Sun Ra and The Blues Project Do Batman and Robin (MP3s)

In 1966, a toy company in Newark, New Jersey released a children's record called Batman and Robin to cash in on the popular Adam West TV series of the same name. The music on the LP was credited to "The Sensational Guitars of Dan and Dale," but in fact the band was one of the greatest uncredited session combos of all time, including the core of Sun Ra's Arkestra and Al Kooper's Blues Project. To keep the music licensing fees to a minimum, all the tracks were based on public domain items like Chopin's Polonaise Op. 53, the horn theme from Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony and the love theme from Romeo and Juliet, and generic rock riffs. It's all instrumental, with the exception of Robin's Theme (MP3), featuring an uncredited vocalist who I hope some reader will be able identify. More info on the Italian boot reissue of this record here and here.

Batman Theme   |   Batman's Batmarang   |   Batman and Robin Over The Roofs

The Penguin Chase   |   Flight of the Batman   |   Joker is Wild

Robin's Theme   |   Penguin's Umbrella   |   Batman and Robin Swing

Batmobile Wheels   |   The Riddler's Retreat   |   The Bat Cave

Comments

[Chuck Jones]

My friend Anthony Elms lent me a copy of this a few years ago and it's one of most favorite albums ever. It's so skilled and happy and loose and right. It also makes no sense as to why it exists in the first place. That makes it much better.

[Dave K]

Whoa....Garage sale album years ago, I knew the Sun-Ra link, but thought guys like Mickey Baker and Co. did the guitar work. Thanks for the info #7170

[Walter Potter]

Way cool! Thanks guys, I'd never heard of this one. You constantly amaze me!

[randi]

I owned some of these singles as a five year old kid. Thanks for reminding me of them.

[Brian]

Sublime stuff. Apologies for the multiple Trackbacks, was an editing thing.

[michael]

for what it's worth, I asked Blue Project guitarist Danny Kalb (he lives in my neighborhood) about the great Sun Ra/Blue Project collaboration and he said how much he hated those sessions. He seemed genuinely pissed off about it.

[tran5]

ever hear jan and dean's version of this?? it's pretty cool as well.

[Motis]

This is now available for download via BitTorrent at http://www.secret-cinema.com with Ken's comments, cover art, and other info included. Nice find, Ken!

[Apeweek]

Hey, The Riddler's Retreat is a Beatle's tune... She Loves You (yeah, yeah, yeah.) Listen to it.

[petruk]

Sun Ra used to do a song in concert "Unmask the Batman" - where can I get a download of that?

[Joe]

The vocalist on "Robin's Theme" sounds like it might be June Tyson, who sang with Ra on a few sessions, including Space Is the Place. Just a guess, but Tyson had a similarly full-bodied voice.

[dj wha lee]

Oh yeah! I've got Robin's Theme on a comp and have been looking ages for this.
Thanks Ken. Boff! Zap!! Kapow!!!

[steve]

My parents actually purchased this for me as a gift. It was sold for a couple bucks at the Lucky grocery store ... And I was excited to get it. Unfortunately, as a kid, I could not figure out what it had to do with the TV series beyond containing music that "sounded like" the Adam West show. The sleeve only contained generic images of batman and robin and a track listing. I kept asking my friends, "Who is dan and dale?" So I'm glad this strange record from my childhood actually does have a backstory!

[Mike Jackson]

Wow, I have this album! My recollection which may not be accurate anymore was that this thing came from a gas station. I was like 5 or 6 when the show was on, 42 now so think I can get a pass on faulty recall.

Is the album worth something today?

[Clyde Frog]

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Confusing. I downloaded those BATMAN MP3s. It's the damndest thing.

This album is remarkably similar to the one we had. Dad bought that one at my request at Arlens' in '66. I remember it cost $3 and change, roughly equivalent to $962.50 in 2006 "dollars". Dad, after buying it, was not interested in hearing my bitching about its authenticity. In fact, he was quite puzzled and hostile at my response.

However, it is NOT the exact same album. The cover art is astonishingly similar. The song titles are similar, if not identical. But the performances and the public domain compositional source material is not the same. I suppose that many companies released nearly identical albums of "Batman soundtracks" to cash in, and each borrowed conceptually, without attribution, from the ones preceding.

I hope your sports team won in the Super Ball.
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[Lukas]

The LP does not seem to have a collector's value, it recently sold on eBay for $2.25. Sellers who wanted a starting price of $5 or higher did not even get a single bid.

[bartelby]

I think the guy above saying that one of the vocalists is June Tyson is correct. I listened thinking that it sounded like the voice on "Space is the Place." I would have had to check the insert to confirm the name. Also I've seen this as a CD in a plain ol' record store a few times, in the Sun Ra section. It didn't seem too rare. I mentally placed on my list of stuff I would purchase eventually.

[Marc]

I got this album when it first came out. I was a kid of five, maybe, and I was devastated that it didn't actually have the Batman theme song as heard on TV. My dad went back to the record store with me, and as I bawled my eyes out (I wasn't faking), he convinced the record store clerk to exchange it for a nice Flintstones record.

[jimson]

I've had copies of this record in the past and never really liked it (despite knowing it was SunRa & Co.). SunRa or not, it still just bored me as mostly repetetive hack surf rock. The price of this has fluctuated over the years-- i've seen it go for $30 or more at times. I'd always assumed it was June Tyson on vocals as well, though it's hard to tell from the minimal lyrics. I remember buying it with a lot of Power Records superhero story albums, and was disappointed that it was MUSIC and not spoken word.

[mr. nice guy]

holy crap! i have this on vinyl and i've always loved their groovy Batman Theme workout. all this time, i had no idea who those hepcats in the studio were. thank you for blowing my mind this fine morning.

[Jack Vaughan]

I think someone should make a movie to go along with this Arkestral soundtrack.

[Bill Tienken]

I have always enjoyed the theme from Batman TV series being a fan of Nelson Riddle and just love to listen to different takes on the Batman TV theme.

[Andy Barker]

Just found this great site, been under Uluru. Respect! Joker is Wild and The Bat Cave = Goon River and Neck Twist by Frankie Stein & His Ghouls from 'Monster Sounds & Dance Music' without the added spooky noise's etc. See 'Scary Stuff' Blog for more guff. Perhaps others have made this connection; I have lived under a big rock for eons. I am a computer novice...whats a URL, TypeKey???

[martin]

i think i should have a copy of this....where can i get it?

Cleveland, England

[Martin Davies]

Where can you get it? You can buy it on amazon, it's freely and inexpensively available and has been for ages. This is not exactly a discovery! Similarly 'Unmask the Batman', which someone else asked about is available on the Sun Ra Saturn Singles CD from Evidence, also available on amazon & elsewhere. It is great! Get it!

martin