Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles-April 7, 2015) w… Read Full Bio ↴Stanley Victor Freberg (born August 7, 1926 in Los Angeles-April 7, 2015) was a voice actor, comedian, and advertising creative.
In 1950, he scored a huge success with his first recording for Capitol Records, John and Marsha, a soap-opera parody that consisted of the title characters (both played by Freberg) repeating each other's names. In a follow-up he used pedal steel guitarist Speedy West to parody the 1953 country hit A Dear John Letter as A Dear John and Marsha Letter.
Throughout the 1950s he made a name for himself writing and performing both original songs (Tele-Vee-Shun) and parodies of popular tunes (The Yellow Rose of Texas, Day-O, Heartbreak Hotel). With fellow voice actors Daws Butler and June Foray he produced a medieval parody of Dragnet called St. George and the Dragon-Net. The latter recording was a #1 hit for four weeks in late 1953.
Freberg's brilliant, authentic-sounding musical parodies were a byproduct of his collaborations with Billy May and his Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson. His brilliant 1957 spoof of TV "champagne music" master Lawrence Welk, Wun'erful, Wun'erful was a true collaboration with May, a veteran big band musician and jazz arranger (known for his work with Frank Sinatra among others) who loathed Welk's corny style. To replicate that sound, May and some of Hollywood's finest studio musicians and vocalists worked to virtually clone Welk's sound. Billy Liebert, a first-rate accordionist copied Welk's own accordion playing. The humor was lost on Welk; Freberg later recalled the bandleader denying he ever used the term "Wunnerful! Wunnerful!" (later the title of Welk's autobiography).
Another hit song to get the Freberg treatment was the weepy Cry, which Freberg rendered as Try ("You too can be unhappy... if you try!") Ray was furious, until he realized the success of Freberg's parody was helping sales and airplay of his own record; Ray and Freberg actually became close friends.
Freberg continued to skewer the advertising industry after the demise of his radio show, producing Green Chri$tma$ in 1958 (again with Butler), a scathing indictment of the overcommercialization of the holiday. Freberg, the son of a church minister and very religious himself, made sure to point out on that novelty record "Whose birthday we're celebrating." Despite his Jewish-sounding last name, Freberg is actually a Baptist of Swedish heritage.
"Green Chri$tma$" also foreshadowed his musical review on LP Stan Freberg Presents: The United States Of America, Volume 1: The Early Years (1961) in that both combined dialog and song in a musical-like style. Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America, Volume 2: The Middle Years was planned for a release during America's Bicentennial in 1976 but did not emerge until 1996.
In 1950, he scored a huge success with his first recording for Capitol Records, John and Marsha, a soap-opera parody that consisted of the title characters (both played by Freberg) repeating each other's names. In a follow-up he used pedal steel guitarist Speedy West to parody the 1953 country hit A Dear John Letter as A Dear John and Marsha Letter.
Throughout the 1950s he made a name for himself writing and performing both original songs (Tele-Vee-Shun) and parodies of popular tunes (The Yellow Rose of Texas, Day-O, Heartbreak Hotel). With fellow voice actors Daws Butler and June Foray he produced a medieval parody of Dragnet called St. George and the Dragon-Net. The latter recording was a #1 hit for four weeks in late 1953.
Freberg's brilliant, authentic-sounding musical parodies were a byproduct of his collaborations with Billy May and his Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson. His brilliant 1957 spoof of TV "champagne music" master Lawrence Welk, Wun'erful, Wun'erful was a true collaboration with May, a veteran big band musician and jazz arranger (known for his work with Frank Sinatra among others) who loathed Welk's corny style. To replicate that sound, May and some of Hollywood's finest studio musicians and vocalists worked to virtually clone Welk's sound. Billy Liebert, a first-rate accordionist copied Welk's own accordion playing. The humor was lost on Welk; Freberg later recalled the bandleader denying he ever used the term "Wunnerful! Wunnerful!" (later the title of Welk's autobiography).
Another hit song to get the Freberg treatment was the weepy Cry, which Freberg rendered as Try ("You too can be unhappy... if you try!") Ray was furious, until he realized the success of Freberg's parody was helping sales and airplay of his own record; Ray and Freberg actually became close friends.
Freberg continued to skewer the advertising industry after the demise of his radio show, producing Green Chri$tma$ in 1958 (again with Butler), a scathing indictment of the overcommercialization of the holiday. Freberg, the son of a church minister and very religious himself, made sure to point out on that novelty record "Whose birthday we're celebrating." Despite his Jewish-sounding last name, Freberg is actually a Baptist of Swedish heritage.
"Green Chri$tma$" also foreshadowed his musical review on LP Stan Freberg Presents: The United States Of America, Volume 1: The Early Years (1961) in that both combined dialog and song in a musical-like style. Stan Freberg Presents: The United States of America, Volume 2: The Middle Years was planned for a release during America's Bicentennial in 1976 but did not emerge until 1996.
The Great Pretender
Stan Freberg Lyrics
We have lyrics for 'The Great Pretender' by these artists:
Adagio Oh yes, Im the great pretender Pretending that Im…
Avatar Time to thrill, there's time to kill 'Til your mom's gone…
Bles Bridges Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Br. Eno Monica sighed Rolled on her side She was so impressed that s…
Brother Moon Surrounded by emptiness at dawn The rain’s kept falling for …
Dan McCafferty Oh yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doin' wel…
DeadLock Once born in the others charge to surrender To suffer grea…
Demis Roussos Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretendin 'I'm doin' well My…
Dolly Parton (Buck Ram) Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending t…
Enrico Ruggeri Oh, yes, I'm the great pretender, Pretending I'm doing well…
Freddie Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Freddie Mercury & Queen Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doi…
Human Drama I am the great pretender Pretending I can't see The…
Jamala AH AH AH BRIGHT ROOM DARK SHADES SMOKEY EYED NO SHAME YOU …
Jimmy Parkinson Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
Jon Frederik Band Do you wander through this life, like a child without…
KnightsBridge Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Les Platters Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending I'm doing well …
Luke Bell Does she know? Is it so? Is she on to my…
Mercury Freddie Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Old & In the Way Oh yes I'm the great pretender (Ooh, ooh) Pretending I'm d…
Pain You can bitch all you want 'cause I don't care It's…
Paul Brady Downtown disco, out on the floor, He's been there…
Pinky Dread Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
Platters Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Platters (the) Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doin…
Platters The Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Queen Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doi…
Queen+ Oh yes, I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm do…
Raul Seixas Oh yes I'm the great pretender Pretending I'm doing well M…
Roy Orbison Buck Ram Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that…
Roy Orbison & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Sam Cooke Oh yes, I'm the Great pretender Pretending I'm doing well …
Schaefer Llana Yes you are so great And yes you are so…
Slash Easy come for some that's easy go But it's never easy…
The Band Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
The Hi-Marks Oh oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Jon Frederik Band Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing w…
The Last Emperor (Intro: sample) It has been said that man can create anythi…
The platter - Paul Anka Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Righteous Brothers Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
The Road Cruisers Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
The Starlite Orchestra Oh yes I'm the great pretender (ooh ooh) Pretending I'm doin…
The Statler Brothers Oh-oh, yes I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing…
Various Artists Keep you in the dark You know they all pretend Keep you…
Vic Mignogna Do you wander through this life Like a child without a…
Victor Wood Oh yes, I'm the great pretender Pretending that I'm doing we…
Yu-Gi-Oh OST Do you wander through this life Like a child without a…
We have lyrics for these tracks by Stan Freberg:
America! America! What is the place Where the good guys all live? Why, that'…
Anybody Here Remember Radio? Thank you. And now we'd like to... Mr. Freberg?…
Banana Boat Day-o, day-o Daylight come and Me wan go home Day, he say. (…
Banana Boat (Day-O) Day-o, day-o Daylight come and me wan' go home Day, he say…
Christmas Dragnet This is the season. My name's Wednesday. My partner's Frank …
Christmas Dragnet Part 1 This is the season. My name's Wednesday. My partner's Fran…
Christmas Dragnet Part 2 [Joe:] [This is the season.My name is Wednesday, my partner…
Elderly Man River Freberg: Just kidding, just kidding. But it's great to be…
Green Chri$tma$ SCROOGE: Bah, humbug, everybody. CHORUS: Good morning, Mr…
Green Christmas SCROOGE: Bah, humbug, everybody. CHORUS: Good morning, Mr. …
Heartbreak Hotel Well, since my baby left me, Well I found a…
I've Got You Under My Skin I've got you under my skin. I've got you deep in…
John "John, Marsha, John, Marsha, John, Marsha"…
Nuttin' For Christmas I broke my bat on Johnny's head; somebody snitched on…
Overture Announcer: Stan Freberg modestly presents The United States …
Perseverance How did the man who lit up America do it? What…
Pilgrim's Progress Mayor Pennypacker: Take an Indian to lunch this week Show hi…
Pilgrim's Progress (Take An Indian To Lunch) November 1621. By now the white man has arrived in…
Rock Island Line Rock Island Line (SF) Now this here's the story about the R…
Sh-Boom Life could be a dream Life could be a dream Boom ba-doh,…
Shoot If You Must M is for the many things I don't like Overkill is…
Show Folk Some people enjoy Splitting rails Hammering nails Blazing…
Sh’Boom Life could be a dream Life could be a dream Boom ba-doh,…
St George & The Dragon The legend you are about to hear is true Only…
St George and the Dragnet The legend you are about to hear is true Only…
St George and The Dragonet [Narrator:] The legend you are about to hear is true…
Stephen Foster Beloved Songwriter SCROOGE: Bah, humbug, everybody. CHORUS: Good morning, Mr. …
That's My Boy What do I treasure most of all I possess? It isn't…
The Night Before Christmas Okay kiddies, it′s Christmas eve Time for beddy-bye. Look uh…
The Old Payola Roll Blues {spoken by record producer} Alright, we got the tenor sax, v…
The World is Waiting for the Sunrise Dear one, The world is waiting for the sunrise; Every rose i…
The Yellow Rose of Texas Nobody else could miss her Not half as much as me She…
There'll Never be Another War There'll never be another war, no, no There'll never be ano…
Try Iiiii-if yore happy hand((and)) yore eyes are always daaa-ry…
Wun'erful Wun'erful Note lw is Lawrence Welk, -L is a Lemmon sister, Ls…
Wun'erful, Wun'erful Note LW is Lawrence Welk, -L is a Lemmon sister,…
Wunerful Wunerful Note lw is Lawrence Welk, -L is a Lemmon sister, Ls…
Yellow Rose of Texas Nobody else could miss her Not half as much as me She…
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Ned Jenkins
Fell in love with this song back in the sixties, had a copy on a 78 for years ! Thanks for posting :)
Sharon Mahoney
"You catch on fast" LOLOLOL
My husband and I still quote "Man, you scared me. Don't do that." whenever the situation calls for.
Randall Miller
Ha Ha, love it! Haven't heard this in years, love the mention of George Shearingđź‘Ť
cindykrista
"you play that clink, clink, clink, jazz or you won't get paid tonight"...classic Freberg
Diana Lee
Freberg was a genius…RIP
wackney hick
The eternal lament from musicians:- When are we going to be able to play hot for a living? Not until after the revolution. Dig it and weep.
David Breen
Stan Freberg was brilliant
Diana Lee
It’s 2022 and this still makes me LOL
Barry I. Grauman
Alvin Stoller played the same drum in "Yellow Rose of Texas".
Ellyn MacGregor
Which (on some editions of the single) is the flip-side of "The Great Pretender." :-)