Wiggling with Jack Paar

Jack Paar was a American late-night television personality whose tenure at the helm of The Tonight Show was sandwiched between those of Steve Allen and Johnny Carson. Those two may be better remembered today, but Paar was very famous in the U.S. during his 1957-62 heyday.

Unlike Allen, Paar was not a musician, and so he did not make hundreds of records like his composer-pianist predecessor. As far as I can tell, he only made three - this sole single for RCA Victor from 1958, a single with singer Jack Haskell for Columbia in 1956, and a 1961 comedy LP that was given out to those who purchased a $1.47 tube of Jiffy Sew (the Liquid Mending Miracle). More of the LP were distributed than you might think - it still turns up in thrift stores.

This RCA 45 is actually quite good, no thanks to Paar. As the title "Blue Wiggle" might suggest, that side is the aural equivalent to a Jonah Jones LP cover, and this vaguely sexist theme carries through to the flip side, "Funny What You Learn from Women." Paar's role is limited to a monotone voice over the music tracks, which are largely the work of Jerry Teifer, a professional whistler and songwriter. "Blue Wiggle" - the better of the two tracks - combines Duane Eddy-style twangy guitar with Teifer's whistling to great effect.

Jerry Teifer

Teifer himself made records with Chuck Sagle in 1955 and a few for Epic under his own name in the 1960s. He also recorded "Bananas - What a Crazy Fruit!" with Rusty Canyon and the Banana Boys.

Although Paar himself seldom recorded, the featured acts on his show were active in the studio. My other blog has just published Ruth Olay's Easy Living, Jack Haskell issued the unfortunately named Swings for Jack Paar on Strand in 1961 (I think I have that one somewhere), and pianist Jose Melis was very popular for a time, making any number of LPs that thrift stores have been throwing out for the past 50 years.