Archive for January, 2012

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Band’its At Ten O’Clock – Bands Featured At The 101 Club

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

 

Band’its At Ten O’clock is another 101 release that came out the same year as Live Letters. Unlike that album, this record is a collection of studio cuts and not live records. But it’s equally, if not more so, impressive and well worth the listen today.

The Scene
All People Go Mad
You like mod music? These guys sure did. This album came out in 1980, but this song sounds like it was ripped straight out of the late-60s. Great stuff, very soulful and fun. I don’t know how these guys didn’t manage to get a deal with Stiff Records. As it was, they never put out a proper album, just a couple 7″ singles and one 12″ before vanishing forever. A shame.

The Hit Men
She’s All Mine
If  you told me that this was really an Elvis Costello b-side I would believe you. The singer even kind of sounds like him. Who were these guys? With a name as vague as “The Hit Men,” its kind of hard to track them down online.  From what I can tell they did seem to put out two albums. Anyone know if they’re any good? This song is great.

The V.I.P.’s
Causing Complications
This song is catchy as hell! Amazing harmonies and a great beat. Once again, I couldn’t find much about this group, but they did put out enough singles and have enough of a following to have gotten a compilation release in the late 90s. If their other songs were as great as this one then I’m definitely going to have to pick it up.

The Piranhas
Yap Yap Yap
First wave ska! I love early ska. It all should have stopped with Madness. Fucking Bosstones…anyways, these guys only put out one record, which has never seen the light of day on CD. Bummer too. This is another great track. Damn, can this album do any wrong?

Real To Real
White Man Reggae
Yes, yes it can. British white boys should not attempt reggae, even if one of them is Alan Wilder. That’s right, Alan Wilder from Depeche Mode was in a white reggae group.  I bet if you walked up to him with a Real To Real 7″ single (they released a few) he’d break it in two and offer you $20 never to tell anyone about it ever again. Yikes.

Holly And the Italians
Chapel Of Love
And we’re back on track with this number, a great cover of The Ronnettes classic. Holly And The Italians were an American group based in the UK (I’ll give you a second to wrap your head around that) and they released just one album, 1981’s The Right To Be Italian. It was re-released on CD and digitally in 2008, and judging by the cavalcade of positive reviews it has on Amazon, it apparently has a small but very devoted following.

Electric Eels
Thoroughly Modern
Slightly glam-influenced synthpop. I have no idea who these guys are. Anyone got an idea? They released a couple of 7″ singles before apparently selling their keyboards and vanishing into the night.

Jane Kennaway & Strange Behaviour
Catch Cool
Another unknown who released a few singles before vanishing. Catching a pattern here? Jane’s voice reminds me a little bit of Toyah Wilcox, but her sound is far more aggressive and downbeat.

Thompson Twins
Squares And Triangles
This sounds nothing like the Thompson Twins who brought us the 80s hits “Hold Me Now” and “Lies” and that’s probably because it literally is not that band. Because while most people know of the Thompson Twins as a trio featuring Tom Bailey, Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, there were about a billion people in that group before it finally settled on that line-up. I have no idea which line-up is featured here, but I wish they would have recorded more music, I dig this stuff a hell of a lot more than their poppy stuff.

Wang Chung
Baby I’m Hu-Man
The Wang Chung tracks on Live Letters had one foot in New Wave, but they were also clearly embracing their pop tendanices as well. On “Baby I’m Hu-Man,” Wang Chung (still going by Huang Chung) are still way into a new wave sound reminscint of Joy Division and early Cure, at least until the sax solo kicks in at the end.

If these early Wang Chung recordings have taught me anything is that you can’t simultaneously be “edgy” and have a sax player in your band.

Comsat Angels
Independence Day
More sparse, minimal pop from the Joy Division school, and according to some they were even better. They have a surprisingly in-depth Wikipedia entry, and out-of-print CD re-issues of their albums go for a mint on Amazon. I’m going to try and track down some of their stuff on vinyl, because this song is great, probably my favorite track on this record.

Wasted Youth
Jealousy
No, not the LA hardcore punk rock band (that would be weird). This Wasted Youth was from east London and kind of sound like a mix between good Lou Reed and the Young Marble Giants. This is a sad song, but I’ll be damned it if doesn’t sound adorable as all get out. I want to hug it.

Posted in Complete Albums, Comsat Angels, Electric Eels, Holly And The Italians, Jane Kennaway, Real To Real, The Hit Men, The Piranhas, The Scene, The V.I.P.'s, Thompson Twins, Wang Chung, Wasted Youth | 10 Comments »

A 101 on 101 Club

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

I first posted this album eons ago, and it sounded like complete dogshit. In my ongoing effort to redeem myself for my ceramic needle USB-turntable early days, here it is again, re-recorded with decent equipment.

Live Letters – Bands Featured Live at the 101 Club


This is a very interesting record, and I wish I knew more about the people who made it. Apparently the 101 Club was a venue in  South London in the early 80s, but I don’t know for how long, who owned it, or if it was important to any scene or style of music. It’s long gone, and since the Sex Pistols probably never played there, no one seems to care about it today. In addition to being a club, 101 was also a label, putting out recordings of shows performed at the venue.

Of the 101 records I have, Live Letters is the best. It has the perfect combination of bands you probably know with bands you probably don’t, and it also does a great job of showcasing the crossroads of new wave music at the time. In one corner, you have bands like Endgames, who were sticking firmly to the Kraftwerk/David Bowie/Gary Numan ideal of the late 70s. And then in the other you have acts like Wang Chung and The Fixx, who were actively embracing pop music and the conventions of mainstream rock. Then there are bands like Fay Ray, who seem to be trying to do both.

It also has a hysterical back cover full of bizarre little news articles. Click on the pics to read them, and enjoy the tunes.

Wang Chung
You’ve Taken Everything
I Don’t Believe A Word
Journey Without Maps
By far the biggest band in Live Letters is Wang Chung, which were still going by Huang Chung here. In a humorous bit before the first song, one of the members actually tells the audience how to pronounce the band’s name. Here’ s a protip for all you kids out there in bands with wacky names: if you need to tell your fans how to pronounce it, then you should change the name.

None of these songs were ever released on any studio albums by the group, which is a real shame. “You’ve Taken Everything” has a great hook and bridge and “I Don’t Believe A Word’ is late-70s new wave at its best, high intensity and just about two steps away from punk when it gets to the fast-paced chorus (maybe five steps away when you consider the saxaphone). Speaking of the sax, “Journey Without Maps” might have one of the best opening sax melodies of the 80s outside of “Careless Whisper.”

As much as I love me some “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight,” it would have been interesting to have seen more music like this from the group.

Intermission – 101 Records Commercial
A silly faux-commerical for 101 Records

Endgames
Works
Visions Of
Stare 
Endgames never made it. They were an also-ran band in the over-crowded new wave scene of the greater UK/Scotland/Ireland/Wales areas, released two albums, and quickly vanished. However, if their Wikipedia page is accurate (and we all know Wikipedia is always right), they were sampled by Heavy D. Which means they win at life, at least a little bit.

Of all the bands on Live Letters, Endgames is the most stereotypically synthpop. No saxaphones to be found here, just cold, cold keyboards and dark, brooding vocals. These dudes liked David Bowie a lot.

The Fixx
Acrobat
Soho Alley
Eye For Design
Credited as “The Fix” here, this live recording shows a band in transition. “Acrobat” is a semi-experimental tune with some obvious Joy Division influence, while “Eye For Design” is a poppy, fun, upbeat pop tune that could have easily been the B-side to The Fixx’s megahit “One Thing Leads To Another,” and “Soho Alley” is a little bit of both. All are good tunes, but none are “Red Skies” quality.

Intermission – 101 Records Commercial No. 2
Another goofy promo extolling the awesomeness of 101.

Fay Ray
Do What You Want To Do
Dreams of Heart
Modern Lovers
No, not the actress who was in King Kong (that’s Fay Wray). And no, not the Japanese singer Fayray. This is Fay Ray, a new wave band that completely fell off the face of the Earth. I know next to nothing about them, but they did release one album, and if it’s anything like these tracks then I’m totally going to have to track down a copy.  Lead singer Sheila Macartney’s voice is very unique, with an odd wavering aspect that really gives her a feeling of vulnerability and emotion you rarely heard in new wave music at the time. Both “Do What You Want To Do” and “Modern Lovers” have an upbeat feeling that almost give them a 60s British Invasion vibe, while “Dreams of Heat” is a haunting ballad that best shows off Macartney’s stunning vocals. A great way to close the album.

Posted in Complete Albums, Endgames, Fay Ray, live, The Fixx, Wang Chung | 18 Comments »

Silly Little Discs

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

A pair of oddities tonight. If you find this stuff boring, don’t worry, I’ll have some actual music sometime later this week.

Data Age
Mindscape

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This track was taken from a flexi-disc, produced by the video game company Data Age, as a means to promote their Atari 2600 line-up. What you’re looking at up there are the front and back images from the disc. While the disc itself is transparent, it’s glued to a piece of cardboard that has that amazing/horrible artwork on one side, and the advertisement for Data Age games on the back. Click on the image for a HUGE version of it, and bask in its silliness.

This is a promotional record that is advertising something, but it’s not really a commercial, since at no point does it  actually mention anything concrete about the games. It’s more like a bizarre audio collage of themes and scenarios from the games.

From all accounts I could find, Data Age’s games were total garbage, but they sure did know how to craft a creepy and effective audio promotion. This shit is weird. If I was a little kid in the 80s (and hey, I totally was) this would simultaneously make me want to play Data Age games and scare the everloving shit out of me. Seriously, this is a freaky recording. The Resident Evil guys should track down the audio designer behind this thing and give whoever that is a job.

I would love to talk to someone who was involved with this release. If you did, or you know anyone who did, let me know. I find stuff like this utterly fascinating.

Talizman – Ultraman 80 Picture Disc
Ultraman 80 Theme Song
Let’s Go UGM!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The response to my crazy Japanese anime soundtrack post was so strong that I figured I’d feature the tracks on this cool little disc as well.

Ultraman is an on-again/off-again live-action (but sometimes animated) Japanese TV series about giant aliens fighting on Earth. It’s like Godzilla meets The Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. It’s great Japanese cheese, and a lot of fun if you like that kind of thing. There have been about 80 billion Ultraman TV shows over the years, and these songs were from Ultraman 80, the Ultraman show that aired, you guessed it, in 1980.

Since these tracks are from a picture disc, they kind of sound like shit. But that disc sure does look cool doesn’t it?

Posted in soundtrack, video game music | 2 Comments »

80s Dance Remixes Brought to you by The Letter “W”

Friday, January 20th, 2012

I would have included some Was (Not Was) stuff but I have to re-record those and I’m really tired.

Wang Chung
Let’s Go! (Shep’s Mix)
Let’s Go! (Dub Mix)

Before I go any further, I think we need to discuss this video for this song.

Go ahead and watch it. I’ll wait.

That was something huh? A while ago I said that Pretty Poison’s “Catch Me I’m Falling” was the most 80s shit ever. But I think we have a new champion. Lets’ count the 80isms:

  • Truly horrible blue-screen effects
  • Needless stop-motion animation
  • Random people doing random things (Russian dancers! Sumo Wrestlers!)
  • A disembodied head
  • A woman whose face is 40% make-up
  • Knee-length sports jackets
  • A British dude wearing a bolo tie

I’m calling it. This video is the most 80s shit ever. But that’s not even the most random thing about this track! Check out the cover to the 12″ single from where these remixes were culled.

What the hell is going on there? Is he grabbing the other guy’s scarf like they’re about to make out (not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course)? And what’s up with those color photos? It’s looks like they’re telling each other dirty jokes while they’re waiting for the bus.

The only logical conclusion I can come to in regards to this cover is that art designer for this sleeve was given stills from the video and he said “Um…no thanks, I got these b-roll pictures that the photographer was using to set up the focus. No, the guys didn’t know they were being photographed, but I think it’ll work just fine.”

Oh yeah, the song! It’s good Wang Chung. I’d rate it above “Dance Hall Days” but below “Everybody Have Fun Tonight.” It’d definitely one of those silly upbeat 80s songs that should have been in a montage sequence to a B-grade Brat Pack film. It’s a lot of fun.

The Waitresses
Bread And Butter (Remix)
Bread And Butter (Dub Mix)
Ohio New Wave representing motherfucker!

I am not one to debate the pop perfection of The Waitresses’ sole hit, “I Know What Boys Like,” it’s an amazing tune, and really a one-of-a-kind hit when you think about it. That being said, I think this great track is even better. Patty Donahue’s droll voice was great when she was singing about boys, but it was even better in songs like this, which have some not-so-subtle social commentary on life in the 80s. I don’t think there was ever a singer as blatantly sarcastic as Patty, and I doubt that will ever will again in the overly auto-tuned pop landscape that we are subjected to today. Pity.

Posted in remixes, Wang Chung | 8 Comments »

The Andromeda Strain Soundtrack – All Records Should be Polygons

Thursday, January 19th, 2012

I posted this soundtrack eons ago. Back when no one read my blog. Now that next to no one reads my blog, I thought I’d give it another go.

The Andromeda Strain Original Electronic Soundtrack
The Andromeda Strain is a movie that came out in 1971, based on the Michael Critchon book of the same name. It was directed by Robert Wise, who also directed such classics as West Side Story and The Day The Earth Stood Still.

It’s a good adaptation of the book, albeit a little slow. What’s most interesting about the film (at least in my opinion) is its groundbreaking soundtrack. The score to The Andromeda Strain is the one of the very first all-electronic scores for a major motion picture. The only one I can think of that predates it is the score to Forbidden Planet, which came out in 1956.

Gil Mellé composed the score, using entirely instruments of his own creation. He created many of the bizarre sounds heard on the album by recording and then distorting all kinds of found sound, including buzz saws, trains and bowling alleys. So if you think about it, that probably makes The Andromeda Strain soundtrack one of the first examples of sampling as well.

It’s a very important historical document, and a technical marvel for its time, even if it hasn’t aged particularly well. Its extremely experimental, often sounding more like random noise than anything that might resemble electronic music music. So if you’re expecting to hear something like a John Carpenter score then you may be disappointed. It’s more abstract and atonal than that, very soundscape-like. Imagine what Vangelis’ studio must sound like before he tunes all his synths. It’s like that.

But what’s even more interesting than the score is the record that it came in.

That’s right, it’s a hexagon! It’s so odd that it came with a warning.

Well duh.

Even its packaging is out of this world. The record is enclosed in a die-cut hexagon that folds out, revealing linear notes about the soundtrack, as well as pictures taken from the film.

The back cover is pretty crazy too.

It’s safe to assume that this one-of-a-kind packaging and pressing cost a good amount of money to produce back in the day. I’ve read online that the studio only made 10,000 of these in this format, which is probably why they go for a good amount of money now. As you can tell from my pictures, my copy is more than a little beat up. If it was is better shape I would probably be able to get  at least $100 for it, if not more. As it is now, I bought it for about $30.

They also released a regular, non-hexagonal version, which I also have.

Not nearly as cool.

Anyways, if you fancy yourself a fan of electronic music then you should definitely give this one a listen. Like I said before, it’s not the most melodic thing in the world, but it’s definitely worth a listen.

Posted in Complete Albums, Gil Mellé, soundtrack | 8 Comments »

Happy Anime Soundtrack Funtime

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

This album is so weird and obscure that I don’t even know what’s on it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Remember…? TV Animation Hero
This is a Japanese LP from 1983 featuring 16 classic cartoon theme songs from shows like Astro Boy and Tetsujin-28 (AKA Gigantor). It’s a pretty awesome record, and not just for the music, it also came with a bunch of sweet swag.

There are these great stickers, which I bet ended up on many a Japanese child’s lunchbox in the early 80s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there’s this neat book. The cover looks like it should be in 3D, but it’s not. If you use red/blue 3D glasses on it you see a different image for each color. It’s a pretty cute little trick.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inside is mostly text, I assume its about the cartoons in question.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whomever had this record first kept it in amazing shape. I also have an order form that came with it

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As well as the OBI strip. These are paper strips that are usually on the covers of LPs in Japan, they have the price and other information on them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So do you want to know what’s on the actual record itself?

Well guess what, so do I! There is next to no English text to be found on this record, the sleeve, the linear notes or anywhere else. I was only able to get the title of the record after I showed it to a Japanese friend, but they didn’t have time to go over the rest of the LP for me.

Here are the tracks I do know, thanks to some sleuthing on YouTube.

Track 1: Tetsujin-28
Track 9: Astro Boy
Track 13: 8Man

As for the remaining 13, I got nothing. And that’s where you come in.

You fancy yourself a Japanophile? Or are you from Japan? If so, and you can translate the album’s tracklisting, let me know in the comments! If I get the actual tracklisting I’ll be sure to update the zip file with the correct information.

Let’s crowdsource this people!

UPDATE
And thanks to one awesome commentor we have mission accomplished! Thank you for your help!

Posted in Anime, Complete Albums, Japanese | 5 Comments »

Transgendered Cabin Boys, Religious Symbolism and Gay Dance Duos – Just Another Day in 80s Pop Music

Tuesday, January 17th, 2012

Seriously, the musical landscape of the 90s didn’t have shit on the randomness of the 80s.

Kate Bush
Alternative Hounds Of Love
The Handsome Cabin Boy
I’m going to level with you,I don’t know what’s so “alternative” about this mix of “Hounds Of Love’ aside from the fact that it’s about 50 seconds longer than the original album version. It has the “do-we-do-do do-we-da-da” and those awesome drums still, so it still kicks ass.

The real star here is the B-side, “The Handsome Cabin Boy.” I had never heard of this tune before, but after some quick online research, I’m now absolutely fascinated by it. This is a traditional folk song…about a woman who tries to pass as a man on a ship, only to have an affair with the captain and his wife (and possibly some of the crew as well) before she ends up pregnant. Bisexuality, transgender issues and the prevalence of homosexuality on the seas! That’s a mighty progressive traditional folk song! Anyone out there now how old this tune is?

Bush’s treatment of the song is absolutely haunting, its nothing more than her voice and some very subtle synthesizers-as-chorus melodies. Its haunting, and it leaves the message and meaning of the song bare for your to take in. It was completely the right way to go. Any attempt at “mainstreaming” this song as a single would probably just make it come off as a joke in poor taste. Best to let the lyrics and the message speak for themselves.

Book Of Love 
Counting The Rosaries (Full Confession Mix)
Counting The Rosaries (Full Confession Dub)
Counting The Rosaries (Happiness & Love Mix)
Counting The Rosaries (Crying Angels Mix)
Sunny Day (Heal Your Positive Body Mix)
I rarely wish I was a religious person. Okay, scratch that, I almost never wish I was a religious person. The only times I do is when it could help my understand of pop culture with religious overtones. For example, I hear songs like this and am left with absolutely no clue as to what it is about due to my blissful ignorance. Anyone care to fill me in? Regardless of what this song is actually about, these remixes are pretty great. Best dance tune about…something religious(???) that I’ve heard all week.

Pet Shop Boys
Always On My Mind (12″ Verision Phil Harding Mix)
I somehow had this 12″ single in my “to record” bin for two years and never got around to it. Stupid me. Now that I have it recorded and filed, however, it brings my Pet Shop Boys singles collection to an even 40. I think that gives me an official ranking of “fabulous.”

Posted in B-sides, Book Of Love, Kate Bush, Pet Shop Boys, remixes | 7 Comments »

The Best Stuff

Wednesday, January 11th, 2012

I was planning on posting one more Star Wars LP, an audio story called Rebel Mission To Ord Mantell. However, it turns out you can get that right here. Why don’t you just do that instead if you’re interested in Star Wars? I’m more interested in posting some bloody music tonight.

Winter. It sucks doesn’t it? If you live in the Midwest (which is reason enough to be depressed), tonight you’re probably bracing for your first big winter storm. That’s never fun.

And I don’t know about you, but I’ve been reading a lot of super-depressive news stories as of late. Probably has something to do with the fact that the Republicans are in the news. They usually take away the fun for everyone.

But fuck that weak shit! Let’s get back into happy fun times! If you download all the music in tonight’s post and don’t smile at least once, call a crisis center, you probably need serious medical help. Or maybe drink some whiskey. That usually helps me.

The B-52s
Good Stuff (12″ Remix)
Good Stuff (Remix Edit)
I listen to a lot of remixes. Seriously. A lot.  As of right now, I have exactly 53,361 songs in my iTunes library. Of them, 2,357 are remixes. That means that nearly one out of every 20 songs in my library is a remix of some sort.

Now, with that in mind, the 12″ remix of Good Stuff might be my favorite remix of all time. And if it’s not the best, it’s certainly the most fun.

It’s amazing what a few layers of synthesizers and a pumped up beat can do. While the original version of “Good Stuff” is beyond great, I think it’s held back as a dance song because it’s still trying to be a bit of a rock song. This version says fuck that, and rips out nearly all the guitars and replaces them with synthesizers, horns and synthesizers that sound like horns. Then it takes the beat and bass and makes them about twice as loud. It may not seem like much, but the end result is a brilliant explosion of feel good vibes and happy times for all. It’s so upbeat and full of energy that scientists should take samples of it and study it for use as a possible fuel source.

You need this song in your life. Today.

Oh, and the edited version is good too, if you need a concentrated blast of awesome instead of an extended mix version.

Cyndi Lauper
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Extended Version)
Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (Instrumental Version)
I’m shocked that this extended version isn’t in print somewhere. Doesn’t everyone in the world love this song? Who wouldn’t want more of it? I’ll tell you who! Republicans! They don’t want anyone to have fun, especially women. Let’s dance party them to death. I’ll bring this song. You bring the Red Bull. It’ll be a long dance party, I think we’ll need the energy drinks until those scientists figure out a way to turn “Good Stuff” into a snortable drug that’ll make cocaine seem like rock candy.

Haysi Fantayzee
John Wayne Is Big Leggy (Groovy Long Version) 
I never heard of Haysi Fantayzee or this song until I bought this 12″ single. I don’t even know what motivated me to make the purchase, probably the song title, because what the fuck does that even mean?

I don’t purport this song to be…well…good, but I bet you’ve never heard anything remotely like it. And its certainly energetic and fun, and sometimes those are more important qualities for a song to have than being well-constructed or full of artistic merit. I’ll certainly listen to this song more than I will the latest Bon Iver album, that’s for sure.

As for what the song is actually about? Well, on YouTube, there’s a video of Haysi Fantaysee performing poorly lip-syncing on Top of The Pops. At one point a trivia track scrolls across the bottom of the screen and simply says “Don’t Ask. It’s bound to upset the John Wayne Estate.”

I’m going to defer to that. It’s probably best if we don’t know.

Posted in B-52s, Cyndi Lauper, Haysi Fantayzee, remixes | 15 Comments »

The Story of Star Wars/Return Of The Jedi – Star Wars Vinyl Part 2

Tuesday, January 10th, 2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Story Of Star Wars Side 1
The Story of Star Wars Side 2

The Story of Return of the Jedi Side 1
The Story of Return of the Jedi Side 2

Ah, abridged movies on LPs, it’s amazing how far we would go to relive our favorite movies before the age of VHS isn’t it?

Both of these albums are pretty impressive in that they manage to condense an entire theatrical film into a 50 minute LP, thanks in large part to some amazing narration, which is what I’m going to talk about tonight, because I really have nothing of note to say about the Star Wars movies (hey, I like them a lot).

The Story of Star Wars was narrated by the late Roscoe Lee Brown. You may not recognize his name, but you’ll surely recognize his voice from the first second you hear it. Throughout his career, Brown was the voice of the Kingpin in the 1990s Spider-Man cartoon; and also did voiceover work for the Babe films, Oliver & Company and the Yu-Gi-Oh! series, just to name a few. In addition to his voiceover work, he was an accomplished actor, appearing in countless film and television shows, including Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Mrs. Doubtfire, Topaz, and The Cosby Show. The dude’s voice carried gravitas like nobody’s business, but it was also soothing and relaxing when the need arose. It’s no wonder that he did so many kids’ shows. I wonder if he narrated any children’s books, he would be the best bedtime storyteller EVER.

Chuck Riley did the narration for The Story of Return of the Jedi, and he’s another voice you’ll recognize in a heartbeat even if you can’t place his name. Riley’s voice is probably even more recognizable than Brown’s, as he served as the narrator for countless trailers, commercials, and radio programs during his life. The dude had the kind of baritone that you think would only be possible if someone injected themselves with 500 doses of testosterone while smoking whiskey coated cigarettes. If he was still alive today I’d pay him to record my outgoing voicemail message. I’d miss calls on purpose so people would be able to hear that shit.

Enjoy the albums! I’ll have more voyage to a galaxy far, far away later this week.

And hey, if you happen to have the audio for The Story of Empire Strikes Back, let me know.

 

Posted in Complete Albums, Star Wars | 11 Comments »

Ewoks Motherfucker: Star Wars Vinyl Day 1

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

I was going through my massive stacks of vinyl, pulling out anything that I either hadn’t recorded before or wanted to re-record. Turns out I have a lot of Star Wars vinyl. It also turns out that almost all of it (maybe all of it, I still have to do some research on one) has never been issued on CD or digitally. If that’s not an excuse for a series of themed posts, I don’t know what is.

So lets get Star Wars Week (I know it’s starting on a Friday, shut up) off with a bang.

A cute, adorable, furry little bang.

Ewoks Original Soundtracks – Caravan of Courage/The Battle For Endor
If you ever needed proof that Lucas created the Ewoks solely as a way to make money, then look no further than the two Ewoks television movies. Originally broadcast in 1984 and 1986, Caravan of Courage and The Battle For Endor were two hour-long TV movies made squarely for the little snot-nosed kids who fell in love with the Ewoks the second Isaw the adorable little furballs in The Return of the Jedi.

Hey, it worked for me. I remember loving the first Ewok movie when I was a kid (although I don’t have any memories of the second) and thinking that the Ewoks were pretty cool dudes overall. It wasn’t until I learned about the evils of targeted marketing that I began to see the furry little fuckers in a darker light.

Since I have fond memories of the film, I am never going to go back and watch it. I assume it’s bloody awful. Just reading over other reviews and summaries of the movie, it sounds more like a Saturday morning cartoon than a proper Star Wars film, or anything anyone over the age of 11 should enjoy. Of course, you could say the same thing about anything Star Wars, so I guess I should just shut up before I dig a hole I won’t be able to get out of.

Instead, I’ll just focus on the scores, which is why we’re all here in the first place.

The scores to the Ewoks films were composed by Peter Bernstein (more on him in a bit), not John Williams, and it shows. They lack the majesty, bombastic flare and memorability that are all Williams’ standards, instead serving more as quality background music with the occasional uplifting beat inserted when needed in relation to the plot. More surprising is that the scores are 100% original with no call backs or references to the original Star Wars themes. I guess I have to commend Bernstein for that, better to create your own thing than to piggyback off the success of others, but it all sounds incredibly non-Star Wars because of it.

A bit about Peter Bernstein, a man whose oeuvre can only be described as…workmanlike. Since 1973, he has contributed the scores to nearly 70 films and televisions shows, and the Ewoks movies are probably the  most respectable franchise the man has ever been associated with. His other work is mostly in the B-movie realm, with scores to films like the Chuck Norris horror flick Silent Rage; the classic 80s sci-fi comedy My Science Project; and the cinematic classic Puppet Master vs. Demonic Toys all to his credit. He also composed the score for not only Hot Dog…The Movie, but also Hamburger: The Motion Picture. But hey, I’m not judging, a paycheck is a paycheck.

Peter’s father Elmer Bernstein was also a composer (the two would frequently work together), and he must be from who Peter inherited his impressive work ethic. Elmer Bernstein composed the scores for over 240 films and TV series in his lifetime, working until he died at the age of 82.

Elmer won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie, and he also composed the scores to classics such as The Ten Commandments, To Kill a Mockingbird and Ghostbusters. But even he wasn’t above taking some work to pay the bills. In addition to his more “respected” work, Elmer Bernstein also composed music for films such as Saturn 3, Meatballs, The Good Son and Heavy FUCKING Metal. In fact, looking over his body of work, I just figured out that I own 10 of his soundtracks. Dude got around.

It should be noted that these are not the complete scores of other films. One LP can only hold so much music after all. Instead they are selected highlights from each film (with Battle of Endor being heavily favored). Oddly enough, they aren’t presented in any sort of order. So in case you were wondering, I’ll break them down for you now (and the download link is below the album art, in case you’re looking. I’m not doing individual links for this one):

Caravan of Courage
Trek
Izrina
Flying
Pulga Chase

Battle of Endor
Noa & Terak
Teek
Set Up/Terak’s Theme
Noa’s Ark
Good Night, Bad Dreams
Poker Game
The House
Escape
Farewell

“Into/Main Title” was used in both films.

This album was never officially released on CD, and don’t let anyone ever tell you different. The copy at Amazon is a bootleg, as evident by its hideous cover art and the fact that it credits John Williams as a composer.

So soak up B-grade Star Wars nostalgia, I’ll have more for you in a few days.

Posted in Complete Albums, soundtrack, Star Wars | 11 Comments »

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