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Draft:Too Fat Polka
1947 single by Arthur Godfrey From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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"Too Fat Polka" is a 1947 novelty song originally recorded by American radio broadcaster Arthur Godfrey.
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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]
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Origins
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]
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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]
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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
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
"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] and Frankie Yankovic.[35] 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".[36]
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References
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