D. J. David B. Spins Comics-Tunes: Holey Moley! It’s Captain Marvel!
I, D.J. David B., have a confession to make. I was one of those people who bought up multiple copies of Shazam #1 when it was released back in 1973. Not only did I snap up every copy in my local comics shop, but I drove around (oops, I just revealed my age!) to other neighborhoods to try and corner the market. I am so ashamed.
Not only am I ashamed of depriving other kids from reading Shazam #1, but I’m ashamed of my rotten business sense. What was I thinking? Granted, DC had a big display at the comic convention that summer promoting the return of Captain Marvel as if it were the Second Coming. (Actually, that’s a pretty good analogy!) The Second Coming of the Big Red Cheese turned innocent kids into speculators and basically ruined comic book collecting for all time. Go ahead, blame me.
Meanwhile, here’s a nice vintage Captain Marvel cover just to get the bad taste out of your mouth from the above.
All of which brings me to this week’s Comics Tune: The Incredible Shotzam.
This is the most requested song of all time here at ITCH headquarters (exactly one request) so we did not hesitate to find an excuse to share it. As with several other oddball songs previously presented here, it comes from the Comic Book Heroes LP by the Capes and Masks. The story behind it is so long and involved it will have to wait for another time. The upshot of it is this: these tracks were originally recorded as “crime jazz” and re-purposed as comic booky tunes. In other words, they have nothing to do with comics, except for the titles which were goofy parodies. So, for example, an instrumental entitled “Stool Pigeon” might be re-titled “The Atom Smasher Fights the C.A.N.A.R.Y. Gang From the Planet Zeroxa.” Or, “Murder, Inc.” might be re-packaged as “Hey, What Th—?” in order to capitalize on the Batman craze. (It’s stuff like this that keeps record collectors like me on our eternal quest to unravel the myriad mysteries of modern music.)
Confused? Then just listen to The Incredible Shotzam. A record that’s not about Captain Marvel but has a title that’s vaguely similar to the DC Comics revival of same. And if you need a copy of Shazam #1, I still have a few (dozen) left.
Enough of this nonsense! Click the link below and listen!
— DJ David B.
This one’s for you, Ryan!
Thanks a bundle, Dave!
Having some browser problems tonight, so can’t listen to it just yet (these issues are usually resolved by the morning), but thanks a lot - really appreciated.
Now I know the name of the album, so at least I know what I’m looking for. Although the chances of such an album turning up in the records shops of Liverpool (UK version - a few thousand miles away really).
I’ll keep searching though, keep up with the fun music, yes!
Ooh, it’s their best one yet! A lot more… suave?
If by “suave” you mean “no goofy sound effects and cheesy attempts at humor” then yes, I agree!