Search - Edd Byrnes :: Kookie: Star of "77 Sunset Strip"

Long Awaited and Worth The Price

M. Campbell | Atascadero, CA United States | 07/17/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've read the "reviews" above and except for one, the other two are obviously written by very young people. I guess when something is taken out of the context of time some people just won't get it. Kookie Byrnes was a phenomenon in his own right, the first real tv heart-throb and a cool cat; it was fun being a teen in the 50s and listening to Kookie Byrnes' WB album. Don Ralke's lyrics are hilarious and this album, albeit only 27 minutes in length, is long on fun, if the people who above or anyone who may listen to this classic 50s album of music can't make any sense of it, then you are nowhere.It was 1959, what can one say. It would have been nice to have a couple of bonus tracks, like Byrnes recording of "Cool Yule," that we who have waited for years for this album to be released are pretty happy just to have it like it was. Kookie Byrnes was never trying to compete with anyone, especially not Buddy Holly. He was himself and he was okay. If you can't understand why "Kookie's Mad Pad" is just the coolest cut, or why "Saturday Night On Sunset Strip" is so nostalgic, then you need to get yourself a time machine and go back to the Fifties and live. This album makes you remember how much fun it was to be in an open convertible driving down Sunset Boulevard in the 50s and early 60s. I can just see Dino's! And Byrnes parking cars at 77. You cats are a lot of SQUARES. If you like lounge music this collection of novelty songs is a gas! Kookie Byrnes doesn't deserve the bad reviews by any sixteen year old know-nothing brat in 2004. What do you know anyway? This is a good buy! Buy it and escape to a time when it was fun being alive. This is the Fifties personified. Kookie's duets with Joanie Sommers are a groove. And "Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" is a classic hit, like it or not, you boring children of this generation who don't know who you are anyway! At least back in the Fifties girls didn't look like a bunch of sailors with tattoos nor did any of them wear rings in their noses like so many hogs. This generation is having a nervous breakdown anyway. I'll take the 50s when people like Byrnes had a sense of humor. Know why no novelty songs are recorded anymore? BECAUSE YOU ARE ALL JUST TOO DAMNED SERIOUS!"

Fun music

John B Goode | Nova Scotia, Canada | 03/10/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Lounge music for teenagers? Real hi-fi, and a LOT of fun. If you liked 50's pop like "Tan Shoes & Pink Shoelaces" or "Chantilly Lace", these tracks will fit right in. I can't remember if "ginchy" ever caught on as a catch-phrase tho.The album is short, and the Kookie character theme gets a little repetitious. But only a few of these songs had been on CD before this release. Of those that hadn't, a few are gems. The last track is very short (1:37) but really hot (should that be cool?) ..."

Like the ginchiest, man(well nearly!)

M. Robson | Northumberland.England | 11/16/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"In 1959,when the original album of this cd was released,Edd Byrnes as "Kookie" was in his own words "the ginchiest"!.Byrnes popularity as a "teen" car attendant on the Warner tv detective show "77 Sunset Strip",led to a visit to the company's recording studios.The result,was a "duet"(well sort of!)with another Warner star "Hawaiian Eye"'s Connie Stevens-the result-"Kookie Kookie (lend me your comb)",which became a huge hit.So an Edd Byrnes "Kookie" album(including the Stevens song),was inevitable-and here it is."Kookie" is a fascinating relic of its era,Hollywood's idea of "beat" language,culture and music."Kookie" is an encyclopedia of the "hep cat" slang and phraseology Byrne's character always used.Examples-

"I've had big eyes for you since we bopped at the hop!".

"I had to pipe in at your wave length 'cos I'm shook!" (Translation-I was so keen on you I had to give you a phone call)

"Man,she owned the vital statistics-I mean at all the altitudes!"

(Translation-She had a great figure)

"I pack more yellow dust than old Wells Fargo!".

(Translation-I'm rich!).

The guys must have had hours of fun making this stuff up.In the main,Edd doesnt sing on this album,just talks a stream of "Kookiespeak"(often in rhyming couplets).When he makes rather half hearted attempts at singing,the results are usually not happy(eg "You're the top","The Kookie cha cha cha","Square dance for round cats").Apart from Connie Stevens on "Kookie Kookie",Edd is joined by another real singer,Joanie Sommers,on 2 of the best tracks-"Hot rod rock" and "I don't dig you Kookie" -it's always nice to hear Joanie.On the funniest cut "Like I love you",where Kookie accidentally rings up the wrong girl for a date,the female at the other end of the line only speaks rather than sings, as a suggestive sax wails in the background.Which brings me to one of my favorite elements in this album,the great tough backing music,replete with honking dirty saxophones,provided by "the Big sound of Don Ralke"(Ralke is credited as co-writer on a number of tracks).

..."solid man...a crazy ball..."("Kookies boogie")"