Last week, we talked about ’60s icons the Beatles. Now let’s talk about an icon from the ’70s. That’s right — I mean Arthur Fonzarelli, better known as Fonzie from TV’s Happy Days. Here’s a (most likely unauthorized) tribute album to the Fonz from 1976, performed by a girl group called the Heyettes.
Since this was an election year, they had to put in an obligatory “Fonzie for President” song, even though Fonzie wouldn’t have been old enough to be President. Unless, of course, you figure him being in his late teens/early twenties around the time the show takes place. Then, by 1976, he would be 15-20 years older and old enough to run. But who wants to be ruled by an old Fonzie?
Here’s “The Fonz Song,” which goes on and on about what a wonderful guy Fonzie is and features a guy that almost, but not quite, sounds entirely unlike the Fonz himself.
This song that used that popular expression from the show: “Sit on It.” In it, the Heyettes sing about guys who lost some competition with Fonzie, told him to sit on it, and then mysteriously disappeared (except for one that was said to be “hanging from a limb.” Man, don’t mess with the Fonz!) I have a question to any of you who might have been teens in the late ’50s: Was the expression “sit on it” actually used, or was this something the writers of the show came up with themselves?
The final song featured here is “Do the Fonz.” I was hoping it was going to be the song performed by Leather Tuscadero on the show, but it’s a different song entirely. The song’s all right (and I do like the fact that it starts out sounding like a jazzy version of the Sesame Street theme), it’s just a disappointment that it wasn’t the original.
If you want the original “Do the Fonzie,” here’s a clip of it. (The song starts about 5:30 into the clip.)
Hey, look on the bright side. At least it isn’t THIS version, performed by (I kid you not) the Jacksons (including Janet too, I believe).
If you’d like to get the entire album, you can find it here. AAAAAYYYYYYY!
Tags: Fonzie, Heyettes, Leather Tuscadero, Michael Jackson, Sit on It, Suzi Quatro, The Jacksons, Tony Redman, Way Out Wednesday
