“Alley-Oop” (1961) – The Hollywood Argyles * Written by Dallas Frazier * 45: “Alley Oop” / “Sho’ Know a Lot About Love” * Arranged by Gary (Flip) Paxton * Label: Lute
Inspired by the neanderthal comic strip that first appeared in newspapers in 1932, “Alley-Oop” trudged all the way to Billboard‘s #1 slot with the sort of inspired dementia that’s crucial to pop music’s very vitality. The record came to life thanks to the team of Gary Paxton, who is credited on the label as arranger, and LA pop scenester/dark lord Kim Fowley, whom Paxton has credited as co-producer (although he doesn’t appear on the label). Written by future Nashville Songwriter Hall of Famer Dallas Frazier, the record especially benefited from Paxton’s bored hepcat vocal, which increased in brilliance as the song faded (“Heil dinosaw-wuh”). Although an alternate story that a Rochester poet named Norm Davis actually did the vocal in Las Vegas has gotten legs, other Paxton tracks, such as one called “Spookie Movies,” contain a voice that matches the Hollywood Argyles record, while a comparison with Davis’s speaking voice doesn’t hold up.