While Treasure Ivan and his faithful record librarian Polly Parrot prepare to move across country, they’ve decided to feature a two part Wood Guthrie Extravaganza.
Woody Guthrie
Woody Guthrie was a great American songwriter. His songs for children, originally created for his own family, remain among the very finest ever written for youngsters. They have inspired generations of musicians, including “Treasure” Ivan Ulz, who recorded a number of Guthrie tunes on his own albums for children.
Enjoy!
I saw “Pollyanna” and “The Parent Trap,” with my parents, but it wasn’t until 1961, when I was 17, that Hayley Mills captured my heart with her performance in “Whistle Down the Wind.” Based on a book written by Hayley’s mother, this simple film about the unshakeable faith of children made an indelible mark on me that still holds today. I came out of the theater vowing that I would find a way to capture the attention of its lovely star.
I decided to write a song about Hayley, setting off a life-long career in songwriting. I began the tune in the back of a bowling alley and finished it in the rear seat of my parents’ Ford station wagon over the course of a cross-country trip. It was a novelty song I called “A Letter to Hayley” and it utilized the four guitar chords I knew at the time.
You can imagine my surprise when Jim Hilton and LA producer Bruce Belland of The Four Preps decided to turn my song into a 45 rpm single. I recorded it in a Hollywood garage studio, with a band that included a very young — and yet undiscovered — Glen Campbell on guitar. Because my name wasn’t commercial enough, they called me Billy Kidd on the record label. I also wrote and recorded the B side, “I Got Better Things to Do.”
Ivan Ulz & Hayley Mills (she's holding the record)
To my dismay, Hayley Mills still didn’t notice me. It wasn’t until 42 years later, in 2004, that I finally met Ms. Mills. And it was worth the wait. She was gracious, charming and just as delightful as she had always seemed on film. I had two 45 rpm records left of “A Letter to Hayley” and I gave her one. Good things take time.
This edition of the Treasure Ivan Show is devoted to Hayley Mills. In addition to starring in many films, she also had a brief recording career. You’ll hear songs, interviews, and the story soundtrack of Pollyanna. And of course I’ll play “A Letter to Hayley.”
What’s My Line: Mystery Guest Hayley Mills
Johnny Jingo
Hayley Mills
Let’s Get Together
Hayley Mills
Sweet River
Hayley Mills
Castaway
Hayley Mills
Pat Sajak: Guest Hayley Mills
A Letter to Hayley
Billy Kidd (Ivan Ulz)
A Letter to the Beatles
The Four Preps
Green & Yellow Basket
Hayley Mills
A-Tisket A-Tasket
Ivan Ulz
Pollyanna Story Record
Jeepers Creepers
Hayley Mills
Side by Side
Hayley Mills
Enjoy It
Hayley Mills & Maurice Chevalier
This time around, I decided to play some of my records featuring bears. There are big bears, little bears, shaggy bears, baggy bears, and of course, teddy bears. We open with Henry Hull and his orchestra, performing what may be the definitive version of “Teddy Bears’ Picnic.”
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Henry Hull Orchestra
Teddy Bears’ Polka
Jack Arthur
Smokey the Bear
Smokey the Bear
The show also has three versions of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” including a very unusual rendition by Bing Crosby, Katherine Crosby, and their children. It was originally aired as an animated feature on television in 1970. But the first version you’ll hear is by my old preschool music hero, Frank Luther.
Goldilocks & the Three Bears
Frank Luther
Me & My Teddy Bear
Rosemary Clooney
The Four Bears is a Children’s Record Guild production aimed at very young children. The simple story is told by CRG regular Norman Rose. Here on Treasure Ivan, we know him as a star of children’s records, but most people remember him as the narrator of the Juan Valdez coffee commercials on TV in the 1970s.
The Four Bears
Norman Rose
Sweetie Bear
I have to admit, this next version of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears” by Ireene Wicker is my favorite. I just love how she becomes all of the characters with every fiber of her being.
Ireene Wicker
Goldilocks & the Three Bears
Ireene Wicker
Fooba Wooba John
Burl Ives
Crosby Family
Goldilocks & the Three Bears
Bing Crosby & Family, narrated by Paul Winchell
Paul Winchell & Jerry Mahoney
Waltzing with Bears
Platte River Yacht Club
The show begins with the original “Teddy Bears’ Picnic,” so I couldn’t resist adding my own recently recorded version, available on my soon-to-be released CD “This Is My School.” John Messer is heard on slide guitar.
Teddy Bears’ Picnic
Ivan Ulz (with John Messer & Christopher North)
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Tex Ritter
Little Boy Fishing
Shirley Abicair
Howdy Doody & The Air-O-Doodle
Buffalo Bob Smith
Fillmore East Concert, 1970
Buffalo Bob Smith
Bozo’s Song
Pinto Colving
Nellie the Elephant
Mandy Miller
Tom & Jerry at the Circus (1950)
Francis De Sales with music by Curtis Biever
Courtesy of Kiddie Records Weekly.
Uncle Don at the Circus
“Uncle” Don Carney
Super Circus & Super Circus Sideshow
Featuring Mary Hartline & Claude Kirchner
Robin Hood
Dick James
Let’s Pretend: Robin Hood
Directed by Nila Mack
I Like My Shirt
Donovan
This week’s show features a number of records celebrating birthdays. Some of them you may have heard before, but there’s one that deserves special attention because it hasn’t been heard in more than 50 years.
Big Jon & Sparkie’s Birthday Song was sung every Saturday morning on their ABC radio show “No School Today.” After years of searching, I have not been able to find any recordings of this program, let alone the Birthday Song.
The Birthday Song might have been lost forever, except that I seem to have remembered every single word and every single note. This year, I recorded it with guitarist John Messer and it will soon be available on my new CD. But you don’t have to wait. Hear it now on Treasure Ivan Show 7, and let me know if it rings a bell or resonates with a deep memory of birthdays long past.
Let’s Have a Party
Guy Lombardo & the Royal Canadians
The Birthday Party Record
Frank Luther
Baby Snooks, courtesy of Kiddie Records Weekly
Baby Snooks Learns About Crossing Streets & Table Manners
Fanny Brice
Burl Ives
Little White Duck
Burl Ives
Little White Duck
Ivan Ulz
Daffy Duck's Feathered Friend
Daffy Duck’s Feathered Friend
Mel Blanc
Dennis Day
A Very Merry Unbirthday
Dennis Day
The Birthday Party Record
(Happy Birthday Chowder Head)
Big Jon & Sparky
Big Jon & Sparkie’s Birthday Song
Ivan Ulz
Sheriff John
Sheriff John’s Birthday Cake Polka
Ivan Ulz
Phil Harris
Minnie the Mermaid
Phil Harris
Let’s Pretend: The Little Mermaid
Swimmy Swim
Woody Guthrie
The Typewriter
Leroy Anderson
I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat
Mel Blanc
Tweetie Pie, courtesy of Kiddie Records Weekly
Tweety Pie
Tweety & Sylvester (Mel Blanc)
Witcha-Ma-Jig-Song
Smilin’ Ed McConnell (with Froggy the Gremlin)
Smilin' Ed & Froggy the Gremlin
Jigglesniggle Pigglediggle
Smilin’ Ed McConnell (with Froggy the Gremlin)
Genie the Magic Record, courtsey of Kiddie Records Weekly
Genie the Magic Record
Peter Lind Hayes
Bongo the Bear
Dinah Shore
Dinah Shore
Der Fueher’s Face
Spike Jones
Another classic by Spike Jones!
Mairzy Doats
The Merry Macs
The Merry Macs
Let’s Pretend: Jack and the Beanstalk
Father Papered the Parlor
R.P. Weston
The Happy Wanderer
Obernkirchen Children’s Choir
The Ugly Duckling
Danny Kaye
The Churkendoose
The Churkendoose
Ray Bolger
On Top of Spaghetti
Tom Glazer
Tom Glazer
Let’s Go to the Rodeo
Tom Glazer
Rusty in Orchestraville
Rusty in Orchestraville
Little Orley & the Bull Fiddle
Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum
Let’s Pretend: Hansel & Gretel
What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Frank Luther
When You Grow Up
Tom Glazer
Let’s Be Policemen
Percy Dove
Mr. Policeman
The Babysitters
I’ve Lost My Mommy
Rolf Harris
Image courtesy of KiddieRecordsWeekly.com
Gossamer Wump
Frank Morgan
Image courtesy of KiddieRecordsWeekly.com
Gerald McBoingBoing
Harold Peary “The Great Gildersleeve”
Over in the Meadow
The Babysitters
The Little House
The Babysitters
Image courtesy of KiddieRecordsWeekly.com
The Carrot Seed (1950)
Norman Rose
The Carrot Seed (1999)
Ivan Ulz
Frog Went A Courting
Tom Glazer
Let’s Pretend: The Enchanted Frog
Nursery Songs
Toby Deane
Toby Deane & Benny Goodman
Mother Goose Songs
Elizabeth Wheeler
Elizabeth Wheeler
Little Orley & the Pancake
Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum
Little Orley
Little Orley & the Bubblegum
Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum
A Child’s First Ride
Frank Luther
Dan the Fireman
Edmund Karlsrud
Edmund Karlsrud
The Little Fireman
(based on a book by Margaret Wise Brown)
Tom Glazer
Fire Truck
Ivan Ulz
Willipus Wallapus
“Uncle” Don Carney
Uncle Don on the Farm
“Uncle” Don Carney
Old MacDonald Had a Farm
Billy Williams
Let’s Pretend: Cinderella
