The Square Song/Sesame Street

Well, I'm back again (hopefully for longer than just one record). Here's an album featuring songs from a number of different places, including "Sesame Street", "The Bugaloos", and some others that I don't even recognize.

I'd like to draw your attention to the part of the picture on the right side of the cover. Does it look familiar? Maybe it does if you remember this cover from a used album being sold on Amazon...

I mentioned it because the little boy on the left was featured on the cover of this album. Good grief, how many times are they going to recycle this (admittedly cute) picture??

Here's the track list:

1. Sesame Street
2. All Kinds of People
3. For a Friend
4. The Alphabet Song
5. The Animal Song
6. Clap Clap Clap
7. The Square Song
8. Hide and Seek
9. Time to Tell Time
10. Fork, Knife and Spoon
11. The Counting Song

Click here or here to download!

A Child's Introduction to Disco - The Kid Stuff Repertory Company

I wanted to put something scary here on the blog for Halloween, so I looked in the records I haven't put on here yet, and this is probably the scariest thing I've got. It's frightening enough to know the Kid Stuff Repertory Company is singing disco songs here, but that's only half the story. Before each song, a lady reads the lyrics to you first so you can follow along with the lyrics sheet in the album. Of course, some of the words are changed up a bit (no "burn that mother down" in "Disco Inferno" for example). It's just weird to hear some lady trying to extract some meaning out of stuff like "If I can't have you, oh-oh-oh".

Anyway, have a Happy Halloween!

Here's the track list:

1. Introduction
2. Same Old Song (lyrics)
3. Same Old Song
4. On Broadway (lyrics)
5. On Broadway
6. Last Dance (lyrics)
7. Last Dance
8. Night Fever (lyrics)
9. Night Fever
10. Disco Inferno (lyrics)
11. Disco Inferno
12. If I Can't Have You (lyrics)
13. If I Can't Have You

Click here or here to download!

Smokey Bear with Ranger Hal

Yeah, I know I keep saying I'll be right back and I keep disappearing, but I'm back (again) with this interesting album from Smokey Bear, Ranger Hal and their animal friends in this musical adventure. I hope they look better than they do on this cover though! Anyway, hopefully I'll be back with more stuff soon. Enjoy!

Click here or here to download!

The Aristocats and Purr-ty Pussycat Songs

Hey, I'm back! Yeah, I know I said that last month, but hopefully I mean it this time. I finished with school, but now I'm trying to catch up with things that weren't getting done while I was in school. This is one of them.

This is a bit of a cheat, considering there's only two songs from "The Aristocats" on here. But the rest of the songs actually are about cats, so it has that going for it. It also has "The Alley Cat Dance" that I think is on one of the other records I have on here. Plus "Puss N Boots" was really more of a story than a song. And finally, I think that's the cutest cover I've ever seen of a butler stealing cats, don't you? The other reason I wanted to put this up today is because some websites are doing "A Day Without Cats" today, and I thought I'd fill the void. I'm an ornery cuss sometimes!

Anyway, I'm going to be off through next week so (among the other things I have to do) I want to get back to a more regular schedule here. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. The Aristocats
2. The Cat's Me-ow!
3. This Beautiful Creature
4. Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat
5. Three Blind Mice
6. Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat
7. The Alley Cat Dance
8. The Three Little Kittens
9. Puss 'N Boots

Click here or here to download!

But here's the best Puss in Boots of all!

Pink Panther Punk

I'm back, I'm done with school, and hopefully I can get the blog back on a semi-regular schedule again. I wanted to find something really fun to return on, and I think this little beauty from Kid Stuff Records might just fit the bill. The Pink Panther has a band here called the Pink Punks, and they get to play a few of their songs here. (I also find it interesting that two of the group members are named Itchy and Scratchy.) For some reason, the Pink Panther sounds like an old hippie. Meanwhile, he's being sought out by Inspector Clouseau, who even gets to sing a bit himself. The songs really aren't too bad here, especially for a Kid Stuff Records production. I tried to do my best to split the songs out from the story. Hopefully the transitions aren't too jarring. The thing I think I liked best about this is the album cover. I think it looks pretty cool, don't you? Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Pink Panther Theme


2. Pink Panther Punk Part 1


3. Another Brick in the Wall


4. Pink Panther Punk Part 2


5. Panther on the Prowl


6. Pink Panther Punk Part 3


7. It's Still Rock and Roll to Me


8. It's Punk


9. Pink Panther Punk Part 4


10. What a Fool Believes


11. Pink Panther Punk Part 5


12. Call Me


13. Pink Panther Punk Part 6


14. Rock and Roll Panther

Click here or here or here to download!

Big Hits from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - The New Christy Minstrels with Arthur Treacher

Hey Gang, I just wanted to get something new up here so you didn't think I forgot about you all!

Here's another collection of songs from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", this time by the pop/folk group The New Christy Minstrels. They're joined on a few songs by actor Arthur Treacher, who I know very little about except he had a chain of fish and chips restaurants in the United States and that he was somebody's second-banana on one of the talk shows (Merv Griffin?). I'm not quite sure what qualified him for the guest spot on this record. It certainly wasn't his singing ability!

Well, I've only got about another three weeks before I'm totally finished with school, and I'll get to graduate with my Masters degree in August. Once I get all that done I can go back to adding stuff here on a regular basis. Hooray!!

Here's the track list:

1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2. Posh! (with Arthur Treacher)
   
3. Hushabye Mountain
4. Medley: Doll on a Music Box/Truly Scrumptious
5. Chu-Chi Face (with Arthur Treacher)
   
6. Fun Fair
7. Me Old Bam-Boo
8. You Two (with Arthur Treacher)
   
9. Roses of Success
10. Lovely Lonely Man
11. Toot Sweets (with Arthur Treacher)
    
12. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Reprise)

Click here or here to download!

Children's Sing Along

Here's an album that, going by the cover, looks like another mishmash of songs from various sources. I mean, there's no photographs of the singers, just a plain picture. And the track list is actually printed on top of the title here, almost like an afterthought. But looks are deceiving here. Not only do all these songs sound like they are performed by the same children's chorus, but this is the same group with the same version of "Sidewalks of New York" that I enjoyed on this album that WAS from a mixture of sources. This is an entire album with these kids, and I really like it. I am reminded once again that "Jingle Bells" isn't really a Christmas song here, and there's some other really rousing songs as well, all done in that great spirited way as "Sidewalks" was. Take a listen to this one. I think you'll enjoy it!

By the way, I apologize once again for my absence. I have my thesis to do next week and I'm trying to prep for it!

Here's the track list:

1. Jingle Bells
2. Standing in Need
3. Banjo's Back in Town
4. Give Me That Old Time Religion
5. Sidewalks of New York
6. Bunker Hillbillies Theme Song
7. Oh Susanna
8. Buffalo Gals
9. Clementine
10. When the Saints Go Marching In

Click here or here to download!

Captain of the Starship - William Shatner Live!

Here's a special treat for you. This two record set features William Shatner speaking at Hofstra University sometime around 1978. For those of you who like to hear the Shat Man do dramatic soliloquies, you'll be happy to hear him perform pieces from "Cyrano de Bergerac", "War of the Worlds", and others. For those who want tidbits for the (at the time) upcoming movie, you've got that here too, even talking about why Leonard Nimoy was holding out for more money. (If I remember right, Shatner said the budget for the upcoming "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was around $8 million. It turns out that, according to the IMDB, it was really around $35 million.) And if you want some stories about how Star Trek changed his life, you've got that as well.

I think Shatner sounds sort of fun and bubbly when he's talking to the audience here. He seems to me like he's really enjoying the attention, before he became a full-on celebrity and (maybe) expected to be treated like a celebrity. Anyway, hope you enjoy this.

(And yes, the cover photo shows him menacing some off-camera alien with an upside down camera tripod!)

It all sort of meshes together, so the tracks are divided by side.

Here's the track list:

1. Earthbound/Go with Me/High Flight/The Flight of Man/Galileo
2. 6 Ways to the Moon/War of the Worlds
3. The Movie
4. SHORT TAKES: William Shatner - Audience/Starship's Facilities/Peter/Summer Spaceship/Three-way Alchemy - The Brain/Finale

Click here or here to download!

Trek Bloopers

Here's another Star Trek rarity brought to you courtesy of Blue Pear Records. (get it?) The story behind this is that these audio tapes were found in a garbage can by somebody who just wanted to use the tapes themselves. When they saw that "Star Trek" was written on the boxes, they decided to investigate further. People have seen the famous "Star Trek Blooper Reel", but it only covered the first two seasons. This is stuff from the third and final season. Is it funny? Well, it does suffer from lack of visuals. I really think of it more as a historical record of the time. Plus you get to hear the classic song "Hey Out There" a few times! How can you beat that?

Click here to download!

Oh yeah, if you haven't seen the Star Trek Blooper Reel, here it is!

Inside Star Trek

In honor of the new Star Trek movie, I'd thought I throw a few Trekkie type things up here. This album from 1976 is hosted by "Star Trek" creator (and Great Bird of the Galaxy) Gene Roddenberry. There's some live convention stuff with him, interviews with William Shatner about Captain Kirk, DeForest Kelley talks about the current state of medicine ("Too damned expensive.") and Roddenberry ask Mark Lenard as Sarek (Spock's dad) about Vulcan sex. (Guess Nimoy wasn't interested in participating.) Plus Isaac Asimov and his ginormous sideburns! Anyway, hope you like it!

Here's the track list:

1. Inside Star Trek
2. Star Trek Theme
3. William Shatner Meets Captain Kirk
4. The Origin of Spock
5. Sarek's Son Spock
6. The Questor Affair
7. The Enterprise Runs Aground
8. McCoy's Rx for Life
9. The Star Trek Philosophy
10. Asimov's World of Science Fiction
11. A Letter from a Network Censor
12. The Star Trek Dream (Ballad I/Ballad II)

Well, it was pointed out to me that this album is actually included as a bonus CD on the "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" CD box set, so I'm taking my links down. If you'd like to get it yourself, you can get it from the link below!

A Tribute to Mother - Wally Fowler

This one's a bit of a change of pace for me. I was actually working on getting a few Star Trek related albums on here to tie in with the new movie coming out, when I remembered that I bought this album specifically to put on here for Mother's Day. I don't know Wally Fowler myself, but according to the cover he's "Mr. Gospel Music" and "The Man with a Million Friends", which means some of you may be familiar with him. This is just a nice collection of gospel-tinged old songs about Mom featuring Fowler, the Sego Brothers with Naomi, and the J.D. Sumner Stamps Quartet. Enjoy, and have a happy Mother's Day!

Here's the track list:

1. Mother, Mine
2. Sweetest Mother
3. Wrinkled and Old
4. My Child, Welcome Home
5. The Chair That Rocked Us All
6. Mama Sang a Song
7. Rocking Along in an Old Rocking Chair
8. Mother's Gone
9. The Hands That Rock the Cradle
10. Precious Mother
11. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again
12. Supper Time

Click here or here to download!

Wishnik Sing-A-Long Party

Boy, there's something out of one of your nightmares, isn't it?

Actually these are Wishniks, one of those fads of the '60s. They were these ugly hard plastic dolls with long hair that you could style or shampoo or pull out or whatever you wanted to do with it. I don't think we had Wishniks growing up. I think we had Trolls, which were sort of a smaller cheaper knockoff of Wishniks. Anyway, here's a record full of Wishnik (or Chipmunk-like) songs, along with some stories presented by Dr. Eric von Newtontootin, the foremost authority on Wishniks. And when they run out of that, there's some generic children's songs to fill out the rest of the album. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Mommy, Where Is My Wishnik?
2. Mommy, I Found My Wishnik
3. Story of the Wishniks
4. The Wishnik Went Over the Mountain
5. Mary Had a Wishnik
6. Three Tough Wishniks
7. Old Mac Donald Had a Wishnik
8. Mother Goosenik Rhymes
9. Yankee Doodle Dandy
10. Did You Ever See a Wishnik?
11. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
12. Ten Little Indians
13. The Farmer in the Dell
14. When Wishnik Eyes Are Smiling
15. Down in the Valley
16. Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?
17. I Love a Parade

Click here or here to download!

The Bros. - Frank & Darryl Kuntz

If you watched channel 39 out of Dallas, Texas in the early 80's, you might remember Frank and Darryl Kuntz, the hosts of the kids show "The Good Time Gang". They'd sing songs, give out prizes to kids at home, and even throw a bit of religion into the mix! Here's an album featuring songs and stories from the brothers. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Friend of the Father
2. We Took a Trip
3. I Wanna Be Loved By You
4. Darryl and Goliath
5. Our Voices Were Made for Each Other
6. Imagifuntastical
7. A Message
8. I'm Frank and I'm Darryl
9. Heigh Ho the Gang's All Here
10. The Three Bears
11. Smarty
12. Who's on First
13. In My Heart There Rings a Melody
14. Honey Will You Miss Me

Click here or here to download!

Bicycle Built for Two - The Bubble Gum Singers and Orchestra

Here's another group I know absolutely nothing about, but I admire the fact that they're not just singing the same kid's songs. They do sound a bit too "white and nerdy" to be singing "The Banana Boat Song" though. They sound like they're enjoying themselves however (especially on "The Erie"). Hope you enjoy it too!


Here's the track list:

1. The Old Brass Wagon
2. My Dream
3. Banana Boat Song
4. Jolly Old Roger
5. The Blacksmith
6. Cockles and Mussels
7. Bicycle Built for Two
8. There Lived a King
9. Clementine
10. Gifts from Over the Sea
11. Mingo Mountain
12. The Erie
13. The Old Grey Mare

Click here or here to download!

Organ Grinder Pizza - Jonas Nordwall and Patti Simon

Wow! Who knew that I would find another Organ Grinder Pizza album? I'm assuming this one is the first volume, and it only features two different organists: Jonas Nordwall and Patti Simon. It's another great combination of old songs and (at the time) new songs like Billy Joel's "My Life", all played on a ginormous pipe organ. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. My Life - Jonas Nordwall
2. I Don't Know Why - Jonas Nordwall
3. Birth of the Blues - Jonas Nordwall
4. Maleguena - Jonas Nordwall
5. Medley from "Saturday Night Fever" - Patti Simon
6. Tiger Rag - Jonas Nordwall
7. Annie's Song - Jonas Nordwall
8. Meditation from "Thais" - Jonas Nordwall
9. Over the Rainbow - Patti Simon
10. Hopelessly Devoted to You - Patti Simon
11. Character Medley - Patti Simon

Click here or here to download!

This Old Man: Great Parade Songs & Marches - The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Marching Band and Chorus

Here's an album of parade songs and marches, including some you probably haven't heard of (Betty Co-Ed), songs you never really associated as marches (Jingle Bells??), and songs you may know but didn't know the name of (The Whistler's Song). A lot of John Philip Sousa, as you might expect. All of 'em will keep you marching until your legs go stiff!

Here's the track list:

1. On the Mall
2. The Marines' Hymn
3. Betty Co-Ed
4. The Whistler's Song
5. Yankee Doodle March
6. Dixie
7. Jingle Bells March
8. Hail Columbia
9. America
10. Columbia the Gem of the Ocean
11. The U.S. Air Force
12. Lassus Trombone
13. Pomp and Circumstance
14. This Old Man
15. (Turn Over the Record)
16. The Caissons Go Rolling Along
17. Dixieland Style March
18. Stars and Stripes Forever
19. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
20. I've Been Working on the Railroad
21. Pop Goes the Weasel
22. Semper Fidelis
23. The Thunderer
24. Invercargill
25. Camptown Races
26. Mulberry Bush March
27. America the Beautiful
28. Star Spangled Banner

Click here or here to download!

One of Sousa's most rousing marches included here is "The Thunderer", but this is my favorite version of the song:

The Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus Sing the Songs from "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and Other Favorites

I'm not familiar with the Do-Re-Mi Children's Chorus, but according to the back cover of this album they did quite a few records. I hope to find some more of them soon. Until then, enjoy this collection of songs from the movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" and some other songs thrown in, including a rather swinging version of "Java Jive" that I really like, especially considering it's being sung by kids!

(Here's a little bit of trivia for you: Did you know that the book "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was written by Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond books? I guess Truly Scrumptious is supposed to be a G-rated version of a Bond girl's name!)

Here's the track list:

1. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
2. Hushabye Mountain
3. The Roses of Success
4. Toot Sweets
5. Truly Scrumptious
6. Me Ol' Bamboo
7. Dear World
8. The Wonderful Things (That He Can Do)
9. A Bushel and a Peck
10. Mr. Clown
11. Java Jive

Click here or here to download!

Bedtime Songs - The Kid Stuff Repertory Company

Wow, who would have known that I'd have another album from the Kid Stuff Repertory Company? There's no crazy discofying of songs here, just nice, quiet lullaby-type songs, performed by a woman and a somewhat gassy-sounding organ. Pretty simple stuff, unlike that odd, nightmare-inducing cover!

Here's the track list:

1. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
2. Now the Day Is Over
3. Evening Prayer
4. What Is Home Without a Mother
5. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
6. Frere Jacques
7. Hush Little Baby
8. Rock-a-Bye Baby

Click here or here to download!

Betsy McCall's Surprise Birthday Party

Betsy McCall must be one of those dolls that I never heard of, but then again there were only boys in our family (other than Mom of course). I haven't listened to them side by side, but Betsy McCall sounds an awful lot like Heidi the Pocketbook Doll to me.

I've never really understood Birthday Party records like this. Are you supposed to listen to it during your own party or take it home afterwards and hear an inanimate object apparently having a better time than you did? This one even goes so far as to have Betsy cutting the cake and opening her presents. Why would you want to hear that? So you'll know what to ask for on your next birthday? Oh well, this is still an interesting album. Oh, and make sure to stay tuned until the very end for some subtle product placement!

Here's the track list:

1. Happy Birthday Song
2. Surprise Birthday Party
3. Simple Simon Says Game
4. Musical Games
5. Blowing Out the Candles and Cutting the Cake
6. Opening the Presents
7. Phone Call from Grandma
8. Game Songs
9. Story Telling Time (The Emperor's New Clothes)
10. After the Party

Click here or here to download!

Happy Stories for Gloomy Days - Frank Luther

I'm not familiar with Frank Luther, but he does quite a nice job on telling these stories and singing the songs in them. As you can tell, these stories are your usual suspects, with one big exception. "Happy the Harmonica" is one of the craziest kids' stories I've ever heard! I hate to give too much away, but it involves an old woman with a pain who plays "Home Sweet Home" on her harmonica to make "Happy the Harmonica" happy, and that's just how the story starts. You just need to hear this one for yourself. Trust me! (The rest of it is quite good too!)

Here's the track list:

1. The Shoemaker and the Elves
2. The Gingerbread Boy
3. The Three Billy Goats Gruff
4. The Little Red Hen
5. Happy the Harmonica
6. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Click here or here to download!

Rubber Duckie and Other Pet Songs - The Kid Stuff Repertory Company

Hey look! It's another extravaganza from the Kid Stuff Repertory Company! This one doesn't go the disco route. In fact, all things considered, it's pretty low key for them. It's pretty much just a guy and a synthesizer. One problem with this one is that they pick songs that are usually pretty short and drag them out forever! For example, the song "Johnny Had a Little Dog" (which I think most of us refer to as "Bingo") The chorus is sung through twice, than an instrumental verse, each verse clapping out one of the letters, instrumental verse again, the chorus is sung, the music modulates and the chorus is sung again, verses clapping out the letters again, and then the chorus is finally sung two more times.

Then there's the song "Pussy Cat" (or if you look for it on Amazon.com "P***y Cat"). Here are the entire lyrics of the song:

"Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?
I frightened a little mouse under her chair."

How do our friends at the Kid Stuff Repertory Company handle this? Well, they sing it through five times, have an instrumental verse, and then sing it through 4 more times!

These songs aren't really that bad, if you don't mind them being twice as long as they should be. And "Rubber Duckie" is OK, because unlike in many other versions I've heard, he doesn't end up doing a bad Ernie impression.

Anyhow, take a listen and see what you think!

Here's the track list:

1. Rubber Duckie


2. Dog & Cat


3. Johnny Had a Little Dog


4. Pussy Cat


5. Where Has My Little Dog Gone


6. Goosey Goosey Gander


7. I Love Little Pussy


8. All the Pretty Little Horses

Click here or here to download!

The Adventures of Little Orley - Uncle Lumpy with Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians

Here's a fun album of adventures with a boy named Little Orley featuring some people you might be familiar with. First of all, there's noted bandleader Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, but that's not really who I mean. You'll notice that these stories are told and sung by Uncle Lumpy. He's credited on the back of the album as Lump Brannum. Still not ring a bell? Maybe you'll remember him better in the role he played later: Mr. Green Jeans on Captain Kangaroo's show. There's no date on this, but I'm thinking he did this before the CK gig. Either way, these are imaginative little stories that I think you'll enjoy. I think I've got another Little Orley album too, and I'll try to dig it up to put on the blog later.

Here's the track list:

1. Little Orley's Big Concert
2. Little Orley - His Adventures with the Parade
3. Little Orley - His Adventures with the Cloud
4. Little Orley and the Happy Bird
5. Little Orley and the Little Engine
6. Little Orley and the Bubble Gum
7. Little Orley and the Haunted House
8. Little Orley - His Adventures as a Worm

NOTE: It looks like these stories (and the stories on the other record I was going to put on here) are now available on CD! It looks like Amazon was showing them as out of print, but you can actually buy them direct at littleorley.com! You should do it too. They're fun stories you can share with your kids!

Let's Go to the Zoo

This one comes from the same people that brought you "Let's All Go to the Circus". This has more fun little songs, only this ones about zoo animals. Note the catchy but somewhat odd song "The Porcupine is Pining for His Pork". Hope you enjoy this one!

Here's the track list:

1. Come to the Zoo with Me
2. Strolling Thru the Zoo
3. The King of the Jungle
4. Monkey Business
5. The Elephant Song
6. The Hippopotamus Song
7. The Crocodile Song
8. Singing Tra La La La
9. The Happy Seal
10. The Leopard Song
11. The Porcupine Is Pining for His Pork
12. Strolling Thru the Zoo (Reprise)

Click here to download!

Disco Duck - The Kid Stuff Repertory Company

I'm not quite sure how I ended up with all these albums from The Kid Stuff Repertory Company. I probably got them in a box of albums I bought on eBay. I certainly didn't seek them out specifically!

As you might figure, since this is a disco album, they should do OK on this one. They get low marks on "Disco Duck", however, because the guy doing the duck voice is horrible. Couldn't they have borrowed Irwin the Disco Duck? At least he's SOMEWHAT intelligible! "Enjoy Yourself" isn't too bad, but then they do a disco version of "John Henry". Yes, really! The rest of the album they stick with kids' songs, and they're all right. You pretty much know what you're getting into here, so enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Disco Duck
2. Enjoy Yourself
3. John Henry
4. Kemo Kimo
5. Disco Medley (Greetings, Polly Wolly Doodle, Bill Groggin's Goat, Shortnin' Bread, Nine Pound Hammer, Who Did, Down by the Station)

Click here to download!

Animal Song Parade

Until I started actively collecting children's records to use for this blog, I never really realized how many kids' albums were basically clearinghouses for different songs from different sources. That doesn't necessarily mean that the songs are bad; just that it's a lot more variety than you'd tend to get from a group like the Little Golden Singers. I'm betting this is another hodgepodge, but at least this one gives a lot more information than many of the others. It's nice to know that there were orchestras used in all of these songs! Hope you like it!

Here's the track list:

1. The Little White Duck - Bob Hannon with Orchestra
2. Fuzzy Wuzzy (Wus a Bear) - Burt Taylor with Orchestra
3. Frog Went a-Courtin' - Peter Piper, Forty-Niners Quartet with Orchestra
4. (How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window - Patty McGovern with Orchestra
5. Ducks on Parade - The Forty-Niners Quartet with Ray Carter Orchestra
6. The Teddy Bears' Picnic - Peter Piper, Forty-Niners Quartet with Orchestra
7. Peewee the Kiwi Bird - Bob Hannon with Orchestra
8. Snoopy the Pussycat - Patty McGovern with Orchestra
9. The Bulldog on the Bank - The Forty-Niners Quartet with Ray Carter Orchestra
10. What Kind of an Animal Are You? - Burt Taylor with Orchestra

Click here to download!

The Alley Cat: Nursery Rhymes with the Teen Dance Beat of Today - The Mod Moppets

For kids in the sixties that wanted to be cool and parents who wanted to keep them tied to the children's classics, here's an album that probably didn't make either group happy! And how about that cover? Seriously, this is some jazzed-up versions of the songs that kids have been listening to for years. I don't know the dances that well, but for anybody who does, does this do a pretty good job in fitting the songs with them?


Here's the track list:

1. Alley Cat Dance
2. The Frug - Old MacDonald
3. The Swim - Row Row Row Your Boat
4. The Jerk - Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
5. Hokey Pokey
6. The Shake - Farmer in the Dell
7. The Monkey - On Top of Old Smokey
8. Mexican Hat Dance
9. Watusi - A Tisket, A Tasket
10. Cha-Cha - Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be?

Click here to download!

King Friday XIII Celebrates in Misterogers' Neighborhood of Makebelieve

This album comes to us courtesy of Tim at The Neighborhood Archive. I know lots of people will be putting up stuff about Jason Voorhees or other scary stuff to coincide with it being Friday the 13th. Not me! Today we feature Mister Rogers (back at a time when he spelled his name as one word) and the adventures of Daniel Striped Tiger, X the Owl and the rest of the neighborhood out to celebrate King Friday XIII's birthday (which is on Friday the 13th naturally). Tim does a much better job of describing what's on this album than I could, so let me refer you to the details here. There are a few unavoidable skips in this album, but this is such a rare find I feel that it's worth putting up as is. Thanks again to Tim for donating the file for this album. Take a look at his great Mister Rogers site when you get a chance!

Here's the track list:

1. Misterogers' Invitation
2. I Like You As You Are
3. Then Your Heart Is Full of Love
4. Looking for a Friend
5. Meow Meow Beautiful
6. Today Is New
7. Creation Duet
8. Find a Star
9. You've Got to Learn Your Trade
10. Prosperous Interval of Time
11. Kingly Gifts
12. Three Rodents with Defective Eyesight
13. Propel Propel Propel Your Craft
14. Tomorrow
15. Goodnight God

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The Wizard of Oz - The Hanky Pank Players

It's always interesting to hear what happens when stories we know pretty well get shortened up to fit on a record. Plot points come at you thick and fast. For example, in the case of this version of "The Wizard of Oz" they barely meet the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy dumps a bucket of water on her! This is also unusual in that there's a combination of songs from the movie and original songs as well. The originals are OK, but it's hard to beat the classics. The performances on this aren't too bad either. Enjoy!

Includes the songs "Over the Rainbow", "We're Off to See the Wizard", "Ding Dong the Witch Is Dead", as well as original songs "Cyclone", "The Emerald City", "Thank You Song", and "Humbug".

Click here to download!

Time to Tell Time - James King and the Golden Players

Here's another great album full of songs and stories to help you tell time by talking to the big hand and the little hand. It's especially good if your name happens to be "Hurford". Enjoy!

Click here to download!

Tales of Ragged Ann - Lois Sherman

This is Lois Sherman, who according to the liner notes, "appears daily on WJW-TV, Cleveland, as Ragged Ann, one of the most popular children's shows on the air". I never saw the show, but I hope she didn't do the entire show in that position! Why does she look like she's about to get her head chopped off? According to her, the adventures that Ragged Ann have are due to children putting her in their dreams. Way to blame the kids, R.A.! Anyway, this is certainly an unusual collection of stories. Anybody reading this remember seeing her on TV?

Here's the track list:

1. Ragged Ann and the Three Bears


2. Little Red Ragged Ann


3. Ragged Ann and the Seven Dwarfs


4. Irving the Mouse

Click here or here to download!

Scouting Breaks the Song Barrier - The Goodtimers

February is National Scouting Month, so in honor of that, here's an album of songs made for scouts for sing. Along with the traditional songs like "Kum Ba Yah" and "Down in the Valley" there's a couple of new ones too. My older brothers were scouts, but I never went that far. I was always too uncoordinated to do stuff like that (plus my brothers never seemed that crazy about it either). Hope you all enjoy this, and Happy National Scouting Month!

Here's the track list:

1. The Ecology Song
2. Three Jolly Fishermen
3. Down in the Valley
4. Paw Paw Patch
5. Kum Ba Yah
6. Uncle Sam He Saw the Moon
7. Michael Row the Boat Ashore
8. This Land Is Your Land
9. If You're Happy
10. When the Saints Go Marching In

Click here to download!

Land of Lemonade and Lollipops

Here's another one of those albums with songs from a number of sources and a strange random looking cover ("So, Kid, move that candy cane over a little to the right. No, MY right!"). There's some pretty good songs here though. This also scores points for being my new favorite version of "Big Rock Candy Mountain". See if you like it as much as I do.

Here's the track list:

1. Land of Lemonade and Lollipops
2. Big Rock Candy Mountain
3. Back Home (Way Back Home)
4. Marching Song (Children's Marching Song)
5. Little Dutch Boy & Little Dutch Girl
6. Dem Dry Bones
7. Little Red Schoolhouse
8. Stasha Pandowski
9. Billy Boy
10. Grandfather Clock

Click here or here to download!

The Next Hundred Years - The Ragtimers

Remember back in the late 1960s when everybody thought it was cool to do songs that sounded like they came out in the twenties? Yeah kids, people really did that. This is an album of old songs (and songs they made sound old) by the Ragtimers, a group I know absolutely nothing about. Hope you like it!

Here's the track list:

1. The Next Hundred Years
2. (Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song
3. Oh, Babe, What Would You Say?
4. My Melody of Love
5. Soft Shoe Song (Give Me That Old Soft Shoe)
6. Those Were the Days
7. Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose
8. Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree
9. What Have They Done to My Song, Ma
10. Second Hand Rose
11. Ragtime Waltz
12. The Entertainer

Click here to download!

Trains, Planes and Space Ships

This is an odd little album. The first cut, "Skyliner Flight 35", is a simulation of how it sounded if you were in the cockpit listening to the pilots take off and land a plane. The second, "The Columbia Limited" is the same sort of thing except with a train, and the other two cuts, for no particular reason, are two Rocky Jones sci-fi adventures. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Skyliner Flight 35


2. The Columbian Limited


3. Rocky Jones and the Space Pirates


4. Shipwrecked on Planet X

Click here or here to download!

Puff and Toot and Other Musical Stories - Twinkle Orchestra and Chorus

I was going to tell you about this exciting album of train (and clown) songs, but I think the liner notes on the back of the album will do a much better job than I will. (Note the punctuation and spelling are exactly as they're found in the quote) :

Hi there, the jolly conductor of Twinkle Records tells us that he is all set to take us on an imaginative trip to adventure land with Puff & Toot.

We can't wait . . . First we'll ride the Red Caboose and we'll see Squeegie the Clown and stop Down By The Station. But Oh then . . . we can ride the Chocolate Train . . . isn't that exciting? Just think a Chocolate Train all for us. I can't wait can you. Well climb on cause here we go..."ALL ABOARD".

Hi, it's me again. I was going to tell you guys to curtail any "Chocolate Train" jokes, but whoever wrote this seems to dwell on it a bit TOO much if you ask me. And if they wanted us to be excited, you'd think they would have put at least one exclamation point in there. Anyway, this really is a fun combination of train songs (most likely from a number of different sources), so enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Puff and Toot


2. The Red Caboose


3. Chocolate Train


4. Squeegie the Happy Clown


5. Down by the Station


6. I've Been Working on the Railroad


7. Circus


8. Where Do Ya Worka John

Click here or here to download!

Galloping on My Dinosaur and Other Fun Songs for Children - Larry Thor

I'm not familiar with Larry Thor, but according to the Internet Movie Database he did quite a bit of work on radio and TV, appearing in such series as The Munsters, Leave It to Beaver, Gilligan's Island, and The Andy Griffith Show. These are some fun little songs written by Thor himself that simply feature him and his guitar. With all the crazy orchestrated and synthesized albums I normally hear, this is a very pleasant change of pace. Hope you like it!

Here's the track list:

1. Sad Day, Lonely Day
2. The Gimme Pig
3. When You Hurt
4. Picnic
5. Answer Every Question
6. Matinee Lullaby
7. Scary Song
8. Since You Went Away
9. Worry Time
10. TV Song
11. Galloping on My Dinosaur
12. Lullaby

Click here to download!

Songs from "Your a Good Man Charlie Brown" - The Kid Stuff Repertory Company

I have found yet another version of the "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" album, this one from the infamous Kid Stuff Repertory Company. These are the same people who did the two kiddie disco albums I recently had on the blog. There is one problem with this album right off the bat, which you'll notice if you look at the album cover above. The actual title of this album is "Songs from Your a Good Man Charlie Brown". That's right, they couldn't even spell the name of the show correctly! And they had a number of shots to get it right: The title on the front cover, the song list on the cover, the title on the spine of the album, even the label on the record itself get it wrong!

And the interpretations for the songs are all screwy. For instance, the title song, which should be this loud fun boisterous tune has been turned into a slow ballad like the poor guy died or something! And "Happiness", which should be a slow song, is done uptempo. The intro to "The Kite", with its heavy synthesizer, makes it sound like it should be the theme to a news show. "Suppertime" sounds like the music is done by Miami Sound Machine. "Snoopy" is OK, except the beginning and end, which are supposed be slow and wistful are fast, and the middle part (the "fierce jungle animal" part) is slow. And finally, if you've ever wanted to hear Linus's song "My Blanket and Me" done in the style of a '70s cop show theme, you now have your wish.

When I listened to this, I spent half the time laughing and half the time shaking my head in disbelief. This is, to my knowledge, the strangest version of this music I've ever heard. There is a sort of morbid fascination here, like trying not to stare at a car accident but not being able to help yourself.

And one more thing. Take a good look at the kid I guess was supposed to represent Charlie Brown on the cover. How do you like that t-shirt?

Half of me think that that's the most pathetic thing I've ever seen, and the other half thinks I should go to CafePress and declare it the first official Way Out Junk t-shirt design!!

Here's the track list:

1. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
2. The Kite
3. My Blanket and Me
4. Happiness
5. Suppertime
6. Snoopy
7. You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Reprise)

Click here to download!

Victor Borge Presents His Own Enchanting Version of Hans Christian Andersen

This was a special request that I was happy to fill. It has stories by Hans Christian Andersen told by another of Denmark's famous natives, pianist/comedian Victor Borge. This is interesting because, interspersed with Andersen's tales, Borge talks about his childhood and how much these famous stories meant to him, even to the point of reading while he was practicing scales on the piano. Now he pretty much tells the stories as is, playing classical music underneath and only throwing in humor when it is appropriate.

This album was put out in 1966 by Eastern Air Lines, so I'm thinking it was possibly a reissue of an album later used as a premium or giveaway. Whatever it was, it's a wonderful set of stories told and accompanied by Borge. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. Introduction and My Favorite Song
2. The Tinder Box
3. The Ugly Duckling
4. The Emperor's New Clothes
5. The Princess and the Pea
6. Papa's Always Right
7. The Little Match Girl
8. It's Perfectly True

Click here to download!

Doctor Dolittle Presents the Grasshoppers

Like my previous share, this is reminiscent of the Beatles as well, but only in name. This group of singing insects was featured on the "Doctor Doolittle" cartoon. This is nothing more than a bunch of happy perky pleasant little songs. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Enjoy!

Here's the track list:

1. When You Wear a Happy Smile
2. Everything's Gonna Be Fine
3. Tiger Moo
4. You've Got an Allergy
5. It's the Happenin' Thing
6. Doggone Dog
7. When the Sky Is Clear, When the Water's Clean
8. On a Train Goin' West
9. Good Friends Come in All Sizes
10. You Can Do It
11. You Can Really Fly
12. A Friend in Need

Click here to download!

Once Upon a Beetle - The London Theatre Players

Going from disco to the British Invasion, here's a story about four little Beetles who want to make their fortune playing music. It's a fun little story that at least is done by British people. (I'm assuming the London Theatre Players are British.)

You may have noticed the unusual cover for this record. Apparently the original cover was a puzzle in the surrounding frame, and under that you could color the picture. Well, the copy I got didn't have the puzzle pieces in it any more, and the picture had been colored so long ago I couldn't get the colors off! Anyway, hope you like this album!

Click here to download!

Toon Tunes - Action-Packed Anthems

When I took off "The Mighty Hercules" CD because it became available from Amazon.com, it was pointed out to me that the actual "Mighty Hercules" theme song was not a part of that album. I had included it as a bonus track. This is the CD I got the song from. I checked around and it turns out that it's out of print, so I figured I'd put it up here! There's a wide range of cartoon themes here, from "Underdog" to "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles", and even rarities like "The Hardy Boys" cartoon and "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan"! I think most of these are the real theme songs as heard on the cartoon, but I get a feeling that some of these may have been redone. This also helps to fulfill one of my unofficial goals, which is to have as many versions of the Popeye theme song as possible. Yeah, I think this one is different from any of the others I've got. In fact, it sounds to me like the oldest version of them all. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!

Here's the track list:

1. Super Friends
2. Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?
3. Speed Racer
4. Batman: The Animated Series
5. The Tick
6. The Powerpuff Girls
7. Jonny Quest
8. Space Ghost
9. Sailor Moon
10. Spider-Man
11. King Kong
12. Duck Tales
13. Underdog
14. X-Men
15. Popeye the Sailor
16. Mighty Mouse
17. The Mighty Hercules
18. Super Chicken
19. Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers
20. The New Scooby-Doo Movies
21. The New Adventures of Superman
22. Astro Boy
23. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
24. Hong Kong Phooey
25. Darkwing Duck
26. The Hardy Boys
27. Gigantor
28. Tale Spin
29. Crusader Rabbit
30. The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
31. The Atom Ant Show
32. Touche Turtle
33. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?
34. Captain Planet and the Planeteers
35. The Secret Squirrel Show
36. The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest

Click here to download!