What a rollercoaster ride of emotions I had today! Found out this afternoon that the incredible Seattle Cinerama theater was hosting a 35mm archival print of one of my very favorite movies, "Batman" from 1966, AND that both ADAM WEST and BURT WARD were going to be THERE and doing a Q&A before the film!!!! HOLY CRAP! I lost my mind, for this little black duck was a CARD CARRYING MEMBER of the Official Batman Fan Club from that very same year! I HAD TO GO. Yet, when I went to buy tickets...SOLD THE EFF OUT. My entire psyche collapsed into despair; my lips pouted sadly enough to make even a drawerful of tube socks weep for me. What to do? What to do?
My friend Christopher suggested that I try contacting Cinerama, which I did immediately, and found out that a few tickets were going to be released later in the day! WHOOP! WHOOP! Zoom into Seattle, scored the tix, got great seats, and had the most wonderful time! It was such an amazing experience to see the film on the big screen again after 47 years (!!!) -- the first time was when I was a preschooler with a pixie haircut. Everyone laughed and clapped and cheered throughout at the marvelously silly action comedy that has held up so well after all this time. And seeing West and Ward in person was a delight -- funny, sharp, with lots of cool stories. I ARE LUCK.
In honor of my Batmovie evening, tonight I am going to bring you a few of the VERY MANY groups from 1966 that tried to cash in on the Batman phenomena. Sure, everyone in a band HAD to play the "Batman Theme" (even the Kinks, dontcha know), but I'm talking custom-composed-songs here. Please to Bat-enjoy these relics of the pop past!
Hahahaha! Who would actually listen to this? Hahahaha!
The Merriettes, "Here Comes The Batmobile"
Surf sound legends Jan & Dean's final album was a total tribute to Batmania. This is pretty awful.
Jan & Dean, "The Joker Is Wild"
The Squires do a traditional surf rave-up instrumental here, with crowd and car noises. This doesn't seem to have anything to do with Batman directly.
The Squires, "Batmobile"
Leon Russell and Snuff Garrett had something to do with this. It's not any good, either.
The Spotlights, "Batman and Robin"
The only thing I ever knew about the Scaffold was that Mike McCartney's was in the band. BET YOU CAN GUESS WHO HIS BRO IS. Very Bonzo Dog Band.
The Scaffold, "Goodbat Nightman"
In 1966, you really could call your band something like this and people would be all, "Oh, wow, that's groovy." I don't know if this wants to be a song or a novelty song.
Invisible Burgundy Bullfrog, "Batman Rides Again"
Speaking of novelty records...wow. These are all just pretty uniformly terrible!
The Buddies, "Duckman Pt. 1 & 2"
And we shall end with the best Batman rip of all, BURT WARD teaming up with FRANK ZAPPA! Hahahaha! Brilliant.
Burt Ward, "Boy Wonder I Love You"
© Copyright 2008- Marianne Spellman