Jerry Samuels
| Napoleon XIV | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Jerrold Samuels |
| Also known as | Jerry Samuels |
| Born | May 3, 1938 |
| Origin | New York City |
| Genres | Comedy, novelty |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 1966 |
| Labels | Warner Bros. Records |
Jerry Samuels (born Jerrold Samuels on May 3, 1938), known by the stage name Napoleon XIV, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He achieved one-hit wonder status with the Top 5 hit novelty song "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" in 1966. Under the name Scott David (his son's name), he co-wrote "As If I Didn't Know" with Larry Kusik, a top 10 hit for Adam Wade in 1961. Samuels also wrote "The Shelter of Your Arms", a top 20 hit for Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964.
Samuels began his recording career in 1956 when he cut the single "Puppy Love"/"The Chosen Few" for the Vik Records sublabel of RCA Victor Records. In 1966, Samuels concocted "They're Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!" while working at Associated Recording Studios in New York. The public found out his true identity when Cousin Brucie of WABC outed him. The record quickly climbed the charts, reaching the Top Ten nationally in just its third week on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at #3 and sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.
The success of the single inspired a Warner Bros. album of the same name in 1966 (reissued by Rhino in 1985), most of which continued with the mental illness theme (for example: "Bats In My Belfry" and "Split Level Head" which features different vocal parts in each stereo speaker). A second single of two recordings from that album was relatively unnoticed. His manager was Leonard Stogel.
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