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!