Tony Randall Vo, Vo, De, Oh, Doe Release Date: 1967 Label: Mercury Rating:

Tony Randall returns to the days of the megaphone singers on Vo, Vo, De, Oh, Doe, an entertaining re-creation of the '20s and '30s vocal music associated with vaudeville and singers like Al Jolson and Billy Murray. Randall's enthusiasm for this music is real, but his presentation is tongue-in-cheek as he sings with an exaggerated vibrato and whistles his way through mostly novelty material. Sometimes his vocals sound like he is really singing through a megaphone, but mostly the effect is like hearing an old-time singer transported into a modern recording studio. Many of the songs are hits from the '20s and '30s, but Randall dips into his collection of 78s to pull out crazy obscurities like "Byrd (You're the Bird of Them All)" and "Doo Wacka Do." Vo, Vo, De, Oh, Doe wasn't Randall's first album, but the success of "Winchester Cathedral" by the New Vaudeville Band in 1966 was probably the impetus behind its creation. Accordingly, Randall covers that song -- the only modern composition on the album. Greg Adams, All Music Guide Iwould rate this album vg+/vg+