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Draft:Too Fat Polka

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"Too Fat Polka (I Don't Want Her) (You Can Have Her) (She's Too Fat for Me)"
Single by Arthur Godfrey
B-side"For Me and My Gal"
ReleasedOctober 1947 (1947-10)
Recorded1947
Genre
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)
  • Ross Mac Lean
  • Andrew Richardson
Producer(s)Archie Bleyer

"Too Fat Polka" is a 1947 novelty song originally recorded by American radio broadcaster Arthur Godfrey.

The song was written by Ross Mac Lean and Andrew Richardson.[4]

It was originally recorded in 1947 by American radio broadcaster Arthur Godfrey.

The single was backed with "For Me and My Gal".[5]

Origins

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The melody for "Too Fat Polka" was derived from the Czech-language song "Na Marjánce" (alternatively titled "The Village Tavern"). "Na Marjánce" emerged onto the American dance music scene following the publication of separate arrangements by Cleveland songwriters Anthony Maresh and Frank Hruby Jr., both dated to 1903. Maresh's arrangement became among his most popular works, while Hruby's arrangement entered the repertoire of Cleveland polka musicians.[6][7]

In the mid-1940s, two musicians based in New York City, Scottish-Canadian singer Ross Mac Lean and songwriter Arthur Richardson, encountered "Na Marjánce" and devised a comedic set of lyrics which they set to a reworked version of the original melody.


Maresh was a piano roll salesman and songwriter in Cleveland.[8] "Na Marjance" is alternatively titled "The Village Tavern". "Na Marjance" entered the repertoire of Cleveland polka musicians in the 1900s decade.[7]

Background and recording

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Ross Mac Lean, a Canadian-American songwriter, was responsible for the lyrics.[9]

Andrew Richardson reworked and adapted the melody from "Na Marjance".

The singer, addressing a third party, rejects a potential dance partner due to her exceptional weight.[10][11] Later, a second singer with a "squeaky voice" interjects, proclaiming that the woman in question is perfectly suited for himself.[12][13]

Mac Lean and Richardson wrote "Too Fat Polka" for their own amusement. The duo demonstrated the song to Archie Bleyer, Godfrey's musical director, during a casual conversation. At Bleyer's urging, Godfrey agreed to record the song.[14]

Archie Bleyer brought "Too Fat Polka" to Godfrey, believing the song would be well-suited for Godfrey's daytime radio program.[12] Godfrey previewed the song and found that "the lyrics, tune and tempo were catchy and it looked like a lot of fun", and so agreed to perform it.[12]

According to USA Today, fellow radio presenter Johnny Sadrack had also been offered the opportunity to record "Too Fat Polka" but declined in fear of offending his "overweight fans".[15]

Bleyer suggested that trombonist Cy Schaeffer provide the voice of the person who declares, "She's just right for me."[12]

In mid-1947, during a "slow news day", Godfrey introduced "Too Fat Polka" by performing the song live on his radio program. He recalled, "As soon as I did it that morning on air, I knew we had something. Around the trade they began to ask, 'What the hell did you do on the show today[?']"[16]

Godfrey continued to perform the song on air.[17]

Godfrey recorded "Too Fat Polka" following the success of the live broadcasts.[17]

Godfrey agreed to record a commercial single at the request of Columbia Records following the success of the live broadcasts.[12]

Godfrey recorded "Too Fat Polka" in 1947 at the urging of frequent collaborator Archie Bleyer.[18][19]

According to Godfrey, the sessions, under the direction of Bleyer, lasted four hours. Remo Palmier, a member of Bleyer's band, later recalled, "When [Godfrey] recorded 'Too Fat Polka', that was Archie's idea. Arthur hated it, hated every word of it! But you see it was successful!" Remarking on his dislike of the song, Godfrey later commented, "…when we walked out, I said to [Bleyer], 'Never in my life did I waste so much time over junk. Gosh, it's awful.'"[20]

Clarinetist Johnny Mince and trombonist Sy Shaffer both perform on the recording.[21] Cy Schaefer voices the member of the chorus who is enamored with the song's subject despite her weight.[13]

Release and commercial performance

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Godfrey's single was released in October 1947.[17]

Released as a single by Columbia Records, Godfrey's recording was a commercial success in the United States, peaking at number two on The Billboard's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart and tying for the number one position on the Most Played by Disk Jockeys chart in the issue dated January 10, 1948.[4] It also peaked at number two on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart and at number three on the Honor Roll of Hits chart.[4]

Godfrey's recording was the eighteenth best-selling single of 1947 in the U.S.[22]

Godfrey's recording was produced by Archie Bleyer.

A contemporaneous recording by fellow radio personality Dick "Two Ton" Baker peaked at number thirteen on The Billboard's jukebox chart.[4][23]

"Too Fat Polka" also achieved commercial success in Sweden in 1948.[24]

"Too Fat Polka" later achieved moderate success in France, where it sold an estimated sixty thousand copies during the first six months of 1950.[25]

Godfrey's single sold one million copies within its first seven weeks of release and an additional million by December 1948.[20][26] The single generated $95,000 in royalties for Godfrey over a one-year period.[27] The single ultimately sold 3.5 million copies.[28]

The single was one of many polka songs to achieve success during a major resurgence in the popularity of the genre in the United States in the late 1940s.[3]}}

Commenting on the popularity of his song, Godfrey stated, "…I don't know exactly what it is. I wish I knew. People who listen don't know why they like it. They say 'It's cute.'"[16] Godfrey later described the success of "Too Fat Polka" as "the damnedest commentary on the state of the American public back then."[20]

Reception

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In a positive review, The Billboard characterized Godrey's recording as a "humorous and [thoroughly] enjoyable novelty."[1] The Cash Box was particularly enthused, writing, "This thing is so mad it’s great!"[29] Donna Mikels of The Indianapolis Times praised Godfrey's vocal performance.[30] The St. Petersburg Times described the song as "[o]ne of the best nonsensical novelties of the day".[31]

Legacy

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"Too Fat Polka" has since become a popular standard within the genre,[32][2] and has been covered or performed by prominent North American polka musicians such as Walter Ostanek,[33] Jimmy Sturr,[34] Frankie Yankovic,[35] and "Weird Al" Yankovic (no relation).[36] In 2002, Canada's Welland Tribune described the song as a "university crowd favourite".[33] In Squeeze This! A Cultural History of the Accordion in America, Marion Jacobson named "Too Fat Polka" among "the polka genre’s most iconic songs".[37]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b "Record Reviews and Possibilities – Week Ending October 10". The Billboard. 18 October 1947. p. 30. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  2. ^ a b Samuel, Terrence; Lambrecht, Bill; Dine, Philip (9 January 2000). "D.C. Connection". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Vol. 122, no. 9. Pulitzer Publishing. Archived from the original on 1 August 2022. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
  3. ^ a b Greene 1992, p. 230.
  4. ^ a b c d "The Billboard Music Popularity Charts". The Billboard. 10 January 1948. pp. 18, 22, 24, 26. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
  5. ^ Marmorstein, Gary (2007). The Label: The Story of Columbia Records. Boston, Massachusetts: Da Capo Press. p. 128. ISBN 978-1-5602-5707-3.
  6. ^ Greene 1992, pp. 56, 230.
  7. ^ a b Osborne, William (2004). Music in Ohio. Kent, Ohio: Kent State University Press. p. 437. ISBN 0-87338-775-9. Retrieved 2 June 2024.
  8. ^ Kučinskas, Darius (2021). Ethnic Piano Rolls in the United States. Newcastle upon Tyne, England: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 59. ISBN 978-1-5275-6780-1. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  9. ^ "Ross McClean [sic] raconte comment il vint à écrire la chanson 'Too Fat Polka'" [Ross McClean [sic] Tells How He Came to Write the Song 'Too Fat Polka']. Le Canada (in French). Vol. 46, no. 23. 30 April 1948. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  10. ^ Cooper, B. Lee (December 2007). "From the Bunny Hop to the Funky Chicken: An American Dance Song Discography, 1945–1975". Popular Music and Society. 30 (5): 651–666. doi:10.1080/03007760600836346. S2CID 219731941. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  11. ^ Miller, L. J. (18 January 1948). "Girdle Music". The Sunday Times. No. 2604. Western Press. Retrieved 25 May 2023. It's the 'Too Fat Polka', in which the singer gives the girl away because she's overweight.
  12. ^ a b c d e "Listen with Rowe". Richmond Times-Dispatch. No. 14 December 1947. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  13. ^ a b Naughton, Russ (12 October 1947). "Record Ramblings". The Hartford Courant. Retrieved 2 December 2021.
  14. ^ Frank, Jeanne (27 February 1948). "Notable Neighbors". The Manhasset Press. Vol. 13, no. 41. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Deaths". USA Today. 24 February 1989. ProQuest 306162892. Retrieved 25 May 2023 – via ProQuest. Johnny Sadrack, 69, bandleader, radio polka show host; passed up a chance to record Too Fat Polka, later a hit, fearing he'd offend overweight fans.
  16. ^ a b Meegan, Jean (29 February 1948). "Arthur Godfrey Sang 'Too Fat Polka' and Knew He Had Something Different". St. Petersburg Times. Vol. 64, no. 220. Associated Press. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
  17. ^ a b c "Godfrey Audience Requests More 'Too Fat Polka'". Harrisburg Telegraph. Vol. 117, no. 241. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
  18. ^ Cox, Jim (2001). The Great Radio Audience Participation Shows: Seventeen Programs from the 1940s and 1950s. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 30. ISBN 978-0-7864-1071-2.
  19. ^ "President's Gestures Features of Telecast". The Sunday Star. 12 October 1947. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  20. ^ a b c Cox, Jim (2012). Musicmakers of Network Radio: 24 Entertainers, 1926–1962. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7864-6325-1. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
  21. ^ "'Too Fat Trio' and Friend" (PDF). The Waterville Times. Vol. 91, no. 19. 18 March 1948. Retrieved 24 November 2021.
  22. ^ "The Billboard Second Annual Music-Record Poll". The Billboard. 3 January 1948. p. 19. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  23. ^ "Platter Matter". Fort Myers News-Press. Vol. 64, no. 29. 14 December 1947. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  24. ^ "Music – As Written". The Billboard. 10 July 1948. p. 18. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  25. ^ "Going Continental: Old American Tunes Get American Play". The Billboard. 4 November 1950. p. 16. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  26. ^ "Too Fat Polka from 2BH". The Barrier Miner. 16 December 1948. Retrieved 22 November 2021.
  27. ^ Ewald, William (8 February 1958). "Garry Moore to Drop His Morning Show" (PDF). The Beacon News. No. 22272. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  28. ^ Jackson, Kenneth T.; Markoe, Karen; Markoe, Arnold, eds. (1998). The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives: Volume One – Americans Who Died Between 1981 and 1985. Charles Scribner's Sons. pp. 323–325. ISBN 978-0-6848-0492-7. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  29. ^ "The Cash Box Record Reviews". The Cash Box. New York City. 27 October 1947. p. 16.
  30. ^ Mikels, Donna (21 October 1947). "'Too-Fat Polka' and Novelty Hit by Godfrey: 'For Me and My Gal' Also Given Praise". The Indianapolis Times. Vol. 58, no. 192. Scripps–Howard Newspapers. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
  31. ^ "Wax Works". St. Petersburg Times. Vol. 64, no. 135. 7 December 1947. Retrieved 4 December 2021.
  32. ^ Little, Cynthia J., ed. (2012). Too Bold for the Box Office: The Mockumentary from Big Screen to Small. Plymouth, England: Scarecrow Press. p. 72. ISBN 978-0-8108-8518-9. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  33. ^ a b Fraser, Don (5 January 2002). "Sixth Time a Charm?: Walter Ostanek Nominated for Grammy – Best Polka Recording". Welland Tribune. ProQuest 359164376. Retrieved 20 July 2022 – via ProQuest.
  34. ^ Sturr, Jimmy (2013). Polka King: The Life and Times of Polka's Living Legend. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books. p. 133. ISBN 978-1-937856-35-9. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  35. ^ Niesel, Jeff. "New Frank Yankovic Compilation Due Out in November". Cleveland Scene. Archived from the original on 6 October 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  36. ^ "Parodies & Polkas". WeirdAl.com. Archived from the original on 27 March 2021. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  37. ^ Jacobson, Marion (2012). "Crossover Accordionists: Viola Turpeinen, John Brugnoli, and Frankie Yankovic". Squeeze This! A Cultural History of the Accordion in America. Champaign, Illinois: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-2520-9385-2. Retrieved 15 February 2024.

Sources

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