New Year's Eve Through The Ages of Home Movies

Christmas In The World of Wonder: Crosby, Kaye, Clooney & Lee

White Christmas is a huge holiday film. People love it and just can't seem to get enough of it. It's become an annual Broadway stage show and is, of course, played on television over and over at this time of year. The music from the film is great featuring such tracks as "Snow", "Count Your Blessings", "Sisters" and many other Irving Berlin greats. Back in 1954 when the film came out, there was a bit of a problem in putting out the soundtrack. There were actually two albums of songs from the movie that were released. However, neither one of them qualifies as an original soundtrack recording. The reason for this was that Bing Crosby was signed to Decca Records and Rosemary Clooney was signed with Columbia. Back then that meant that they could not record together. As a result, one album was issued by Decca entitled, "Selections from Irving Berlin's White Christmas", while Columbia issued an album called "Irving Berlin's White Christmas". The Columbia album were selections from the film sung by Rosemary Clooney. The Decca album had songs from the film and featured Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye while Peggy Lee sang the parts that Clooney did in the movie. This was the album that was advertised as the main soundtrack for White Christmas. By the way, if you are wondering where Vera Ellen fits in with all of this, she doesn't. All of her songs were sung by Trudy Stevens both in the film and on the Decca release.
In 2005, Pulse records put out what they called "The Ultimate White Christmas". Fans of the film were hopeful that it would release the actual recordings from the film featuring everyone together. Instead, they got a compilation of both of the original records on one disc. Disappointments abound, it is still a great compilation but sadly it was pulled from print after only one Christmas season. If you have read all of this and are wondering where you can this great compilation, look no further. I present it for you now. Enjoy "The Ultimate White Christmas".

The Ultimate White Christmas

Christmas In The World of Wonder: A Long TIme Ago, In A Wishbook Far, Far Away

Since the last wishbook post was all about Star Trek toys, I figured that it was only fair that this one be about Star Wars toys. Let's face it, the original Star Wars toys were the coolest toys ever. The best figures, the best playsets . . . just really cool toys! I still have my figures and have them prominently displayed in our "movie themed" room downstairs. Still have the super cool carrying case that's in this picture as well. I wish I still had the Millenium Falcon. I had the original release that came with a little tiny remote for Luke's lightsaber training. It wasn't long after that they stopped including that due to the fact that it was so small! Again, I wish I still had this. Unfortunately, my mom sold it at a tag sale. I think she made a clear profit of 50 cents on the deal. What a crime!

Sears had a weird deal with the Star Wars franchise where they would release cardboard playsets that featured a set of figures that came with it. Mine was the Mos Eisley Spaceport playset. It was basically just a piece of cardboard that stood as a backdrop for the figures to play in front of. I think it lasted about a week before it started to tear. The cool thing about this particular play set is that it featured a figure of Snaggletooth that was twice the size of the regular carded snaggletooth. At the time I felt like I was screwed out of the "real" Snaggletooth figure. Now, I realize that I had the cooler one.

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Christmas Jug Band Music

One of my best friends and fellow Creamed Corn member, Tim Minoudis, is currently manning the guitar/bass chair for the Goodspeed Opera House's premiere of Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas which opened last week and is playing through the holidays. I'm really happy for him that he's doing that but I have to admit, I am really jealous and wish I could be on that gig as well. He called me two weeks ago to tell me he was out drinking with Paul Williams who wrote all of the music for the show. Again, really jealous. I am getting to see it next Tuesday when I fly home for the holiday and can't wait. I've always loved Emmet Otter's Jugband Christmas ever since I first saw it when it premiered on HBO back in the 70s. My wife loves it just as much and we make sure that we watch it every year! Here's the soundtrack to the original special. Obviously it's not "official" but it is still the soundtrack and features some great tunes including the classic, "When The River Meets The Sea". Here it is for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!

Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug Band Christmas OST (boot)

Christmas in The World of Wonder: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Merry Christmas From The Griswolds

As you know from the September of Soundtracks, I love the Vacation movies! And of course, at Christmas time, no film is better than Christmas Vacation! It stands out for so many reasons! The quotes are endless: "THE BLESSING", "Can't see the lines, can you Russ?", "Merry Christmas! Shitter's full!" and many more! The film's cast is amazing including series regulars Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo and Randy Quade. Add a young Juliette Lewis, Doris Roberts, Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Brian Dolye Murray, the late great William Hickey and the well known voice of Olive Oil and Betty Boop, Mae Questal. Here's a little soundtrack post to help you celebrate your own Christmas Vacation. Enjoy!

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation OST

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Boldly Going Where No Wishbook Has Gone Before

Before Star Wars, there was of course, Star Trek. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars still rocks and the toys that they put out for Star Wars were and still are awesome. But the toys for Star Trek were a little more, I don't know, adult feeling. Take for instance the Star Trek Communicators.

These babies were real. Heavy plastic with real working walkie talkie parts! They came in a package of two and you could use these anywhere! What was really cool was when you hit the little red button on the side it made a high pitched squeal that if hit at the same time as the talk button, could be broadcast to the other communicator! How cool is that?!?!? I still have one of these communicators and it still works! I also had the super cool phaser gun that shot discs! This rocked as well. You loaded up the phaser with the discs (mine were multi-colored, not like the ones in the picture) and just pulled the trigger. Toys like this would never be approved today but back then, they were the best!!!! I'm sure my poor sister took many a plastic disc to the body and face from this plastic weapon.


The action figures for Star Trek were more like the old super hero action figures. They were tall and wore real uniforms complete with utility belts, tricorders and small phasers. Again, these small pieces would never pass inspection today. I had Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and a Klingon. These came with the Enterprise Playset!

This was an amazing toy! On the outside was a drawing of space with the Enterprise soaring through it. The inside was the bridge of the Enterprise, complete with Captain's Chair, Command Center and a screen that could be changed with various scenes of planets and aliens and such. The coolest feature was, without a doubt, the transporter. You would put an action figure in the transporter and spin the dial on the top. There were two buttons to stop the spinning. The red one put the action figure facing the outside while the green one put them facing the inside. Super cool!!!!!! This toy was designed really well because when you were done playing with it, you just folded it up with everything inside and stored it on the shelf (or on top of the toy chest in our house!)

The last Star Trek item I want to show you is the Telescreen Console. This was pretty cool. You could sit Captain Kirk (or any other character for that matter) in the Captain's Chair and then play a pseudo-video game where you would have to hit various asteroids and planets and such. It was pretty cool and from what I can tell, very rare. I haven't seen too many of these around, even on e-bay. They're hard to come by! Anyway, it provided me with lots of good times! A special thanks to Plastic Stallions and The Mego Museum for the pictures. I know not all of the pictures are from the Wishbook, but I assure you that they were in there!!!!

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Michael Boyd Loves Christmas

I have no words for this. Just watch and enjoy!

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Wishbook Memories

Here's a continuation of a tradition that I started two years ago at the holiday season. It's items from the Sears Wishbook from when I was a kid. Back then, gearing up for Christmas meant breaking out the latest Sears Wishbook and writing out a 3+ page list of all of the goodies inside that I wanted for Christmas. I then gave it to my Mom who of course sent it to Santa who we all knew used the Sears Wishbook for all of his shopping! As in the past, I thought that I would share some of those great items that made the list and eventually made it under the tree. Today we have the golden age of talking alarm clocks. I owned several as a kid. The first one I owned was a Bugs Bunny Alarm Clock complete with the voice of Mel Blanc. It was pretty cool! It said something to the effect of "It's time to wake up Doc". I wasn't able to dig up a wishbook ad for that one so as you can see I just posted a picture of the clock.
I was able to find the Wishbook ad for the clock my sister had.When I received the Bugs Bunny clock, she got the Raggedy Ann and Andy clock (above). I don't remember what that one said at all. I do remember what my second talking alarm clock said. It was a Star Wars clock and it rocked. It had C-3PO and R2-D2 waking you up and yes, it was the voice of Anthoney Daniels! I recently picked up this clock on E-Bay only to find that it didn't work. I sadly returned it and got my money back. But I'm still looking for a replacement (I just don't want to spend a fortune getting it!)

Christmas in The World of Wonder: Judy Garland's Christmas Special

Judy Garland is one of my all time favorite performers and one of two of my favorite holiday themed-traditions are listening to her sing her beautiful rendition of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and the other is watching her Christmas special. It actually was an episode of her television show. The show ran only one season on CBS (1963-64) due to a lot of behind the scenes turmoil and Judy sometime showing up after having a little bit too much to drink. This may or may not have been true of The Judy Garland Show's Christmas episode, guest-starring daughters Lorna Luft, Liza Minnelli, son Joey Luft, Mel Torme, and Jack Jones, but producers were minutes away from calling off the show because no one knew where the star was. Apparently, the night before the Christmas show taping, Garland had been on a major bender. Mel Torme's guest spot was a point of contention on the day the Christmas show was filmed. Torme had signed a contract with Garland's production company guaranteeing him a certain number of guest appearances during the season. Judy wasn't committing to those dates quickly enough and "The Velvet Fog" was very upset about it. Her introduction to Mel Torme on the program was noticeably awkward for that reason. First, Judy mistakenly calls Mel Torme 'Mort,' then flubs a line in Torme's , "The Christmas Song". When Torme good-naturedly points it out, Judy purposely changes the word "reindeer" with "rainbow" - alluding to her signature tune. The tension on the set seemed to bring out the best in everyone as they maneuvered around the spacious multilevel living room set - singing and dancing like their lives depended on it. Here is the opening to that great Holiday episode.



Here's one more Judy moment. This is from the Tonight Show.

Christmas In The World of Wonder: Christmas Mix #1

Here is the first of three different Christmas Mixes I made for this year. It features some greats, some strange and just some. Hope you enjoy it. Keep on the lookout for the other two and also for mixes from the last two years as well! Enjoy!

Dartman's 2008 Christmas Mix #1

December Is Upon Us!

It's December 1 which means the Christmas season is here! Being on the road, I don't have access to all of my Christmas goodies so unfortunately I won't be able to give another "25 Posts of Christmas" like I did last year. But don't worry, I still have lots of fun Christmas stuff to post and send your way (including this year's Christmas Mixes)! We start off the month of December with an announcement about Creamed Corn. For those of you who don't know, Creamed Corn is a band that I have been in for the past 12 years. We are basically a group of friends that grew up together that like to have fun and play music. 10 years ago, we released a Christmas album entitled "Santa Loves You". Before we knew it, several tracks off the album became giant hits on the Internet and the album became a holiday cult classic. We were featured on several Internet radio shows as well as The Doctor Demento Show! Over the past ten years, the album has continued to pop up all over the Internet in various qualities and forms. Since the release of the original, we released a sequel, "Santa Loves You Too" and several different compilations of the two, the most recent being "Christmas Hits", which featured a very cool bonus track. This year is the 10th anniversary and we re-released the album on-line. By now, most of you probably have the original but this re-release is completely remastered and sounds amazing! I personally oversaw the remastering process and made sure that it was up to par. The result is a fuller, richer and bigger sound. This is the Corn's way of saying thanks to the Internet community for all that they did when the original was first released. You can download it at following sites:

I-Tunes

Amazon

E-Music

So head on over and grab your copy of Creamed Corn's "Santa Loves You, 10th Anniversary Edition". You not only get the original album, but you also get a few tracks from Santa Loves You Too and the super secret bonus track from Christmas Hits! Thanks!

Alex and Annie Can Help You Through It

Here's another one of those great "in-betweeners" that they used to run on Saturday Mornings. This is from 1979 and the ABC network. Here's "Dear Alex and Annie". I still sing this theme song! Enjoy!

Touch The Sound

Got to spend some quality time with my good friend, Dame Evelyn Glennie this past week. It worked out that we were both in the same city with our hectic touring schedules. If you don't know who Evelyn is, you need to find out! She is the only full time solo percussionist in the world and is amazing! I've known her since the mid 90s and she is the sweetest person you will ever meet. She made an art film not too long ago about her beliefs in sound and hearing called "Touch The Sound". Here's the trailer for it. Hope you enjoy it! (and definitely try to check out more about Evelyn Glennie!)

The Partridge Family Goes "Afro"

Here is a clip from The Partridge Family where they perform "Bandala". Right before this, there is a scene where David Cassidy states that he has a new song that's "kind of Afro". Remember that it was the 70s folks.

Political Flair

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!

Today is Halloween! Sorry I didn't post more this year in terms of Halloween flavored stuff but I'm on the road and didn't really plan this far in advance to make sure I had all of my halloween goodies with me. (That and the fact that both blogger and rapidshare have been acting up lately) I do hope you enjoyed what little I did share. Anyway, enjoy the day and here's one last fun video for you! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!

The History of Halloween

Betty Boop's Halloween Party

This Is Halloween In Japanese!!!

Disney With An Evil Twist

Freaks

The complete 1932 classic directed by Tod Browning! Enjoy!

The Addams Family Super Mega Post!

I love the Addams Family. I own the complete series on DVD and can watch it over and over again and still find it entertaining. Back in college, my girlfriend at the time gave me a giant book of the original Chas Addams comics that the show was based on and I found a whole new appreciation for the Addams Family. I've seen the films from the 90s and I liked them, but don't really put them in the same category as the original series. To me, that is the quintessential Addams Family and it will never be beat.
Did you know that in 1977, they tried to regroup the Addams Family and put it back on the air in a whole new show? It's true! On Halloween, 1977, a television special named "Halloween With The New Addams Family" premiered as a test to see if it would be as well recieved as the original series running in syndication.The original cast was brought together once again to reprise their roles. The only exception was Blossom Rock (Grandma-ma) who didn't appear due to an illness. The feature was such an abysmal failure that the new series was cancelled before it even started.
And speaking of Ted Cassidy, did you know that he released a single as Lurch simply titled, "The Lurch"? The producers thought that they would add to the show's success by putting out a record that would start a new dance craze. The problem was that the song didn't tell you how to do the dance. There was never any reference to the dance in the show and the song went unnoticed. Some more interesting tidbits about Ted Cassidy; he played two roles on The Addams Family. Of course, we all know him as Lurch, but he also played "Thing". He also was the voice-over in the opening to "The Incredible Hulk". It would prove to be one of the last things he did before his untimely death in 1979.
When The New Scooby Doo Movies came out in the seventies, The Addams Family were featured in not one, but two episodes, complete with the actual voices of John Astin, Carolyn Jones, Ted Cassidy and Jackie Coogan. The success of these appearances prompted Hanna-Barbera to put out an Addams Family cartoon a year later. However, Astin and Jones would not return. The cartoon appearances are significant in Addams culture because the family was drawn to the specifications of the original cartoons by Charles Addams, rather than how they appeared on their television series.
The Addams Family continues to pop up all over and even as you read this, there is a musical being put together for the Broadway stage.
Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth have accepted the offered rolls of Gomez and Mortica Addams in the upcoming musical of the Addams Family that's set for 2009/2010. Here's one musician who hopes that he may end up playing drums for that production. Let's all keep our fingers crossed! In the meantime, here's a batch of Addams goodness for you: The original 1965 soundtrack to the television series by Vic Mizzy; The Ted Cassidy single, "The Lurch", complete with it's flipside, "Wednesday" and the original picture sleeve; The bootleg soundtrack from the 1977 Halloween special Enjoy!

The Addams Family TV Soundtrack

Ted Cassidy-The Lurch

Halloween With The New Addams Family OST

For even more Addams Family goodness, head over to The Addams Family Archive or you can just scroll down a few posts and watch the Halloween episode from season 1!

NORMAN!

The late Anthony Perkins appeared in many films and television shows but will always be remembered best as Norman Bates. In fact, I don't think there is one person out there who can honestly say that anyone else could have come close to the performance he gave in the original Psycho. They tried to have another person play Norman but it failed. There is only one Norman Bates and that's Anthony Perkins. But did you know he also had a singing career? This is true. During the late fifties, Anthony Perkins released several albums of his singing that actually sold rather well. In fact, he had a hit single in 1957 with the song “Moon-Light Swim.” It began in 1956 after he sang “A Little Love Goes a Long, Long Way” during a Goodyear TV Playhouse production of Joey. Executives at Epic Records were impressed with Perkins’ vocal abilities and they offered him a recording contract, which led Perkins to record a self-titled album for Epic in 1957 under the name Tony Perkins. Afterward he recorded two albums for RCA called From My Heart and On a Rainy Afternoon, both released in 1958. When his role in William Wyler’s film Friendly Persuasion began receiving a lot of praise Perkins decided to pursue his acting career more seriously and he never recorded another album. All of his albums have an obvious jazz influence. His first record was produced and arranged by West Coast jazz legend Marty Paich who’s better known for his work with artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Shorty Rogers and Mel Tormé. There’s even a hint of Chet Baker’s influence in some of his recordings. Here is one of those records, the first one, "Tony Perkins." I have "On a Rainy Afternoon" but have not uploaded yet. Maybe next October! Here's Anthony Perkins singing away! Enjoy!

Tony Perkins

An interesting side note about Perkins that you may not know: He died on September 12, 1992. Nine years later, on September 11, 2001, his wife, Berry Berenson, was killed when the plane she was on hit the World Trade Center.

BONUS:
Even though he played Norman Bates, I didn't think this post was "Halloween-y" enough so I decided to post the soundtrack from the film that brought Perkins to fame. Here is the soundtrack to Psycho. Enjoy!

Psycho OST

A Political Monster

Saw this great pull-out poster from the old Dynamite Magazine floating around the web and thought it was fitting due to the fact that A) it's October and there's only 10 more days until Halloween; B) In case you haven't noticed, we are about to vote for our next president; and C) I used to own this as a kid and it hung in my room at one point.

They're Coming For You Barbara

The Night of The Living Dead is one of my all time favorite horror flicks. I refuse to watch the remake or any of the other "Living Dead" rip-off films that have followed, but the original Romero classic will always hold a place in my heart. The music adds just as much as the visuals so I thought that I would share the soundtrack album with you. Here is the complete soundtrack album originally released in 1982. Funny how they never released this back in the 60s when the film came out. Since the 82 release, there have been two other releases featuring more and more music that wasn't on the original release. This however is the 1982 album on Varese Saraband. Here it is for your frightful listening! Enjoy!

Night of The Living Dead OST

BONUS: Here's the complete film for your enjoyment:

Saturday Fright Special

After giving the whole spiel on late night horror hosts for the Count Floyd post, I started thinking about my good friend Mark "Dangerboy" Nelson who, along with several other friends of mine, have started up a late night horror show in Keene, New Hampshire entitled, "Saturday Night Fright Fest". It's been on for over a year now and it's doing quite well. If you want to watch it, you can stream it live every saturday night at this website. It's on every Saturday night at 10 and every Sunday night at midnight. For those of you who aren't available at those times, here's a recent episode for you to enjoy! It features the film, "Tormented"! For more info on the show you can head over to their website!

The Night HE Was on The Radio (re-post)

Here are a few radio commercials from the original release of John Carpenter's Halloween back in 1978. This has always been one of my favorite horror films and without a doubt my favorite slasher film. I love this and the sequel. After that, I think the plot lines get a little out of hand. Though I did enjoy Halloween Ressurection. Anyway, here are those commercials for your listening pleasure! Enjoy!

Halloween Commercial 1

Halloween Commercial 2

Halloween Commercial 3

September of Soundtracks: The Marx Brothers Get Cultured

In Seattle a few months ago, I came across an LP I had never seen before. It was obviously not a legitimate release but it did intrigue me as it stated that it was the original soundtrack to "A Night At The Opera". I purchased it and sent it home only to hear it a few weeks later when I cam home for a quick week off. To my surprise, it was indeed the soundtrack to the film. The entire soundtrack. Basically, it is the film on record and unlike the story records of the 70s and 80s that featured films on record, this is pretty much the entire film. The only thing that is missing, ironically, are the harp and piano solos by Harpo and Chico. All of the opera songs are here, just not the Marx Brothers' performances. I also had to speed it up as the album features a slower recording of the film. I don't know how that happened but I corrected it for your listening pleasure. Here is that album. Enjoy!

A Night At The Opera OST

BONUS!!!
Here's a re-post of a Marx Brothers album featuring sound clips from their films that was released in the 70s:


The brothers Marx were by far the greatest comedy team ever! Their mad cap humor extended from the stage and screen right into their real lives! I have so much Marx Brothers stuff that I thought I would post this as a "starter kit" for those who are unknown to the genius of these fine gentlemen! It is actually not one of my personal favorites but it does showcase their comedic talents from their films. It's "The Marx Brothers :Actual Voice Tracks From Their Movies." This came out in the 70s as part of a series of old time film comedians' voice tracks from old movies. There's much more from the Marx Brothers coming soon! Enjoy!

The Marx Brothers: Actual Voice Tracks From Their Movies

September of Soundtracks: Travolta Two-Fer

As I did a double feature of Black Hole albums yesterday, I thought I would continue with another double-feature post. Today we have the soundtracks from two John Travolta films. No, not the block busters like Grease and Saturday Night Fever. The other ones. The ones that weren't so good. For example, when Travolta and Olivia Newton John proved to be such a great team with Grease, Hollywood thought they would work well together in another film. Instead of high school kids from opposite sides of the track in the 1950s, they chose to make the second film about a failed inventor who, threatened by loan sharks, decides to hold up a bank. The teller he picks to rob is, you guessed it, played by Olivia Newton John! When she gives him deposit slips instead of cash, he tracks her down to reclaim his stolen money and the two, naturally, fall in love. Add to this, a sub-plot about angels trying to find the good in man in order to prevent God from destroying the Earth and starting over and you have the recipe for crap! In fact, many people have traced John Travolta's 11 year box office slump to this film. The one saving grace is the soundtrack. It features some kickin' Olivia Newton John numbers including, "Twist of Fate". It is also noted that Journey contributed a song to the soundtrack that was originally to be released on their landmark "Frontiers" album, only to be pulled from the album last minute making the soundtrack the only place to get the particular song. Thank god that I am posting this soundtrack as opposed to the film itself. Here it is:

Two Of A Kind OST


Just when you think Hollywood couldn't go wrong with Travolta again, along came "Staying Alive". For those of you who are still wondering, yes, it is the sequel to Saturday Night Fever! This time around Tony Manero is now living in Manhattan working as a dance instructor and as a waiter at a dance club, looking for his big break on Broadway. Tony lands a role in the chorus of a new production called "Satan's Alley" starring a wealthy English dancer Laura. Tony seduces her only to find that he is the one who has been used. His girlfriend gets sick of being second best and leaves him. Tony sees an opportunity to replace the lead male dancer and yatta yatta yatta, he gets the role, gets back his girl and "struts" at the end of the film to make the one good scene in the entire movie. 1983 was just not John Travolta's year! What makes this film even worse is that it was directed by none other than Sylvester Stallone. You would think that the guy who wrote and directed "Rocky" could make a better picture. Then again, he is responsible for Rambo (which I embarrassingly admit to being a fan of!). The best part of all of this is that when Stallone is involved with a film, so is his brother, Frank. Frank Stallone is all over this soundtrack, screaming out the hits like "Far From Over" and more! Of course, the Bee Gees make a return appearance. As with the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, they get half of the songs. Instead of a whole album of Bee Gees, for this soundtrack, you just get a side. All in all, the soundtrack is not that bad. A good addition to any collection. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Staying Alive OST

September of Soundtracks:A Rip In The Very Fabric Of Space And Time

Today we have a double feature! This time around it's a double feature of albums from the Disney Sci-Fi epic, "The Black Hole". First up is the original score written by John Barry. The ominous tones of Barry's score added to the excitement created by the amazing special effects team at Disney. If the score isn't enough for you, the second part of the "Double Feature" is the story album from the film. As with Star Wars, they released a condensed version of the film on a long playing record. Again, this was before you could run to Wal-Mart and buy the video or DVD to bring home. This was the best way to relive the excitement of the film at home. With an all star cast of Maximilian Schell, Anthony Perkins, Robert Forster, Joseph Bottoms, Yvette Mimieux , Ernest Borgnine, Tom McLoughlin and the voices of Roddy McDowall and Slim Pickens, this is one great story album. Here are both of these great treasures to add to our collection. Today we enter The Black Hole! Enjoy!

The Black Hole OST
The Black Hole Story Album

September of Soundtracks: LOVE BROKERS!

OK, so a lot of people have written me and asked me about the reference I made a few posts back to Henry Winkler feeling up my friend at Toronto's FanExpo. I figured since I was going to tell the story, I might as well post a soundtrack to a Henry Winkler film. The soundtrack is "Night Shift" and it is one of Winkler's better films. It was directed by Ron Howard and featured and an up and coming comedic actor named Michael Keaton, as well a feature part played by Shelly Long. The film falls in my favorites list and in my opinion, Michael Keaton has yet to top his performance in it. The soundtrack is a quirky collection of songs from the 80s including Talk Talk by Talk Talk, Girl's Know How by Al Jarreau, Night Shift by Quarterflash and a beautiful ballad sung by Rod Stewart by the name of "That's What Friends Are For". Most people remember Dione Warwick's horrendous version that was the big hit, but I have always loved this version that went by without too much fanfare. They are all here for your enjoyment! Now, let's all sit down and I'll tell you the tale of how the Fonz grabbed a boob! I was at the Expo with two friends from Avenue Q, Rob and Maggie (who happen to be engaged to each other). We were waiting on line to meet Henry Winkler. As we were doing this, Henry, unlike all of the other celebs, was walking up and down the line saying hello to everyone and thanking them for their patience. A class act! As he passed by us, he looked at Maggie and said "How did you get to be so beautiful?" just like you would expect him to say it. When we got to the front and got to meet him, we told him we were with Avenue Q to which he replied, "I love that show. I really love that show" Then he started to sing "It Sucks To Be Me" and stated that his favorite thing in the show was the person that runs the second hand for the puppets. We told him that was what Maggie did and he hugged her and said "I love that I got to meet the second hand. Let's get a picture!" So, we posed for the picture. It was Me, Henry Winkler, Maggie and Rob all in a line. We thanked him and as we were walking away Maggie whispered to us "Henry Winkler just totally felt me up." We, of course, were hesitant to believe her. "Look at the picture!" she said. Sure enough, there was the proof. We were all smiling with our arms around each other and there, cupping Maggie's left breast, was the same hand that had started the jukebox back on Happy Days! Enjoy the soundtrack!

Night Shift OST

September of Soundtracks: Kaptain Kool is Cool! (re-post)

I thought I would return to the world of television soundtracks with two re-posts from 2006.


Today I am posting an awesome super groovy album from the Kaptain Kool & The Kongs Saturday Morning Show! I've owned this album from the day it came out and absolutely love it! It's another story record that features the actual show on record. This album features comedy bits from Kaptain Kool and the Kongs along with episodes of Wonderbug, Magic Mongo and Bigfoot and Wildboy. This is great for reliving those glorious days of Saturday mornings of yesteryear! Enjoy!

Kaptain Kool And The Kongs Story Record


Here is the Kaptain Kool and The Kongs album that features actual music as oppossed to the story album I posted above. It's you typical 70s bubblegum but it's pretty darn cool! Here it is your your enjoyment!

Kaptain Kool And The Kongs Music Album

September of Soundtracks: We Eat Eggs and Spamalot!

In case you live under a rock and haven't been paying any attention to pop culture for the past few years, there is a smash Broadway musical called "Spamalot" that is based on the film, "Monty Python and The Holy Grail". I really doubt that there are many people who don't know about the movie. In fact, it is considered to be the best Monty Python film of them all. It is an amazing comedic romp and the soundtrack album is more of an addendum to the film rather than a soundtrack album. It features the songs from the film as well as selected scenes (including the great "I Fart In Your General Direction"). But what makes the album all the more interesting is the added comedy skits that were recorded just for the record. It's almost like the bonus material that comes along on a DVD that wasn't there to begin with but was added just for the DVD release. The big difference being that this "bonus material" is actually worth it. Complete your enjoyment of "Monty Phython and The Holy Grail" by listening to this album!

The Album of the Soundtrack of the Trailer of the Film of Monty Python and the Holy Grail

September of Soundtracks: It's Only A Paper Moon

Seeing as how Ryan O'Neil has been making headlines this past week, I thought I would post the soundtrack to one of his great films, "Paper Moon". This film is best remembered as the introduction of Tatum O'Neil into the world of film. Her portrayal of "Addie Loggins" won her an academy award for best supporting actress making her the youngest actor ever to receive an oscar. In fact, she actually beat out her co-star, Madeline Kahn, for the award! The film is actually based on a book called "Addie Pray" which was later changed to "Paper Moon" after the film came out. Both are excellent. What's even more excellent is the collection of depression era music used for the soundtrack! Here it is for you now. Enjoy!

Paper Moon OST

September of Soundtracks: "I Was Runner Up" OR The Monkees Meet Quincy Jones

Back when I was in high school, I was drafted into the Drama Club by my chorus teacher for a part in a play called "Cactus Flower". The part was "Igor Sullivan" who happens to be the neighbor of a girl who attempts suicide because she is in love with a dentist who is married. The plot thickens!!! Anyway, after all of this suicide stuff, the show turns out to be a comedy. The scene that I always remember the most was when Toni (the girl who tried to kill herself) has her dentist lover over and Igor comes over to borrow some soap dressed only in a towel. Now, back in high school, I weighed 120 pounds soaking wet. If I took a deep breath you could count my ribs. I was not a very filled out male. So, you have this semi-emaciated teenager walking into a scene wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. It gets better. Since it was high school and there was no budget for costumes and such, we had to supply our own. The towel I was wearing came from our family's linen closet. It was a beach towel that said "Big Daddy". Being the ham that I am, I naturally put the "Big Daddy" directly over my crotch. When I came into the room, the Dentist looked at me and said "Mr America, I presume?!" to which Igor replies, "I was runner up." At this point, I proceeded to flex my non-existent muscles and went one step further by kissing my non-existent "guns". It got the biggest laugh of the show and for the next few weeks, the lunch ladies all referred to me as "Big Daddy".

Some time after that, I happened to catch the film version of the play on television. It was Goldie Hawn's first feature film (an oscar winning role I might add) and it also starred Walter Matthau as the Dentist and Ingrid Bergman as the Dentist's wife. (actually, he dentist isn't really married. He tells Toni that to avoid commitment!) One thing that I noticed about the background music in the film was that it featured instrumental versions of songs recorded by none other than the Monkees. The songs, "I'm A Believer" and "She Hangs Out" are prominently featured throughout the film. For years I have looked for the soundtrack in hopes that those would be on it. It wasn't long ago that I found this album and sure enough, there they were, alongside some original Quincy Jones songs and the Boyce and Hart hit, "I Wonder What She's Doing Tonight". Interesting! Anyway, here is that soundtrack to that film that was based on the play that I made my acting debut in. Here is Cactus Flower. Enjoy!

Cactus Flower OST

September of Soundtracks: The Greatest Adventure

When I was a kid, I was introduced to the works of J.R. Tolkien through an animated television special called "The Hobbit". It was a Rankin/Bass production and it featured a very impressive cast consisting of Orson Bean as Bilbo Baggins, John Houston as Gandalf, Hans Conreid as Thorin, Brother Theodore as Gollum and Richard Boone as Smaug the Dragon. There is also an appearance by the great Paul Frees as one of the trolls. It premiered on November 27 and as a result, came just after I had sent in my Christmas list with my letter to Santa. One day, at my grandmother's I was telling my dad that I had forgotten to put something on my list and that I wished that I could add it so that Santa would know that I wanted it. My dad told me we could and he promptly picked up the phone and dialed a number. He told whoever was on the other end that he had an addition to a Christmas list. I was amazed and awestruck. My dad had the direct phone number to Santa's workshop! When he asked what it was, I shouted out "The record from the Hobbit". He restated this over the phone and then said thank you and hung up. A month later, under the Christmas tree was that album! It was a story album that featured the television special on record! I share that record with you now! Here is "The Hobbit". Enjoy!

The Hobbit

September of Soundtracks: Enter Detectives Starsky and Hutchinson

Don't go getting your knickers in a twist and think that I am bringing you the soundtrack to the movie version of "Starsky and Hutch". Quite frankly, I could care less about that film. No, today I bring you the soundtrack to the original television series from the 70s. I don't remember where I got this. It must have been a while ago. It was on a data disc with a whole bunch of soundtracks on it and it was simply labeled "S&H". I am not sure if the music is from one specific episode of the series or is a collection of music from the show. There is one song entitled, "A Coffin For Starsky" which was the title of an episode so if this is from one specific episode, it would probably be that one. If there is anyone who knows for sure, let me know. Regardless, it still kicks major booty. Here it is for you now. Enjoy!

Starsky and Hutch Television Soundtrack

BONUS:

My dad loved Starsky and Hutch just as much as I did and even owned two of David Soul's albums, which I am proud to have inherited. Here is David Soul (Hutch) singing his heart out on his first album, "David Soul" and the follow up, "Playing To An Audience of One"! Enjoy!

David Soul LP
Playing To An Audience of One

September of Soundtracks: Adventures in The 25th Century

A few weeks ago, when I was in Canada with Avenue Q, they had their version of Comicon called "FanExpo". It was pretty run of the mill and nowhere near what Comicon is. But it did have some cool celebrities there. In addition to meeting super hot Shawnee Smyth, my friend, Maggie getting felt up by Henry Winkler and conversing about theater with Brent Spiner, we also got to meet Edward James Olmos. We started to talk to Edward about Battlestar but he was more interested to talk about the various theaters we had been in and the woman at his side was very ecstatic to meet people from Avenue Q! As we talked to her her, I thought to myself, "She looks just like Wilma Deering, aka, Erin Gray". So I said to her, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Erin Gray?". She responded very quickly with "I am Erin Gray and I've been waiting all day for someone to say that!" Naturally I took a picture with her and as far as I was concerned, my day was made! You're probably thinking, "That's all well and good Dartman, but how does that affect the September of Soundtracks?" That one's really a no brainer! Today's soundtrack sharity is none other than the soundtrack to "Buck Rogers"! When this was released, it was hot on the heels of Battlestar Galactica and as they had done with the original two-hour pilot for Battlestar, the feature-length pilot episode for the series was released theatrically several months before the series aired. I remember there was a huge tie-in with one of the fast food places (McDonald's or Burger King - can't remember which) because they were giving out posters from the film. This soundtrack is taken from that feature-length pilot. Here it is for you, all the way from 1979! Enjoy!

Buck Rogers In The 25th Century OST

September of Soundtracks: Mel Brooks Double Feature

One of the most downloaded sharities on The World of Wonder is, without a doubt, "Mel Brooks' Greatest Hits". I posted it a little over a year ago and since then it has been downloaded over 600 times! It has held the position of number two of the top ten list for a good ten months! That album was a collection of songs from the films, "The Producers", "The Twelve Chairs", "Young Frankenstein", "Silent Movie", "Blazing Saddles" and "High Anxiety". Since then, I have been the most fortunate purchaser of two complete soundtracks of Mel Brooks' films. First up is the complete soundtrack to "Silent Movie". Since a majority of the film was music (the only one who said anything in the film was Marcel Marceau), the soundtrack is a must have! And it delivers everything you ever wanted from the film and then some! Along with that is the soundtrack to "To Be Or Not To Be". This was Mel's remake of the 1942 Jack Benny film about the Nazis and an acting troupe of Polish, Jewish and Gay actors and actresses. Mel's version is considered to be a gigantic improvement on the original and has become a classic. The soundtrack features the music, the vocal performances from the film and select sections of dialogue. Simply put, it's great! Here for you now are both of these great albums. Enjoy!

Silent Movie OST
To Be Or Not To Be OST

Bonus:
For those of you who may have missed it, here is the original post for "Mel Brooks' Greatest Hits"!


When I was in college and working at the campus radio station, they had a record that, in my opinion, was truly great. From the front cover, it looked like the original soundtrack to Mel Brooks' film, "High Anxiety". But when you turned it over, you realised that it was a collection of songs from all of his films up to High Anxiety. In fact, the spine of the album reads "Mel Brooks' Greatest Hits Featuring The Fabulous Film Scores of John Morris." Interesting packaging. Anyway, it was soon after finding that at the station that I went home for Christmas break. At the local record store, what do I find in the discount bin but a sealed copy of that same album. I present it to you now. Featuring songs from The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles (yes, "I'm Tired" is here), Young Frankenstein (the complete "Puttin' On The Ritz"), Silent Movie and High Anxiety! Enjoy!

Part 1
Part 2

September of Soundtracks: The Whole Buggin' Ever Lovin' Street

Today's post is not an actual soundtrack but rather an interpretation of a soundtrack. West Side Story, in my opinion, is the greatest musical work of the twentieth century. I've played the show twice, seen the movie at least a hundred times and listened to the original soundtrack album about five times that. Whenever someone does a "songs from West Side Story" album, I usually listen to it and deem it no where near the soundtrack. The only one that ever caught my ear was one by a punk band named Schlong. Schlong first came into being around 1988. The band performed in the Oakland County area often, mostly at warehouse parties under various names. The name Schlong did not appear until sometime later, taken from the name of a cat the band saw often. In 1996, they released their one and only record, "Punk Side Story", a drunken punk rock version of West Side Story. Schlong basically got together with a whole bunch of their friends and decided to record a drunken, spastic version of West Side Story in its entirety. The results are just hysterical, with not one stone left unturned. Schlong and company retell this modern day Romeo and Juliet story, only with more of an absurd twist. Everything from their sloppy rendition of the "Jet Song" to the male/female dual screaming of "Tonight" to "I Feel Pretty," which is led by an off key baritone and screechy vocals, can all be found here. But the highlight is "Dance at the Gym," which jumps from sloppy speed metal to danceable ska to country to a slow-dance love ballad. This deserves a listen by everyone who is a fan of West Side Story. Which is why I present it to you today. Here is "Punk Side Story". Enjoy!

Schlong-Punk Side Story

September of Soundtracks: Close Imitations of The Third Kind

After seeing Close Encounters of The Third Kind at the movies when I was a kid, I, like everyone else in the world, could not get that music out of my head. I wanted the soundtrack so badly that when we went to the department store one day, I begged and pleaded with my dad to get the soundtrack. What I didn't know was that he was getting it for himself. To make me feel better and to keep his spending a little lower, he bought me what he deemed as the "kids version" of the soundtrack. An album called "Music From Close Encounters" by the Electric Moog Orchestra. For the most part, the music is very similar if you ignore the fact that the original music was recorded on an ARP and this album features the Moog. However, it's the two selections on the album that are not from the John Williams penned score but seem to be original pieces by "The Electric Moog Orchestra" that really make this album different. In fact, if they had left these selections off, it would have been a giant bonus. For the rest of my life as owner of this album, I have referred to those two selections as "The Farting Symphonies". You'll understand why when you listen to "Music From Close Encounters" by The Electric Moog Orchestra. Enjoy!

Music From Close Encounters-The Electric Moog Orchestra

September of Soundtracks: Take A Trip On The Holiday Road

Tuesday we posted the soundtrack to Foul Play which was Chevy Chase's first feature film as a lead actor. He followed that with 1980's "Caddyshack" and then with 1981's "Modern Problems". But it was a film from 1983 that would be the biggest and most loved film of his career. Of course I am talking about "National Lampoon's Vacation". Since the original, it has spawned four sequels (if you count the lame made for TV film, Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure). I have always had a place in my heart for this film in that Clark Griswald reminds me so much of my dad. In fact, in my first year at college, we were watching it and I left to call my dad and tell him that I was proud to have Clark Griswald as my father! He got a good laugh out of it. A while ago, a friend sent me a huge file containing literally all of the music to the film. I pass that on to you now. Here is the gigantic and (I think) complete soundtrack to "National Lampoon's Vacation". Enjoy!

Vacation OST
Vacation Part 2

September of Soundtracks: A Lil' Ole Bitty Pissant Country Place

Since we're on a roll with Burt Reynolds' soundtracks, I thought why not post the soundtrack from the film version of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". For all intense purposes, the film is horrible. It just did not transcend well to the screen. At least not the way they made it back in 1982. In addition to Burt as the sheriff, there's the great Dolly Parton as Miss Mona and Dom Deluise as Melvin P. Thorpe. The soundtrack boasts the same songs as in the stage version with the addition of two new original songs by Dolly: "Sneakin' Around" and "I Will Always Love You". Dolly's original version of I Will Always Love You blows away that god awful remake by Whitney Houston. Anyway, as bad as the film is, how can you go wrong with the soundtrack? Especially with Burt Reynolds singing! You be the judge when you listen to "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas". Enjoy!

The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas OST

September of Soundtracks: Burt Reynolds Drives Across The Country

Following up with yesterday's post of "Smokey and the Bandit", I thought it only fitting that we present another Burt Reynolds car oriented film soundtrack. This time around it's the soundtrack to that lovable classic, "The Cannonball Run". This movie rules! Period. If you've never seen, go do it right now. It is so great in so many ways! First, Burt Reynolds and Dom Deluise head an all-star cast that includes Roger Moore, Sammy Davis, JR, Dean Martin, Jamie Farr, Adrienne Barbeau and Farrah Fawcett (not to mention Mel Tillis and Terry Bradshaw!) Then you have the American film premiere of Jackie Chan, followed by the great lines (You're small. S-M-all), fast cars, and the introduction of the blooper real while the credits roll. (I don't know about you, but I can watch Burt slap Dom Deluise a thousand times and still think it's funny!) The soundtrack just adds to it! Here it is! Enjoy!

The Cannonball Run OST

September of Soundtracks: American Hot Wax (Re-Post)

Now that Elvis month is over, here at the World of Wonder we are offering you an entire September of nothing but soundtracks and soundtrack related items! This is due to the response to the poll on the right hand side of the blog asking you what your favorite type of post was. It was a close call between bootlegs and soundtracks, but soundtracks won out. And this month you get what you asked for. (incidentally, keep on the look out for the latest poll). With Elvis month, we had a post for every single day in August. I can't guarantee that the same will hold true for this month but I will certainly give it my best try. For the first "September of Soundtracks" post, I thought that I would make a smooth transition from the world of Elvis to the world of soundtracks with a re-post of the 1978 "American Hot Wax" soundtrack. The film was loosely based on the introduction of Rock And Roll and starred Tim McIntire as the great DJ Alan Freed, as well as Fran Drescher, Melanie Chartoff and Jay Leno in supporting roles, with SNL alum, Laraine Newman in a role based on Carole King. The highlight of the movie was a recreation of a 1959 "Alan Freed Rock N' Roll Show" which featured performances by Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Frankie Ford, and Screamin' Jay Hawkins. During a TV interview at the time just after this film was released, Chuck Berry said he handled his own wardrobe, and it was all authentic. He still had an entire closet full of the suits he wore while touring during the time frame portrayed in the film, so what he wears in the film is what he wore on stage during the 1950s. Though it didn't fare too well at the box office, it has become a small cult favorite and has yet to be released for home video in any format. Here is the soundtrack which features not only the original hits from the fifties, but the recreation of the Rock N' Roll show as well! Enjoy!

Part 1
Part 2