Alfred E. Neuman - It's A Gas (1966)

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I've always tried to keep this blog as classy as possible. Controversial topics such as politics are discussed only when there is a relationship with a piece of music that I've written about, and you'll never see any coarse language here at all. Rest assured, for those of you who like it that way things won't be changing in the future. However, I have some sad news today that is forcing me to be less than 100% polite and I'm asking you to indulge me just this once.

After 67 years, Mad Magazine, the hilarious rag that always brings back some of the top memories from my youth is mostly going away. I remember riding my bike to the local pharmacy to pick up the latest issue but after August 2019 it will no longer be available at newsstands. Beginning in September Mad can only be purchased in comic book stores or by subscription. I haven't read a copy in decades but I'm still sad that it's gone.

Future issues will feature new cover art but the inside will only include reprints of older articles. New stuff will only be released by "the usual gang of idiots" in their annual year end editions. Mad books and special feature magazines will continue to be put out.

Depending on what website you're reading speculation about the reasons for the magazine's demise include all of the usual maladies that killed dozens of other hard copy publications over the last fifteen years. Others blame political correctness.

For those of us who loved the magazine's movie and TV show satires, their inside back cover fold-ins, Spy vs. Spy, The Lighter Side, the bizarro cartoons of Don Martin, and a whole lot more, it truly is a sad day.

The news forced Weird Al Yankovic to tweet, "I am profoundly sad to hear that after 67 years, MAD Magazine is ceasing publication. I can't begin to describe the impact it had on me as a young kid–it's pretty much the reason I turned out weird. Goodbye to one of the all-time greatest American institutions."

The magazine had such an affect on my adolescence that my three neighborhood friends and I would use material from Mad, along with original skits heavily influenced by it, to put on shows in our backyards - that, believe it or not - all of our parents would actually come to see.

Since everything posted here must be related to music in some way it's time to discuss that famous one-hit wonder, Alfred E. Neuman, and his only known vocal performance. Neuman released "It's a Gas" on a 5½ inch, 33 ⅓ RPM, single sided, cardboard, flexi-disc, for free in a 1966 issue of Mad.

The only lyrics in the song are its title that is sung near the beginning of the record just once. Then, the only other "vocal" (and I use the word loosely) is Neuman belching every few bars.

The song's arrangement is obviously influenced by pre-Beatles rock n' roll. Believe it or not, the sax solo was played by the highly regarded King Curtis who also contributed his talents to huge hit records like Aretha Franklin's "Respect" and "Yakety Yak" by The Coasters.

I still have my copy of "It's a Gas." It's in pristine condition, stashed away somewhere with my 45s.