If you've never been to South Beach, you might be surprised to know there's not a lot of Latin music here (for that, I have to plug in my Jerry Rivera station on Pandora). No, the soundtrack of SoBe is dance music. Steady, relentless, incessant, omnipresent dance music. It's not that it's at the clubs (because of course it is). It's playing in the hotel lobbies, the shoe stories, the UPS vans, the confessionals, the Holocaust memorial, the botanical gardens, and the bathroom at the gelatteria.
Now this is the native music of my people, so on the whole it's not too annoying (though having to fight a nearly irresistible urge to jump atop the Holocaust Memorial and start Elevated-Arm Dancing was distressing).
Most of the dance music here is aimless, featureless, and nameless. But there've been some truly inspired dance adaptations of themes songs from popular culture. I mean, if Beethoven's Albumblatt can make a kickin' dance tune, it stands to reason you could do it with, you know, some real music.
So this puts me in the mind to share this (not entirely comic book related) post about Songs That Need To Be Redone As Dance Numbers But Haven't Yet (To My Knowledge). "Wonder Woman" certainly has, as has "Batman", and, to some degree "Superfriends" (although a much longer version is overdue).
WHY did I love this show, even though I was too old for it?
Best. Theme. Ever.
Can't you just SEE little Chinese children of the revolution marching to this tune?
Really, this one's so obvious, I can't believe it's never been done; has it?
It tooks me years to figure out "wealth and fame he's ignored".
I sing this one every morning. In the same key.
Work it, Johnny Nash!
This one is almost there already.
The ticking is a nice touch.
Not just the theme song from "Star Blazers", but the entire musical score was a treat. Here's half an episode in the original Japanese (to spare you the terrible English dubbing, you're welcome):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-TNh_n8Q5A
There's got to be a dance remix of Spider-Man out there somewhere. I've already got versions by the Ramones and Moxy Fruvous. Add in Spider-Pig from the Simpsons movie, and you've got the making for some kind of crazy Megamix.
ReplyDeleteHercules - Iron in his Thighs?
ReplyDeleteOh My.
The Time Tunnel theme is great. You can't beat Sixties teevee themes.
The Hercules theme gets a lot of singing at Stately Mag Manor. Nobody appreciates it, though.
ReplyDeleteIf the lyrics
ReplyDelete"softness is his eyes
iron in his thighs"
don't move you in private ways, then I say you're just not human.
For the longest time I thought it was "welcomed friends, he's ignored" you know 'cuz Spidey's a lone wolf.
ReplyDeleteI like the theme to the TV version of Alien Nation.
Spider-Man from the 90's sounds kind of like a remix already. The recent Spectacular Spider-Man theme is kind of catchy, too. Maybe that could be remixed.
The word verification is ashroper. Honest.
There IS a very glitzy big band remake of the Spider Man theme by Michael Buble. It's not half bad, and of course, Micahel Buble (swoooon). You can hear it here:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1AuWZFGng4
That Michael Buble version is the best...I love him to pieces to begin with...great in concert...anyway...That Spider-Man version of Michael's was also mixed by Ralphi Rosario (if no one knows, he is one of the biggest dance remixers out there).
ReplyDeleteI bet anything Mr. Buble's family name was originally pronounced "Bubble", but when he got into show business he changed it to "boob-lay" to give it that exotic euro sound that is so marketable to Americans. (Which would make him something of a doo-shay bag.)
ReplyDeleteI was watching The Mighty Hercules when they cut in to tell me President Kennedy had been shot.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe I've ever heard that song song since then, yet I remember every word. Odd.
But the best cartoon theme ever is Johhny Quest.
This will not have effect as a matter of fact, that's what I suppose.
ReplyDeletemetal building