Friday, March 12, 2010

Tiny Tim - God Bless Tiny Tim (1968)



God Bless Tiny Tim was the first album by Tiny Tim. Released in 1968 on the Reprise label, it included "Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me" (the song which made him famous), a version of "I Got You Babe", and a collection of more obscure songs. Many of the songs have humorous lyrics, are sung for humorous effect, or have an unexpected hook. It is widely praised, but was not released on CD until the late 1990s, and then only in Japan.

The album was produced by Richard Perry, who had produced Captain Beefheart's first album, Safe As Milk, and was to go on to produce Diana Ross, Rod Stewart and Ringo Starr. The arrangements are by Artie Butler.

The songs were written by a variety of composers, most from the early 20th century, and most rather obscure, although "I Got You Babe" was by Sonny Bono, and "Stay Down Here Where You Belong" was by Irving Berlin.

For some of the album, Tim sings in his unusual falsetto style. However, on a number of songs, "Stay Down Here Where You Belong", "The Coming Home Party" and others) he sings baritone, demonstrating his voice's great range. In "On the Old Front Porch", "Daddy, Daddy, What is Heaven Like?" and on "I Got You Babe" he sings both baritone and falsetto, alternating between the two. A joke in "I Got You Babe" is revealed in the last words where both baritone and falsetto voices unexpectedly sing at once, revealing the apparently agile duet is actually himself singing double-tracked.

01. "Welcome to My Dream"
02. "Tip-Toe Thru' The Tulips With Me"
03. "Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight"
04. "On The Old Front Porch"
05. "The Viper"
06. "Stay Down Here Where You Belong"
07. "Then I'd Be Satisfied With Life"
08. "Strawberry Tea"
09. "The Other Side"
10. "Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me (I'm A Nut)"
11. "Daddy, Daddy, What Is Heaven Like?"
12. "The Coming Home Party"
13. "Fill Your Heart"
14. "I Got You, Babe"
15. "This Is All I Ask"