“Here Comes The Judge” (Shorty Long) #8 7/6/1968

There were at least four variations on this idea floating around on the charts 50 years ago this summer. The top-ranked version was by Detroit’s own Shorty Long, who did the 1964 original of Mitch Ryder’s “Devil With A Blue Dress On.” It was based on a comedy routine by Pigmeat Markham (whose own version would peak at #19 in a few weeks) and had a lot of insult humor. Sammy Davis Jr. popularized the bit on “Laugh-In.” Long drowned as the result of a boating accident in 1969.