The Door To Yesterday. Vol.5, No.15. Alan Warner. 2020

 

Look To The Skies. The Wacky World of Vintage Break-In Songs. Alan Warner. The Door To Yesterday.

 There’s a current Google commercial featuring on its soundbed the 

1956 Savoy recording of Nappy Brown singing Fred Mendelsohn’s song 

OPEN UP THAT DOOR (And Walk Right In My Heart). 

Here’s the link to the ad:

https://youtu.be/FUaIPodI838


Some of you may instantly recognize the sax intro of OPEN UP THAT DOOR 

as the opening salvo in Bill Buchanan & Dickie Goodman’s groundbreaking 

1956 break-in smash THE FLYING SAUCER.

Here’s a YouTube link to both sides of the single:

https://youtu.be/MgEZR0LC_jg

The reporter’s name John Cameron Cameron was a play  

on the name of real life broadcaster John Cameron Swayze.


In addition to OPEN UP THAT DOOR, the imaginary radio news storyline 

boldly used clips from 17 other then-current 45’s each of which was a top 20 

hit here in ‘55 or ‘56. In order of occurrence they were: THE GREAT PRETENDER 

by The Platters, I WANT YOU TO BE MY GIRL by Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, 

LONG TALL SALLY by Little Richard, POOR ME by Fats Domino, HEARTBREAK HOTEL 

by Elvis Presley, EARTH ANGEL by The Platters, I HEAR YOU KNOCKING by Smiley Lewis, TUTTI FRUTTI by Little Richard, (You’ve Got) THE MAGIC TOUCH by The Platters, THE GREAT PRETENDER by The Platters, BAND OF GOLD by Don Cherry, AIN’T THAT SHAME by Fats Domino, DON’T BE ANGRY by Nappy Brown, BLUE SUEDE SHOES by Carl Perkins, MAYBELLENE by Chuck Berry, SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR by Bill Haley & His Comets and finally MY PRAYER by The Platters. Many of the original owners of the featured clips 

sued but a judge ruled that the record was an original concept.


Hitting #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in August ’56, Buchanan & Goodman’s single

 on their very own Luniverse label left such an impression that there was even a cover 

version titled FLYING SAUCER by Sid Noel & His Outer Spacemen (Aladdin: 1956) 

which featured the same line-up of song extracts performed by the New Orleans group 

The Hawks. 


In addition, it was largely parodied in THE SPACE MAN (Steve Allen) by Alan Freed, 

Steve Allen, Al ‘Jazzbo’ Collins & The Modernaires w/George Cate’s Out Of Spacers 

(Coral: 1956) 

https://youtu.be/mxyZfrqjY_8


The actual label even included the words: 

‘Our Lawyers Tell Us We Might Get Sued By Buchanan and Goodman’!


Other space-related & sci-fi break-in singles included…


THE LUNEY TAKE-OFF 

by Captain Zap & The Motortown Cut-ups

Pro: David & William 

(Motown: 1969) 

https://youtu.be/BIIVNA2ZHhg


MOONFLIGHT

by Vik Venus Alias: Your Main Moon Man

Pro: Lewis Merenstein 

(Buddah: 1969)

https://youtu.be/FyU8Kef3RZU


OUT OF THIS WORLD With FLYING SAUCERS Pts1 & 2 

(Vick Knight) 

by Dave Barry & Sara Berner

Narration by Dave Barry 

(RPM: 1956) 

https://youtu.be/gFA7Jf0OiII 

featuring clips of RPM masters of such songs as EDDIE MY LOVE by The Teen Queens 

and ROLL WITH ME HENRY by Etta James & The Peaches with Richard Berry. 

The narration was a parody of broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow.


THE BEATLE FLYING SAUCER (R. Harris) 

by Ed Solomon 

(Diamond: 1964) 

Linked by a parody of Ed Sullivan.

https://youtu.be/Dh5U_LjH1Ww


Following THE FLYING SAUCER, Dickie Goodman spent a whole career 

making break-in novelty 45’s including FRANKENSTEIN OF ’59 (again with Bill Buchanan) 

and then branching out on his own and with other collaborators, his parodies ranged from 

political themes such as WATERGRATE and the ENERGY CRISIS OF ’74 to fictitious & 

comic book heroes such as BATMAN & HIS GRANDMOTHER, JAMES BOMB, SUPER FLY 

MEETS SHAFT and THE TOUCHABLES. His other big hit was MR. JAWS co-authored 

and co-produced by Bill Ramal on Cash in ‘75 which followed in the wake of the 

Steven Spielberg movie success.

https://youtu.be/JeYCOFblZRg


Inspired by Buchanan & Goodman’s success, countless other break-in singles 

from a wide range of artists and producers followed. 

Here are a few examples:


THE RETURN OF JERRY LEE 

(Jack Clement/Barbara Pittman) 

Narration by George & Lewis 

(Sun: 1958) 

https://youtu.be/eD7JzUZOuUo  

Utilizing extracts from Jerry Lee Lewis’s Sun recordings including 

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE, HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL and 

WHOLE LOT OF SHAKIN’ GOING ON.


SOUL HEAVEN 

by E. Rodney Jones & Friends 

(Twilight: c.1971) 

https://youtu.be/4jI_A9-ssXI

A tribute break-in 45. The melody is from Syl Johnson’s 1969 Twinight track 

IS IT BECAUSE I’M BLACK 

(Syl Johnson/Glenn Watts/Jimmy Jones).


DOUBLE O SOUL IN ACTION 

(Harris) 

by Jerry B. & The Soul Agents

A Boss Prod. 

(Double Check: c.1965) 

https://youtu.be/BgBu1o1ZB74


THOSE GOLDEN OLDIES 

(Frank Slay/Bernie Binnick/Tony Mammarella) 

by Marcy Jo & Eddie Rambeau w/Frank Slay & His Orchestra 

(Swan: 1963) 

https://youtu.be/uz7rFYbH7T0


THE TRIAL 

(Lou Adler/Herb Alpert) 

by Jerry Field & The Lawyers 

(Parkway: 1958) 

https://youtu.be/l0m4MuYg0ss


INTERVIEW OF THE FAB FOUR 

(B. Poe/H. Moore) 

by Harv Moore 

(American Arts: 1965) 

https://youtu.be/Swf6e7LmrmA


RENTA SANTA 

(Chris Hill/Jonathan Staines) 

by Chris Hill

Pro: Chris Hill & Jonathan Staines

Eng: Steve Brown 

(UK Philips: 1975) 

https://youtu.be/IhYuhN0dvyM


BIONIC SANTA 

(Chris Hill/Jonathan Staines) 

by Chris Hill

Pro: Chris Hill, Jonathan Staines & Nigel Grainge 

(UK Philips: 1976) 

https://youtu.be/RV2Xr3N9FzU  

Both RENTA SANTA and BIONIC SANTA were UK Top Ten hits.


JAMES BROWN – A TALK WITH THE NEWS

by Steve Soul

Pro: James Brown 

(King: 1969) 

https://youtu.be/LUIO0UXSaqM


PET ROCKS ARE COMING 

by Walter Rockite 

(Westbound: 1976)  

https://youtu.be/7tR2dz4_o4E 

‘Walter Rockite’ was a parody of the newsman Walter Cronkite.


WILL THE REAL DR. FRANKENSTEIN PLEASE STAND UP 

(B.J. Hunter) by The Zanies

Pro: B.J. Hunter 

(Dore: 1971)

https://youtu.be/kBUKTMI_S0M


In addition to Dickie Goodman’s WATERGRATE, 

there were many other politically-themed break-in’s such as:


THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE 

(Don Imus) 

by Road Hog & The Neon Cactus

Pro: Larry Fogel 

(Epic: 1976)  

https://youtu.be/gVTIfKx8lt0


THE IMPEACHMENT STORY 

by Steel, Jake & Jeff 

(Peach-Mint: 1974) 

https://youtu.be/NV7CAc69ROI


THE TALKING JUKEBOX Pts. 1 & 2 

(Mitchell Torok)

by Mitchell Torok 

(Republic: 1974) 

https://youtu.be/_dv-A9lNMuI


POLITICAL CIRCUS ’72 

(Jerry Osborne) 

by Ratmore Slinky 

(Jelly Roll: 1972) 

https://youtu.be/BwF0lqBy10k


I hope you enjoyed this bulletin and, 

in the appropriate words of Buchanan & Goodman’s 

first spaceman: ‘Goodbye earth people’!


As in all my postings, the recordings listed and referenced 

above  are in no way intended as definitive collections.


Please send any comments or suggestions to

 thedoortoyesterday@gmail.com


Rock on.


Alan Warner 


© Alan Warner, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Alan Warner with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.







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