An Informal Mickey Katz Discography

Feel free to mail corrections to me if you know of other albums.

LPs

Mickey Katz And His Orchestra

Capitol Records T298 - (ca. '50s?) This is collection of things that had previously been released as 78rpm records. Although it's probably easier to get than the 78s, that's not saying much. I had to pay 30 clams for my copy. Kiss of Meyer and Come On-a My House are the standout tracks here. "Kiss" is particularly funny considering that Katz's real name was Myron Meyer Katz. Also interesting is that Sound Off, which I thought to be a traditional Armed Forces chant is actually credited to a songwriter (Willie Lee Duckworth).

1. Come On-a My House
2. Herring Boats
3. Borscht Riders in the Sky
4. Bagel Call Rag
5. Kiss of Meyer
6. Yiddish Mule Train
7. Duvid Crockett
8. Geshray of Devilde Kotchke
9. She'll Be Coming 'Round the Katzkills
10. The Baby, The Bubbe and You
11. Sound Off
12. C'est Si Bon (Ces Tzi Bon)

Katz Puts On The Dog

Capitol Records T934 - Several people have emailed me suggesting that I list this album. I didn't up to this point because I didn't own it. So I couldn't get a track listing or catalog number. Michael Greenberg supplied the catalog number. Richard Moczygemba provided the track listing.

1. Hey! Jealous Lover
2. You're a Doity Dog
3. Sweet and Gentle
4. Moscovitz Ramble
5. Paisach in Portugal
6. Tico Tico
7. Feet Up, Pat Him on the Pippick
8. Schleppin' My Baby Back Home
9. Nature Bocher
10. Sin
11. Schvitzburgh, Pennsylvania
12. Murietta Hot Springs

Mish Mosh

Capitol Records T799 - (ca. '50s?) Another album that is a collection of 78s. Looking at this and the previous album, you can get a good idea of what the hit parade sounded like in the '50s. Oy...time to make with the bromo seltzer.

1. Sixteen Tons
2. That's Morris
3. Roiselle from Texas
4. Tweedle Dee
5. You Belong to Me
6. Why Don't You Believe Me?
7. I'm a Schlemiel of Fortune
8. A Schmo is a Schmo
9. Haim afen Range
10. That Pickle in the Window
11. Don't Let the Schmaltz Get in Your Eyes

The Most Mishige

Capitol Records T1102 - (ca. '50s?) This is my favorite front and back cover of all my Katz albums. Extremely silly '50s illustrations with photos of Mickey's head pasted on the various figures. It also has 4 of my favorite Katz selections. It's a bit uncomfortable listening to Darktown and Chinatown from a '90s perspective. It's always amazed me how oppressed ethnic groups are so quick to slur other oppressed ethnic groups. Barber and some other Katz songs available elsewhere also make "faygeleh " comments as well. All I can say is thank goddess these things are changing (albeit slowly).

1. The Barber of Schlemiel
2. The Poiple Kishke Eater
3. Yiddishe Mambo
4. Downtown Strutters' Ball
5. Holidays (vocal by Joel Grey)
6. Nudnick, the Flying Schissel
7. Knish Doctor
8. K'nock Around the Clock
9. Rose Lovejoy of Paradise Alley - Male Ensemble
10. Where is My Pants?
11. Chinatown, My Chinatown
12. Cheder Days
13. It's A Michaye in Hawaiye

Katz Pajamas

Capitol Records T1257 (ca. late '50s?) I picked this up at a thrift store on Fairfax Ave. in L.A. I thought it would be a treasure trove for old Katz, but it was probably cleaned out by the early '80s. I don't know what the cover to this looks like since I was only able to find the disk. I keep it in another sleeve I got at the same shop "To the Bride: G'Zint Mit Parnussa" by Benny Bell and the Brownsville Klezmers. This is an album of Mickey telling his warped, yiddified versions of famous stories and fairy tales.

1. Hansel and Gensel
2. Little Red Rosenberg
3. Fancy Herringer
4. Yoshke and the Beanstalk
5. Chinderella
6. Wild Bill Hickop
7. Moby Glick
8. Bagel-Lox and the Tree Bears

Comin' Round the Katzkills

Capitol Records W1307 - later re-released as Mickey Katz Greatest Hits (CBS W-1307) without Chloya. Discography submitted by Charles Goldstein.

1. Toot, Toot, Tootsie (Good-bye)
2. St. Looey Blues
3. Vus is a Veib
4. Hermendel's Koch-A-Lain
5. Gehakte Mambo
6. Tzoreador
7. Chloya (Chloe)
8. Old Black Smidgick
9. I'm an Old Cowhand
10. The Little White Knish That Cried
11. The Briss
12. Feudin' and Fightin'

The Borscht Jester

Capitol Records ST1445 - This album of Yiddish dialect comedy was recorded live, but it doesn't say where. The liner notes are by Chico Marx.

1. Is There a Doctor In the House?
2. Kosher Tidbits
3. The Family Circle
4. Katzkill Kapers
5. Mazeltov and Vice Versa
6. The Magic Carpet

Katz at the U.N.

Capitol ST1603 - An album of comedy bits. Discography submitted by Charles Goldstein.

Sing Along with Mickele

Capitol Records T1744 - Several people have emailed me suggesting that I list this album. I didn't up to this point because I didn't own it. So I couldn't get a track listing or catalog number. Michael Greenberg supplied the catalog number. NPR has a special about Mickey called Mostly Meshuga. Currently, the website has a detail of the cover of this album.

Hello, Solly!

Capitol Records W2731 - To be honest, I've only listed to the Katz portions of this album. Other artists on it are Vivian Lloyd, Stan Porter and Larry Best. Some of Katz's routines from this album are sampled on Don Byron Plays the Music of Mickey Katz. Even more than Katz's songs, the jokes are hard for the non-Yiddish speakers to penetrate. I can't wait til I get the grant I deserve so that I can study Yiddish. ;-)

1. Is There a Doctor In the House?
2. Kosher Tidbits
3. The Family Circle
4. Katzkill Kapers
5. Mazeltov and Vice Versa
6. The Magic Carpet

Here are some Skip Heller apprised me of. I don't have LP numbers or playlists:

• Borscht (RCA, incl "Carmen Katz")
• Mickey Katz Plays FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Capitol)

Martin Cohen reminded me about Music for Weddings, Bar Mitzvahs, and Brisses. I had seen it on an EP (presumably 78rpm) but someone bought it by the time I saved up the dough. I saw it go by on an LP later. Most, if not all, of that material has been rereleased on the CD Simcha Time.

CDs 78s

Yak Back to Spidra Webster: spidra at speakeasy dot net

Haim afen de Range...

Last modified on 3/6/00

All prose © 1997-2000 Megan Lynch except where obviously not.