Time To Spin With Basketball Jones!
I’m a huge comedy fan, and I grew up with the pot-infused humor of the comedy duo Cheech & Chong!
Their 1973 album “Los Cochinos” is filled with hilarious comedy sketches, including an interview at the end between a pompous sportscaster and a coach who is extolling his newest basketball sensation:
Basketball Jones!
The sketch turns into a song – and it was a huge hit song!
One reason? It’s hilarious – the second, it’s catchy – and the third?
The performers who play on it!
Do you know who played on the song? Ex-Beatle George Harrison, Carole King, Billy Preston and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & The Papas among many others!
As recounted in their memoir, the “all-star” backing band wasn’t even planned!
Cheech sings, and Tommy plays piano—that’s all it was at first.
As Cheech Marin remembers:
“George Harrison and those guys were in the next studio recording, and so Lou [Adler] just ran over there and played [it for him]. They made up the track right on the spot.” “That was a wild session,” Lou Adler recalls. “I probably called Carole [King] and told her to come down, but with Harrison and [Klaus] Voorman—I didn’t call and say come in and play. Everyone happened to be in the A&M studios at that particular time, doing different projects. It was spilling out of the studio into the corridors.”
My wife Alex bought me this gorgeous record player to take advantage of the hundred+ albums I still had from growing up. So I put the album on my new WrenSilva turntable and cranked it up. Here are some of the lyrics:
“Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones
Got a Basketball Jones, oh baby, oo-oo-ooo
Yes, I am the victim of a Basketball Jones
Ever since I was a little baby, I always be dribblin’
In fac’, I was de baddest dribbler in the whole neighborhood
Then one day, my mama bought me a basketball
And I loved that basketball
I took that basketball with me everywhere I went
That basketball was like a basketball to me
I even put that basketball underneath my pillow
Maybe that’s why I can’t sleep at night
I need help, ladies and gentlemen’s
I need someone to stand beside me
I need, I need someone to set a pick for me at the free-throw line of life
Someone I can pass to
Someone to hit the open man on the give-and-go
And not end up in the popcorn machine
So cheerleaders, help me out
{background cheerleaders sing repeatedly…}
Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones
I got a Basketball Jones, oh baby, oo-oo-ooo…”
Don’t you love the inside cover? Well, enough talking, time for Tyrone Shoelaces to step up to the microphone!
Here is the video for the song, “of its time” to be sure:
The song was a big hit when released – and I love listening to it to this day!
The album was another huge success for the comedy duo, winning them the Grammy for Best Comedy Album.
The album packaging itself was also nominated for a Grammy Award!
The packaging of the first release included a “die cut” cover showing a car door, and another die cut cardboard inner cover showing the usually sealed parts of a car door containing baggies of pot!
The cardboard edge of the opening of the cover was cut around the windshield in the upper right corner as well – I have that one and love it!
It’s one of many the duo released that were creative works of art!
I own 4 of their comedy albums, and they are all terrific designs…like the huge “Big Bambu” rolling paper that comes inside that album!
That said, not all album covers hit their mark creatively…here’s an example:
Um….can it get worse? Yes, it can!
Click here to see the worst album covers of all time!
By the way, the duo weren’t the only famous comics to sing on an album:
That’s right: the legendary Rodney Dangerfield released a hilarious rap song!
Click here to see the video and all of his most hilarious hits!
I love talking music, even if it gets me in trouble!
I created a bit of controversy by suggesting that this was the worst song title of all time:
I’m-A Not Kidding!
I mean, “I-A Want You?”
See the lyrics for the worst song title ever here:
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Categories: 70's Music, Art, Awards, Books / Media, Classic Rock, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Sports, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I loved Cheech and Chong, their albums were so funny. Years later my son borrowed an album from the library but said he was sure I wouldn´t like it. I had a good laugh at that.
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HA! Thanks for commenting! They are a bit like “Three Stooges” – you like it or you don’t – not much middle ground!
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I wasn’t a huge Cheech and Chong guy, but I go back long enough to claim that I used to own a cassette tape with Sister Mary Elephant.😄
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My fondest memory of Cheech and Chong is their Firesign Theater record album. The best!
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I remember basketball Jones so well, and love the backstory!
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Growing up in the 70s, my mom had that first album. Ha! I do remember hearing it. I had no idea that such an all-star group did BASKETBALL JONES. Thanks for sharing that.
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I remember Cheech and Chong, it was still popular when I was at school. Well, here in SA in any event. I love your record player, I have a lesser version which I enjoy very much. I have all my mother’s old records.
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After Alex bought this for me, friends and family all bought be albums for Christmas and birthday so I am loaded up! Thanks for commenting!
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I do remember Cheech and Chong of course, but this was the first time I had ever heard that song.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, as a young kid, my friends and I wore this one out on the record player! Thanks for reading, hope you are in the midst of a great weekend!
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Still ‘decluttering”! But Julie is cooking a minted lamb shepherd’s pie, perfect for a cold Beetley evening. 🙂
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