Nothin' But the Music - Track 10

       “We make our music with our mouths,” is common to hear when Rockapella introduces themselves. With no man-made instruments, five men of extraordinary talent use their versatile vocal chords to add their own brand of music to a vast collection of songs, both original and covered. Through changes in lineup over the years, Rockapella has endured as a group that always provides a powerful listening and entertainment experience via the purest instrument of all – the human voice.
       For me, Rockapella also represents a link to some great childhood memories, as I grew up watching “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” on PBS. After appearing in the documentary “Spike Lee & Co.: Do It A Cappella,” performing “Zombie Jamboree,” the creators of the edutainment game show approached Rockapella to become the “house band” of the show. In September 1991, Rockapella joined host Greg Lee and ACME Crimenet Chief Lynne Thigpen (may she rest in peace) for the five-year run of an amazingly made, intensely fun, and extremely educational weekday program. Adding their stamp to the show’s originality, lead singer Sean Altman penned the classic theme song with David Yazbek. Almost 25 years later, that song is still one of the group’s most recognizable trademarks (Sean Altman will testify that it can easily match up against any #1 hit) and one of my all-time favorite songs.                  

       On the show, Rockapella’s role was versatile. Among other sources for clues to help the gumshoes (contestants) apprehend the thief of the day, Rockapella often performed rewritten versions of popular songs to deliver historical or geographic information. They also delivered clues by performing in sketches as characters of their own creation. The phenomenal bass singer, Barry Carl, presented some of the best bits in this manner (that man belongs on Broadway). Beyond clue delivery and theme song performance, they provided “musical” accompaniment to virtually every activity and transition on the show. Years later, I learned that some of those rhythms were taken from songs the group performed off the show. The best example being the “tune” we always heard when the Chief was presenting prizes for the gumshoes not catching the crook. We were basically hearing everything but the words of “Don’t Do It” (a great song). Occasionally, if the show ran a tad short, Rockapella would fill the gap with an “ACME Musicnet Break” at the show’s end. Though many PBS viewers had already heard it via Spike Lee’s documentary, that was my first to hear Rockapella’s version of “Zombie Jamboree.” While I loved every aspect of that show, I know that the inclusion of Rockapella, in all their roles, is what kept me and most viewers completely glued and made it a perfect educational TV formula.
       Unfortunately, after five years, Carmen Sandiego’s televised reality on PBS changed and Rockapella was no longer following her through song. This was in early 1996, and I was a sixth grader. After that, I “lost touch with Rockapella” until a fateful round of station surfing on my car radio in 2003. While driving through Lexington on a weekend home from college, I skipped through several of the Jackson-based stations and stopped when I heard a very familiar beat. Was Carmen Sandiego loose in West Tennessee? I didn’t know, but she had made a very brief stop on those airwaves. Rockapella was coming to Jackson! I spent the rest of the weekend glued to the radio waiting to hear the entire commercial. I finally caught it, got the details, and bought tickets for an early November performance by the guys who could sing my childhood. Was I or am I a bit obsessive? Maybe. But I took a psychologist-in-training with me, so I had proper analysis. It was fantastic and was the first of (so far) two Rockapella concerts which I have been honored to attend (they don’t come down South often enough). 
       To see them in concert and own some of their albums opened my eyes and ears to just how versatile and amazing these guys are. Granted, I already knew they had a wide range of talents just from their work on “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” But these guys are good. I mean REALLY good. Whether singing one of their original songs or one of the covers that have become standards for the group, every song is truly their own and is delivered in one of many styles and from a limitless list of tones and tempos. For me, Rockapella is a group that can sing to any mood and virtually any musical taste one wishes to satisfy. Love songs can come at you with an up-tempo energy in the form of “Moments of You” or “That’s the Way,” or they can take a more traditional slow-down with “A Change in My Life.” Rockapella sings about the pain of love so purely with songs like “Don’t Tell Me You Do” and “This Isn’t Love” and even in a lighthearted fashion with their own “Blah Blah Blah.” Regardless of what type of loss it is, “I’ll Hear Your Voice” is a beautiful song penned by tenor singer Scott Leonard which fits many difficult occasions. Former baritone singer, Elliott Kerman, was a master arranger and performer of some of the groups jazzy and barber shop-style tunes like “No Doubt At All” and “Let’s Get Away from It All.” Former lead singer Sean Altman wrote some very unique and fun songs, but my favorite (after Carmen’s theme) is “Follow Me To Heaven,” a song about the sometimes confusing journey of humanity being pulled in many directions to follow different ideologies (or maybe it’s a weird kind of love song – you be the judge – and check out Sean’s solo version as well). Sometimes Rockapella hooks the jumper cables to me when I need a jolt of positive energy. They can do this through many songs, including “Have A Little Faith,” “Lift Up,” and their fun versions of “Keep On Smilin’,” “Dance With Me,” and “Surfin’ Safari.” Among many other awesome covers they do, I’ve got to give props to their different but incredibly fun renditions of classics like “16 Tons,” “Love Potion #9,” “Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress,” and “Tempted” (theirs was the first version I ever heard of that song before I discovered the original by Squeeze). As the group’s lineup has evolved (no more original members and only 2 who were in the cast of “Carmen Sandiego”) and their collective style has morphed accordingly, they have added new songs and put many of them in the form of unique medleys as part of their show. Among them are Rockapella-ized variations of “Rock the Boat” and “Jailhouse Rock.” You can also see the guys at work in videos they’ve produced for the Internet and DVD, including a version of their 2001 “Rockapella In Concert” album (which I got autographed when I last saw them in Memphis). To those who have never opened their ears to the greatness that is Rockapella, I encourage you to listen to the songs I’ve linked here and then dig deeper. You will find much that you like!

       Rockapella is more than a group – it is a concept and style all its own. In fact, when the Contemporary A Capella Society of America sought to honor the group in 2014 for their vast accomplishments (beyond the numerous nominations and awards they’d already earned), they created a new award and gave Rockapella the CASA’s first Lifetime Achievement Award (the video they made at the time gives a good history of the group). The current surge of acapella groups hitting the musical mainstream owes everything to the trail blazed by Rockapella. Yet, they all still differ greatly from the champions of this art. Among many reasons is the unparalleled versatility of Rockapella. To examine their full catalog shows that the group has hosted songwriters who can write for kids, kids-at-heart, mature listeners, and lovers. To see them in concert and on TV displays that they (particularly Scott Leonard) can move like Michael Jackson or act (especially Barry Carl) like a Broadway actor on a kids’ show. They also make mighty good commercial pitch-men. During most of the run of “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” one of the prizes given to second and third-place contestants was a CD of music by Rockapella and others, including the show’s theme. I’d always been curious about that album and recently bought one for Joey and me. I knew I’d like it if it was loaded with Rockapella, but I ultimately thought it would just be a nostalgia buy. Not at all! The CD is a kid/family-friendly collection of high-quality songs that would appeal to listeners of any age and is sprinkled with some funny in-between material that takes me back to the humor of the TV show. From the album’s high-energy kick-off song “Capital” to the group’s collaboration with The Persuasions (a group that inspired the founding members of Rockapella) on the soulful “My Home,” the album is a spread of educational items and easy-listening tunes wrapped in a thick dough of well-written musical variety. Basically, the kid in me likes the frosted, fun side and the adult in me likes the healthy, whole-grain side – all at once! The CD ends on a fun note with Scott Leonard singing his heart out with an ode to his home state “Indiana,” followed by Greg Lee prompting an army of kids to launch the show-ending command “Do it, Rockapella!” and end the CD with the greatest TV theme song of all time.
       I’m thrilled that my son has come to love the “Where In the World Is Carmen Sandiego?” theme song, and I enjoy hearing Joey shout “Do it, Rockapella!” from the backseat of our car when we listen to the men who make music with their mouths. At four years old, he knows the words better than I did when I was eight. As long as Rockapella keeps singing the theme of my childhood, they will hold an important place in my nostalgic heart. But, as long as I hold an appreciation for good songs and great singing, I will always be among their greatest fans. Keep doing it, Rockapella! 

 

 

www.rockapella.com