As Adam West and Burt Ward hit the small screen in January 1966 in the widely popular The Batman TV series and amidst America's dance craze, a slew of Soul and Garage acts recorded singles praising the exlpoits of the Caped Crusader. More than any other superhero, the Dark Knight was by far the one that incited the most people to hit the dance floor. In one of the episodes of the series, they even came up with a dance called the Batusi!
Batman's popularity inspired many bands to ride the Batmobile straight to the recording studio. The show's theme song, penned and arranged by jazz composer Neal Hefti, started it all. Seamingly simple, it's surf like guitar riffs, swinging horns and Mod Jazz organ won Hefti a Best Instrumental Theme Grammy in 1966. Covers of the theme song invaded the airways like an army of thugs descending on Gotham. Mod favorites like The Who, The Kinks and The Jam all took a stab at it.
I could write a whole blog post exclusively about covers of the original theme song but instead I'll try to introduce you to the rare, different and unsual tracks that are sure to please the Mod ear. These are the deep cuts that I managed to find on 45. The criteria are the same as for all the other "suites" that I published on this blog. If I don't own it, it can't make the list. You can listen to all the tracks, in order, on the Parka Avenue Podcast here.
1) Batman - Les Hou-Lops - Apex
I certainly couldn't do a Top 10 without including a local band from my own province of Quebec. Les Hou-Lops were a Garage band with a strong RnB influence. In 1966, the same year this single came out, they opened for The Rolling Stones at the Olympia in Paris.
They recorded a cover of the theme song and simply added some lyrics that are worth paying attention to. Being from Montreal, I have the added bonus of understanding the lyrics. The weird lyrics are, for me, what makes it memorable. At one point he sings: "Batman and Superman, beat up all the bad guys. Batman and Superman, you too will be grown-ups. If you love somebody... and if somebody loves you. Batman." If you think that something has been lost in translation, don't worry, nothing has. Trust me, it doesn't make any more sense in French.
This video of them performing on a local TV show is just a treasure throve of weirdness. Notice the singer Gilles Rousseau push away his guitarist on two accasions so he would have the spolight and show off his ackward dance moves.
2) Butch Baker - Batman at the Go Go - St. Lawrence
What's interesting about this single is that it originaly came out as Batman at the Go Go, with Robin at the Go Go as the b-side, but was quickly withdrawn after a "cease and desist" demand from DC Comics. Existing promo copies were ordered to be destroyed but a few survived. Some stock copies resurfaced years after its initial release. The label reissued it under Fatman at the Go Go / Working at the Go Go.
It is said that Butch Baker was a pseudonym for Jerome Rogers. Apprently, he was renamed by the record label for two main reasons. His grandfather was a minister and he didn't want him to be associated with secular music and his nickname was Butch.
3) Combo Kings - Batman A Go Go - Jamie
Look at that! Batman must have been popular at the Go Go because here he is again. The Combo Kings laid a solid party starter with this one. Far from being based on the Batman theme, with some infectuous horns, this is a true original. Do The Fizz on the b-side makes it a genuine double-sider.
The Combo Kings were a Philly suburbs group that formed in 1959. They were the back-up band that you turned to when you came to Philadelphia to appear on the American Bandstand Show. They performed alongside Sam Cooke, The Isley Brothers, Dee Dee Sharp and Frankie Beverly.
4) Lavern Baker - Batman to the Rescue - Brunswick
Holy seven inch Batman! This uptempo dancer will have you swing off your Bat-Grapple straight onto dance floor. RnB and early Rock & Roll diva Lavern Baker recorded this track in 1966 in the Brunswick studios. Batman to the Rescue was basically a sped up remake of her early 1956 hit Jim Dandy released during her prolofic time at Atlantic. The Brunswick management simply wanted to capitalize on the Batman craze of the moment and her early success at Atlantic. My copy might be a bit rough but a Canadian pressing does not come up often.
5) The Camps - Batmobile - Parkway
This Garage / Surf hybride came out in 1967 and was penned and arranged by Sunny Curtis, best known for the hit I Fought The Law. The promo copy strangely credits The Campers and even has a typo in the A-side title, The Ballard of Batman.
6) The Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog - Batman Rides Again - Panther
The Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog... What a great name for a Garage band! Hell, it could make for a perfect super vilain! I can picture a "Pow!" and a "Zoink!" suddenly appearing on the TV screen while Batman gives that nasty Bullfrog a lesson. Quick question. How do you know if a bullfrog is burgundy if it's invisible?
Not much is known about the band except that they hailed from Geensboro, North Carolina. Batman Rides Again was the b-side to their only single, a cover of Cry Me a River.
7) The Sensational Guitars Of Dan & Dale - Robin's Theme - Tifton
It's about time we give a little recognition to the Boy Wonder. Always the b-side, poor Robin doesn't get the attention he deserves. On this record, the Batman Theme gets it's ass kicked by the much stronger Robin's Theme on the flip. The crazy guitar solo is worth the price of admission by itself. It can put any cheesy 80s Heavy Metal guitarist to shame. I must admit, I really like this one.
Who are these mysterious Dan & Dale? Members of Sun Ra's Arkestra and the Blues Project making sure they wouldn't be caught making a novelty record.
8) Gate Wesley & Band - (Zap! Pow!) Do The Batman - Atlantic
Gate Wesley really hit a double whammy with this funk number, attacking on two fronts. He juiced both the Batmania sweeping the nation and the danze crazes that were popular in the 60s. Speaking of juice, you continuously hear the singer ask for some O.J. Why? Probably because Batman needs his vitamin C to catch all the meanies roaming the streets of Gotham.
9) The Spotlights - Batman and Robin - Smash
The Spolights who later became The Allman Joys recorded Batman and Robin for the Smash record label in 1966. Lou Courtney, one of my favorite Soul singers, is credited as being one of the producers. 4000 promo copies were sent to radio stations accross the land before its release. The track is a fine example of solid Garage. The lyrics recount the tales of Batman and his sidekick laying a trap to catch some criminals. Crime doesn't pay but a good song will.
10) Scotty McKay & His Orchestra - Here Comes Batman - Claridge
Watch out! Here comes Batman... at the same time every other Batman record made its way to the record shop in 1966. Released on the New York label Claridge, I own the rarely seen Canadian pressing that came out on Barry.
The song was performed by Texas native Scotty McKay aka Max Lipscomb in the 1967 made-for-television b-movie, Creatures of Destruction. Here's some footage of his band performing both the solid b-side, All Around The World and Here Comes Batman.
To hear all the tracks, make sure to leap over to the Parka Avenue Podcast on Mixcloud right here.
I could write a whole blog post exclusively about covers of the original theme song but instead I'll try to introduce you to the rare, different and unsual tracks that are sure to please the Mod ear. These are the deep cuts that I managed to find on 45. The criteria are the same as for all the other "suites" that I published on this blog. If I don't own it, it can't make the list. You can listen to all the tracks, in order, on the Parka Avenue Podcast here.
1) Batman - Les Hou-Lops - Apex
I certainly couldn't do a Top 10 without including a local band from my own province of Quebec. Les Hou-Lops were a Garage band with a strong RnB influence. In 1966, the same year this single came out, they opened for The Rolling Stones at the Olympia in Paris.
They recorded a cover of the theme song and simply added some lyrics that are worth paying attention to. Being from Montreal, I have the added bonus of understanding the lyrics. The weird lyrics are, for me, what makes it memorable. At one point he sings: "Batman and Superman, beat up all the bad guys. Batman and Superman, you too will be grown-ups. If you love somebody... and if somebody loves you. Batman." If you think that something has been lost in translation, don't worry, nothing has. Trust me, it doesn't make any more sense in French.
This video of them performing on a local TV show is just a treasure throve of weirdness. Notice the singer Gilles Rousseau push away his guitarist on two accasions so he would have the spolight and show off his ackward dance moves.
2) Butch Baker - Batman at the Go Go - St. Lawrence
What's interesting about this single is that it originaly came out as Batman at the Go Go, with Robin at the Go Go as the b-side, but was quickly withdrawn after a "cease and desist" demand from DC Comics. Existing promo copies were ordered to be destroyed but a few survived. Some stock copies resurfaced years after its initial release. The label reissued it under Fatman at the Go Go / Working at the Go Go.
It is said that Butch Baker was a pseudonym for Jerome Rogers. Apprently, he was renamed by the record label for two main reasons. His grandfather was a minister and he didn't want him to be associated with secular music and his nickname was Butch.
3) Combo Kings - Batman A Go Go - Jamie
Look at that! Batman must have been popular at the Go Go because here he is again. The Combo Kings laid a solid party starter with this one. Far from being based on the Batman theme, with some infectuous horns, this is a true original. Do The Fizz on the b-side makes it a genuine double-sider.
The Combo Kings were a Philly suburbs group that formed in 1959. They were the back-up band that you turned to when you came to Philadelphia to appear on the American Bandstand Show. They performed alongside Sam Cooke, The Isley Brothers, Dee Dee Sharp and Frankie Beverly.
4) Lavern Baker - Batman to the Rescue - Brunswick
Holy seven inch Batman! This uptempo dancer will have you swing off your Bat-Grapple straight onto dance floor. RnB and early Rock & Roll diva Lavern Baker recorded this track in 1966 in the Brunswick studios. Batman to the Rescue was basically a sped up remake of her early 1956 hit Jim Dandy released during her prolofic time at Atlantic. The Brunswick management simply wanted to capitalize on the Batman craze of the moment and her early success at Atlantic. My copy might be a bit rough but a Canadian pressing does not come up often.
5) The Camps - Batmobile - Parkway
This Garage / Surf hybride came out in 1967 and was penned and arranged by Sunny Curtis, best known for the hit I Fought The Law. The promo copy strangely credits The Campers and even has a typo in the A-side title, The Ballard of Batman.
6) The Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog - Batman Rides Again - Panther
The Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog... What a great name for a Garage band! Hell, it could make for a perfect super vilain! I can picture a "Pow!" and a "Zoink!" suddenly appearing on the TV screen while Batman gives that nasty Bullfrog a lesson. Quick question. How do you know if a bullfrog is burgundy if it's invisible?
Not much is known about the band except that they hailed from Geensboro, North Carolina. Batman Rides Again was the b-side to their only single, a cover of Cry Me a River.
7) The Sensational Guitars Of Dan & Dale - Robin's Theme - Tifton
It's about time we give a little recognition to the Boy Wonder. Always the b-side, poor Robin doesn't get the attention he deserves. On this record, the Batman Theme gets it's ass kicked by the much stronger Robin's Theme on the flip. The crazy guitar solo is worth the price of admission by itself. It can put any cheesy 80s Heavy Metal guitarist to shame. I must admit, I really like this one.
Who are these mysterious Dan & Dale? Members of Sun Ra's Arkestra and the Blues Project making sure they wouldn't be caught making a novelty record.
8) Gate Wesley & Band - (Zap! Pow!) Do The Batman - Atlantic
Gate Wesley really hit a double whammy with this funk number, attacking on two fronts. He juiced both the Batmania sweeping the nation and the danze crazes that were popular in the 60s. Speaking of juice, you continuously hear the singer ask for some O.J. Why? Probably because Batman needs his vitamin C to catch all the meanies roaming the streets of Gotham.
The Spolights who later became The Allman Joys recorded Batman and Robin for the Smash record label in 1966. Lou Courtney, one of my favorite Soul singers, is credited as being one of the producers. 4000 promo copies were sent to radio stations accross the land before its release. The track is a fine example of solid Garage. The lyrics recount the tales of Batman and his sidekick laying a trap to catch some criminals. Crime doesn't pay but a good song will.
10) Scotty McKay & His Orchestra - Here Comes Batman - Claridge
Watch out! Here comes Batman... at the same time every other Batman record made its way to the record shop in 1966. Released on the New York label Claridge, I own the rarely seen Canadian pressing that came out on Barry.
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| Another Shag masterpiece called Batman Battle Royale |
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Wait.. what? No Batman (the Montréal group) singing "L'Invincible Batman" or "Un mauvais farceur"? ; ) This 45 has to be one of the raunchiest garage-punk single outta La Belle Province. Find it!
ReplyDeleteJust a second Mister Desrosiers... Do you seriously think that if I had that 45 I would have left it out of this list?! I'm willing to drop some big bucks to put my hands on that killer record! If you have a copy for sale, you know where to find me. ;)
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