It's a Super-Spectacular Day

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“It's a Super-Spectacular Day”
Single by MAD Magazine
Released June 1980
Format 7"
Recorded 1979
Genre Comedy
Length 0:50
Label Norick Music
Writer(s) Frank Jacobs
Producer E.C. Publications

It's a Super-Spectacular Day was a novelty record issued by MAD magazine in summer 1980. Pressed on flexi disc, it played a standard introductory section about the start of a wonderful, "super-spectacular" day, then depending on where the needle was originally dropped it would play one of several different comedic "bad" endings to that day, involving such topics as alien abduction, zits, and the horrors of a visiting mother-in-law. This multisided record effect was achieved by providing eight parallel grooves.

The songs were written by Frank Jacobs, MAD Magazine's longest-tenured writer and renowned for his poetry and song parodies. They were performed by the Brooklyn-based comedy duo Alto and Mantia (Bobby Alto and Buddy Mantia). The song was aired as early as January 1980 on the Dr. Demento show before being published by MAD Magazine.

The eight endings consist of the following:

  • A promising date that turns into despair when the girl is not interested
  • Being grabbed by mafia and left to die
  • In-laws arrive and cause chaos, stress, and frustration
  • A walk at night, picked up by an alien as a mate and carried off to another planet
  • An annoying itch evolves into a horrific skin disease
  • The family and neighbors are upset and the toilet has overflowed
  • Falling down in class and discovering one's pants are unzipped, then being singled out as a nerd
  • A car begins having mechanical problems and finally stalls on a railroad crossing

[edit] Personnel

  • Vocals – Bobby Alto and Buddy Mantia
  • Backing music – Kinny Landrum and Tabasco
  • Music – Norm Blagman
  • Lyrics – Frank Jacobs
  • Recording engineer – Joe Lopes