- Jimmy Thudpucker – Jimmy Thudpucker’s Greatest Hits (1977)
Many fictional characters have released albums, but few are as good as the one released by Jimmy Thudpucker. A character from Gary Trudeau’s award winning and ground breaking newspaper comic strip “Doonesbury,” “Jimmy Thudpucker’s Greatest Hits” was an experiment in hyperreality that crossed a three year period via a novelty single, a critically acclaimed animated feature and a full length album containing some of the best 70’s pop that you’ve never heard. Featuring legendary session musicians of the era,, trying to understand “Jimmy Thudpucker’s Greatest Hits” is like peeling an onion, with layer and layer of surprises opening wormholes from our world to the world of Doonesbury. Extra: Discovering the music of session singer Renee Armand, and….Keith Moon? How did he get on this album?
- The Ventures – The Ventures (Play the Batman Theme) (1966)
In 1966 comic book superhero Batman and Robin came to television screens in a colorful action-comedy spoof starring Adam West and Burt Ward in the roles of The Dynamic Duo, starting a wave of Bat-Mania throughout the world. An overnight sensation, the program not only had memorable heroes and villains, but one of the most recognizable and beloved television theme songs of all time which quickly became the most recorded song of 1966. A deep dive into the history and the lore of “The Batman Theme,” with special attention to guitar group The Ventures’ 1966 release “The Ventures (Play the Batman Theme).” Bonus: The story of when an eleven year old Sam Tweedle bought his first vintage used record.
- Vinyl Stories Interview – Look Up, Charlie Brown: A Conversation with Ben Folds
Released as a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the creation of the classic comic strip Peanuts, “Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical” is an all new animated feature starring Charlie Brown, Snoopy and all our favorite Peanuts characters, and features three new songs by singer/songwriter Ben Folds. Currently streaming on Apple TV+, its an fun yet emotionally potent special which can be enjoyed by kids discovering Peanuts for the first time, and adults who grew up with the franchise. His second time writing for Peanuts, Ben Folds talks about the process of writing for Charlie Brown, and about continuing Peanuts’ musical legacy.
- The Royal Guardsmen – Snoopy vs. The Red Baron (1967)
Within five weeks of releasing the hit single “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron” in 1966, high school garage band The Royal Guardsmen were not only selling millions of copies, but also at the top of the Billboard chars and opening for The Beach Boys and The Jefferson Airplane. However, despite overnight success, the group would never be able to climb out of the shadow of Charles Schulz’s famous cartoon beagle, and as the band tried to make it as their own entity, their label, Laurie Records, were putting more faith in the popularity of Snoopy than that of The Royal Guardsmen themselves. The often convoluted history of “Snoopy vs. The Red Baron,” and how Snoopy became both The Royal Guardsmen’s biggest ally and greatest foe. Extra: The surprising “song that got away” in 1969 and the one that probably shouldn’t have ever been recorded in 2006.
- Brotherhood – Brotherhood (1968)
Once upon a time, Drake Levin, Phil Volk and Mike Smith were Raiders in one of the hottest bands in American music. But in 1966, unsatisfied by the hit group’s direction, they quit the band and formed their own group, Brotherhood. But despite high ambition and tons of talent, Brotherhood never took off like the trio hoped it would. A look at the obscure Raiders’ splinter group with a focus on their self-titled 1968 debut album, and the continuing story of Levin, Volk and Smith’s music careers after they hung up the three corner hats.
- Paul Revere and the Raiders – Greatest Hits (1967)
Although iconisim seems to have passed them by, between 1966 and 1971 Paul Revere and the Raiders were one of the most prolific bands in America. With a regular spot on ABC-TV’s “Where the Action Is,” coverage in teen magazines and heavy hits like “Just Like Me,” “Hungry” and “Kicks” being part of the popular soundscape, The Raiders seemed to be everywhere. But, at the highest point of their popularity, the group’s entire backline, consisting of Drake Levin, Mike “Smitty” Smith and Phil “Fang” Volk walked away from the group leaving Mark Lindsay and Paul Revere without a band. A look at the history of The Raiders’ first golden era with a focus on Drake, Smitty and Fang including who they were, why they were essential to The Raiders’ success and why they left. Extra: When Drake met Jimi Hendrix, and Paul Revere’s revenge on The Ed Sullivan Show.
