Looks Like Alex Is Having A “Basketball Jones!”
Don’t be afraid, my wife learned to love it!
If you don’t know the song, you are missing out on one of the funniest – and catchiest – songs of the 70’s…thanks to the comedy duo Cheech & Chong!
Cheech & Chong’s Brilliant “Los Cochinos” Album!
The most popular comedy duo of the 70’s were Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, who released a number of classic comedy albums – and films – as “Cheech & Chong”.
For my series on “wild album covers”, let’s take this one apart – literally – and listen to their classic comedy song – with a Jack Nicholson connection!
First, the title of the album translates from Spanish to “The Pigs” (with cochino carrying a slang connotation of a “dirty pig” or police officer).
When you pull out the inside sleeve, it’s the shape of a car door, and you see the duo staring out at the police who pull them over while revealing bags of marijuana hidden in the inner door panel!
The album peaked at #2 on the US Billboard 200 and won the duo a Grammy Award for Best Comedy Recording at the 16th Annual Grammy Awards.
Notable Tracks:
- “Sargent Stadanko” (Side A)
- “Pedro and Man at the Drive-Inn” (Side A) – a 12-minute sketch featuring their classic characters Pedro de Pacas and Man
- “Evelyn Woodhead Speed Reading Course” – a sharp parody of 1960s and ’70s speed-reading commercials
But here is the masterpiece on the comedy album – their blockbuster hit single!
“Basketball Jones!”
Cheech And Chong’s masterpiece on the album is this song – yes, they sing on the album and what a song it is!
The novelty funk/soul track features incredible guest musicians – like ex-Beatle George Harrison on guitar, “Tapestry” #1 album Singer/Songwriter Carole King on electric piano, and Singer/Organist Billy Preston!
First, here are the lyrics – all about having a “jones” for basketball! In case you don’t know, to have a “jones” (or to be “jonesing”) for something means to have a strong, urgent desire, craving, or addiction for it!
“Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones, got a Basketball Jones oh baby oo-ooo-oo…..
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 gentlemens
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
{cheerleaders sing repeatedly…}
(Basketball Jones, I got a Basketball Jones)
(I got a Basketball Jones, oh baby, oo-oo-ooo)
Now, enjoy this terrific animated video that was made for the song!
The song peaked at #15 on the top 50 single charts! Oh, and as I said, there is a Jack Nicholson connection – ready for this?
They Wrote The Song For Jack!
According to Tommy Chong, the song was conceived while Actor Jack Nicholson was frantically driving Cheech Marin and Chong to a Los Angeles Lakers game. Because they were running late, Nicholson accidentally drove the wrong way down Manchester Avenue for about three miles!
Cheech and Chong went on to release many more comedy albums – which will be featured here as well because they all have wildly unique album covers…and as for Jack Nicholson, he seemed to hang out with all the pop culture icons of that era:
Yep, that’s Jack hangin out with The Monkees!
And now only that, he wrote a movie for them!
Click here for the wild story of “HEAD!”
My wildest album cover series also included a brilliant double album from Led Zeppelin – which had a see-through cover!
Due to copyright, I couldn’t let the song “Kashmir” be heard, but shared this video showing the unique cover after the song ended:
Here’s the wild story of “Physical Graffiti” – and my trip to the actual building featured on the cover!
I began this series with another album that offered images that peered out from the inside cover, by the very same Rolling Stones who used the same building as Led Zeppelin did for a music video:
But in this case, the Rolling Stones see-through cover was heavily censored!
Click here for the story of The Rollings Stones’ “Some Girls” cover – with some girls missing!
I showed you some of the greatest album covers of all time as well – most see this one and know immediately how iconic it is:
Another example of famous images appearing on a band’s album cover…but aside from The Beatles, what are some of the greatest covers of all time?
Click here to see!
There are also times when an attempt to be funny, or shocking, or whatever results in this – and yes, this is real: have you seen The Beatles’ infamous “butcher cover?”
The Beatles “Butcher Cover” is real!
It’s the infamous original artwork for the 1966 album “Yesterday And Today”, which was only for the U.S. market. It featured the band dressed in white butcher smocks, surrounded by pieces of raw meat and decapitated plastic baby dolls. Photographer Robert Whitaker intended it as a satirical commentary on the Beatles’ fame and the “falseness” of their idol status.
Oops!
Upon seeing advance copies, retailers and radio stations were horrified, so Capitol Records recalled 750,000 copies just days before the June 1966 release. To save money, Capitol pasted a new, “safe” photo of the band sitting around an open steamer trunk directly over the original butcher shot…so some did indeed survive!
Sometimes bad cover art is deliberate:
This Spinal Tap album cover is hilariously bad, but on purpose – the rockumentary “This Is Spinal Tap” TRIED to make the worst covers and succeeded in a hilarious way – see more of their hilariously inept artwork here!
If you enjoy these posts, why not subscribe and never miss out? It’s easy, and there are NO ads of any kind, just stuff I like…click on the main page and “follow” me on the upper right…
Thanks so much for reading – and if you enjoy the story, please share on social media!
Categories: 70's Music, Art, Classic Rock, Cult Movies, Film Fight Club, Hollywood, Led Zeppelin, Memoirs, Music, Obscure Music, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
Leave a Reply