Customer Reviews

Bill Cosby Sings Hooray for the Salvation Army Band

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Back in 1967, after Bill Cosby's great success with comedy albums, Warner Brothers graciously allowed him to record a singing album. That album, called Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings, was a moderate success, mostly because it included a hit single called "Little Ole Man". So, to the disappointment of many, Bill's next album was also a singing album. There were no hit songs this time around, although two of the songs were released as singles ("Hooray For the Salvation Army Band" and "Funky North Philly"). The previous album was 3/4 serious songs and 1/4 comedy songs, but the ratio is reversed this time, with 3/4 comedy songs and 1/4 serious songs. Unfortunately, he sings the "straight" songs badly, and the jokes in the "comedy" songs aren't very funny. This is probably the worst album Bill Cosby ever put out, but fans of bad celebrity singing will find it amusing.

I've owned the vinyl version of this album since it was released in the year dot and given it quite a hammering,so I was delighted to get hold of the CD.

It's still one of the all time great funk outings, with the Watts 103rd Street Band simultaneously raw and ultra tight...and Bill Cosby wailing deceptively funny lyrics.If you like funk and fun, this is the one!

If you love William Shatner singing Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, or Leonard Nimoy's take on Proud Mary, or perhaps Andy Griffith doing House of the Rising Sun - then this one's for you! Bill Cosby isn't really a singer - or is he? Some of this is kind of funny, whether he means for it to be or not. I mean, Sunny for instance, sounds as if it was phoned in from home first thing in the morning - before the first cup of coffee. Hooray for the Salvation Army Band's title track is definitely a spoof on Purple Haze, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band is just plain weird - he really just shouts out the lyrics. Sheesh, I dunno - good for a couple of laughs.

I recommend this just for the title cut which is a thinly disguised but psychedelically fun reworking of Hendrix's "Purple Haze." This 1968 LP followed the better-selling but bland and mostly serious blues-based "Silver Throat: Bill Cosby Sings" LP. This LP has more humorous moments..."reach out, reach out...I'll be there--when that snake gets away from yoooo!!" This album could get your party off to a good start.

This is an amazingly funny record. Cosby wails away with the Watts 110th st band backing him up. The result is a funny, funky, trip back to the late 60's with Cosby at his best.

The looseness of this record suggests the party atmosphere in which it was recorded.

Cosby's spoof of "Purple Haze", "Hooray for the Salvation Army Band" is a riot. As is "Hold on, I'm a comin". I have no idea who the talented musicians on this album are, but they rip the heck out of the songs. Just imagining a young Cosby singing at the Whiskey a go-go, and the puzzled patrons expecting to hear tales of "Fat Albert", but instead hear Bill singing "Sgt. Pepper"(in his patented Cosby yell-sing) cracks me up!

This is a gem.