I reviewed the documentary about Tiny Tim for Ebert.
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Thanks for this piece Sheila. I’m too young for the first-hand Tiny Tim experience, but old enough to remember him as a punchline on Carson and the like. Other than that, I mainly know him from the Monterey Pop films, Criterion extended disco-dance play edition. I dont remember whether that includes an on-stage performance from him, probably does, but there’s a ten-minute or so piece of him playing, I think it’s Tip-toe through the Tulips, while sitting at a table in a rather dark nightclub. (I suppose it made sense in San Francisco in the late 60s.) Apparently the fact that they (the Maysles? I think?) could film and record sound as well as they did (both picture and sound very clear) was apparently a real feat of technical skill. I’m still duly impressed, though I’ll admit it didn’t leave me swept away by the Tiny Tim Experience.
Against that background, that remark of Bob Dylan’s that ends your piece really struck me. I mean, Dylan is certainly very well informed about old-timey music, and for him to praise TT’s knowledge so highly, that’s praise indeed. Tiny Tim always seemed to me rather one-dimensional (not his fault I only know his rendition of “Tip-toe”, I suppose), not to mention rather puzzling that he was ever a thing, and I always like to find out that someone has more dimensions about them than it seemed.
Just curious, Dylan’s remark that you closed with, is that in the documentary you reviewed, or something you found in your own research?
Thanks again for the article.
Mike – really interesting thoughts, thank you!
In re: Dylan – I know he wrote quite a bit about Tiny Tim in Chronicles – although I’m not sure where. The quote you mention came from Dylan’s Theme Time Radio Hour : https://fhb-dreamtime.blogspot.com/2010/01/annotated-flowers-theme-time-radio-hour_14.html
I thought it gave really good perspective – especially for those of us too young to have experienced Tiny Tim during his successful years.
// I’m still duly impressed, though I’ll admit it didn’t leave me swept away by the Tiny Tim Experience. //
Yeah, I know what you mean. Me neither. But the fact that so many people seemed to ‘get” what he was doing – on a level I can’t – made me curious to learn more. (as opposed to just dismissing him as a joke, which I think a lot of people did.) If Jonas Mekas – Bob Dylan – Pennebaker – and everybody – found him fascinating and the real deal, then that says a lot!
// rather puzzling that he was ever a thing //
I know. Very puzzling! It’s so of its era – 1968-70 … the only other time I think he would have become a “thing” would have been 19th-century British music hall.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
Thanks Sheila. I see I gave Pennebaker’s credit to the Maysles, whoops.
That Theme Time Radio Hour link looks really interesting, I haven’t read it yet b/c it looks like it will take some time and attention, so will have to wait for that to come free.
Related (to time/attention): you’ve really been on fire lately! More than usual even. Lot of interesting stuff in that Thomas Jefferson list in the Library of Congress post. Like, he’s a big fan of Ossian, don’t stumble over too many of those. I tried to read Ossian once; hard going.
The Theme Time Radio Hour is a total time suck!!
and yeah, thank you for your comment! I’m just trying to keep up with the rolling calendar of birthday posts – lol – I didn’t start out the blog paying tribute to people on their birthdays – but since I’ve written so much over the years I thought it would be a good idea to pull that stuff up out of the massive archives and highlight it for this or that anniversary date. It’s not like I’m writing a massive post every day!!
That book list from Thomas Jefferson is one of my favorite things from him. The Bible is under history. I mean …