I've been blessed with a lot of positive e-mail about my site and I wanted to list some of the things I'll be investigating. It's my hope that someone out there can give me the answers to some of the questions posed below. I love research myself, but I can't do it all! Please send solid info on these tidbits, your reviews to albums or singles, lyrics . . . anything! I want this to be a community effort. A community of Bubblegum fans that, you know, stick up for each other! So, here's some interesting items to chew on:
FLINTSTONES
"I'm trying to find out who did the schaltzy but catchy tunes for the early 70s Hanna Barbera Flintstones Hour which featured Pebbles & Bamm Bamm in a group called the Bedrock Rockers. The tunes were 100% bubblegum but cool somehow. Any help would be appreciated!" - Shawn
UNLISTED SONGS:
According to Anthony Brancato, "Here are some worthy songs that have managed to slip through your fingers."(Date denotes when song peaked on Billboard pop chart, comments noted as "AB" are those of Anthony and "MH" are those of Dr. Mark Hill "The Doctor of Pop Culture" drmark7@juno.com):
Treat Me Like A Good Piece Of Candy - Dusk (December, 1971)
Make Believe - Wind (October 1969)
Up In A Puff Of Smoke - Polly Brown (March 1975)
Oh, Babe, What Would You Say? - Hurricane Smith (February 1973)AB: "We are definitely NOT talking about mature, serious, profound musical subject here!"
MH: "The HURRICANE SMITH is fairly common. A staple of early K-Tel lps. It should be available on some CD compilations (Rhino's Have A Nice Day?) The others are new to me. Will be seeking them out."
She Let's Her Hair Down - The Tokens (January 1970)
AB: "Just loved the air-brushed backup vocals, and it was on Buddah (none of the Tokens' other records were)."
Something's Wrong With Me - Austin Roberts (December 1972)
AB: "Written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart; isn't that grounds for admission in and of itself?"
MH: "I'm pretty sure Austin Roberts is the singer (if not composer) of the theme to SCOOBY DOO WHERE ARE YOU? He was also involved with the JOSIE AND THE PUYSSYCATS cartoon show."
Nice To Be With You - Gallery (June 1972)
AB: "But pretend it was June 1969 instead while listening to it. Believe me, it won't be difficult. And it was on a Buddah subsidiary, Sussex records."
Rock Me Gently - Andy Kim (September 1974)
AB: "The classic bubblegum/disco hybrid (see Up In A Puff Of Smoke ). And couldn't Kim have won a Tommy James sound-alike contest for this one?"
MH: "I've never noted a similarity to Tommy James on this track. I'll have to take another listen. I'm pretty sure it is an intentional NEIL DIAMOND sound-alike. One of my *all-time* favorite pop songs. It just builds and builds."
Tenessee Bird Walk - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (April 1970)
"You might say this one took Quick Joey Small to the next level in terms of "disgusting" lyrics. The road would later lead to Loudon Wainwright's Dead Skunk, Jim Stafford's Spiders & Snakes, and ultimately, to Dr. Demento and Weird Al Yankovic."
GLOBETROTTERS:
"I've owned and loved the 1970 Globetrotters album (the Saturday-morning-cartoon soundtrack on Kirshner Records) but have never known who the actual singers or musicians were. Do you know?"
Dr. Mark Hill "The Doctor of Pop Culture" drmark7@juno.com) replies:
"Supposedly there are ex-members of The Platters, The Coasters and The Cadillacs on this one. Also the same singer that appears on some BANANA SPLITS tracks (Jimmy Radcliffe?) Many of the songs were written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield!!!"
TONY POWERS:
"Is the Tony Powers who wrote We're The Banana Splits the same guy who wrote and performed the 1980s song Don't Nobody Move, This Is A Heist?"
Dr. Mark Hill "The Doctor of Pop Culture" drmark7@juno.com) replies:
"Wow! This is news to me. I never noted the name there on the LP before. But if I had to guess, it's a possibility. I remember that video from the early days of MTV and USA's Night Flight. Have been seeking it for *years*."
JANUARY '05 Update:
Just thought I'd drop a note, I've been doing a little searching on Tony Powers and I came across your site. Since it's a good enough place to post info for others to find, I thought I'd share what I know.
A friend of mine had been searching for it for years. He was fortunate enough to actually have taped it from it's original appearance on "Night Flight." He had quite a few tapes of the show, which had crazy things like original Church of the Subgenius stuff, that sort of thing. As he describes it, he'd loan them out to friends at college every so often, mostly so these people could drop acid and trip out to the videos.
Any rate, his favorite part was the Powers "Don't Nobody Move" video, which he ultimately lost (because, of course, of a girl) way back in 1995. He somewhat considered recovering this a lost cause until he slowly began to discover the potential of the internet. All he had to go on was the title, and the fact that the video had John Goodman, Stephen Collins and Treat Williams in it (He didn't even know Powers' name!)
A little more searching, and apparently he came across Stephen Collins's own site, which was run by one of Collins' friends. He emailed, and eventually got a personal reply from Collins to the effect of, "Wow, does that bring back memories. I personally don't have a copy, but good luck finding it." He did pass along Tony
Powers' name, however.
A couple of years later, a fortunate ebay search turned up an unopened VHS copy of the video, for which he paid around $18 (definitely worth it, as I'm sure someone could easily get away with much more these days). The search took him at least three years.
Any rate, the video is put out by Sony and is labeled as a "Video LP." It has the songs "Don't Nobody Move (This is a Heist)" as well as two others (the titles escape my mind at the moment). The box is yellow, if that helps any.
I'm sure there's some cassette and LP or 45 versions of the song as well as other Powers material, but I haven't seen hide nor hair of it. Apparently, there is a CD--it has 19 tracks, was put out in 1994 and is titled "Under the Cover of Darkness." I don't know what label it's on, or if "Don't Nobody Move" is on it, and the disc appears to be very out of print.
The only other information I can really get on Powers is that he has been in several movies and is rumored to be "Question Mark" from ? and the Mysterians. His stuff pops up every so often on eBay, but I think anyone could easily find a copy of this at any time. It is, nevertheless very rare and if you're lucky to find it you'll probably
have to search diligently for quite a few years. Or make friends with someone who has a copy of it.
Don't know about the "Banana Splits" thing, and honestly this is the first time I've heard about it. Again, hope this sheds some light.
- Robert O
SUGAR BEARS:
"Where is any reference to You Are The One by the Sugar Bears?"
Dr. Mark Hill "The Doctor of Pop Culture" drmark7@juno.com) replies:
"Yes! Very hard to find. Not on CD, that I know. The Sugar Bears are Kim Carnes (Bette Davis Eyes) and one of her partners from THE NEW CHRISTY MINSTRELS (Mike Settle). The studio group consisted of the same musicians and backup singers as THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY. In fact several songs sound like PARTRIDGE cast-offs."
COTTON CANDY:
"Do you remember a made-for-TV movie that came out in the 70's called COTTON CANDY? It was about a local bubblegum band called "Cotton Candy" & a local heavy-metal group called "Rapid Fire" who faced off in a battle of the bands."
Dr. Mark Hill "The Doctor of Pop Culture" drmark7@juno.com) replies:
"This 1978-TV Movie was directed by Ron Howard and stars his co-star from AMERICAN GRAFFITI, Charles Martin Smith and his brother Clint Howard. I remember seeing it. I don't recall the music being very bubblegum. But it's been a long time since it's last been shown."
OTHER SMALL PIECES OF GUM:
"Hey, did anyone see The Simpsons this week (Sunday night)? I was at
work and missed it, plus I haven't been able to catch Simpsons
episodes in years, but some friends told me they played "Yummy Yummy Yummy" in an episode about Bart getting obese eating candy. Shame I missed that. Apparently, the song has been featured on the show once before, as well, in 1995 on the "Mother Simpson" episode during a flashback.""Gotta (have) the mono version of Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'. The stereo version sucks. Have you ever heard a real stereo version of Sausalito (Is The Place To Go)?"
"I also seek Butterscotch and the Doughboys."
"Are you aware that the record labels Elephant 6, Parasol and Darla are part of a HUGE bubblegum pop revolution that's going on?"
"The Japanese group Shonen Knife have a very bubblegum/punkish sound. They include among their repertoire bubblegummy covers like Daydream Believer, as well as a good deal of original bubblegum (Cookie Day)."
"Ron Dante has a new CD out called FAVORITES."
"Why isn't Andy Kim high on your pantheon of Bubblegum gods? If ever a CD needed to come out celebrating his work, it's now! The one that's out is mostly from his less interesting 70's Capitol period."
"A needed CD is a Bobby Bloom anthology."
"Did you know that the song Maybe which is the B-side of Beg, Borrow and Steal is actually an instrumental version of And It's True which is on the Ohio Express album, Beg, Borrow and Steal?"
"Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron is one of the best/worst tunes."
"Did you know that when Buddah Records would release a new record they would have it brought to the DJs by a topless go go dancer?"
"It has become a trend to use bubblegum tunes on answering machines."
"Goo Goo Itch by DEVO probably classifies as bubblegum. It has bubblegum lyrics: "Itchy, itchy goo got me thinkin' of you/itchy goo, itchy goo baby, I love you/Itchy goo, itchy goo, itchy goo goo goo/it's all I wanna do/Wham-o!""
A group called GIRLS IN ACTION that does a lot of Bubblegum covers (Quick Joey Small, Shake, Dizzy, Gimme Gimme Good Lovin', Try It) is looking for musicians. They're based in Nashville (down in Tennessee!), not all that far from Mansfield, Ohio! E-mail your inquiries within.
Have you heard of a Bruce Schefft who possibly played drums for Ohio Express?
Are you familiar with Roberto Jordan, the king of Mexi-Gum? He covered tons of songs by the 1910 Fruitgum Co. & the Ohio Express in Spanish for the Latin market.
Bob Marley's Buffalo Soldier sounds like the theme to The Banana Splits song.
The group Chicory Tip recorded the Giorgio song, Son Of My Father on CBS England label.
Hey, smarty pants! Do you have something to share with the class? Then e-mail it and stay after school to clap erasers (Hey, there's a name for a group!)
