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Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep

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UPDATE 3 (10/23/2012) : I discovered another recording of this song by someone other than Spike Jones:

UPDATE 2: WillysJeep has a nice images of the musics and lyrics cover that includes a rough version of a BRC-60.

UPDATE:  Dave reminded me that it was the 45s and not the 78s that needed the center gizmo.

Tom’s wife found a 1942 recording called Little Bo Peep Has Lost Her Jeep a few years ago in a stack of ’78s at a garage sale.

What’s a ’78 you ask? It seems I don’t remember them as well as I thought.  What I remember about ’45s was the little plastic gizmo you had to place in the middle of them so they would play on a phonograph.  Here’s a bit of history about the ’78 from wikipedia (for better or worse, the US was once again bucking the world trend).

In America in 1900, the two leading manufacturers of flat records were Columbia, which used 80 rpm as its speed, and Victor, which used 76 rpm. Since one company’s records were playable on the other’s machines, it is only logical that the eventual standard speed would be in the middle.

By 1925, the speed of the record became standardised at a nominal value of 78 rpm. However, the standard was to differ between America and the rest of the world. The actual 78 speed in America was 78.26 rpm, being the speed of 3600 rpm synchronous motor (run from 60 Hz supply) reduced by 46:1 gearing. Throughout the rest of the world, 77.92 rpm was adopted being the speed of a 3000 rpm synchronous motor powered by a 50 Hz supply and reduced by 38.5:1 gearing. (wikipedia)

So, now you know!  Tom (or his wife?) converted the record into a MP3 which you can down load here. You can also read the lyrics they transcribed below.

LITTLE BO PEEP HAS LOST HER JEEP
(Frank De Vol / Jerry Browne)
Horace Heidt & His Orch. – 1942
Spike Jones & His City Slickers (vocal: Del Porter) – 1942

Private Jackson had a girl he fondly called Bo-Peep
Now Jackson didn’t have a car, so drove by in a jeep
They took a ride, the time flew by, and Bo-Peep was in heaven
Till Jackson cried “Bo-Peep, this jeep’s gotta be in camp by eleven”

So little Bo-Peep has lost her jeep
And don’t know where to find it
Her soldier boy took it back to camp
And left Bo-Peep behind it

It didn’t have doors, the seats were hard
But Bo-Peep never minded
It didn’t ride like a Cadillac
She wondered who designed it

Roller coasters nearly killed her
Aeroplanes they never thrilled her
But with Jackson at the wheel
She got that jeep, jeep, jeep appeal

Now little Bo-Peep wants to find her jeep
And find her soldier chappie
If he comes chug chug in his old blitz buggy
Bo-Peep will be happy

(Musical Break – Spike Jones Style)

Now little Bo-Peep has lost her jeep
Her boyfriend made an error
He let her drive, goodness, sakes alive
That Bo-Peep she’s a terror

The throttle pushed down, she tore through town
The red lights didn’t stop her
The soldier knew that they both were through
When she side-swiped a copper

(Car sounds – “Look Out” – Crash sound)

Now little Bo-Peep has lost her jeep
Oh my, why must her joy end
Now her little jeep is layin’ in a heap
And the guard house has her boy friend

 

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