Dickie Goodman

Richard Dorian "Dickie" Goodman (April 19, 1934 – November 6, 1989)^[1] was an American music and record producer born in Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for inventing and using the technique of the "break-in", an early precursor to sampling, that used brief clips of popular records and songs to "answer" comedic questions posed by voice actors on his novelty records. He also wrote and produced some original material, most often heard on the B-sides of his break-in records.

Career

In June 1956, Goodman created his first record, The Flying Saucer Parts 1 & II, which he co-wrote with his partner Bill Buchanan, and which featured a four-minute rewriting of Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio show.^[2][3] This recording was the subject of a copyright infringement case against Goodman.^[4] The court eventually ruled his sampled mix was considered a parody, and was an entirely new work.^[5] The song "The Flying Saucer" was officially released under the artist name "Buchanan and Goodman" and was Goodman's highest-charting single on Billboard, peaking at #3. Buchanan and Goodman followed up with four other records: Buchanan and Goodman on Trial (#80 in 1956), Flying Saucer The 2nd (#18 in 1957), The Creature (From A Science Fiction Movie) (by Buchanan and Ancell) (#85 in 1957), and Santa and the Satellite (Parts I & II) (#32 in 1957).

With Mickey Shorr in 1959, Goodman recorded two singles under the name "Spencer and Spencer," both of which relied much less on sampling and more on sketch comedy. "Russian Bandstand" was a re-imagining of the then-popular TV series American Bandstand set in a totalitarian Soviet Union. "Stagger Lawrence" imposed Lloyd Price's recording of "Stagger Lee" onto a spoof of The Lawrence Welk Show, borrowing heavily from an earlier Welk parody done by Stan Freberg. Neither recording with Shorr would be as popular as the recordings Goodman made with Buchanan.

In 1960 Jim Stag and Bob Mitchell as "Willie Winkly" and "Ned Nutly", a take-off on the popular NBC-TV news anchors David Brinkley and Chet Huntley, conducted the pseudo-interviews of John F. Kennedy ("John Finnerty") and Richard M. Nixon ("Nick Dixon") in the Goodman-like "Report to the Nation" Parts I and II.^[6]

Starting in 1961, Goodman released his pieces as a solo artist. He scored three Billboard Hot 100 hits based on the hit TV series The Untouchables: "The Touchables" (#60), "The Touchables In Brooklyn" (#42), and "Santa and the Touchables" (#99).

In 1962 Goodman spoofed Ben Casey with "Ben Crazy" (#44). In 1966 his spoof of Batman resulted in "Batman & His Grandmother" (#70).

During the late 1960s, Goodman recorded a mostly musical album featuring his wife, aptly entitled Dickie Goodman and His Wife Susan. Mr. Goodman sang one track on the record ("Never Play Poker with a Man Named Doc (or Eat at a Place Called Mom's)", paraphrasing Nelson Algren's novel A Walk on the Wild Side), and produced two break-in style pieces, with Susan singing the rest of the songs.

In 1969 Goodman parodied the political unrest on college campuses with "On Campus" (#45) and the first moon landing with "Luna Trip" (#95). Vik Venus' Goodman-like "Moonflight" reached an even higher #38 on 9 August 1969, one week after "On Campus" peaked. Goodman's records also inspired KQV morning disc jockey Bob DeCarlo to cut his own sample-spliced top 10 hit "Convention '72" as by The Delegates. Goodman himself spoofed political issues such as the Watergate scandal with "Watergrate" (#42 in 1973), the 1973 energy crisis with "Energy Crisis '74" (#33 in 1974), and Richard Nixon with "Mr. President" (#73 in 1974). Goodman failed to chart with a different version of "Mr. President" in 1981 after Ronald Reagan became president.

In addition to work under his own name, Goodman also produced for other acts. John & Ernest's "Superfly Meets Shaft" (#31 in 1973), while oriented more toward a black audience, retained Goodman's "break-in" format. An unusual act Goodman produced was the Glass Bottle; Goodman created the band primarily as an advertising ploy to promote actual glass bottles, which were going out of fashion due to soda companies beginning to use plastic bottles. The Glass Bottle recorded two singles, both of which were straight pop songs and one of which ("I Ain't Got Time Anymore," #36 in 1971) hit the top 40.

In 1975, Goodman parodied the movie Jaws with "Mr. Jaws" (#4 in 1975), becoming Goodman's biggest-selling record by achieving R.I.A.A. gold disc status in September 1975.^[7] WLS played a customized version instead, with the line "This is Dickie Goodman at WLS" at the beginning.

Goodman's final chart record was "Kong" (#48 in 1977), spoofing the 1976 King Kong film remake, followed by others that failed to chart. Altogether Goodman charted 17 hits, with five of them reaching the Top 40. Goodman produced several other break-in records which garnered airplay and charted only in regional areas, usually Los Angeles and New York City, but in a few other areas as well.

Luniverse, Goodman's record label, featured works by other artists, including the Del-Vikings.^[8]

Death

Goodman died in North Carolina in 1989 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.^[9] He is survived by his two sons, Jon and Jed, and his daughter Janie. In 2000 Jon released The King of Novelty, a biography of Dickie's life and work, along with autobiographical material. The book, which also contains the most comprehensive chronology of Dickie Goodman's records, including CD re-releases, is still in print and available.

Discography

• Back To Earth Part 1 / Back To Earth Part 2 – Luniverse 101X — 1956; original title of The Flying Saucer
• "The Flying Saucer" (#3) – Luniverse 101 — 7/25/56
• The Flying Saucer Parts 1 & 2 – Radioactive 101 — 1956; revised version
• Please Won't You Call Me / Why Should We Break Up — Herald 477 — 1956; produced by Goodman
• Forever Young / Come On Baby—Eldorado 504—1956; A-side written by Goodman; both sides produced by him and his partner, Bill Buchanan
• Buchanan & Goodman On Trial (#80) / Crazy—Luniverse 102 — 11/7/56
• The Banana Boat Story / Mystery (In Slow Motion) – Luniverse 103 — late 1956/early 1957
• Flying Saucer The 2nd (#18) / Martian Melody — Luniverse 105 — 7/13/57
• Santa And the Satellite Parts 1 & 2 (#32) – Luniverse 107 — 12/14/57
• The Flying Saucer Goes West / Saucer Serenade — Luniverse 108 — 1958
• Invisible Thing / Some Other Fellow—Luniverse 109 — 1958; written and produced by Goodman
• Class Room / Fake Out—ABC-Paramount 45-9963 — 11/2/58; A-side was written and produced by Goodman
• Flying Saucer The Third / The Cha Cha Lesson — Comic 500 — 1959
• Frankenstein of '59 / Frankenstein Returns — Novelty 301 — 1959
• Stagger Lawrence / Strogonoff Cha Cha — Gone 5053 — 3/59
• Russian Bandstand (#91) (Dickie Goodman with Mickey Shorr) / Brass Wail — Argo 5331 — 5/18/59
• The Ride Of Paul Revere — 1960?
• Paul Revere / Oh Susanna Rock — Strand 25002 — 1960 version, Goodman recording under the name Val E. Forge
• Space Ship / We Belong Together — Novel N-200 — 1960; Goodman sang on this record
• The Touchables (#60) / Martian Melody — Mark-X 8009 — 2/26/61
• The Touchables In Brooklyn (#42) / Mystery — Mark-X 8010 — 4/30/61
• Horror Movies / Whoa Mule — Rori 601 — 1961
• Berlin Top Ten (#116) / Little Tiger — Rori 602—10/23/61
• Santa & the Touchables (#99) / North Pole Rock — Rori 701 — 12/31/61
• Ben Crazy (#44) / Flip Side — JMD RX-001 / Diamond D-119 — 7/62
• Senate Hearing (#116) / Lock Up – 20th Century Records 443 — 11/2/63
• John Fitzgerald Kennedy: The Presidential Years, 1960 – 1963 — 20th Century TFM 3127 — 12/61 – 1/64 (Goodman was president at 20th Century Records at the time and released this album immediately after Kennedy's death.)
• Paul Revere — Rori 712 — 1964
• I Really Wanted To Be A "Singar" / Young And Foolish — Rori 714 — 1964; written and produced by Buchanan & Goodman
• My Son The Joke – Comet CLP-69 — 1964; risque nightclub music LP
• My Baby Loves Monster Movies / Theme From A Whodunit – DCP International 1111 — 10/3/64
• Presidential Interview (Flying Saucer '64) / Paul Revere — Audio Spectrum 75 — 10/1964
• The Invasion/What A Lovely Party (8/11/1964)
• Frankenstein Meets The Beatles / Dracula Drag – DCP International 1126 — 12/12/64
• Schmonanza / Backwards Theme — M.D. 101 — 3/1/65
• James Bomb / Seventh Theme — Twirl 2015 — 1965
• Never Play Poker With a Man Named Doc or Eat At A Place Called Mom's – 1966; sung by Goodman; produced by Goodman and/or Buchanan
• Batman & His Grandmother (#70) / Suspense – Red Bird 10-058 — 5/28/66
• Congressional Medal Of Honor (sung by Susan Smith Goodman) – 1968
• The Space Girl / Very Interesting – Roulette R-7020 — 9/68
• Washington Uptight / The Cat — Oron 101 — late 1968
• The Modify / Live A Little – Capitol 2407 — 4/17/69; Goodman wrote, produced, and sang
• On Campus (#45) / Mombo Suzie—Cotique 158 — 6/28/69
• Sarah Jane / St. Marks & Third (sung by Susan Smith Goodman) – Bang 569 — 7/7/69
• Luna Trip (#95) / My Victrola—Cotique 173 — 9/6/69
• The Saxophone Circus! – Avco Embassy AVE 33002 — 1969; produced by Goodman
• Coffee, Tea or Cuba / Ode To A Hijacker — Slew 451 — 1971; produced and written by Goodman
• The Glass Bottle – Avco Embassy AVE-33012 — 1970; produced by Ramal and Goodman
• The Glass Bottle – I Ain't Got Time Anymore (#36) / Things – Avco AVE-4575 — 7/7/71
• Things — 1971
• Speaking of Ecology / Dayton's Theme — Ramgo 501 / Scepter 12339 — 7/71
• Because She's Mine Again / The Girl Who Loved Me When – Avco Embassy AV-4584—1971; produced by Goodman
• Superfly Meets Shaft (#31)/ Part Two — Rainy Wednesday 201 — 4/14/73; written and produced by Goodman
• Watergrate (#42) / Friends — Rainy Wednesday 202—6/16/73
• Soul President Number One / Crossover — Rainy Wednesday 203 — 2/73; written and produced by Goodman; B-side same as "Friends" (see above)
• Purple People Eater (#119) / Ruthie's Theme — Rainy Wednesday 204 — 9/15/73
• The Constitution / The End — Rainy Wednesday 205 — late 1973
• Energy Crisis '74 (#33) / The Mistake — Rainy Wednesday 206 — 2/74
• Screwy T.V. – (Label unknown) – 1974; Goodman's impersonations of popular TV shows
• Mr. President (#73) / Popularity — Rainy Wednesday 207 — 6/15/74
• Gerry Ford (A Special Report) / Robert — Rainy Wednesday 208 — late 1974
• Inflation In The Nation / Jon & Jed's Theme — Rainy Wednesday 209 — 1975
• Mr. Jaws (#4) / Irv's Theme — Cash 451 — 9/6/75
• Kong (#48) / Ed's Tune — Shock 6 – 2/5/77
• Just Released — Tsuaris — 1977
• Star Warts / The Boys' Tune — Janus 271 — summer 1977
• Mrs. Jaws / Chomp Chomp — Shark 1001 — summer 1978
• Super, Superman / Chomp Chomp — Shark 1002 — early 1979
• Energy Crisis '79 / Pain — Hot Line 1017 — summer 1979
• Election '80 – Prelude — fall 1980
• Mr. President / Dancin' U.S.A. – Wacko 1001 — spring 1981
• The Monster Album – studio unknown – 1980s
• Super-Duper Man / Robert's Tune — Wacko 1002 — summer 1981
• America '81 (Short Version) / (Long Version) – Wacko 1381 — 1981
• Hey, E.T. / Get A Job — Extran 601/Montage P-B-1220 — fall 1982
• Hey Dickie! – no label — 1982
• Attack of the Z-Monster / Mystery — Z-100 — summer 1983
• Radio Russia / Washington Inside-Out – Rhino RNOR 019 — 11/83
• The Return of The Jedi Returns (Star Wars IV) – Rhino RNLP 811 — 11/83
• Election '84 / Herb's Theme — Shell 711—1984
• Safe Sex Report / Safety First — Goodname 100 — late 1987 / early 1988 (Goodman's final recording)

References