Jose Jimenez Talks to Teenagers of All Ages

I know a number of high schoolers will be graduating this weekend, so here's a special album for you, performed by Bill Dana's alter-ego, Jose Jimenez, in front of a live studio audience. If afraid to tell you guys that I think this is pretty funny and risk a repeat of the Paul Lynde debacle we had earlier. I do particularly enjoy "The Etiquette Expert" because it sounds like a fun ad-libbed Q&A with young audience members. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this and Congratulations Graduates!

Here's the track list:

1. The Cheerleader
2. The Vocational Guidance Counselor
3. The Etiquette Expert
4. The Baseball Star
5. Teenage Problems
6. The History Lesson - Christopher Columbus
7. The Marriage Counselor
8. Another History Lesson - George Washington
9. My Alma Mater

Click here or here to download!

Patriotic Songs - Howard Chitjian and the Concert Band of Los Angeles

For Memorial Day (at least in the U.S.) I figured I'd throw in an album of patriotic music. Some of these I remember from school, some I don't. Regardless, please try to remember that Memorial Day is more than just a day off from work and a chance to catch sales. Thanks!

Here's the track list:

1. The Caisson Song


2. Marines' Hymn


3. The Stars and Stripes Forever


4. When Johnny Comes Marching Home


5. Yankee Doodle


6. Battle Hymn of the Republic


7. America


8. America the Beautiful


9. You're a Grand Old Flag


10. This Is My Country


11. God Bless America


12. Columbia the Gem of the Ocean


13. The Star Spangled Banner


14. There Are Many Flags in Many Lands


15. An American


16. This Land Is Your Land


17. Flag Song

Click here or here to download!

Cleveland Smith: Bounty Hunter

In honor of the new Indiana Jones movie here's a parody of "Raiders of the Lost Ark" starring Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi made back in 1981!





If you'd like to read a more fleshed out script for this, go here. It's pretty silly, but I had to admit that I got a few good laughs out of it!

It's Cool in the Furnace II - The Adventure Continues

I wanted to put the original "It's Cool in the Furnace" up here, but it looks to be available here as part of a 35th anniversary re-release (and is recommended as probably one of the better Christian musicals for kids), so instead here's the little known sequel. It really has nothing to do with the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, but it does continue the story after that with Daniel, culminating in his adventure in the lion's den. This has got some pretty catchy tunes in it as well, and I hope you like it!

UPDATE: I've been told that the re-release of "It's Cool in the Furnace" was actually a different production, so I've made the original available here! (and thanks Mr. Anonymous for correcting me about Daniel. That's what I get for blogging in a hurry!)

Here's the track list:

1. We're Having a Party


2. Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin


3. Yes Indeed


4. God All the Way


5. That's Never Gonna Work


6. Sing a Prayer


7. A Very Bad Mistake


8. A Very Bad Mistake (Reprise)


9. Shut My Mouth


10. The Lord's Day

Click here or here to download!

Captain Kangaroo Tells Just So Stories

Here's a few of Kipling's Just So stories told by that great storyteller himself, Captain Kangaroo! (I guess that explains the last story on this list.) Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. How the Elephant Got His Trunk
2. How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin
3. How the Camel Got His Hump
4. How the Kangaroo Got His Legs

Click here or here to download!

Old MacDonald Had a Farm - The Merry Players

Here's another album of kid's songs performed by "The Merry Players". I haven't heard of them myself, but a number of the songs (especially ones on the second half of the record) sound like some of the same singers used on the "Songs to Tickle Your Funny Bone" album. I think it would have been a blast to be part of some roving band of studio singers that specialized in doing children's records. As many albums as there were, I think you'd be set for life (or at least as long as your voice held out)! Anyway, hope you like this one!

Here's the track list:

1. Farm Friends
2. Old MacDonald Had a Farm
3. The Farmer in the Dell
4. The Turkey in the Straw
5. Old Joe Clark
6. Goober Peas
7. Let's Grow Things
8. Six Ducks
9. The Sow Took the Measles
10. Animal Song
11. Boll Weevil
12. Barnyard Chorus Medley

Click here or here to download!

In the Navy - Irwin the Disco Duck and the Wibble Wabble Singers and Orchestra

Here's another entry in the "Irwin the Disco Duck" oeuvre. I'm not quite sure which one this was though, but it's another fun Irwin production with another great George Peed cover. However, points are lost for Irwin losing his semi-unintelligible Donald Duck voice and for him plugging another one of his albums at the end of this one. Anyway, hope you like this!

Here's the track list:

1. In the Navy
2. Macho Man
3. Y.M.C.A.
4. Music Box Dancer
5. Last Dance
6. Knock on Wood
7. Le Freak
8. Instant Replay
9. I Love the Night Life
10. Goodnight Tonight

Click here or here to download!

The Elephant Who Forgot - Arnold Stang & the Rocking Horse Players

These are some fun animal stories narrated by the unmistakeable voice of Arnold Stang. (If you don't recognize the name, you'll certainly recognize his voice!) I thought it odd that that fact isn't advertised on the record cover itself. It is mentioned on the record's label though. Part of me wonders if these were originally meant to be collected together (although the last story does reference the first one). The reason I say that is because Stang uses his standard voice for every single story. He's got others (He was the voice of Top Cat after all), but there's no variation on the characters here. I think it's still pretty neat, and I hope you do too!

Here's the track list:

1. Harry the Horse
2. Percy the Polite Seal
3. The Elephant Who Forgot
4. The Hippy Hippo
5. The Clock That Went Tock Tick
6. Schloimy the Subway Train
7. Beezy the Sneezy Bee

Click here or here to download!

Danny Kaye Tells Six Stories from Faraway Places

(Sorry, I didn't realize my scheduled posts ran out!)

Here's Danny Kaye telling some fun stories, some of them in silly accents. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. The Farmer of Babbia (Ethiopia)
   
2. The Big Oven (Russia)
   
3. Master of All Masters (Scotland)
   
4. The Most Remarkable Cat (Vietnam)
   
5. Nail Broth (Sweden)
   
6. The Tale of the Name of the Tree (Bantu)
   

Click here or here to download!

And if you'd like a CD of Danny Kaye telling stories from Grimm's Fairy Tales and Hans Christian Andersen, you can get that from Amazon.com here!

I Believe: Songs of Devotion - Peter Pan Orchestra & Chorus

Here's an album of great devotional and inspirational songs suitable for kids, like I Believe, He's Got the Whole World in His Hands, Faith of Our Fathers, The Great Pretender, Climb Every... wait a minute..."The Great Pretender"???? Yeah, it's the one you're thinking, but I'm not really sure what a song about pretending to do well by "pretending that you're still around" has to do with devotional songs. Is he supposed to be talking about God? That's not really sending a good message to kids, is it?

One other thing. The cover (and the record label itself) mentions two songs that are not on the actual record: Rock of Ages and The End. Rock of Ages I know, but which The End are they talking about? The only one I know is the Beatles one ("And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."), but this came out way before that did. Even so, it would be a better Song of Devotion than The Great Pretender! Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

Here's the track list:

1. I Believe
2. The Bible Tells Me So
3. Little Child
4. The Great Pretender
5. Climb Every Mountain
6. Open Up Your Heart and Let the Sunshine In
7. Because
8. He's Got the Whole World in His Hands
9. Deck of Cards
10. Faith of Our Fathers

Click here or here to download!

Talkin' Smokey

Remember back when CB radios were the big craze? Well, this record from 1975 was trying to cash in on the fad. I don't know, to me this guy doesn't sound like your typical CB trucker guy at all. He just sounds like a guy singing in a studio with a bunch of back-up singers. It's still fun to hear though. Hope you like it!

Here's the track list:

1. Hey Uncle Charlie


2. Just Gotta Have That C.B. Radio


3. Lover Man


4. Talkin' Smokey


5. Old Collins Airfield


6. Smokey Joe


7. Who Could Ask for Anything More


8. Handle Song

Click here or here to download!

Iron Man Theme

Let's hope the new Iron Man movie can find a spot for this...



UPDATE: I saw "Iron Man" Saturday night, and not only did they do a great job with it, but they actually DID include short instrumental bits from this theme in the movie! I heard it once in the casino and I think shortly thereafter when Stark was romping around in bed with a woman. I think my favorite instance of it was hearing it as Rhodie's ringtone for Tony Stark! (I was actually joking around. I didn't figure they really did it!)

Thanks to dlevy for confirming that my ears weren't playing tricks on me!

OGF Wisdom for May!

(Click on the pic to make it bic...I mean big)

I hope you guys are enjoying these quasi-educational tidbits from the good Professor Otis G. Firefly. I would like to know if anybody tries the self-expression suggestions (although I wouldn't recommend the one for this month)!