. Could have been worse (Bowie trying out a Country Western crooner sends chills up my spine, and not in a good way). Thumbs up for the summer-y haircut!
The Brits do enjoy their novelty songs, music hall singalongs too such as 'Mull of Kintyre' by McCartney,. Bowie tried all sorts of genres including blues, jazz, cabaret and novelty pop songs. I don't know if you've heard his first self-titled album from June 1967 but it had songs such as 'Mr. Gravedigger', 'We Are Hungry Men' and 'Come and Buy My Toys'. Interesting stuff along with some better tracks from the Deram sessions.
'Mr Gravedigger' was pretty creepy. I liked 'Love You Till Tuesday', it was much more fun and upbeat. He was also trying to sing like Anthony Newley and I think he nailed it .❤️
I love that album, we also had The Wonderful World of Bowie compilation. Never outgrew them. I remember hearing, 'When I'm Five' which wasn't released until the late 80's (?) but recorded in the 60's. It's a beautiful song but I only recently discovered how tragic the words were. In the lyrics, he asks why his daddy cries and I always wondered what that was about. A few years ago I read in a Bowie interview that his daddy is crying because his son, (who is dreaming about turning five) has terminal cancer and will never get to see 5. So sad. ua-cam.com/video/qLoO9Ek-3FU/v-deo.html
Hev Yew Gotta Loight Boy? was apparently the title of a song by Allan Smethurst aka The Singing Postman, which won an Ivor Novello award in 1966. I do think Bowie was taking the piss. Money for old rope, as we also say.
it was a record single but one of the bests (it was originaly recorded in mono ( all the recorded voices were made by bowie) and this was mented for a tv child/kid show
A lot of Bowies early releases on Pye and Deram records was totally different. They were essentially children's songs but they were (in my opinion) creatively damned clever. He (or his manager) wanted him to sound like Anthony Newley, a popular crooner among elderly ladies at the time. Bowie though, was a far better writer than Newley.
If that's your worst song (it's not his worst song) you're sitting pretty. It got a perfectly respectable chart position here in the UK but that was years later (post Ziggy) and Bowie already wanted to disown it
Always loved this and his other early experiments. No hating on the gnome!
This totally prepared him for working with muppets in “Labyrinth”.
Worst song? no way, i think it's brilliant, i love it and i'm a hard core Bowie fan !"!
Me too 😄
@@samhain1894 me too
with " please mr GD" :))
Bowie got the gnome like voices right on the song The Bewley Brothers on the Hunky Dory album, a brilliant song.
lee76 "Lay me place and bake me pie, I'm starving for me gravyyyy...." 💕
This was Bowie's Anthony Newley impression, someone whom he admired as an all-round entertainer.
Man, there definitely were a lot of drugs around back then. What else explains both Bowie recording it and the public buying it!
It's saving grace for me is the abundance of terrible puns. I love a good pun.
Overall I'd call it silly rather than dumb, and I for one love it. Thanks for reminding me of it.
Bowie always had a great sense of humor & loved a pun. He was certainly having a good time with this & most definitely you can see his Anthony Newley influence here. There were a few novelty songs that became chart toppers in the late 60's as well - some other baby boomers may remember. He wanted to divorce himself from it in later years, but I think he may have found the humor in again in his senior years.
Oh my god I love this song
"What's going on?" haahahahahhahaahha
This is great - a lot better than some of his 80s stuff.
I love this track 🤣
David Bowie used to get annoyed when this song was mentioned by any journalist who interviewed him later when he was credible and famous. His singing style was influenced by a British singer of the early sixties called Anthony Newley.
To me, this fits with his saying he originally wanted to do Broadway shows. Sounds like he’s practicing at arranging the instruments and playing with vocal effects. And having fun. It’s also deep between the lines. Gnomes symbolizing freedom and laughter beyond subduing. This before his ego stretch of cocaine, etc. I actually think he returned somewhat to his pre drug self in later years. Got more silly and pleasantly reachable. His re-recording of earlier songs which became Toy tips a hat to his past.
You should react to Lazarus by David Bowie. I recently sent my vinyl sleeve of Blackstar to the guy who played the saxophone on Lazarus and Blackstar in general. He has actually signed the album sleeve! Donny McCaslin is the musician. He knew and worked with David on the album. He appreciated my praise for his work and also praised the thin white duke.
C.J.P.
2022.
One of the earliest songs that I can remember. I was about three when it was in the charts and I loved and still do. I disagree that he was copying Syd Barrett, his biggest influence at this point in his career was Anthony Newley an all round entertainer, married to Joan Collins. If you listen to some of his stuff you will notice the similarities.
I don't think he was under the influence of anything, just a lark. This was from when he was still experimenting with stylistic directions - and I'm so happy he dropped the folksy option. Could have been worse (Bowie trying out a Country Western crooner sends chills up my spine, and not in a good way). Thumbs up for the summer-y haircut!
Love this I have 1967 original on vinyl.
The Brits do enjoy their novelty songs, music hall singalongs too such as 'Mull of Kintyre' by McCartney,. Bowie tried all sorts of genres including blues, jazz, cabaret and novelty pop songs. I don't know if you've heard his first self-titled album from June 1967 but it had songs such as 'Mr. Gravedigger', 'We Are Hungry Men' and 'Come and Buy My Toys'. Interesting stuff along with some better tracks from the Deram sessions.
'Mr Gravedigger' was pretty creepy. I liked 'Love You Till Tuesday', it was much more fun and upbeat.
He was also trying to sing like Anthony Newley and I think he nailed it .❤️
I love that album, we also had The Wonderful World of Bowie compilation.
Never outgrew them.
I remember hearing, 'When I'm Five' which wasn't released until the late 80's (?) but recorded in the 60's.
It's a beautiful song but I only recently discovered how tragic the words were.
In the lyrics, he asks why his daddy cries and I always wondered what that was about.
A few years ago I read in a Bowie interview that his daddy is crying because his son, (who is dreaming about turning five) has terminal cancer and will never get to see 5.
So sad.
ua-cam.com/video/qLoO9Ek-3FU/v-deo.html
copying syd barrett they say copying is the highest form of flattery
Hev Yew Gotta Loight Boy? was apparently the title of a song by Allan Smethurst aka The Singing Postman, which won an Ivor Novello award in 1966.
I do think Bowie was taking the piss. Money for old rope, as we also say.
I can remember this coming out! 😂
it was a record single but one of the bests (it was originaly recorded in mono ( all the recorded voices were made by bowie) and this was mented for a tv child/kid show
A lot of Bowies early releases on Pye and Deram records was totally different.
They were essentially children's songs but they were (in my opinion) creatively damned clever.
He (or his manager) wanted him to sound like Anthony Newley, a popular crooner among elderly ladies at the time.
Bowie though, was a far better writer than Newley.
Sometimes you've just got to have a laugh, David liked to have a joke 😂
i like this song better than Puff the Magic Dragon.
I love this song!!! 😄
Hahahaha omg. Never heard this song before today. Wow.
Try “Please Mr. Gravedigger” or “The Little Bombardier” from the same era.
Very good..
If that's your worst song (it's not his worst song) you're sitting pretty. It got a perfectly respectable chart position here in the UK but that was years later (post Ziggy) and Bowie already wanted to disown it
Was it re-released?
Looking at it's release date it says 1967, I would have been 4 years old but remember it well from later on.
@@Zubareffstream111 Yeah it was rereleased after the success of Ziggy Stardust - '73 or '74
Hurray! Finally 🙂Drugs aren't always creative. It's great, a classic of sorts...how many puns in this?Tiny Tim is a good frame of reference.
Towards the end of the video, when you said "David Bowie was still not the man whe know him as today" I literally heard "...we GNOME as today." 🤣
Nice haircut, Nick.🙂
its his best song!
his best song maybe
To be honest I've always preferred The Laughing Gnome to the truly terrible Heroes.