Mary Dan's Excellent Adventure

Day 29 of Fictional Band February: the Archies!

I LOVE the Archies.  They’re my favorite fictional band and one of my favorite bands, period.  They’re happy, sunshiney and sweet and I love all their songs.  I haven’t read the comics or watched the cartoons but I’ve listened to the music more than any person in 2012 should have and that’s gotta count for something!

The Archies are of course, Archie Andrews as singer and guitar player, Reggie Mantle also on guitar, Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge on tambourine and keyboards and vocals and Jughead Jones was their drummer.  Usually Jughead’s dog Hot Dog would run around and dance to their music too, I guess.

Remember the name Don Kirshner?  You know, one of the guys behind the Monkees?  Well, he was one of the guys behind the Archies.  And what was great about The Archies was being CARTOONS they couldn’t rebel and take control of the project themselves.  The band appeared on The Archie Show (and you guys know the theme song!) and later Archie’s Fun House. The animation was done by Filmation, who did a lot of superhero shows and later tried to recreate the Archies’ success with the Groovy Goolies.

The band released four great albums (well, I think so anyway): Everything’s Archie (1969), Jingle Jangle (1970), Sunshine (1970) and This is Love (1971).  And about a million different greatest hits compilations.  But if you want to get in to the band and you’re looking for a good starting point, check out Absolutely the Best of the Archies, released in 2001.

The reason I saved these guys for so long is because I wanted to kick off next month’s spotlight: MARCH OF THE ARCHIES!

(I’m totally kidding, I’m the only one that would get any joy from that.)

So anyway, today’s song is from their first album and it’s ‘Bang-Shang-A-Lang.’  It’s catchy and groovy and deserves to be every bit as popular as ‘Sugar Sugar.’  Some of my other favorite Archies songs: Waldo P. Emerson Jones, She’s Putting Me Through Changes, Melody Hill, Get on the Line, Don’t Need No Bad Girl, Carousel Man, Jingle Jangle, Everything’s Archie, and of course, Sugar Sugar.  But like I’ve said, I love everything they’ve recorded.

Fun Facts: Andy Kim co-wrote Sugar Sugar!  Ron Dante (the voice of Archie) was also the main vocalist for the fake band from The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan!  I had another one to add but I can’t remember!

Oh, which Archies’ song is your favorite?

Day 28 of Fictional Band February: The Muses!

I guess I should spotlight one of THE first fictional bands, right?

In classical mythology, the Muses were the goddesses of the arts.  There are nine of them: Calliope (epic poetry - also the mother Orpheus), Clio (history), Melpomene (tragedy), Euterpe (lyric poetry or song and Elegiac poetry), Erato (love lyrics), Terpsichore (dance), Urania (astronomy and astrology), Thalia (comedy), and Polyhymnia (music and geometry or hymns).  It varies slightly depending on who you ask.  The Muses were the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne and spent a lot of time hanging around with Apollo, since he was the god of music (and of course, the sun and healing).

A lot of the myths the Muses appear in involve a Battle of the Bands of sorts with the Muses utterly defeating their challengers.  And then they humiliate the losers, naturally.

Since there isn’t enough Disney in this little project, today’s song is from the 1997 movie Hercules. 

For whatever reason, the Muses got downsized!  We only see Calliope, Clio, Melpomene, Terpsichore and Thalia.  I guess it makes sense, these Muses are the only ones really NECESSARY considering the way Disney took the story.

These Muses get six songs: The Gospel Truth parts I, II, and III, ‘Zero to Hero,’ ‘A Star is Born,’ and back-up in ‘I Won’t Say I’m in Love.’  There was only really one song to pick in my opinion, and that is ‘Zero to Hero.’  I love every song in the movie, but this one is so upbeat and inspiring!  It’s a go-to track when I need a little motivation getting ready in the morning.

Like a few other artists this month, I almost excluded The Muses because I had forgotten them!  But I’m glad I’m remembered the group because it’s something a little different.  And tomorrow’s the last day!  It’s going to be another good one!

Day 27 of Fictional Band February: the Blues Brothers’ Show Band and Revue!

I’m just going to start this off by saying The Blues Brothers is one of my favorite movies.  I haven’t watched it as much as my brother, but I have watched it quite a bit.  I’m lucky enough to have caught it twice in theaters, as well.  I love the characters and the music!  I haven’t listened to their albums as much as I should, but they are quite good as well.

The Blues Brothers started life on Saturday Night Live in 1976.  Their first performance featured the band in bee costumes, but almost every time after that the band dressed ‘normally’ and the Brothers in their iconic costumes. John Belushi was Jake and Dan Akroyd was Elwood.  In 1978, the group recorded and released their first album, ‘Briefcase Full of Blues.’  Then in 1980, the classic movie came out and so did the soundtrack.  I’m hoping you’ve seen it, but if not - get on it!  That same year, the last Blues Brothers record with John Belushi was released - ‘Made in America.’  But the Blues Brothers didn’t stop there!  In 1992, ‘Red, White & Blues’ was released and I think Jim Belushi was on the album.  He got involved at some point, anyway as “Brother” Zee Blues.  A few years later in 1995, John Goodman appeared on SNL and performed a song with Dan Akroyd as new Blues Brother Mighty Mack.  And then Blues Brothers 2000 happened and that put a serious cramp in the Blues Brothers’ style.

Band line-up:

• “Joliet” Jake E. Blues - lead vocals
• Elwood J. Blues - harmonica, backing vocals
• Steve “The Colonel” Cropper - lead and rhythm guitar
• Donald “Duck” Dunn - bass guitar
• Murphy Dunne - keyboards
• Willie “Too Big” Hall - drums, percussion (appears in the movie)
• Steve “Getdwa” Jordan - drums, percussion (appears on albums)
• Birch “Crimson Slide” Johnson - trombone (not in the movie)
• Tom “Bones” Malone - trombone, trumpet, saxophone
• “Blue” Lou Marini - saxophone
• Matt “Guitar” Murphy - lead and rhythm guitar
• Alan “Mr Fabulous” Rubin - trumpet
• Paul “The Shiv” Shaffer - keyboards, arranger (not in the movie)
• Tom “Triple Scale” Scott - saxaphone (not in the movie)

There are about a billion other members that performed with the group at various other times, but those guys are the main ones.  I GUESS you could argue that the Blues Brothers’ Show Band and Revue doesn’t COMPLETELY count as a fictional band since the band don’t play characters fabricated for the purpose of SNL or the movie, but since Jake and Elwood are, we’re going with it.

Today’s song is off of ‘Briefcase Full of Blues’ - ‘Rubber Biscuit.’  It’s a fun song, but a little hard to sing along with!  It also gives Elwood a chance to sing lead.  It’s also (I think) one of my brother’s favorites so I figured I’d pick something he really likes.  He gave me a lot of suggestions of songs to pick for today, some others were: Soul Man, Perry Mason Theme, B Movie Boxcar Blues, and Stand By Your Man.  I almost picked Everybody Needs Somebody to Love but it’s not nearly as great without the dancing and excited crowd.  But anway, back to ‘Rubber Biscuit!’  It was written by Charles Johnson and Adam R. Levy and originally recorded by the Chips in 1956.

Other fake bands in the Blues Brothers universe include the Good Ole Boys (a country-and-western band), Murph and the Magic Tones (a lounge act including Murphy Dunn, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Steve “The Colonel” Cropper, Willie “Too Big” Hall and Tom “Bones” Malone), Street Slim (John Lee Hooker!) and the Louisiana Gator Boys in Blues Brothers 2000 (composed of -deep breath- B.B. King, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Gary U.S. Bonds, Eric Clapton, Clarence Clemons, Jack DeJohnette, Bo Diddley, Jon Faddis, Isaac Hayes, Dr. John, Tommy “Pipes” McDonnell, Charlie Musselwhite, Billy Preston, Lou Rawls, Paul Shaffer, Koko Taylor, Travis Tritt, Jimmie Vaughan, Grover Washington, Jr., Willie Weeks, and Steve Winwood)!

Fun facts!  Some members of the Blues Brothers Band were in Booker T & the M.G.s, The Bar-kays, and of course, the Saturday Night Live Band.

Oh!  And one more thing, if you are ever in the Universal Studios theme parks, try and catch a show if you can!  I’ve only seen the guys in Orlando but it’s always a ton of fun.

Day 26 of Fictional Band February: Marvin Berry and the Starlighters!  With special guest, Marty McFly!

Marvin Berry and the Starlighters are the band at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance in Back to the Future, of course!  Marvin Berry is their bandleader and guitar player, played by Harry Waters, Jr.  The Starlighters are Tommy Thomas, Granville “Danny” Young, David Harold Brown, and Lloyd L. Tolbert.  Oh, and they’re great!

The band plays blues standard ‘Night Train’ and The Penguins’ classic ‘Earth Angel’ (with Marty McFly).  But today’s song had to be their performance of ‘Johnny B. Goode,’ also with Marty.

Why?

I love that the movie implies Marty invented rock and roll.  That’s just so cool!  And funny?  I think it’s great that Marvin is so excited about this new sound that he calls up his cousin Chuck just to give him a tip!  I don’t think it’s ever really brought up again (I haven’t seen these movies as much as I should) but it’s a neat little touch.

and

AND

HOW FUNNY IS MARTY’S VOICE?!? That’s not Michael J. Fox, in case you hadn’t figured it out, but someone named Mark Campbell.

Day 25 of Fictional Band February: Conrad Birdie!

Conrad Birdie is another musician parody (surprise!) this time it’s of Elvis.  He’s from the musical ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ later adapted into the 1963 movie.  I haven’t seen the musical, so I’m going to focus on the movie version.

Birdie’s been drafted to the army, so songwriter Albert Peterson (Dick Van Dyke) needs to write a song for Birdie to sing as he gives a girl his “One Last Kiss.”  Birdie is played by Jesse Pearson and the girl he gets to kiss is super-fan Kim McAfee (Ann-Margret).  There is more to the movie, OF COURSE but this is the gist of what you need to know.

He sings a few songs in the movie (and probably the musical), “One Last Kiss,” “Honestly Sincere,” and in part of “A Lot of Livin’ To Do” (Birdie shares the spotlight with Kim and Hugo - Bobby Rydell).  Today’s song is the final version of “One Last Kiss.”  It’s silly (well, so is the rest of Bye Bye Birdie) and catchy!  Which is exactly the point, but… you know.

I’m posting this one a little early for my gully because she got me into this darn movie in the first place.

Day 24 of Fictional Band February: the New Main Street Singers!

Okay, I know what you are thinking - didn’t Mary already DO a band from A Mighty Wind?  Well… because the Folksmen doubled up with Spinal Tap I figured I could do a spotlight on the NMSS.  And well, they crack me the hell up.

To fully appreciate NMSS we need to know a little fictional folk music history.  The original band was the Main Street Singers.  But the original MSS was formed when the Klapper family (a quartet) and Village Folk Ensemble (a quintet) performed together.  So, a ‘neuftet’ was formed.  The Main Street Singers released thirty albums in their ten years together.

Then in 1980, Mike LaFontaine (Fred Willard) ran into George Menschell (one of the original members, played by Paul Dooley) and LaFontaine wanted to resurrect the group and be their manager.  They recruit eight new members, including Terry and Laurie Bohner (John Michael Higgins and Jane Lynch), as well as Sissy Knox (daughter of Fred Knox, an original MSS member, played by Parker Posey).  The band mostly played amusement parks and cruise ships before the setting of A Mighty Wind.

The New Main Street Singers have some pretty good songs and even performed the Folksmen’s ‘Never Did No Wanderin” in Irving Steinbloom tribute concert.  The difference between the two?  Staggering.  (Folksmen.  NMSS.)  But today’s song is ‘Potato’s In the Paddy Wagon’ and hahaha oh MAN.

And as long as I’ve mentioned 2/3 of the fake groups, here’s a quick bit on the third: Mitch and Mickey.  Eugene Levy and Catherine O’Hara play the duo and the songs are very pretty, but not my thing.  My favorite by them is probably When You’re Next To Me.

This movie is fantastic.  It’s directed by Christopher Guest and the cast is phenomenal.  If you haven’t seen it or any of his other films, go out and do so!  The soundtrack is also worth checking out, it’s one of my family’s favorites.

Since I can’t not ask, which group from A Mighty Wind is your favorite?

Day 23 of Fictional Band February: the Rutles!

Do these guys remind you of anyone?

Here’s the deal, I almost didn’t include the Rutles because I grew up in a household deficient in vitamin Beatles and I’m pretty undeveloped in my Beatles knowledge BUT this is about the Rutles, not the Beatles!  Right?  Right.

Okay, so the Rutles are best known for the 1978 mockumentary All You Need is Cash but appeared two years prior in Rutland Weekend Television, Eric Idle’s sketch comedy show.  Later that year, when Idle hosted Saturday Night Live, he brought the original sketch with him.  When he hosted the show again, the following year, there was another Rutles sketch and song.  In 2002, Idle wrote and produced a sequel titled ‘Can’t Buy Me Lunch’ and I haven’t watched it yet so I can’t say too much about it.

The Rutles are Dirk McQuickly (Idle), Ron Nasty (Neil Innes - who composed the songs AND one of them, Cheese and Onions later appeared on a Beatles bootleg!), Stig O’Hara (Rikki Fataar), and Barry Wom - real name Barringtom Womble (John Halsey).  There was also a ‘fifth Rutle’ named Leppo.  Hehe!

Today’s song is Doubleback Alley since everyone unanimously requested it.  Pretty much every Rutles song on the All You Need is Cash soundtrack is great and I love them bunches.  Some of the parodies are closer than others and some are SO CLOSE that ATV Music sued Innes for copyright infringement, which is why John Lennon and Paul McCartney share songwriting credits.  But only on some releases?  I don’t know, music is weird.

Anyway, enjoy!  There are only a few days left and I’m looking forward to every single one!

Day 22 of Fictional Band February: the Three Lights!

So, as I was watching Sailor Moon I realized I was neglecting a pretty important fictional band!  The Sailor Starlights don’t enter the picture until the final arc of Sailor Moon, Sailor Stars but from what I’ve seen, they are fan-favorites.

I’m going to add this disclaimer - I haven’t read this manga arc or watched much of this season of the anime so a lot of my information is coming from The Oracle and Starlight Pops.

All right, the Three Lights is the name of the band Sailor Star Fighter, Sailor Star Healer and Sailor Star Maker founded to search for their princess, Kakyuu.  It is my understanding that in the anime (pictured above) they are men on earth in their civilian forms, but are women when they transform into the Sailor Starlights.  In the manga, however, the three are always women.

Speaking of civilian forms, Sailor Star Fighter is Seiya Kou, Maker is Taiki Kou, and Healer is Yaten Kou.

Today’s song is ‘Todokanu Omoi: My Friend’s Love.’  It was featured in the anime, along with ‘Nagareboshi He.’  I guess Nagareboshi He is more important to the plot, but I like Todokanu Omoi more!  There is also an instrumental version with Michiru (Sailor Neptune) playing violin instead of vocals and can be heard here.

And just because, here’s a pic of them in their Sailor Starlight form!

Looks mighty comfortable!

No but seriously, I like this band a lot and even though I’m moving REALLY slowly through Sailor Moon, I’m looking forward to seeing these guys in both the anime and manga.

Day 21 of Fictional Band February: Spinal Tap! WITH SPECIAL BONUS: THE FOLKSMEN

It would be pretty disappointing if I didn’t cover the guys this month.  I asked a few people for their favorite fake band and this was usually one of the first few said.  They aren’t my cup of tea, exactly, but I appreciate the work behind them.

Spinal Tap has a pretty big history covered in the 1984 rock-mock-doc This is Spinal Tap (duh) directed by Rob Reiner as Marty DiBergi.  It’s a ridiculously famous movie, for good reason.  In the band: David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer).  Oh, and like, a million drummers that like, spontaneously combust and/or various other mishaps.  There was a 1992 sequel, the Return of Spinal Tap and the band appeared on SNL and other things.

The band even toured!  With opening act… The Folksmen!

I’m going to be completely honest with you guys, I prefer the Folksmen to Spinal Tap.  As the name suggests - their a folk trio!  Members are Jerry Falter (McKean), Mark Shubb (Shearer) and Alan Barrows (Guest).  The Folksmen are featured in 2003’s A Mighty Wind, reuniting for a tribute to 60’s folk music promoter, Irving Steinbloom.  And check out their cover of Start Me Up!

But today’s song is by Spinal Tap.  I had to choose ‘Gimme Some Money’ because it cracks me up.  It doesn’t capture the band’s harder metal sound but their performance is so great!  I giggle every time.

I uh, didn’t plan things out so well so I have a feeling there’s going to be a high concentration of mockumentary acts these last few days, oops.

Day 20 of Fictional Band February: WYLD STALLYNS

(Okay, I know that they are nowhere near their instruments here but this picture is too good not to post!)

Honestly, I don’t know why I took so long to spotlight Wyld Stallyns.  They’re one of my favorite fictional bands and Bill and Ted are two of my favorite characters ever.  There is something so wonderful to me that when we first hear they they SUCK but Stallyns’ music CHANGES THE WORLD and BRINGS WORLD PEACE?!?!  That’s crazy and fantastic!

The boys are fully aware that they are totally bogus in the first movie and have a few ideas for becoming bodacious.  Eddie Van Halen on guitar?  But they won’t get Eddie Van Halen until they have a triumphant video.  But what’s the point in a triumphant video without decent instruments?  And why get decent instruments if they don’t even know how to play?!  Which is why they NEED Eddie Van Halen!  And THAT is why they need a triumphant video!!!

Okay!  I’m hoping you all have seen the first movie or else this post is going to be 813 miles long.  Basically, Bill and Ted need to pass their history report or Ted will get sent to military school, Wyld Stallyns will split up and then world peace won’t happen.  Spoiler alert: it all turns out excellent.

Then Rufus gets the princesses the boys saved from marrying the Royal Ugly Dudes and they join the band.  Surprise!  They aren’t any good either.  BUT they do have savory clothes! (Bill’s words, not mine.  Or maybe Ted’s… it’s been a while!)

So THEN there’s Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey (sidenote: it needs more love but it’s also completely bonkers) and Bill and Ted are out of high school but haven’t made their big break yet.  Wyld Stallyns is entered in a Battle of the Bands and working really hard to get better.  But, there’s this guy De Nomolos that hates Bill and Ted (I don’t remember the reason - he probably just hates happiness and cute guys)   and the future utopian society so he sends evil robot duplicates of Bill and Ted to kill the guys.  SO, Bill and Ted go to hell.  Bill and Ted end up recruiting Death (and I’d say how but that scene NEEDS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED) and martians named Station to help them and the Princesses and it’s insane.  But everything turns out all right!  Wyld Stallyns play the concert, defeat the bad robots and De Nomolos and they go back in time sixteen months to learn the art of ROCKING OUT.

(Complete with nasty beards, oh my god.  Oh, and they marry the Princesses and have kids)

Wyld Stallyns includes Bill S. Preston, Esq., Ted “Theodore” Logan, the Princess Joanna and Elizabeth, the Grim Reaper, the martians Station AND good robot duplicates of Bill and Ted.  Their music was performed by a few different people.  ’In Time’ (the song in heard in the future in Excellent Adventure) was by Robbie Robb.  In Bogus Journey, Steve Vai wrote and performed the guitar solo before ‘God Gave Rock and Roll to You’ while KISS performed the song.  So today’s song is a combination of Vai’s guitar solo and KISS’s cover of ‘God Gave Rock and Roll To You’ edited together by someone named George found on billandted.org.

The end credits of Bogus Journey give a little more information on the band - kind of a ‘where are they now’ sort of thing with magazine covers and newspaper headlines.  Like, Wyld Stallyns went in space!  And other things I can’t remember, but it’s actually kind of touching!

I’d be upset with myself if I didn’t mention this - Bill and Ted were created by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon while doing improv shows in the mid-80s.  They thought they had something good with these characters and wrote a movie for them.  If I’m remembering my Bill and Ted trivia correctly, the first movie was envisioned as a Monty Python-esque comedy and instead of a time traveling phone booth they had a van and one of the guys had a stoner older brother.  The brother was ditched because they didn’t want drugs involved and the van because of Back to the Future.  The second movie was going to be even darker than it turned out being with a completely different ending but test audiences decided it was too scary or something.  Completely understandable, it had a GIANT EASTER BUNNY RIPPING UP THEIR CAR.  (More info at billandted.org!)  Chris and Ed appear in both movies - in Excellent Adventure as the Ziggy Piggy servers and in Bogus Journey as seance members.

Fun Facts!  Not only were there the two Bill and Ted movies, but also an animated series, a live-action series, a musical, comics and a Halloween show at Universal Studios Orlando.  Oh, and there’s like, a rumored third movie?  Most triumphant!

I think this is long enough the way it is, if you want to know more about Bill and Ted or Wyld Stallyns, billandted.org is the place to go!

Day 19 of Fictional Band February: Rowlf the Dog!

It was hard to decide on just ONE Muppet musical act.  In the end, I had to go with my favorite Muppet - Rowlf the Dog.

Rowlf is one of the oldest Muppets, starting in a 1962 Purina Dog Chow commercial.  Before the Muppet show, Rowlf was also a regular on the Jimmy Dean show and appeared on Sesame Street.  But he was featured a LOT on the Muppet Show.  Not only was Rowlf the house piano player, but also the star of Veterinarian’s Hospital as Dr. Bob (where he could really show off his love of bad puns).  Aside from solo piano numbers, Rowlf also performed with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem and the pit orchestra!

Rowlf appears in every Muppet movie but after 1990 he was pushed to the background for obvious reasons.  But he does get a bigger part in last year’s The Muppets, which is great!

Today’s song is off of ‘Ol’ Brown Ears is Back,’ released in 1993 (but recorded in 1984).  It’s a collection of some of Rowlf’s better performances - and even covers of Bein’ Green and Halfway Down the Stairs!  But I had to share one of the great songs of our time - You and I and George.  It was first performed by Rowlf on the Mike Douglas show and more famously, in the first episode of the Muppet Show (and later on the show again in the Phyllis George episode).

So that’s Rowlf in a (hopefully accurate) nutshell!  Which Muppet musical act is your favorite?

Day 18 of Fictional Band February: Lili Von Shtupp!

Okay if you haven’t seen Blazing Saddles you need to go do that already.

There’s isn’t a whole lot that needs to be said about Lili Von Shtupp - she’s played by Madeline Kahn who was freaking phenomenal and easily one of my favorite actresses.

I haven’t seen too many westerns but I’m pretty sure she’s a send-up of Marlene Dietrich.  Whatever it is, it’s hilarious.  The musical numbers in Mel Brooks movies are always one of the highlights for me and today’s ‘I’m Tired’ is one of my favorites.

Day 17 of Fictional Band February: SPECIAL EDITION: Sex Bob-omb and the Katayanagi Twins

That poster needs more exclamation points

So, Sex Bob-Omb and the Katayanagi Twins are from Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series.  I’m going to focus on the movie adaptation directed by Edgar Wright though, because the Twins were not musicians in the books - but roboticists!

First up, there’s Sex Bob-omb

They’re a garage band-y trio made of Stephen Stills (guitar), Kim Pine (drums) and Scott Pilgrim (bass).  Mostly they’re just having fun, but they still wouldn’t mind getting famous.  Especially Stills.  Their songs were written by Beck and performed by Mark Webber (Stephen), Alison Pill (Kim), and Michael Cera (Scott).  Well, except for the last one, with Johnny Simmons (Young Neil) on bass instead.  But I’m getting ahead of myself!  All of Sex Bob-omb’s songs are a lot of fun and I listen to them regularly.  They don’t have a single bad song.

So then, there are the Katayanagi Twins

Ramona Flowers’ dated Kyle and Ken Katayanagi - at the same time! - who are pretty rad keyboard players.  In real life, Japanese musician Cornelius composed their music.  Kyle and Ken were played by actual twins Keita and Shota Saito!

Then this happens

It’s a great scene (but what in the movie isn’t???) with fantastic music.  So, that’s the song I chose for today - Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-omb.  It isn’t quite the same without the visual, but still awesome!

There are two other fake bands in the movie: Crash and the Boys and the Clash and Demonhead.  I love a lot of things about Scott Pilgrim but the high number of fake bands is one of the biggest reasons for me.  And the music is good, too!

Which fake band from Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is your favorite?