The Best Blimp Shows Of The Past: Remembering Dr. Demento…

You'd have to wait for the weekend -- It was really the only place to hear what used to be called "novelty records", too weird for the Mainstream, and that's where the good Doctor comes in...

Occasionally, one or two of Dr. D's faves would "break-through" (Cheech & Chong and Steve Martin had alotta good luck with their stuff), but it was really during the 'Late, Late Show' hours where you could find what everyone else was trying not to play.

"The Dr. Demento Show" began national syndication in 1974, just a year after your Blimp first went on-the-air, so for today it's "Dr. Demento's Top Ten Records Of The 1970's". Singalong if {when?} you can:

(10.) "Pencil Neck Geek" - Fred Blassie. Before wrestling went gang-busters, Freddie was the undisputed king/pioneer, arguably the first pro wrestler to achieve notoriety outside the ring.

(9.) "The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati" - Rose and the Arrangement. A Mid-West Holiday Inn band picks up where "The Eggplant That Ate Chicago" left off.

(8.) "Short People" - Randy Newman. As in, Short = Intolerance and Prejudice. Hey, maybe it's time to put this back in regular rotation...

(7.) "My Dead Dog Rover" - Hank, Stu, Dave & Hank. Nobody knows who wrote the lyrics (which go back to the 1920's); also, quite possibly, the only act on the planet to ever feature two Hanks in their moniker.

(6.) "My Bologna" - "Weird Al" Yankovic. By the way, The Knack totally deserved this!

(5.) "King Tut" - Steve Martin. Despite the clowny, dopey presentation, Steve was an accomplished musician with an interesting take about historical preservation on tour. Or not.

(4.) "Earache My Eye (Featuring Alice Bowie)" - Cheech & Chong. A formidable candidate for the No. 1 spot, it's really the intro about being too sick to get up and go to school that makes this one a classic.

(3.) "Junk Food Junkie" - Larry Groce. Weirdly, this one still has a point to make. Just check off the ingredients, kids...

(2.) "Dead Skunk" - Loudon Wainwright III.  We know of no other song that has come up with a rhyme for "olfactory", while the "C'mon, now, stink!" charge into the violin solo makes for a truly magical moment.

(1.) "Fish Heads" - Barnes & Barnes. We also remember seeing this first on SNL. Admit it, you've spent years saying "Eat 'em up, yum!" whenever you could.