ED WYNN AND THE BALLROOM BLITZ

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‘Ferret-Faced Fascist Friends’ is supposed to be a blog about politics and product reviews. So . . . uh . . . I guess you’ll need to think of this particular blog bit as a review of Sweet’s 1974 album ‘Desolation Boulevard’ and/or Disney’s 1951 animated movie ‘Alice In Wonderland’, although it’s really about neither of them.
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As the title indicates, this is really about Ed Wynn . . .
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and the ‘Ballroom Blitz’ . . . 

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A large number of the songs I used to love as a teenager in the “Classic Rock” era have not held up for me over the decades. One of the exceptions is Sweet’s Top Ten hit ‘Ballroom Blitz’ - I have never stopped liking that song.

What I enjoy most about ‘Ballroom Blitz’ is probably the very thing that has always turned my brother Napoleon against it. I’m referring to that insane voice that singer Brian Connolly uses at a couple of points in the song.

I was listening to ‘Ballroom Blitz’ recently and when it got to the insane vocal sections I began thinking: I KNOW that voice; it sounds like that old character actor... 
what’s-his-name?

I listened to that song over and over again, trying in vain to think of the name of that old character actor, but it was so far back on my tongue that I knew I wasn’t going to recall it on my own. Damn! Don’tcha hate it when that doesn’t happen?

After several days and nights of trying desperately to scratch that itch and being driven mad as a hatter, I suddenly remembered not the name of the actor but the fact that he provided the voice for the Mad Hatter in Disney’s ‘Alice In Wonderland’. So I Googled that movie and – DOH! – of course! Ed Wynn, you silly! How could you have forgotten his name? Got old age?

Ed Wynn’s voice was so distinctive that it has often been imitated, most notably by Daws Butler as cartoon character Wally Gator, and by Paul Frees as Captain Peter “Wrong Way” Peachfuzz in ‘The Rocky And Bullwinkle Show’.

I love, Love, LOVE that voice as much as Brother Nappy hates, Hates, HATES it. 

He hates it? How could he hate it? “Don’t let’s be silly!”

Now I’m not saying that singer Brian Connolly was deliberately trying to imitate Ed Wynn’s voice in ‘Ballroom Blitz’ (although perhaps he was), but I am saying that he probably couldn’t have done a better “Ed Wynn” if he’d been trying.

Check these out and you’ll hear what I mean . . .

First listen to Ed Wynn doing the voice of the Mad Hatter in this wonderful YouTube video posted by dogpup4 :

Alice In Wonderland test footage - Unbirthday Mad Tea Party - Disney

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROqlhMEWA70

And if you’re inclined, listen to the Mad Hatter sing ‘The Unbirthday Song’ :

Alice in Wonderland - The Unbirthday Song

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7h95MJfNnI

Now listen to Brian Connolly’s voice in Sweet’s ‘Ballroom Blitz’ at the 45 second point when he sings “Oh! I see a man in the back as a matter of fact, his eyes are as red as the Sun - And the girl in the corner let no one ignore her; she thinks she’s the passionate one”.

And again at the 1 minute & 50 second point in the following video when Brian sings “And the man in the back is ready to crack as he raises his hands to the sky – And the girl in the corner is everyone’s mourner; she could kill you with a wink of her eye” . . .

Sweet - Ballroom Blitz Lyrics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN9jTnxv0RU

What do you think? Was Connolly deliberately trying to imitate Ed Wynn, or was it just coincidence? Either way, I love Ed Wynn’s crazy voice and Brian Connolly’s insane vocals.

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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