Ol' Brown Ears Is Back

Ol' Brown Ears Is Back
Studio album by
Rowlf the Dog
ReleasedApril 6, 1993
RecordedJanuary 1984
Genre
Length27:37
Label
Producer
The Muppets chronology
The Muppet Christmas Carol: Original Soundtrack
(1992) 		Ol' Brown Ears Is Back
(1993) 		Muppet Beach Party
(1994)

Ol' Brown Ears Is Back is an album released by The Jim Henson Company through BMG Kidz in 1993. The album consists of 14 songs recorded by American puppeteer Jim Henson as the Muppet character Rowlf the Dog.[1][2][3] Although released three years after Henson's death, the tracks were recorded in 1984. It was released in CD and cassette form, with the latter including a poster.

The album's title is a reference to Frank Sinatra's 1973 album Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back.

Songs

Ol' Brown Ears Is Back features Jim Henson performing songs as Muppet Rowlf the Dog. The tracks include "Lydia the Tattooed Lady", a song composed by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg that first appeared in the 1939 film At the Circus, in which it was performed by Groucho Marx;[4][better source needed] "Eight Little Notes", a song that includes a rendition of "Für Elise" by Ludwig van Beethoven;[1] "Halfway Down the Stairs" and "Cottleston Pie" by author A. A. Milne, the latter originally appearing as a poem in Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories;[5][better source needed] "Bein' Green", originally performed by Henson as Kermit the Frog on The Muppet Show;[1] and "New York State of Mind" by Billy Joel.[1]

Reception

Lynne Heffley of the Los Angeles Times reviewed the album positively, calling it "a treasure for Henson fans and a family listening treat."[1]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Lydia, the Tattooed Lady"Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg2:08
2."Eight Little Notes"Larry Grossman, Hal Hackady, Ludwig van Beethoven2:25
3."I Never Harmed an Onion"Alan L. Grey, Ginger Joan Grey, Moe Jaffe1:26
4."Halfway Down the Stairs"A. A. Milne, Harold Fraser-Simson2:53
5."Memory Lane"Abe Burrows1:32
6."Cottleston Pie"A. A. Milne1:38
7."Bein' Green"Joe Raposo2:27
8."Carbon Paper"Abe Burrows1:40
9."Garden Song"David Mallett2:47
10."New York State of Mind"Billy Joel2:41
11."When"Abe Burrows1:22
12."You and I and George"Red Kelly1:36
13."Wishing Song"Paul Tracey2:02
14."Old Dog Trey"Walt Kelly2:27

Personnel

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Heffley, Lynne (May 29, 1993). "Rowlf the Dog's Solo Album Pleases". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles, California. p. F12. Retrieved February 20, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ Childs, Mike T. (2004). The Rocklopedia Fakebandica. St. Martin's Griffin. p. 185. ISBN 978-0312329440.
  3. ^ Williams, Daniel (September 23, 2012). "The Secret Genius Of Rowlf The Dog". WhatCulture. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
  4. ^ Yahn, Michael A. (2007). The Music of the Marx Brothers: A Bio-Discography of the Works of Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Gummo, and Zeppo Marx. PublishAmerica. p. 240. ISBN 978-1424169719. Performed by Rowlf the Dog. Includes rendition of "Lydia the Tattooed Lady" from the movie At the Circus.
  5. ^ "5 things we learned about The Muppets' Christmas Radio 2 show". BBC. Retrieved February 21, 2023.