Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus

Jerry Kasenetz e Jeff Katz sono considerati gli inventori della cosidetta bubblegum music, musichetta per teen-agers a base di ritmi ripetitivi, testi stupidotti, voci esclusivamente nasali (tappandosi il naso se necessario) e mani agitate sopra la testa. La bubblegum music conquista l'America più giovane fra il 1968 e il 1969, come reazione all'impegno manifestato in quel periodo del rock più consapevole e "adulto"; i gruppi come gli Ohio Express (Yummy Yummy Yummy e Chevy Chevy), la 1910 Fruitgum Company (Simon Says, 1-2-3 Red Light, Indian Giver), i Lemon Pipers (Green Tambourine e Jelly Jungle), i Crazy Elephant (Gimme Gimme Good Lovin') e gli Archies (Sugar Sugar, sigla di un celebre programma di cartoni animati) invadono le classifiche con i loro 45 giri e le loro banalità di rapidissimo consumo. Kasenetz e Katz manovrano i fili di questa grande recita per il pubblico adolescenziale dietro la sigla della loro agenzia, la Super K, appoggiata alle etichette Buddah e Kama Sutra; per queste spudorate operazioni discografiche i due si servono come musicisti di studio degli Shadows Of Knight. Con la fine dei '60 il fenomeno bubblegum declina. I loro inventori lo salutano con un "Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus" che raccoglie in una grande orchestra di ben 46 elementi i gruppi già citati e altri minori del genere. Il Cirus tiene un concerto alla Carnegie Hall di New York che frutta uno scombiccherato album, Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus (BUDDAH 1968 USA), dove all'immanabile Simon Says si aggiungono versioni "gommose" di Hey Joe, Yesterday, We Can Work In Out e You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'. Nella stessa vena seguirà Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus (BUDDAH 1968 USA) dopo breve tempo.

The Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus was a bubblegum "supergroup" created by record producers Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz, consisting of various Super K Production groups.

Original cast recording

For the first album, the fictitious concept was to take eight Kasenetz-Katz produced groups and bring them together for a "live" performance at Carnegie Hall on 7 June 1968. The roster included:

1910 Fruitgum Company
Ohio Express
Music Explosion
Lt. Garcia's Magic Music Box
Teri Nelson Group
1989 Musical Marching Zoo
J.C.W. Rat Finks
St. Louis Invisible Marching Band

According to the inner gatefold cover's liner notes, the "supergroup" consisted of 46 members. However, the album cover itself only shows 33 members (plus Kasenetz and Katz in tuxedos) while the individual inner cover photos total 37 (excluding the non-existent St. Louis Invisible Marching Band, whose photo is represented by a white block).
Of the 10 studio tracks used for this LP (not including the dialogue tracks), live audiences were dubbed into two: "Little Bit Of Soul" and "Simon Says".

Members

To add to the confusion of the actual number of participants, the LP package came with a page of stamps with each member of the "supergroup", including their names and the individual group he or she represents. The members of The Teri Nelson Group (except Teri Nelson herself) are shown as INVISIBLE BAND on the stamps.
Side 2 opens up with Music Explosion leader Jamie Lyons announcing the individual members of the newer or lesser-known groups. Some of the names mentioned do not coincide with the members shown on the stamps.

Second album

For Super K's second effort (renamed "Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus"), the roster was reduced to five groups. Remaining were The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Ohio Express and Music Explosion, with the other groups replaced by Shadows Of Knight (who had just been acquired by Super K and signed to Buddah's Team label) and White Whale label group Professor Morrison's Lollipop (formerly the Coachmen of Nebraska). Despite these representations, the tracks were actually recorded by studio musicians with lead vocals by Ohio Express lead vocalist Joey Levine.
Unlike the first album, this was more of a straightforward studio album without the "concept" theme. It yielded the Top 25 hit "Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)". Also included were the Shadows Of Knight's minor hit "Shake", but with Levine's vocals replacing Jim Sohns' original vocal track.

1969 and beyond

After a failed attempt to combine bubblegum music with the likes of composers Beethoven, Mozart and others with the album Classical Smoke (as "Kasenetz-Katz Orchestral Circus"), the K-K concept popped up occasionally in the 1970s but came to an end with a final single in 1977.

2009

Kasenetz and Katz are releasing their brand new album in 2009, calling themselves Kasenetz and Katz Allstarz Band, featuring Jaymee Lynn Frankel, Lianne Frankel, Lisa Ganz, Kiirstin Marilyn, Donna & Laura Macaluso, Don Chaffin and more.

Discography

Singles

Year	Single	Chart Positions
Year	Single	US	UK	AU
1968	"Down in Tennessee"	124	-	-
1968	"Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run)"	25	19	33
1969	"I'm in Love with You"	105	-	-
1969	"Embrasez-Moi"	-	-	-
1970	"When He Comes"	-	-	-
1970	"Bubblegum March"	-	-	-
1971	"Symphony #9"	-	-	-
1975	"Mama Lu"	-	-	-
1977	"Heart Get Ready for Love"	-	-	-

Albums

Kasenetz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus—Buddah BDS-5020—1968

Intro / We Can Work It Out/Count Dracula / Place In The Sun/Jamie Lyons Intro. / You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling / (Poor Old) Mr. Jensen / Down In Tennessee / Intro (Jamie Lyons introduces the new groups) / Little Bit Of Soul / Simon Says / Latin Shake / Mrs. Green / Hey Joe / Yesterday/All Gone ("Taps")

Kasenetz-Katz Super Circus—Buddah BDS-5028—1968

Quick Joey Small (Run Joey Run) / Let Me Introduce You (To The Kasenetz-Katz Orchestral Circus) / Easy To Love / Log On Fire / Shake / I'm In Love With You / New York Woman / Up In The Air / I Got It Bad Your You / Down At Lulu's / The Super Circus

Classical Smoke (Kasenetz-Katz Orchestral Circus) -- Super K SKS-6001—1969

Symphony #9 /G Minor Symphony / Evening Star / Fugue / La Traviata / New World Symphony / Bouree / Nocturne / Blue Danube Waltz / Orgy Of Lust / String Quartet

Kasenatz-Katz Singing Orchestral Circus - Quick Joey Small - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OiljaInq4g

Testo

Quick Joey Small went over the wall
With a ball an' a chain behind him
Quick Joey Small went over the wall
Send the dogs right out to find him.
In a striped prision suit with no room to move
He headed for the highway
With his chain still dragin'
He thumbed down a wagon said Well you're goin my way.
And they say now
Refrain
Run Joey , Joey run run the hounds are on your trail
Jump-up Jump-up
Run Joey , Joey run run they're gonna send you back to jail.
Sheriff got a shotgun, he do
He'll fill you full of lead son, it's true.
He's also got a blackjack, he's mad
He'd bust your head with one wack,
Here I go now.
Run Joey , Joey run run the hounds are on your trail.
Sweet Mary Jane was goin' insane
When she heard of Joey's jail break
But she knew all the while 'cause
She sent him a file
Baked inside a fudge cake.
(Repeat Refrain)
Sheriff Jack Banes was a light on brains
But he knew one thing for sure
He took some toughs and a pair of handcuffs
And headed straight for Mary Jane's door
(Repeat Refrain)
(Repeat Refrain)

Compositori: Arthur Resnick / Joe Levine