Children's Songs
Glazer, with Dottie Evans, recorded three children's records in 1959 and 1960 that were part of a six-album set known as the Singing Science Records. They contained songs intended to explain science concepts for young children, all of which were written by Hy Zaret (lyrics) and Lou Singer (music). One of these albums, Space Songs, included the song "Why Does the Sun Shine?" which was later covered by They Might Be Giants.
His greatest commercial success came with his original 1963 recording of the song parody "On Top of Spaghetti" based on the tune of On Top of Old Smoky, which he recorded for Kapp Records with the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus. The song was later included on an LP that also included such numbers as one of the first cover versions of Puff the Magic Dragon, as well as Battle Hymn of the Children and other children's songs.
Glazer was to become ambivalent towards his creation. He was to fantasize that "I'm standing in line before the Pearly Gates in the musicians' line, in which I stand last. When I'm asked what have I done in music and I say I wrote "On Top of Spaghetti", I'm told, "Sorry, buster, you can't enter." In 2008, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings released Tom Glazer Sings Honk-Hiss-Tweet-GGGGGGGGGG and Other Children's Favorites, a collection of Glazer's live performances.
Glazer died at his home in Rochester on February 21, 2003 at the age of 88.
Read more about this topic: Tom Glazer
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