Spike Jones was a popular musician and comedian during the 1940s and 1950s. He and his backing band "The City Slickers" employed a wide variety of zany vocals, household implements and shotguns to produce their wacky, yet musically intriguing tracks. Reputed to have the most talented and highly-paid musicians of the day, Spike Jones and his musicians were considerably more than simply novelty performers. Much of their performances even included theatrics and musical athletics.