Ohmigod, I practically laughed myself out of my chair just now…

I did the Dan Hicks CD, and also ordered some CDs from Amazon to replace some earlier bad tapes, three of which came with AutoRip, so I added those to my collection — I’m over 1,000 “albums” in iTunes now. Then I started on “Ol’ Yellow Eyes Is Back,” which I’d played part of when I first got it.

Then on Side B of that tape was something I’d never noticed before; I know I’d never played it. It’s “Cutting Their Own Groove,” by Big Daddy. Or most of it — it cut off halfway through the last song.

I’d never heard of Big Daddy before. What they do sounds stupid, but it is hysterically funny. They take well-known songs and perform them in the arrangements of completely different songs.

I started writing this while listening to Wilson Phillips’ “Hold On” performed in the arrangement of “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me (Higher and Higher).” The one that had me falling out of my chair, though, was “Money for Nothing” done as “Sixteen Tons.”

“The Living Years” done as “The Leader of the Pack” was also pretty damn funny.

Why have I never heard of these guys? Why did it take me 21.5 years
(the tape’s dated 9/6/92) to get around to playing this?

I’m just glad the tape hadn’t deteriorated; it’s just about perfect.

The last cut, “Help Me Make It Through the Night” done as “Yakkety Yak,” was cut short; I paid 99 cents to download the complete version.

“Ice Ice Baby” was done as “Johnny B. Good.” “Welcome to the Jungle” as “Wimoweh.” I’m stunned.

I may want to pick up some of their other albums.

Oh, yeah — Brent Spiner’s “Ol’ Yellow Eyes Is Back” demonstrates that Spiner can sing the hell out of classic lounge songs. Beautiful voice well used. Unfortunately, I really don’t like that style of song, so I don’t know if I’ll ever play it again.

This leaves four music tapes, all of them “various artists” collections someone sent me, and a dozen spoken-word tapes of one sort or another.