 | |
| Written by | common tame lyrics by Frank Luther and Carson Robinson |
| Music by | traditional |
| Date | 1928 (tame version only) |
"Barnacle Bill the Sailor" is a traditional drinking song recounting the raucous and bawdy behavior of the titular sailor. Though early versions often used obscene language, it was toned down during its peak popularity in the 1930s, including a recording by Hoagy Carmichael. It was the centerpiece of two Fleischer cartoons, the 1930 Betty Boop short Barnacle Bill and the 1935 Popeye outing Beware of Barnacle Bill (with Bluto in the title role). The name also became popular as a generic term for a tough sailor type.
Sam and Friends used the song multiple times, through a 1953 Capitol Records recording by Candy Candido[1] (as the B side of "You're Nothin' but a Nothin" from the Walt Disney Silly Symphonies short The Flying Mouse). As with many (but not all) Capitol children's records, the release was stamped as "Bozo Approved." Candido performs the song in his trademark low-voiced croak, like a deeper version of Popeye (having also covered "I'm Popeye the Sailor Man" for the same label).
Confirmed broadcast Sam and Friends uses include February 17, 1959[2] and November 5, 1959.[3]
Performer background[]
- Candy Candido was a voice actor and comic singer known for his ability to go from high-pitched falsetto to, most often, a deep, croaky growl. His catchphrase on the 1940s radio shows of Jimmy Durante summed it up: "I'm feelin' mighty low." The same year as this recording, Candido was heard in his first Disney animated feature, as the voice of the native chief in Peter Pan (later followed by parts in Sleeping Beauty, Babes in Toyland, and The Great Mouse Detective).
Sources[]
- ↑ Shemin, Craig. Sam and Friends: The Story of Jim Henson's First Television Show. Record transcribed on November 10, 1955. p. 263
- ↑ ibid. p. 342
- ↑ ibid. p. 405