Thursday 29 December 2011

Bedknobs and Broomsticks


If I had to pick my favorite movie as a child, it had to be Walt Disney's, Bedknobs and Broomsticks. After my parents categorically refused to take me to movies and have to sit through it again I'd go next door and con the neighbors to take me. I thought it was wonderful. When asked what I wanted for Christmas in 1971 (or was it 1972?) I asked for the soundtrack and I got it! Now, my parents were frugal at the best of times but when it came to records why pay $3.99 when you could buy a generic version with nameless singers for $1.50 from K-Mart.

Yes, you guessed it. I had the version by, The Living Voices. I know, you've probably never heard of them. In our family we owned A LOT of records by The Living Voices. They took modern songs and turned them into muzak. Actually, wonderful muzak. Credit where credit is due, Angela Lansbury is a great actress but I was never fond of her singing. The Living Voices divided up the tunes equally between the men and the women and gave the songs a unique twist. Needless to say this record was THRASHED over and over and over. The odd thing today, this version sells for more money than the original soundtrack. As far as I know it hasn't been released on CD. I've added it to my mp3 playlist for that hint of nostalgia. When the songs come on they take me back to a time long ago when I believed if you had a bedknob it could make a bed fly.