Artist:Robert Klein
Song:Our Gang
Album:Child of the 50s
There was a time many years ago that comedy albums were big sellers. By the early 70s, that market had petered out and it has never returned to the glory days of the 60s. The only comedian who bucked that trend was George Carlin. Robert Klein is best known as an actor in movies and TV and his HBO comedy specials. By the time his 1973 album Child of the 50s was released, comedy albums weren't selling anymore. Plus he was on a terrible record label. He was born Feb. 8, 1942 in The Bronx, NY. His grandparents were Hungarian Jewish immigrants. Klein was planning to study medicine at Alfred University. But he changed his mind and went to Yale Drama School. He successfully auditioned for the comedy group The Second City. After touring with them, he appeared in the Broadway show The Apple Tree. Klein's first major appearance was as the host of the summer replacement TV series Comedy Tonight. Then he signed to record for Brut Records. I know what you're thinking. Wasn't Brut a cologne? That's right. Brut Records was owned by Faberge. They weren't around very long. Klein's albums Child of the 50s (1973) and Mind Over Matter (1974) disappeared without a trace. They are available on CD as Rhino Records picked them up. He also released an album on Epic. Klein did his first HBO comedy special in 1975. They became very popular. He did them for three decades. And he's appeared a lot in films and TV. He hosted his own talk show Robert Klein Time on USA in the late 80s. Klein has appeared in lots of films and TV mostly in supporting roles. Since appearing in the 2021 film Before I Go, he is still performing live. But he knows he has to slow down. He still enjoys doing standup comedy. Here's Robert Klein performing Our Gang. I think this is from his 80s talk show.
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