A maestro of satire, Spike Jones and his City Slickers found fame in the 1940s by murdering the classics. Jones’s formula was simple—to laugh at the song, and with it. He masterminded this satire of a popular tune, complete with sound effects and a film short—an earworm-ish comedic tornado of audio and visuals. Sam Coslow, a prolific songwriter and friend of Spike Jones, wrote “Cocktails for Two” in 1934. Originally a celebration of the 21st Amendment, which ended Prohibition in the United States, the song was a staple of the Big Band era. “Cocktails for Two” got Spiked in 1945.
Spike Jones found massive success through his satire—but how did Coslow feel about the rendition? Put simply, he hated it, calling it a “noisy, slapstick, grotesque novelty.”
Bibliography
“The 21st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.” National Constitution Center – The 21st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/amendment/amendment-xxi.
“Cocktails for Two.” “Cocktails for Two”: Song History, Commentary, Discography, Performances on Video, 2018, http://www.greatamericansongbook.net/pages/songs/c/cocktails_for_two.html.
Koda, Cub. “Spike Jones: Biography & History.” AllMusic, 2020, http://www.allmusic.com/artist/spike-jones-mn0000744548/biography.
“Spike Jones.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spike_Jones.
Amanda Bingham 