Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Santa Is A Dirty Old Man

 


This is The Gino Sisters, as The Wardettes, named after Jay Ward from Ward Productions. who probably asked Sam Gino and his arranger, Scott Engel, to record the song, that was possibly featured in one of their early Bullwinkle cartoons. Or not, because the NBC TV perhaps objected to the title and lyrics. Written by George Atkins of Ward Productions. 

From the minds of Jay Ward and Bill Scott two cartoonists of Ward Productions, the animation studio, Pongo-Britt was how everybody called Ponsonby. Ponsonby Britt was the credited—but fictional—executive producer of the television series The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, Fractured Flickers, Hoppity Hooper, and George of the Jungle.

Someone, Ward explained, wondered if we had an executive producer. We didn’t. Since all the big shows have executive producers it seemed rather undignified for us not to have one. So we dreamed up Ponsonby.  The biography of Britt written by Ward and Scott of course describes him as half Lawrence of Arabia half Captain Cook and half Little Lord , his financial backing it says comes from estranged aunt. Lady Maud. 

Britt eventually became the executive producer credited for all Jay Ward productions; even a fake official biography for Britt was crafted for promotional press releases.  

This release was followed the next year by another Jay Ward related song : "Rocky's Theme" by Billy Joe and The Checkmates.


Santa Is A Dirty Old Man



No comments:

Post a Comment