'Split Level Head' by the same chap (Napoleon the 14th?) is also fun. Especially with stereo headphones.

It was Napoleon XIV and originally released in 1966. There was an album released shortly afterwards with the same name - purely a result of the huge success of the 45.

Two singles were released: "They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" c/w "!aaaH-aH ,yawA eM ekaT oT gnimoC er'yehT" (as mentioned above, except I was daft enough to type it out!), and "Doin' the Napoleon" c/w "Photogenic, Schizophrenic You".

A recording engineer named Jerry Samuels originally produced the mad little "tune" of a fellow going over the brink and being taken away, ha-haaa, to the funny farm, etc etc. and released it under the moniker "Napoleon XIV". After some major airplay which saw the single rise to #3 on the Billboard charts, suddenly womens' groups began threatening to boycott US station advertisers (particularly those of hit-making WABC in New York) as they believed poor Napoleon was ranting to his estranged wife, calling her a "mangy mutt". The program directors pulled the record to avoid the heat and as quickly as it rose, it fell. But before it did, and before it was revealed that Samuels was in fact referring to a runaway dog, there was time to put together an entire album, a concept album about insanity (plus, as mentioned above, a second single as well - it may even have been an EP here in England)

The other tunes on the album (including "I Live In a Split Level Head" that Magda mentioned) were co-written by Bobby Gosh, a songwriter who would find fame in the 1970's as a country-pop crossover songwriter - one of his biggest hits was Dr. Hook's "A Little Bit More".

(some sample lyrics:)

"Bats in my belfry and rain on my roof/Even my teddy bear stays so aloof"

"We'll all take a ride on my new pogo stick/Here comes the night nurse, cover up quick!"

(and one especially for Tracy!)

"Everyone knows that penguins go formal/So who's there among us to say who is normal???"

Remembered (just) from childhood.

I seem to recall hearing that this "Napoleon" improvised the first song when the studio where he then worked was unexpectedly free due to a band that had booked it either finishing their session early or simply not turning up. Do you know whether this was in fact the case?
And, more importantly, do you know whether it's currently available on CD?

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