Great Muppet Caper (Soundtrack album)

Louise Gold featured as a Muppet Performer, providing background vocals, recorded in 1981.

Catalogue number: (LP) ATLANTIC SD 16047, (Single) ATLANTIC 3829, (Cassette) 74321 18246 4, (CD) 74321 18246-2, it is possible there may have been versions with different numbers catalogue numbers (especially of the cassette). Soundtack album for the film The Great Muppet Caper.

Cast

Cast (Muppet)

Kermit The Frog, Dr Teeth, Rowlf, Swedish Chef, Waldof - Jim Henson

Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy , Animal, Sam The Eagle - Frank Oz

Floyd, Pops, Robin The Frog - Jerry Nelson

Scooter, Sweetums, Statler, Janice, Beaker - Richard Hunt

The Great Gonzo, Zoot, Dr Bunsen Honeydew - Dave Goelz

Rizzio The Rat, Lips - Steve Whitmire

Muppet Performers - Louise Gold, and, Kathryn Mullen

Cast (non-Muppet)

Miss Piggy’s Tap Work - Anita Mann

Nicky - ? Charles Grodin*

Production Team

Album Producer - Joe Raposo

Album Executive Producer - Jim Henson

Music and Lyrics - Joe Raposo

Orchestra Conductors - Joe Raposo and Marcus Dods

Cover illustration (LP) - Drew Struzan

Album Designer (LP) - Michael K Frith

Sleeve Photography (LP) - John E Barrett

Track Listing

Note: ‘Cast’ in the listing below refers to the Muppet cast above.

CD: 74321 18246-2

1. The Main Title - Instrumental

2. Hey A Movie - Kermit, Fozzie, Gonzo & Cast (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz and cast)

3. The Big Red Bus - Instrumental

4. Happiness Hotel - Pops and Cast (Jerry Nelson and cast)

5. Lady Holiday - Instrumental

6. Steppin’ Out With A Star - Kermit, Fozzie, and, Gonzo (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and, Dave Goelz)

7. The Apartment - Instrumental

8. Night Life - Dr Teeth & The Electric Mayhem (Jim Henson with: Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and, Steve Whitmire)

9. The First Time It Happens - Kermit & Miss Piggy, and, Cast (Jim Henson & Frank Oz, and cast)

10. Couldn’t We Ride - Kermit, Miss Piggy, and, Cast (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Cast)

11. Piggy’s Fantasy - Kermit The Frog, Nicky, and Cast (Jim Henson, ‘Charles Grodin’, and cast)

12. The Great Muppet Caper

The Heist - Instrumental

The Muppet Fight Song - Cast

Muppets To The Rescue - Instrumental

13. Homeward Bound - Instrumental

14. Finale: Hey A Movie - Cast

15. Reprise: The First Time It Happens - Kermit & Miss Piggy (Jim Henson & Frank Oz)

Single:(Atlantic Records) 3829

Side A

The First Time It Happens - Kermit & Miss Piggy, and, Cast (Jim Henson & Frank Oz, and cast)

Side B

Steppin’ Out With A Star - Kermit, Fozzie, and, Gonzo (Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and, Dave Goelz)

The Cassette 74321 18246 4 and the LP ATLANTIC SD 16047, follow the same listing as the CD 74321 18246-2, with tracks 1 to 8 on Side A, and tracks 9 to 15 on Side B.

Promotional (or promo) copies of the Atlantic Records Single 3829 were made, these had the same A Side as the eventual single for sale, or The First Time It Happens. However, the B Side did not contain Steppin’ Out With A Star, instead it was simply a repeat of the A Side The First Time It Happens.

 This is the soundtrack album for the film The Great Muppet Caper. all the performers in it, and most of the production team ( were involved with that film itself.

* Towards the end of the film Miss Piggy (Frank Oz) remarks that Nicky (Charles Grodin)’s singing was dubbed. The Webmaster has not so far been able to locate any source that says whether this was the case or not, therefore it is uncertain as to whether it is Charles Grodin singing on the Piggy’s Fantasy number, but if it is not, then the webmaster does not know who it is.

The eight main puppeteers in the film The Great Muppet Caper, featured as The Muppet cast on this album, had all worked together as The Muppet Show Eight, that is the eight main puppeteers on The Muppet Show, where they all sang frequently. The album designer Michael K. Frith had also worked as a designer on The Muppet Show.

The Muppet Show Eight are also all featured on the album: Favorite Songs From Jim Henson’s Muppets (which includes recordings of Happiness Hotel and The First Time It Happens from this film soundtrack), Muppet Music Mix ((although Louise Gold seems to be uncredited) which includes The First Time It Happens from this film soundtrack); Muppet Music Sampler (which includes The First Time It happens from this firm soundtrack) and Music Mayhem And More ((although Jerry Nelson, Louise Gold, and, Kathryn Mullen seem to be uncredited) which includes: Hey A Movie, The Happiness Hotel, and, The First Time It Happens from this film soundtrack).

The Muppet Show Eight are also featured on Muppet Hits 1 and Muppet Hits 2 (although Kathryn Mullen and Steve Whitmire seem to have been uncredited), Put Some Zing In Your Spring, John Denver & The Muppets A Christmas Together, John Denver & The Muppets Merry Christmas 45RPM, Christmas For Kids, John Denver Christmas and of course on the Muppet Show Music Album. They also puppeteered on The Muppets Go To The Movies; and featured as themselves on the television documentary Of Muppets And Men.

Muppet performers Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Dave Goelz, and, Louise Gold are all featured on the albums: The Muppet Show Music Hall, The Muppet Show 2, For What It’s Worth, and Jim Henson Presents Silly Songs. They also all appeared on The Royal Variety Performance (1977).

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson,.Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and, Steve Whitmire went on to puppeteer on the film The Muppet Christmas Carol, on which Michael K Frith and Drew Struzan also worked.

Muppet performers: Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Kathryn Mullen, and Steve Whitmire went on to puppeteer together on Sesame Street (in the early 1990s).

Muppet performers Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and, Steve Whitmire went on to feature on The Muppet Christmas Carol (Soundtrack album)

Michael K Frith was also involved in producing: John Denver & The Muppets A Christmas Together.

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, and, Kathryn Mullen puppeteered on The Dark Crystal, for which Jerry Nelson did some voice-work.

Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Dave Goelz, and, Steve Whitmire, and, Kathryn Mullen puppeteered on Labyrinth.

Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Jerry Nelson, and, Frank Oz later sang on Born To Add.

Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Richard Hunt, and, Louise Gold later sang on Elmo’s Lowdown Hoedown which included songs by Joe Raposo.

Jim Henson, Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, Steve Whitmire, Louise Gold, and, Kathryn Mullen appeared inThe All Time Get Around Sometimes Play Together Every Other Friday Night Vaudeville Show.

Jerry Nelson and Louise Gold with an introduction by Jim Henson can also be heard on Jerome Kern The First 100 Years (although they are credited simply as ‘The Muppets’, rather than as individuals).

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and, Louise Gold went on to puppeteer on Muppet Treasure Island, on which Michael K Frith also worked.

Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and, Louise Gold went on to puppeteer on The Animal Show, on which Frank Oz also did a guest-puppeteering appearance.

Louise Gold, Jim Henson, Richard Hunt, and, Steve Whitmire went on to puppeteer on Tale Of The Bunny Picnic.

Jerry Nelson, and, Dave Goelz (besides puppeteering on Fraggle Rock itself) went on to do voice-work on the UK Co-Production of Fraggle Rock, on which Louise Gold puppeteered.

Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, Richard Hunt, Kathryn Mullen, Jerry Nelson, Frank Oz, Steve Whitmire, and, Michael K. Frith went on to take part in Jim Henson’s Memorial Service.

Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Louise Gold, and, Steve Whitmire’s recording credits include A Green And Red Christmas.

Louise Gold, and, Richard Hunt went on to puppeteer on The Ghost Of Faffner Hall.

Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, and, Louise Gold went on to puppeteer on The Secret Life Of Toys.

Jerry Nelson, Richard Hunt, and, Louise Gold’s recording credits include The Count’s Countdown, however there has been some debate as to whether Louise Gold actually sang on it.

Frank Oz, Jerry Nelson, Dave Goelz, Steve Whitmire, and, Louise Gold went on to take part in the documentary I Love The Muppets.

Steve Whitmire probably puppeteered on ITV’s 50 Greatest Shows.

Review

by Emma Shane

The real joy of this album is hearing what is possibly Joe Raposo’s best score, sung by a group of people who really know how to perform his work, Jim Henson’s Muppeteers. Joe Raposo was one of those latter-day songwriters (like Dan Goggin and Denis King) who could really write in that good old-fashioned musical smash style, (A style not dissimilar to that of writers such as Irving Berlin, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter, and, Harry Warren.) Yet at the same time he combines that with a little modernisation all his own.

Talented British singing-actress-cum-puppeteer Louise Gold contributes her strong muppety backing vocals to several tracks (such as: Couldn’t We Ride, Hey A Movie, Happiness Hotel, and in particular The First Time It Happens and The Muppet Fight Song), in much the same way as she did to The Muppet Show.

Piggy’s Fantasy is quite an interesting counterpoint song, and Jim Henson handles it nicely as Kermit The Frog, I’m not quite sure who is singing Nicky’s (Charles Grodin’s character), though this is quite passable, the number really belongs to Jim Henson.

The award winning The First Time It Happens is indeed a lovely number, although I personally really like Jim Henson’s delightful rendering of the Fred Astaire tribute Steppin’ Out with A Star.

For me three songs really stand out as firm favourites. Happiness Hotel is a wonderfully silly number that only the Muppets could’ve done, and is lead by that expert Muppet-vocalist (and my second-favourite singing-muppeteer) the ever-brilliant Jerry Nelson. The track is also notable, if you listen carefully, in that I think it is just possible pick out Steve Whitemire’s vocals. The Muppet Fight Song, though far to short, is a great little anthem for them and a neat twist on football songs. It actually reminds me a lot of one of Cole Porter’s early triumphs, Bulldog. Perhaps the best song of all, however, is Hey A Movie. It just seems to sum up the album and indeed this Muppet film up perfectly.

The sleeve for the LP record is rather amusing, in that is depicts various spoof newspaper columns, I particularly liked the bit quoting Inspector M Frith of Scotland Yard. The name is of course that of the album cover’s own designer Michael K Frith.

If you like good fun show tunes, or, The Muppets, then this is definitely an album to try and get hold of. Personally, I prefer the CD version, because that way one can pick and choose which track to listen to. They do vary and some tracks may be more enjoyable than others, but that is a matter of taste. Overall it is great fun.

Links about The Great Muppet Caper Soundtrack album

Muppet Wiki’s page for the album: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Great_Muppet_Caper_%28LP%29

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