Goodbye yellow brick road
June 12, 2008 8:44 PM Subscribe
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road with Dr. Teeth and friends
SLYT, but it's worth it!
SLYT, but it's worth it!
Wow, I feel like such a chump. I had no idea "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" was not an original song by less skillful musician on her pretty crappy recent album. This video made me feel bad about my ignorance, but on the second view became pretty awesome.
posted by Science! at 8:51 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by Science! at 8:51 PM on June 12, 2008
Holy crap. I'm a super chump. That's not even the song I was thinking of. Still, I like these videos.
posted by Science! at 8:54 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by Science! at 8:54 PM on June 12, 2008
Nice. My biggest surprise is that Animal was able to contain himself and not cut loose on the drums during such a slow song. Like this. Or this.
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:54 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by Effigy2000 at 8:54 PM on June 12, 2008
Thank you, potch, for linking to the live performance. That song is in my top three all-time favorites. Got a soft spot for the Muppet Show as well.
posted by lysistrata at 8:55 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by lysistrata at 8:55 PM on June 12, 2008
On watching this, I was sentimental for my childhood in the 70's, which was only slightly diminished by the comment, "Elton John gargles cum."
Seriously? Can we just post songs we like now?
posted by chococat at 9:02 PM on June 12, 2008
Seriously? Can we just post songs we like now?
posted by chococat at 9:02 PM on June 12, 2008
Ahhh, memories...
Five years or so ago, I spent a long weekend with friends holed up in one of the most ridiculously opulent houses in New Canaan, CT, drinking for three days straight and figuring out what we were going to try to do to break into the film and television world. On the last day, having come up with much shenanigans and no ideas, we were all half-unconscious on couches watching Muppets From Space, which is my personal favorite Muppet movie, despite having grown up with the more classic ones.
It was at this point that I said, not even really thinking about it, that we should do a spoof "Behind the Music" episode on Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The group snapped out of their comas and started brainstorming. We went back to New York and got to work.
Over the next three months, I scoured over every Muppet movie and television episode I could get my hands on, writing out the treatment. We used the limited contacts we had to get in touch with an absolutely fantastic guy named Tyler Bunch, who was (and probably still is) one of the top puppeteers in New York. As my first major real relationship crumbled, I would make frequent trips up to Stratford, CT, and work with Tyler and my colleagues into the morning hours developing the best script we could out of found footage and the likely available interviewees.
Tyler managed to secure a meeting with Lisa Henson, President of West Coast development for Henson, which really meant all development and every creative decision, at the large scale of things. I put the finishing touches on my treatment, we worked together on the pitch, and off he went.
By Tyler's report, it didn't take long into the pitch before Lisa essentially said, "We love it."
Unfortunately, the next sentence out of her mouth was, "We love it so much we've been developing the same idea for three months."
I'm in law school now. But I still love the Muppets.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:07 PM on June 12, 2008 [14 favorites]
Five years or so ago, I spent a long weekend with friends holed up in one of the most ridiculously opulent houses in New Canaan, CT, drinking for three days straight and figuring out what we were going to try to do to break into the film and television world. On the last day, having come up with much shenanigans and no ideas, we were all half-unconscious on couches watching Muppets From Space, which is my personal favorite Muppet movie, despite having grown up with the more classic ones.
It was at this point that I said, not even really thinking about it, that we should do a spoof "Behind the Music" episode on Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The group snapped out of their comas and started brainstorming. We went back to New York and got to work.
Over the next three months, I scoured over every Muppet movie and television episode I could get my hands on, writing out the treatment. We used the limited contacts we had to get in touch with an absolutely fantastic guy named Tyler Bunch, who was (and probably still is) one of the top puppeteers in New York. As my first major real relationship crumbled, I would make frequent trips up to Stratford, CT, and work with Tyler and my colleagues into the morning hours developing the best script we could out of found footage and the likely available interviewees.
Tyler managed to secure a meeting with Lisa Henson, President of West Coast development for Henson, which really meant all development and every creative decision, at the large scale of things. I put the finishing touches on my treatment, we worked together on the pitch, and off he went.
By Tyler's report, it didn't take long into the pitch before Lisa essentially said, "We love it."
Unfortunately, the next sentence out of her mouth was, "We love it so much we've been developing the same idea for three months."
I'm in law school now. But I still love the Muppets.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:07 PM on June 12, 2008 [14 favorites]
Thanks Wheelieman.
I know who Elton John is. I know what YouTube is. I know what the Muppets are.
Still, for some reason, in this moment, I really needed to see that. I'll never know why, but it felt good. =)
Maybe it's like peanut butter and chocolate on ice cream. Doesn't always hit the spot. Not always in the mood for those three things at the same time. Every now and then though, at just the right time, when you're in just the right mood, nothing else will do.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:15 PM on June 12, 2008
I know who Elton John is. I know what YouTube is. I know what the Muppets are.
Still, for some reason, in this moment, I really needed to see that. I'll never know why, but it felt good. =)
Maybe it's like peanut butter and chocolate on ice cream. Doesn't always hit the spot. Not always in the mood for those three things at the same time. Every now and then though, at just the right time, when you're in just the right mood, nothing else will do.
posted by ZachsMind at 9:15 PM on June 12, 2008
which was only slightly diminished by the comment, "Elton John gargles cum."
I was observing this video and it made me think "You know, is Elton John the really-gay version of David Bowie or is David Bowie the fake-gay/"metrosexual" version of Elton John?" Any thoughts here? You know, Space Oddity vs. Rocket Man, etc.?
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:25 PM on June 12, 2008
I was observing this video and it made me think "You know, is Elton John the really-gay version of David Bowie or is David Bowie the fake-gay/"metrosexual" version of Elton John?" Any thoughts here? You know, Space Oddity vs. Rocket Man, etc.?
posted by TheOnlyCoolTim at 9:25 PM on June 12, 2008
I love Elton John and I love The Muppets, but this performance rather fails to highlight anything that is interesting about either.
posted by chudmonkey at 9:26 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by chudmonkey at 9:26 PM on June 12, 2008
Ooh! Harry Belafonte. I needed to see that too. Thanks Effigy2000. Now I'm a happy. =)
posted by ZachsMind at 9:31 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by ZachsMind at 9:31 PM on June 12, 2008
While I love this song, I have to wonder about the appropriateness of singing a song about being a disillusioned rent boy on the freaking muppets.
This, however, is a work of such perverse perfection that it pretty much leaves me speechless...
posted by Chrischris at 9:37 PM on June 12, 2008
This, however, is a work of such perverse perfection that it pretty much leaves me speechless...
posted by Chrischris at 9:37 PM on June 12, 2008
which was only slightly diminished by the comment, "Elton John gargles cum."
Great. I'll never be able to watch this Muppet clip the same way again. (12 seconds in)
posted by hal9k at 9:38 PM on June 12, 2008 [1 favorite]
Great. I'll never be able to watch this Muppet clip the same way again. (12 seconds in)
posted by hal9k at 9:38 PM on June 12, 2008 [1 favorite]
...David Bowie's not gay? I just always assumed he was. I mean, I'm a closed-minded homophobe so you gotta take my ignorance with the sincerity with which it is intended. Whaddaya mean he's not gay?
I remember when I was a kid assuming everyone was straight and not really registering just what gay meant, but then Elton left Olivia. That was my first tip off. What straight guy in his right mind would leave Olivia? I was like SEVEN and girls around the playground still had cooties, and even I knew no straight guy in his right mind would leave Olivia. She looked like an angel, the tooth fairy, and the golden harp from Jack and the Beanstalk all rolled up into one package. ...I was seven. Gimme a break.
David Bowie was only pretending to be gay? ALL THOSE YEARS? Now I'm really confused. Freddie Mercury was gay right? If Freddie Mercury wasn't gay, I want my money back on my gaydar cuz it don't work for shit.
In hindsight, I shoulda realized Elton was gay BEFORE he married Olivia Newton John. The fact Elton even had a wardrobe was a hint. Straight men don't have a wardrobe. We have clothes. Gay men have a wardrobe. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just sayin'.
....Lassie was really a guy... wasn't she?
posted by ZachsMind at 9:42 PM on June 12, 2008
I remember when I was a kid assuming everyone was straight and not really registering just what gay meant, but then Elton left Olivia. That was my first tip off. What straight guy in his right mind would leave Olivia? I was like SEVEN and girls around the playground still had cooties, and even I knew no straight guy in his right mind would leave Olivia. She looked like an angel, the tooth fairy, and the golden harp from Jack and the Beanstalk all rolled up into one package. ...I was seven. Gimme a break.
David Bowie was only pretending to be gay? ALL THOSE YEARS? Now I'm really confused. Freddie Mercury was gay right? If Freddie Mercury wasn't gay, I want my money back on my gaydar cuz it don't work for shit.
In hindsight, I shoulda realized Elton was gay BEFORE he married Olivia Newton John. The fact Elton even had a wardrobe was a hint. Straight men don't have a wardrobe. We have clothes. Gay men have a wardrobe. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but I'm just sayin'.
....Lassie was really a guy... wasn't she?
posted by ZachsMind at 9:42 PM on June 12, 2008
Behind the Music: Electric Mayhem.
Too bad, navelgazer.
posted by GuyZero at 9:46 PM on June 12, 2008
Too bad, navelgazer.
posted by GuyZero at 9:46 PM on June 12, 2008
What's amazing about this song (the actual one on the show) and many of the other Muppet Show songs is how pure the recordings were - this recording of the song is actually Elton at this amazing prime of his voice.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 9:48 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 9:48 PM on June 12, 2008
50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, Electric Mayhem style.
Ralph: Are you sure it's not 50 ways to love your lever?
Floyd: Positive.
posted by GuyZero at 9:57 PM on June 12, 2008
Ralph: Are you sure it's not 50 ways to love your lever?
Floyd: Positive.
posted by GuyZero at 9:57 PM on June 12, 2008
As a hopelessly pathetic and unfunny student of comedy, I understand academically why The Behind the Music piece for Robot Chicken had to kill off Animal. I mean you can't pass up the "had to put him down" line. That's gold right there. However, I have never understood why they had to say Janice was dying of STDs. When she tells Howard Stern to fuck off, it strikes the wrong chord. Again, academically I can see they're going for shock value, but it's just not funny to me. The joke needed something else in order to work. I can't put my finger on it. Zoot getting caught with hash in Tokyo though? Pure genius.
posted by ZachsMind at 10:04 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by ZachsMind at 10:04 PM on June 12, 2008
Freddy Mercury was actually trisexual--as in, he'd try anything. He was similar to Grover Cleveland in this way.
posted by raysmj at 10:14 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by raysmj at 10:14 PM on June 12, 2008
Pamela Anderson got hep C from Tommy Lee. So it's art-imitates-life. Anderson probably also told Stern to fuck off once or twice - I assume it's parodying an actual Anderson-Stern exchange.
posted by GuyZero at 10:23 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by GuyZero at 10:23 PM on June 12, 2008
Also, the Robot Chicken pieces always take it a little too far. Their Scooby parody ends with Velma having sex with the crazy killer. It's still no Meet the Feebles - thanks goodness.
posted by GuyZero at 10:26 PM on June 12, 2008
posted by GuyZero at 10:26 PM on June 12, 2008
In hindsight, I shoulda realized Elton was gay BEFORE he married Olivia Newton John.
I don't know what kind of brain-damaging huff-drug would cause such a hallucination, but I might want some.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:28 AM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
I don't know what kind of brain-damaging huff-drug would cause such a hallucination, but I might want some.
posted by FelliniBlank at 5:28 AM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
Elton on the Muppet Show is one of my favorite things ever. Crocodile Rock, linked above, specifically. Also - I can never hear Don't Go Breakin' My Heart without hearing this instead.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 5:52 AM on June 13, 2008
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 5:52 AM on June 13, 2008
Janice, with my favorite Muppet moment ever.
posted by EarBucket at 6:16 AM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by EarBucket at 6:16 AM on June 13, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm amused that the outfit he has on makes Elton John look as much like a muppet as anyone else on stage.
posted by caution live frogs at 6:43 AM on June 13, 2008
posted by caution live frogs at 6:43 AM on June 13, 2008
Me happy. I bought Goodbye Yellow Brick Road on CD the other week, and spent half the weekend justifying the purchase to my girlfriend*.
Her: "But why?"
Me: "Because it was only $9. Because it's actually a damned good album. And because it's a reminder that Elton once had talent, and was more than a sad old poof doing Disney soundtracks."
(* Do I ask her to justify her Nick Cave or Kate Bush tastes to me? No...)
posted by Pinback at 6:05 PM on June 13, 2008
Her: "But why?"
Me: "Because it was only $9. Because it's actually a damned good album. And because it's a reminder that Elton once had talent, and was more than a sad old poof doing Disney soundtracks."
(* Do I ask her to justify her Nick Cave or Kate Bush tastes to me? No...)
posted by Pinback at 6:05 PM on June 13, 2008
Kate Bush is a saint! I can't defend her Nick Cave taste tho. Ew.
posted by ZachsMind at 7:47 AM on June 15, 2008
posted by ZachsMind at 7:47 AM on June 15, 2008
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Here's a link to the full Muppet Show performance.
posted by potch at 8:48 PM on June 12, 2008