12 Comments

What a killer find! My parents - who were decidedly NOT hip - had some early Al Hirt records. Lol. I wasn't sold. And as you note, even in later years, "that Nehru jacket isn’t fooling anybody, pal…" Ha ha! But, this version, even without the groovy piano vamp at the intro, is fantastic!

Expand full comment

Yo DBE, sorry your parents weren’t hip. Neither were we. Truth is, Sonny and Cher WERE Dan’s and his sister’s parents but they were judged unsuitable parents when Cher’s record cover came out so Dan and his sister were given to us to raise--two social workers. Later we adopted them but never told them for all the wrong reasons. Can we keep this between us? 🥹 thanks--IE

Expand full comment

Ha! Your secret is safe with me. 😉

Expand full comment

👍🙏🏻

Expand full comment

But have you ever experienced Hirt's demolition derby take on The Green Hornet theme? https://youtu.be/3zXx0ReqOOI

Expand full comment

Yeah — that's definitely wilder than I would typically expect from him!

Expand full comment

I'm old enough to have seen the original film when it was released and as a result never really watched much of the television series because...

As for Al Hirt, he was a music stable around my house (father ran a record store on Dexter Avenue in Detroit before the 1967 Rebellion) even before this was released:

https://youtu.be/UK9wOYGFIm8

Expand full comment

Wow, Doc - I had no idea your pops ran a record shop in The D! And it looks like you and Mr. Zone above are on the same page with the Green Hornet theme!

Expand full comment

The Spooky Couple!

Expand full comment

Wow Dan, That brings back so many memories. My dad loved Al Hirt, Herb Alpert and especially Louis Armstrong. I never missed the Odd Couple on TV. Also appreciate the NY vibe.

Expand full comment

Oh, Louis Armstrong’s the best! I just picked up his 10” of “If I Could Be with You” a few weeks back!

Expand full comment

Hefti's 'The Odd Couple' theme is my favourite TV/movie theme period - as hip as it gets. A shame that there is no documented evidence of the original Broadway production of Neil Simon's play with the great Art Carney as Felix and Matthau as Oscar and directed by Mike Nichols.

Expand full comment