Halloween-A-Thon 2011: Drac Goes Dancing

Aside from Christmas, no other holiday has inspired more strange disco novelties than Halloween. Needless to say, today's sharity is a disco album. The band behind the Halloween of disco is a rather anonymous German disco group, featuring a number of notable Munich session players under the name of Hot Blood. The record is so anonymous in fact, that the production credit is given as "Produced by Hot Blood". The major track on the record, "Soul Dracula" has every cliché one would expect from a novelty 'dracula' track: maniacal laughing drrrracu-la with exaggerated Bela Lugosi-esque accent, catchy/annoying background gimmicks that drill themselves into your head, cheesy sexual overtones, not to mention a bit of pointless appropriation in the song title. Still though, cliché's aside, this ain't that bad. Judge for yourself when you disco down to Hot Blood and "Disco Dracula". Enjoy!

Hot Blood - Disco Dracula

When Children's Heros Go Disco Part 4

After the huge success that Sesame Street saw with its disco records, the Disney company jumped on the band wagon in 1979 with their own brand of children's disco. The result: Mickey Mouse Disco. As with "Sesame Street Fever", the album included disco-fied versions of Disney classics as well as new songs with a disco beat. Though it was late to the party, the album was fueled by a television ad campaign and as a result, went double platinum! I loved this album! In fact, when I was home from school for an extended sick leave due to chicken pox, I would crank this puppy up on the living room stereo, break out all of my stuffed animals and host my own disco every day! I even had bottles of apple juice that were my "beers" that I would drink "at the disco". (I was kind of a dork) Anyway, here is that album that I still own to this day. Enjoy!

Mickey Mouse Disco

When Children's Heros Go Disco Part 3

Well, after the release of "Sesame Street Fever" and "Sesame Street Disco", we fast forward about 24 years and the world gets to see a remix album made from these records! What's that, you say? A remix album from Sesame Street? Yes, it's true. It happened like this: back when the album was a hit, the record's executive producer, Arthur Shimkin commissioned Larry Levan to do remixes of "C is for Cookie", but they remained unreleased until 2003, when a strange twist of fate occurred. Ninja Tune records was looking to license the track ‘Pinball Number Count’ for the first ‘Now, Listen’ mix CD (these were mix CDs that were released in the 90s). The Pinball song had never been released commercially and was the holy grail for Sesame Street fans and DJs alike. However, the song was not allowed to appear on the album due to worries within the Henson corporation about content on some of the rap tracks on the CD. They thought that it was an unsuitable setting for their material. Instead, Ninja Tune took it upon themselves to make a separate mix containing all Sesame Street songs. It was during a scouring of the Sesame Street archives at their NY offices that they found the unreleased mixes of "C is for Cookie" done all those years ago. As a result, a 12" single was put together with the Pinball song and several different remixes of the Cookie song as well. Here is that find for you now! Here is "Sold Steel presents Sesame Street". Enjoy!

Solid Steel presents Sesame Street

When Children's Heros Go Disco Part 2

Following up on last week's post we have another disco record featuring children's television stars. This time around, it's the sequel to "Sesame Street Fever" entitled, simply, "Sesame Street Disco". Since "Sesame Street Fever" was such a hit, the powers that be decided to release this follow up album the next year. Sesame Disco! is a 1979 Sesame Street album, a follow-up to the previous year's Sesame Street Fever. The big difference here is that most of the songs on the album were written especially for this release, whereas the first disco album was more classic Sesame Street songs put to a disco beat. As with the first album. "Sesame Street Disco" was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children, but it lost to the soundtrack album of The Muppet Movie. Here is that second disco album brought to you by the letters D-A-R-T-M-A-N. Enjoy!

Sesame Street Disco

When Children's Heros Go Disco Part 1

My son is heavily into Sesame Street. As is the norm, his favorite is Elmo but he does have a fondness for Bert and Ernie, Big Bird and Grover. It pleases me immensely that all of these Sesame Street records that I have collected over the years can actually have a purpose. I play them for him regularly and he even has his own little i-pod with a giant collection of the albums on it. Yesterday we took a listen to a rare gem, "Sesame Street Fever". It was, disco-y but it was still cool since it was the Muppets. I mean, when Henson was alive, the Muppets could do no wrong. (Since his death, they have gone wrong numerous times but that's another post). Anyway, it made me think that there was a rash of disco-related cash ins when the dance fever craze became a sensation. Over the next few days we'll take a look at how that sensation affected the children's market. Today, obviously, we are focusing on Sesame Street Fever. This album came out in 1978 and features disco interpretations of familiar Sesame Street hits. The album's title and cover is an obvious and quite frankly, a hilarious send up of the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack. And speaking of Saturday Night Fever, the Bee Gees' own Robin Gibb appears as a guest vocalist and can also be heard in conversation with Cookie Monster during the introduction to "C is for Cookie". Believe it or not but this album reached #75 on Billboard's album chart and was certified Gold by the RIAA. This album was even nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children, but lost to another Henson production; the first cast album from The Muppet Show. As with all disco stuff, once the novelty wears off, you are pretty much done with it. Thankfully, this album is so short that the novelty wears off about the same time the record ends. Here for you now is Sesame Street Fever. Enjoy!

Sesame Street Fever

MECO Strikes Back (re-post)

One of the most popular downloads here at the World of Wonder is MECO's Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk. Since then, I have posted MECO's version of the Wizard of OZ and that holds a place in the top twenty most popular sharities as well. Well, as we all know, after "Star Wars" came "The Empire Strikes Back" and MECO was there to put his take on the sequel. Although not as popular as the first Star Wars record he made, it is still pretty good. A little bit shorter but just as disco-y, here is MECO's The Empire Strikes Back. Enjoy!

MECO-The Empire Strikes Back

The Best of The World Of Wonder: Follow The Yellow Brick Road

Meinhardt Raabe, the little person who played the coroner of Munchkinland passed away Friday morning at the youthful age of 94. In his honor, I thought I would repost the original release of the soundtrack to The Wizard of Oz.


I was thinking that of with all of the Wizard of Oz CD releases out there, they have still never released the soundtrack the way it was originally put out. It's great that there are boxed sets of all of the music and it's great that there are single discs that also showcase more of the music than most people remember but what's missing is the dialogue in between the songs. The original release had that. I loved it. When I received my copy one Christmas, I was ecstatic and was even more thrilled to listen to it over and over again. Remember, this was when they only showed the film once a year on TV and it was long before anyone thought they would ever own it to play whenever they felt like it. This was the only way to enjoy the film at your leisure. Anyway, I have been meaning to post the original version of the soundtrack ever since I started the World of Wonder but have never had a chance to do so. Until today! Here is what I like to call my "Super Mega Wizard of Oz Soundtrack Post!" I present for you the original LP release of the soundtrack as well as a re-post of the Lux Radio Theatre production of "The Wizard of Oz" from Christmas Day, 1950. By then, Judy was 28 and was the only original cast member of the MGM film to be in this Lux program. Rounding out the cast were: Herb Vigran (Tin Man), Hans Conreid (Scarecrow), Ed Max (Lion), Herb Butterfield (Wizard), Betty Lou Gerson (Good Witch), Noreen Gammill (Wicked Witch) William Johnson (Uncle Henry), Ruth Perrott (Auntie Em), Gil Stratton (Mayor) and David Light was the voice of Toto. Now, just when you are saying, Dartman, thanks for this great post, there's more! I am also re-posting the 70s disco version of the Wizard of Oz by Meco! (I told you it was a super post!!!) So, here is the original soundtrack as it was originally released, the Lux Radio version from 1950 and the disco version by MECO! But wait!!!!! If you act now, you also get a repost of "Snagglepuss and The Wizard of Oz" children's record! All right here at Dartman's World of Wonder! Enjoy!

The Wizard of Oz OST

Lux Radio Theater presents The Wizard of Oz

MECO-The Wizard of Oz

Snagglepuss and The Wizard of Oz

The Best of The World of Wonder: Cuchi-Cuchi!!!!

In 1977, Charo was it! She was everywhere. You could usually catch her on the Tonight Show and The Love Boat. She's considered a national treasure in her homeland but here in the States, she is considered a Queen of kitsch. When she released an album with The Salsoul Orchestra she earned herself a hit! Both with the single, "Dance A Little Bit Closer" and with the album cover. Add a little double entendre ("You're Just The Right Size), a sultry (?) cover of the Stones' "Let's Spend The Night Together" and a little non-PC Hispanic humor ("Speedy Gonzalez) and you have "Cuchi-Cuchi". Incidentally, Charo can play the hell out of a guitar. Her flamenco playing is unreal! I had the privilige of seeing her live a couple of years ago and she blew my mind. And for someone her age, she's still hot! CUCHI-CUCHI!!!!!!

Cuchi-Cuchi

Disco Down The Yellow Brick Road

Last May I posted what was to become the most downloaded album on this blog. I am speaking of MECO's "Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk". At last count, it had been downloaded 506 times and I'm sure that number has gone up even as I type this. After such a huge reception to that album, I feel only right in bringing you the follow up record from Meco. After the success of "Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk", Meco was being pressured by his record label into doing yet another disco album based on a film score. Unfortunately there weren’t any current or new movies that satisfied him. He woke up one morning singing “We’re off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz” and simply thought it was cute. He had seen it at least twenty times over the years and it was somehow buried in his sub-conscience. Unlike "Star Wars" where he only had about fifteen minutes worth of material, he soon realized that he had around eight good songs to begin with. Meco went back to his label and told them about doing “The Wizard of Oz” to which they laughed and commented, “the old Wizard of Oz at this point in time?” Before long Meco had them humming the old songs and they soon gave him the go-ahead to begin work. Around the same time, Meco’s old friend, Harold Wheeler had arranged a Broadway musical called “The Wiz.” The two got together and brainstormed for hours. They came up with about twenty-seven minutes of music, but because it was on two-sided vinyl it had to be cut in half at around the fifteen-minute mark. Now the second side was shorter so they decided to take the themes again and take out the Disco beat and leave just the orchestration. A John Williams style symphony so to speak for the last four minutes of side two helping to bring about a graceful ending. This was my first introduction to Meco. My father brought this album home and played it at dinner one night. I fell in love with it. It was and still is pretty darn cool in my book. Here it is for you now. Enjoy!

MECO-The Wizard of Oz

Gettin' Down At The Death Star (re-post)

Meco Monardo was born in 1939 in Johnsonburg, Pennsylvania.Meco worked from 1965 to 1974 as a studio player, and also landed a number of arranging gigs, most notably on Tommy James' "Crystal Blue Persuasion." His breakthrough arrived in 1974 when he co-produced the Gloria Gaynor smash "Never Can Say Goodbye," followed by the Carol Douglas masterpiece "Doctor's Orders." Having aligned himself with Broadway arranger Harold Wheeler and producer Tony Bongiovi, Meco was now on his way to producing several early disco hits.
On May 25, 1977, Meco joined the people at a New York City theatre who were lined up to see the opening day screening of a new film starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford. Like millions of other fans seeing George Lucas' "Star Wars" for the first time, Meco thought the film was a tour de force. He loved the music-although he didn't think the main title theme, as performed by John Williams and The London Symphony Orchestra, was commercial enough to be a Top 40 single.
Before long, he had conceived of a 15-minute disco treatment of several themes in the movie, including the music played by the Cantina Band in the bar on Tatooine. He also planned to include R2-D2 sound effects. He called Jimmy Ienner at Millennium Records and Neil Bogart at Casablanca Records and explained his idea. Based on the tremendous success of "Star Wars," Bogart and Ienner agreed to Meco's idea without hearing any of the music.
Meco hired (unheard of for a pop production) 75 musicians to play on the track, and played trombone and keyboard himself.The complete composition was released as part of an album, "Star Wars And Other Galactic Funk," and on a 12" single. The original main title theme by The London Symphony Orchestra was released by 20th Century Records and entered the Hot 100 on July 9, 1977, less than two months after the film opened. Monardo was wrong about it's commerciality; it raced up to number 10 on the charts. But Meco's version, "Star Wars Theme/Cantina Band," which debuted on the chart on August 6, 1977, raced past it to go to number one the week of October 1, 1977 where it stayed for two weeks.
Here for you now is "Star Wars & Other Galactic Funk"! Enjoy!

MECO-Star Wars and Other Galactic Funk