Song Of The Day 7/29/2015: Space Man – “Man in Orbit”

Dead Horse Radio: Pop Song News Bulletins – Today’s release was inexplicably on Chess Records in 1961, both commemorating and shoving a sharp stick in the Russian launch of the Sputnik satellite, which occurred in 1957. Apparently we weren’t over it four years later. The next time the Russians flew into space they put a dog into the spacecraft with the expectation that she would not return alive, which seems to me to be a very unethical treatment of an animal. But back then dogs were reluctant to unionize. Even in Soviet Russia. Weird, isn’t it?

Little information is recuperable about “Man in Orbit,” today’s pop-song break-in news parody. It was the B-side to an actual music instrumental called “Blast Off.” As promised, this recording is a shade or two down the pole from yesterday’s bit, although the songs used for the astronaut’s replies were a little more commonly known than the spot-check singles of Dickie Goodman, who really got around, and yesterday’s entry by Gary & James.

In fact “Man in Orbit” shows how really difficult this whole comedy business really is. The questioner’s lines are too straight and too long. By the time he finishes the question the joke’s lost all chance to be funny. Also, as crazy as Goodman’s responses could sometimes be, they at least always made narrative sense. Here it’s obvious they were just jostling around so they could use the opening phrase of the Marcels’ “Blue Moon” wherever the shoehorn fits.

This is a really depressing prospect for the rest of the week. I’m sorry. I’m going to go hug a dog.