Treasure Ivan comes to this program with a satchel full of songs, and a couple of great stories …  Frank Luther narrates the story of “Raggedy Ann and the Nice Fat Policeman” a surreal tale featuring the famous rag doll and her friends. Al “Jazzbeaux” Collins tells the story of “Little Red Riding Hood” in the language of a hipster, the pre-beatnik from 1940’s not to be confused with the hipster of the 21st Century…Today’s songs are from all over, Australia novelty tunes to American Western songs about courtesy and befriending wild birds…Pepito the newest member of the Treasure Ivan company, continues to sing along with everything he hears and urges other yellow birdies to join in the fun.

Little Rascals Theme
The Beau Hunks

Kukla, Fran and Ollie

Here We Are Again
Kukla, Fran and Ollie

Everybody Eats When They Come to My House
Cab Calloway

Raggedy Ann and the Nice Fat Policeman
Frank Luther

The Laughing Policeman
Charles Ramsey

Tex Ritter

Big Rock Candy Mountain
Tex Ritter

The Pink Toothbrush
Max Bygraves

I Lost My Mummy
Rolf Harris

Tell Me a Story
Frankie Laine & Jimmy Boyd

Little Red Riding Hood
Al (Jazzbeaux) Collins

Little Red Riding Hood
Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

Everybody Likes to Hear a Bird Sing
Tom T. Hall

Two Little Magic Words
Tex Ritter

Inchworm
Danny Kaye

A singing canary has joined the cast of the Treasure Ivan Show. His name is Pepito Dos, and he is a direct descendent of the American Radio Warblers who graced the airwaves from the late 1930’s to the early 1950’s. Accompanied by a violin and an organ, these yellow birds sang every Sunday from their studio in Chicago. Americans tuned in to listen, and those who actually owned canaries watched their own pet birds sing along with the radio.

Pepito Dos

As a child, I was fortunate to have a canary named Pepito. He was a natural singer, but when he heard these professional canaries on the radio, Pepito’s warbling became something on the order of a concert. My parents and I looked on in amazement. I never forgot that incredible experience.

It’s over sixty years later. Now I have my own radio program, and as of a few weeks ago, I have my own canary. His name is Pepito Dos, short for Pepe. He has been exposed to every kind of music from Mozart to Elvis, and he harmonizes to any and all melodies. Tune in to Treasure Ivan, and if you have a few extra dollars to spend, find yourself a canary and experience a joy that goes far beyond the virtual. Pepito and I are waiting for you to join us in song.

Sparkie’s Birthday Song/Birthday Cake Polka
Ivan Ulz

Pepe
The Sandpipers withFrank Milano

Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing
The Sandpipers with Anne Lloyd

Little Orley & the Happy Bird
Hugh “Uncle Lumpy” Brannum

Yankee Doodle Bunny
Jimmy Durante

The Eagle and the Thrush
By Algernon Black

I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat
Mel Blanc

Woody Woodpecker Meets Davy Crockett
Mel Blanc & Daws Butler

Ballad of Davy Crockett
Tennessee Ernie Ford

Happy Birthday, Dear Chowderhead

I’ll Write and I’ll Draw
Woody Guthrie

The New ABC
Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross

Bugs Bunny & Aladdin’s Lamp

Those who get what they wish for dominate this session of The Treasure Ivan Show. First, there is Bugs Bunny who, while innocently polishing his lamp, summons Aladdin and all the powers that accompany him. Wishing for carrots works fine, but asking to be a horse proves to be more than he can handle.

Bugs Bunny & Aladdin’s Lamp
Mel Blanc

Fire Truck!
Lars Gustafson

Foodini Goes A’ Huntin’

“Foodini Goes A’ Huntin’” introduces us to the puppet who was on television in the 1950’s, but not so popular as Howdy Doody. Foodini and his sidekick Pinhead believe they are on safari in Africa, but it turns out their hunting ground is embarrassingly much closer to home.

Foodini Goes A’ Huntin’
Hope & Maury Bunin

Red, Red Robin
Rosie Flores

Magesto the Magician

Ice Cream gets out of hand for Magesto the Magician when he devises a magic trick that will make everything taste like the frozen confection. This 1946 recording is filled with songs and laughs, and an ending that rivals “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”

Magesto the Magician
Peter Donald

Ice Cream Song
Fred Waring

(That’s Why) I Love the Ice Cream Man
Lynne Farr

This week’s Treasure Ivan features three story records, with musical interludes to boot!

Leave the Dishes in the Sink, Ma
Spike Jones and his City Slickers

Howdjadoo
Woody Guthrie

First up, a wild party hosted by Frank Luther on “The Birthday Party Record.” This 78 rpm disk features lines like, “Boys kiss the girls, Girls kiss the boys,” and my favorite, “Walk like a duck.”

The Birthday Party Record
Frank Luther

Also heard is “Billy Rings the Bell,” a story record about toddlers being included in a performance of symphonic music.

Billy Rings the Bell

Billy Rings the Bell
Music by Richard Mohaupt, Story by Delmar Molarsky

Dance Around
Woody Guthrie

Golden Slumbers
Jennifer Warnes & Jackson Browne

Last but not least, a 1946 recording of “Rip Van Winkle” as told by Lionel Barrymore — you youngsters know him as Drew Barrymore’s great-uncle.

Rip Van Winkle
Lionel Barrymore

Rip Van Winkle

Rip Van Winkle
The Nutmegs

We’ve all be waiting eagerly for the new season of Treasure Ivan shows, and it’s finally here! Stay tuned for lots more, coming soon.

Green Green
The New Christy Minstrels

Eggs
Martin Mull

Green Eggs & Ham

Green Eggs & Ham
Written by Dr. Seuss, Performed by Marvin Miller

Tupelo County Jail
Mel Tillis

Happy Habits, from Kiddie Records Weekly

Monkey Song from Happy Habbits
Arthur Q. Bryan

Little Red Monkey
Rosemary Clooney

Animal Fair
Arthur Godfrey

Bunky the Monkey

Bunky the Monkey
Bud Collier

Raggedy Ann and the Golden Butterfly
Frank Luther

River Deep, Mountain High
Ike & Tina Turner

“Oh, that Clarabell! You never know where he’s going to hide his rolling papers!”

Buffalo Bob Smith

So begins the next Treasure Ivan Show when Buffalo Bob reunites with the Peanut Gallery to give a behind-the-scenes look at the Howdy Doody Show. The kids are all grown up now (20-somethings) and they gather at Fillmore East in 1971 to hear this incredible hour-long tribute to the earlier days of television.

This program is mostly about space ships and rocket travel as perceived before the moon landing of 1969. The songs we selected are from the 1960’s but the story records are all tied to the 1950’s. There is a definite difference in space awareness in those two decades. Listen for yourself.

Mr. Moonlight
The Beatles

Everybody Gets to Go to the Moon
Thelma Houston

By Rocket to the Moon

By Rocket to the Moon
Ray Camargo; story by Jay Williams Music by Raymond Scott

This was the first science record released by Young Peoples Records, in 1951. It was described as “an exciting musical presentation of many of the important facts of elementary astronomy…but most of all the record is good fun.” It was also the favorite childhood record of Barry Hansen, who grew up to be the zany musicologist Dr. Demento.

Foodini’s Trip to the Moon

Foodini’s Trip to the Moon
Bunin Puppets

Foodini was a puppet character from the earliest day of television. Before there was Howdy Doody, Rootie Kazootie, or Kukla, Fran and Ollie, the endearingly arrogant Foodini and his pal Pinhead entertained children until more well organized shows came along.

Mister Spaceman
Holy Modal Rounders

Tom & Jerry’s Rocket to the Moon

In the 1950’s, MGM Records adapted the cartoon adventures of their famous cat and mouse duo and created a series of 6 phonograph records for children. They sold lots of records and provided hours of imagination stimulus for countless girls and boys.

Mister Spaceman
The Byrds

Buzz Corry Becomes Commander-In-Chief

Buzz Corry Becomes Commander-In-Chief
created by Mike Moser

I don’t know if any addition Space Patrol records were ever released, but Space Patrol was a staple of children’s television and radio during the early 1950’s. It inspired countless hours of dramatic play for me and my neighborhood pals. This was decades before big budget productions like “Star Trek” and “Star Wars.”

Spaceman
Harry Nillison

Urban Spaceman
Bonzo Dog Band

That’s Amore
Dean Martin

This week’s show is a random bunch of treasures from the Treasure Ivan Treasure chest. One of them  — Tom and Jerry and the Fire Engine — was all I wanted for Christmas when I was 7 years old.

Hand Jive
J.C. Burris

J.C. Burris, Blues Professor

Hotcha Cornia
Spike Jones

Tom and Jerry and the Fire Engine

This is my favorite of the several Tom and Jerry records released by MGM records in the early 1950’s. There are no credits as to the people who created this series, but the records retain all the excitement of the famous cat-and-mouse cartoons.

Fire Truck!
Andy Morse

Margaret O’Brien

The 3 Billy Goats Gruff
Margaret O’ Brien

Margaret O’ Brien was a very popular young movie star during the 1940’s. She was featured in “Jane Eyre,” “Little Women,” and co-starred with Judy Garland in “Meet Me In St. Louis.” She received an Academy Award for Outstanding Child Actress of 1944 and still appears in films and television.

Kansas City Star
Roger Miller

Frank Luther

The Little Red Hen
Frank Luther

Frank Luther tells this well known tale for children and has some very catchy songs to go along with it. Cak-cak-cak-ca-dak-et is the sound of the little red hen as she does her chores without any help from others.

Chisholm Trail
Will Geer and Tom Glazer

This recording was released by Young Peoples Records in the 1950’s. Will Geer (Grandpa on “The Waltons”) tells the story and Tom Glazer (“On top of Spaghetti”) sings the historical songs.

He Taught Me to Yodel
Patsy Montana

Strolling in My Stroller
Ivan Ulz

Turn, Turn, Turn
The Byrds

Turn, Turn, Turn
Pete Seeger with the Rivertown Kids

Based on “The Noisy Book” by Margaret Wise Brown and narrated by Norman Rose, this is the story of a little dog named Muffin who has a bandage over his eyes because of a recent mishap. He cannot see a thing—but Muffin can hear!

Muffin in the City
Norman Rose

I Wanna be a Dog
Barry Louis Polisar

How Much Is That Doggie in the Window
Ivan Ulz

Arfie, the Doggie in the Window

After “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window” became a million seller for Patti Page, she made an agreement with Childcraft Records to appear on a story record which tells what happened after that dog found a home.

Arfie, The Doggie in the Window
Patti Page

From 1942-1960, Art Linkletter hosted “People Are Funny” on radio, and then moved over to television. The premise was to send contestants out on something like a scavenger hunt, then trick them once they got there. This children’s record from 1950 is a parody of the show, with pets taking on the roles that were for people. The highlight is when Art offers a parrot a cracker, and instead gives him firecrackers.

Pets Are Funny
Art Linkletter

During the 1950’s Jerry Lewis made several children’s records for Capitol Records. All of them are a little strange by today’s standards, but that is what makes them fun. In this story, Jerry is an animal abuser who dreams he is a tormented puppy, and he awakens with full understanding of the Golden Rule.

The Puppydog Dream
Jerry Lewis

Jerry Lewis

Ivan the Ice Cream Man
Ivan Ulz

In 1970 I recorded an LP which was called “Ivan the Ice Cream Man.” The title song came from my experience in 1968 as a hippie selling ice cream man in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Imagine my surprise when 40 years later I was searching for my record on Ebay and stumbled onto this 1939 song of the same name by a group called the Kidoodlers. Because it is so bright and bouncy, this version is now the theme song for The Treasure Ivan Show.

Ivan the Ice Cream Man
The Kidoodlers

The Kidoodlers

Lynne Farr was a writer and producer of countless television programs, most notably “The Bob Newhart Show” in the 1970’s. I have no idea what inspired her to write and record this song, but I’m sure glad she did.

(That’s Why) I Love the Ice Cream Man
Lynne Farr