The next time you laugh at a commercial, curse the commercialization of Christmas, or sing about the America Revolution, spare a thought for the man who did it first.
I grew up on his parodies. It’s good he’s gone, though. He’d gotten rather badly wrinkled there, at the end. What a brilliant wit he was.
I grew up on The Looney Tunes’ Three Little Bops 
Love his stuff. Thanks, Stan.
If you’re as old as I and remember rock and roll of the 1950-58 period, his parodies included Shaboom, The Great Pretender and Heartache Hotel. I’ve still got them on tape from the time. Genius.
Don’t forget his ad agency, Thyme Incorporated. His ad for Geno’s Pizza Rolls was pure genius (though the references are a bit obscure today – the ad parodies a Lark Cigarette campaign that asked people to show them their Lark packs, with the same music).
He also did a print ad for Chung King Chow Mein saying “Four out of five doctors prefer Chung King.” Four of the five doctors were Chinese.
This will stand for all time as a monument to the genius of Stan Freberg:
Damn, The commercials – Great American Soups, the LOne Ranger Jeno’s Pizza Rolls. The Pitted Prunes commercials. Not to mention stuff like “Dragonet”.
Ah, that’s a big hit. I loved his work growing up, still love it now.
Captain! There are rumblings of mutiny below!
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
Mutiny, mutiny, mutiny.
For true fans, get the Tip of the Freberg box set.
A long and great career.
We’ve actually discussed the Great American Soup commercial before. I believe it was the most expensive TV commercial ever made to that time.
Freberg was an inspriation to generations of copywriters (like me) who couldn’t get away with what he could get away with.
he was sometimes funny. he certainly pushed himself.
RIP, Stan. We enjoyed life through you.
Stan Freberg was still alive‽‽‽
This, not the Harry Belafonte version, introduced me to “Day-O.”
Like, THE END.
10 million moo-cows can’t be wrong. Stan the Man is dead.
I’ve got a couple of pristine 45s of his from the 50s . Profit!
Sorry to hear.
Now his death juxtaposed with the return of Mad Men reminds me of one, IMO glaring, omission on that show: no jingle writers! Not even mentioned as offscreen characters. And now I wonder, how would Freberg have fared at Sterling Cooper et al? Would he have thrived with them, or would he have left saying “I’m not that nuts!”?
The discovery of America! Ta-Da-Ta-Dah!
What was that?
French horns.