I tried a search through the internet world but no luck(unless they just list the appearance)..

There were 2 guys dressed in pinstripes called 'the Times Square Two" .
Where are they? Who were they??

One looked like a young Artie Johnson foreigner character from Laugh-In with wire glasses and hair parted down the middle and the other may have looked like Leon Redbone and played a bass fiddle ...just a vague memory but SOMEONE MIGHT KNOW??? ??? ??? ??? ???

I found they were on the Smothers Brothers show as well.

One's name was Peter Elbling and the other Michel Choquette.

Maybe that will get you a little farther in your search.

Hi-

Thanks for the terrific lead!
Now if only they are listed anywhere on the web/net??

Very cool! :)

I just looked up their names and yet neither list themselves as musicians from tst????
Or any appearance work on either show...yet they list the names as actors/writers...Hmmm?

That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les
Hi-

Thanks for the terrific lead!
Now if only they are listed anywhere on the web/net??

Very cool! :)

I just looked up their names and yet neither list themselves as musicians from tst????
Or any appearance work on either show...yet they list the names as actors/writers...Hmmm?

That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les


Hey, now that's kinda neat. Ask an obscure question and have the person it's about eventually answer the question themselves. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing. I wonder if that would work with other people, too?
:)

Hey, now that's kinda neat. Ask an obscure question and have the person it's about eventually answer the question themselves. Isn't the internet a wonderful thing. I wonder if that would work with other people, too?
:)

Oh yes...

I forgot to mention: in the act, Peter's name was Mycroft Partner, and mine was Andrew i. (My partner and i).

Cheers!

MC

My brother and I had a discussion about an old bit from the Merv Griffin Show in the sixties.
One man said, "I'll have you know I used to play a little football." The other said, "Really,
prove it." the first pulled out a teeny tiney football with a harmonica imbedded in it and
started playing away.

Was that you? My brother SWEARS it was you. My guess was The Pickle Brothers.






That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les

My brother and I had a discussion about an old bit from the Merv Griffin Show in the sixties.
One man said, "I'll have you know I used to play a little football." The other said, "Really,
prove it." the first pulled out a teeny tiney football with a harmonica imbedded in it and
started playing away.

Was that you? My brother SWEARS it was you. My guess was The Pickle Brothers.

Andrew i sez:

No it wasn't us. Your Pickle Brothers guess sounds right.

We diid the Merv Griffin show just once (it was our first national TV show) in the spring of 1966, just after moving to NY from the west coast.

MC  (Andrew i)

I don't know which show they were on, but they sang a song that went "I have a feeling for Ophelia/A funny feeling for Ophelia/She's as sweet as -- I don't know what/Does she love me? Maybe, and maybe not"

I couldn't have been more than 10 at the time.  I have no idea why the song has stuck with me after all these years. It was just going through my head today and I googled "Time Square Two." 

As you can see, we summoned one of the members!

Write here to Michel, I guess...Glad to get the memories back!

Dear Mr. Choquette,
I'm delighted to find some info, via your posting, about the Times Square Two.
I also have a brief-but-vivid memory of you two appearing on televison.
I was wondering: did you two ever produce a record? And... if so, have you considered a CD reissue?
Respectfully yours,
--Seth Joseph Weine

Dear Michel Choquette,

I am another fan of yours and Peter's, and loved your comedy as the Times Square Two. I hope you get this email, because I would love it if you would e-mail to me, too, the Times Square Two photos and literature you offered to another person here.

Thank you!

Kappy
email nikok@talk21.com

That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les


Hi Michel,

You and Peter were *hilarious*. I most likely haven't seen one of the Timesquare Two performance since about 1968, yet it's indelibly printing in my mind, even today. If you're able to pop me a note at dana@ danacountryman.com, I'd love to have you e-mail me a photo of the two of you.... 
Best,

- Dana Countryman
http://www.danacountryman.com

Another fan of the Times Square Two, really nice to see half the team post here.  I discovered that Peter Elbling was also in the Phantom of the Paradise, and he talks about it (and TS2) here: http://www.phantompalooza.ca/elbling.html

For more old comedy, I'm the webmaster of the Firesign Theatre website at http://www.firesigntheatre.com

I saw the Times Square Two several times circa 1965-1966 first at the Ice House in Pasadena and then at the Jabberwock in  Berkeley.  What a great act!  As has been mentioned, they surfaced several times on various comedy/variety show in the late 60's.  In 1972 or maybe '73 I saw Peter performing with The Committee, the improvisational group from SF. 

Hi Michel,

You and Peter were *hilarious*. I most likely haven't seen one of the Timesquare Two performance since about 1968, yet it's indelibly printing in my mind, even today. If you're able to pop me a note at dana@ danacountryman.com, I'd love to have you e-mail me a photo of the two of you.... 
Best,

- Dana Countryman
http://www.danacountryman.com

I tried a search through the internet world but no luck(unless they just list the appearance)..

There were 2 guys dressed in pinstripes called 'the Times Square Two" .
Where are they? Who were they??

One looked like a young Artie Johnson foreigner character from Laugh-In with wire glasses and hair parted down the middle and the other may have looked like Leon Redbone and played a bass fiddle ...just a vague memory but SOMEONE MIGHT KNOW??? ??? ??? ??? ???


I remember they sang "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out". I'd love to hear them do that song again. I remember thinking how great they sang it!
Bob 

They performed on the Dick Cavett Show, too. One introduced the act and himself, then gestured toward the second, who smiled while the first one said, "Of course, my partner needs no introduction," and continued without introducing him at all. The first then spoke about the music or something while the second looked angry at this slight.

So very cool.  I remember only one song. "I know where the flies go in the winter time."

Hey I was young, impressionable, and loved shtick like that.

You know... the stuff that you have to get from way outside the "normal" thinking part of your brain!

I've also wondered if there were any recording out there of the Times Square Two?

Michael:

I'm looking for a recording - any recording - of the Times Square Two's performance of "I've Got a Feeling For Ophelia" - audio OR video.

Like others that have commented on this site, the song - and the performance - has stuck in my head for over 30 years. I'd love to see your act again...and can't believe since I've not been able to get it out of my head for this long, that the group didn't go on to record albums, more TV and movies.

I'm playing around town as a solo act or with another musician (or two) and I'd love to be able to add the song (and your arrangement of it) to my repetoire. Can you point me in tie direction of a recording, video, leadsheet, or other resource?

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

You can reach me at bkozak@grokmedia.com or bkozak@guitarfurniture.com.

Thanks!

- Brad


That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les

Dear Michael, et al,

I too have fond memories of the Times Square Two.  Even though I only saw you guys once (I forget which show it was on), I remember you performed "Gimme That Ding" (a variant, I presume, on an old novelty ragtime tune called "Gimme That THING", which is in fact kind of dirty).

I now live in New Orleans and just heard the song ("Gimme That THING") on our local radio staiton (WWOZ-FM, which actually plays things like that).

I found I had an absolutely vivid memory of what you guys looked like (the pinstripes etc) and even recalled a few of your lyrics (something about a metronome...?)

I'd LOVE a photo, BTW!  Or can you post something on U-Tube??

Best,

Adrienne

P.S. This whole experience is very scary, however, since it means my brain is hopelessly cluttered up with dings like this...I mean things.

That would be me. Or one half would be.

Peter Elbling and I formed The Times Square Two in Vancouver in 1964, moved to California in 1965, then to New York in 1966. The act broke up early in 1970. Peter has been living in Los Angeles since then, where he has worked in improvisational theatre and as a television actor. He has also made a name for himself as a writer. I stayed in New York for a few years, where I became one of the original contributing editors of National Lampoon. Since then I have worked on various film, theatre and publishing projects. Since 1984 I have been teaching screenwriting and comedy writing at McGill University and Concordia University in Montreal.

If you're interested, I can e-mail you some Times Square Two photos and literature.

Regards,

Michel Choquette


les

Amazing--I've thought about the Times Square Two many times over the years.  I saw them several times at the Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati.  "I Know Where the Flies Go" was one of my favorites.  I'm also familiar with Michel's work with National Lampoon, although I never made the connection with his Times Square Two incarnation.  I found this forum & thread via a Google search in the hopes of finding any TS2 information.  Glad to see that I'm among like minded folks.

I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread, but there's a classic episode of WKRP In Cincinnatti (available on DVD) in which the station promotes a concert by a fictional rock band called Scum of the Earth. One of the band members is played by Peter Elbling, Mycroft Partner from The Times Square Two.