Ola and The Janglers - Eeny Meeny Miney Moe

Sometimes records grow on me, even if it only takes a couple of weeks. For example, a couple of the instant reviews from my St. Louis record fair haul already need revisited. But here's the St. Louis find that's grown on me the most since I brought it home. The first time I played "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe", I thought "nice record" and then put on something else. Now it's getting repeated spins.

Ola and The Janglers were a Swedish band that got it's start sometime in the early 1960's. I believe they usually sang in English and had a few U.S. releases. I used to own a copy of their album on GNP Cresendo that didn't impress me. I remember it being pretty lightweight pop rock. Of course, I was probably hoping for something garagey, so I doubt that it got more than a play or two. It may even have had its own "Eeny Meeny Miney Moe" but since albums require more time investment, I never discovered it. That's just one more thing that makes singles great. They only take a couple of minutes to hear, which reduces the risk of casting something aside too quickly, especially for someone with a short attention span like me.

"Eeny Meeny Miney Moe" starts with a thumping bass guitar, joined shortly by a big drumbeat, both of which continue throughout the song. Then it's right into the opening verse. You might figure what to expect lyrically from the song's title, pretty light stuff. There's even the line, "All day long I walk along and sing the cutest song in town" that makes me cringe a little. But if you expect to find deep meaning in your music, then you're probably reading the wrong blog in the first place. We'll occasionally quote lyrics around here but it's no Shakespeare.

"Eeeny Meeny Miney Moe" is just too upbeat and catchy to let mere words spoil the fun. In addition to the drums and bass, there's some jangly guitar and a cool, swingin' organ break. It has punchy backing vocals and it's a blast listening to the guys sing in what obviously wasn't their native tongue. I can even imagine the song filling a dance floor or two. It certainly worked around the house on my two year-old son and I, no faint praise. Who knows, you might even find yourself singing along, if you're not careful.

I haven't been able to pinpoint a release date for the record, though 1967 sounds about right. It's the type of pop rock that became bubblegum a year or two later. That shouldn't scare you though, so long as your music meter is set to "fun". Ours always is.