Batmania: Songs Inspired By The Batman TV Series [SOUNDTRACK]

Batman (Related Recordings), Various Artists - Soundtracks - Television

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 1997)
• Original Release Date: July 1, 1997
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Varese Sarabande
• ASIN: B00000151C
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #225,139 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I got mine autographed by Adam West and Frank Gorshin!, September 19, 2004

By	Johnny Heering "trivia buff" (Bethel, CT United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is a collection of 11 Batman novelty songs, plus four different versions of the "Batman Theme". There are novelty songs by three cast members from the Batman TV show; Adam "Batman" West, Burgess "Penguin" Meredith and Frank "Riddler" Gorshin. Unfortunately, Burt "Robin" Ward's song "Boy Wonder, I Love You" was unable to be included. The reason is that the song was produced by Frank Zappa, and Zappa's widow will not allow it to be rereleased. That's a real shame, because it really would have added a lot to this CD. Now, let me discuss what is on the CD:

1. "Batman Theme" by Neal Hefti is the version by the song's composer.
2. "The Story of Batman" by Adam West is a very silly song produced in England in the mid-70s.
3. "The Capture" by Burgess Meredith is a song sung in character as the Penguin.
4. "Batman to the Rescue" by LaVern Baker is a remake of her old hit "Jim Dandy", with Batman subbing for Mr. Dandy.
5. "Batman Theme" by Al Hirt is a jazzy version of the famous theme.
6. "Ratman and Bobin in the Clipper Caper" by the Brothers Four is a bizarre comedy sketch that appeared on the b-side of one of their singles.
7. "Batman a Go Go" by the Combo Kings is an R&B song by a group that sounds a bit like the Miracles.
8. "Miranda" by Adam West is a goofy novelty song that was released during the height of the show's popularity.
9. "That Man" by Peggy Lee is not a very good song, but it probably has the best singing of any song here.
10. "Batman Theme" by Davie Allan & the Arrows is a fuzz rock version of the theme.
11. "The Joker is Wild" by Jan & Dean is from their "Jan & Dean Meet Batman" album.
12. "The Riddler" by Frank Gorshin is an amusing novelty song written by Mel Torme.
13. "The Escape" by Burgess Meredith is the b-side of "The Capture".
14. "Batman and Robin" by Adam West is a short comedy sketch that was the b-side of "The Story of Batman".
15. "Batman Theme" by Joel McNeely and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Chorus is an orchestral version of the TV theme, which also features a bit of the movie theme for good measure.

This is a fun collection of mostly silly songs, some of which are admittedly not very good. But if you like this sort of thing, you should enjoy it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What did the chick say to the other chick when the hen laid an orange instead of an egg?, August 18, 2005

By	Toneman Goldfarb "27" (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This curiosity piece, released by the wonderful Varese Sarabande label in 1997 to coincide with the awful "Batman and Robin" movie and the reasonably good "The New Batman/Superman Adventures" TV series, compiled most of the novelty songs recorded around the time of the classically campy "Batman" series from the mid-to-late-sixties. This CD includes songs recorded by cast members during and after the run of the show, novelties and parodies recorded about Batman, and alternate versions of Neal Hefti's legendary theme. While most of the songs are admittedly not great at all, the best have a great level of enjoyable campiness, and curiously enough, the album proves to stand up after repeated listens, despite its seemingly "novelty" aspect. The best track is, of course, Adam West's "Miranda", which not only proves that West can sing better than William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, but manages to be a great and hilarious song in and of itself (I wonder whom Boy Genius is?). This isn't the sort of release that merits a long review, but I can say, if you're a fan of the '60s TV show and the classic 1966 movie, and you find this CD used for cheap, pick it up. It's missing a few classics (most notably Burt Ward and Frank Zappa's "Boy Wonder, I Love You"), but for the Bat-fans (God, that sounds stupid), it is an essential release.