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 Given Throttle, Modo, and Vinnie's reputations as terrible singers,
the idea of a "Biker Mice" CD seems somewhat counterintuitive, if not out
and out dangerous. Think about it: an unwary purchaser pops the disc into
their player, thinking, "Oh, this should be interesting," and is instantly
exposed to vocalizations so awful that it causes their head to explode.
That's bad enough, but imagine such a destructive force unleashed on the
highway. Twenty car pileups all over the interstate. Pretty soon, there'd
be a "Biker Mice" CD arms race, with all the nations of the world
snatching up copies to use against each other, until MAD stood for "Mice
Assured Destruction."
So it's probably a good thing that the real
CD, when it was completed in 1993, featured no trace of our fuzzy heroes
singing on it. Instead, Jeff Scott Soto did the honors on all ten of the
album's tracks. Eight were original compositions by series music man Will
Anderson, while "Born to Be Wild" and "Rockin' Down the Highway" were
covers of the original songs. All of the original tracks find their roots
in the background music used during the series. For example, "A Mouse and
His Motorcycle" is based on the upbeat track from the middle of that
episode. Part of the fun of the CD is listening to the songs and trying to
find out which episode the background music was used in. Personally, I was
a little disappointed in the disk. While many of the songs have good
lyrics (I especially like "Rockin' in the Pits"), Jeff Scott Soto just
does NOT do it for me. In addition, the two songs I would have loved to
have had, the two versions of Midnight Special that the Biker Mice (and
Hard Rock) sang, are absent. Overall, I would have preferred a background
music compilation. If you're seriously into heavy metal, though, you'll
like this CD. If nothing else, the insert is great for
scanning.
Unfortunately, the disk can be extremely hard to get your
hands on. Created during the show's first season, when "Biker Mice" was
dominating the ratings charts, the prospects for the disk tanked along
with the show's when "Mighty Sucky Bunghole Rangers"...excuse me, "Mighty
Morphin Power Rangers" hit the airwaves. While the CD was released in the
UK by BMG Records, it never saw the light of day in the United States. It
pops up occasionally on E-bay; try and
snatch it up when you see it. I don't intend to post MP3's of the songs
here anytime soon (of course, the future is up for grabs), but you can
read up on the lyrics here and get a feel for the album.
Insert
Scans I Lyrics
I Full
Credits
One of the really nice things about
the CD is the liner artwork. While nothing new, the pictures are useful
for webmasters who need good, clear scans of Biker Mice pics for their
webpage (although the really good ones are all written over!). The front
of the insert lists the lyrics, credits, etc., while the reverse is an
"autographed" poster of all three mice. The back of the CD lists the
tracks on a light picture of our heroes (note: these pics are just
thumbnails; I didn't see the point is linking to larger scans of the CD
images, since the principal parts are all or will shortly be in my image
gallery).
The original spelling and punctuation
have been copied directly from the booklet, although I did correct the
"rennin'" in "Tail Whippin' Time" to read "runnin'."
"Biker Mice from
Mars" Music by Will Anderson Lyrics by Will
Anderson and Rick Ungar
Slammin' down the
street pavement feels the heat motorcycle beatin' piston
down to metal takin' on the slime baggin' off the crime
crossin' all the lines and pressures to the pedal yeah
(chorus) Biker Mice from Mars Biker Mice from
Mars Biker Mice from Mars Biker Mice from
Mars
lightnin' wheels of fire blazin' down the
wire justice their desire and vengeance holdin' on
too wheelin' thru decay fighting for the way bikers here to
stay till leather's torn thrus leather yeah
(repeat
chorus)
light the night with gold blastin' down the
road pumpin' fire so bold the best keep gettin'
better ridin' thru the night they'll be there to
fight where there is a right the Biker Mice
forever yeah
(repeat chorus)
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"Rockin' in The
Pit" Music and Lyrics by Will
Anderson
He was full of pride and thorny ecstasy lord
of men in desperate, loathesome slavery he took them down to
places dark and underground souls of men forgotten in his lost
and found.
(bridge) poor misbegotten they were
forgotten down in the bottom the pit boss got
'em
(chorus) now in the throes of ecstasy rockin' in
the pit where no man dare hopes to be rockin' in the
pit locked in endless slavery rockin' in the pit for his
lordship
(repeat bridge)
comes a time when destiny's
in front of you comes a time when all men find their due comes
a time when colors are all black and white comes a time when
souls are black and blue
(repeat bridge)
(repeat
chorus)
for his lordship
(repeat
chorus)
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"Tail Whippin'
Time" Music by Will Anderson Lyrics by Will
Anderson and Rick Ungar
Get ready cuz here we
come Baddest mama jammers since 61' we're gonna
ride we're gonna tear em loose we took the beatin' we're
overheatin' this meter's runnin' and now the fight is
gunnin'
(chorus) Tail whippin' time tail whippin'
time now it's tail whippin' time we're gonna rock you and
then we're gonna shock you!
A dirty fight no place to
run' exhaust the night race to the sun we're gettin'
wild we're achin' to break free tear the walls
down blastin' thru town we got the action gonna get some
satisfaction
(repeat chorus)
Get ready cuz here we
come Baddest mama jammers since 61' we're gonna
ride we're gonna tear em loose we took the beatin' we're
overheatin' this meter's runnin' and now the fight is
gunnin'
(repeat chorus)
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"Look Out
Below" Written by Will Anderson
("Ah
Chicago")
(chorus) look out below cuz the big man's
coming look out below keep an open eye (talk to me) look
out below cuz you're running into madness look out
below keep an open eye
Hey comes to find you in the middle
of the night he comes alive inside your dreams do you climb
the wall, do you try to get away try to slip out from the back
room before he eats you alive (talk to me!)
(repeat
chorus)
Do you believe that you can really get away do
you believe that you are going to fly when you walk, you talk, do
you try to comprehend you try to break out of the
vacuum before he gets you inside
(repeat
chorus)
(repeat chorus)
He comes to find you on a
rainy day he comes to mine your earthen home (do you run away,
do you try to hide again) try to find another address before
he eats you alive
(repeat chorus)
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"Headin'
Home" Music and lyrics by Will
Anderson
Here we are so far from where we
started from another time so long ago
(chorus) four
o'clock, guess the morning's come lost the time when you were
rockin', got to keep on rollin' Headin' home wherever we can
stay headin' home to rock and roll another day headin'
home if we can ever find our way
(bridge) But you
rolled all over our home and our country and you rolled all over
our hearts and our souls when you rolled all over our land, took
our freedom it was war
(repeat chorus)
(repeat
bridge)
But we'll ride another day
(repeat
chorus)
(repeat bridge)
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"Born to Be
Wild" Written by Mars Bonfire (damn, that's a cool
name!)
Get your motor runnin' head out on the
highway lookin' for adventure and whatever comes my
way Yeah, darlin', gonna make it happen take the world in a
love embrace fire all of your guns at once and explode into
space
I like smoke and lightnin' heavy metal
thunder racin' like the wind and the feeling that I'm
under
Yeah, darlin', gonna make it happen take the world
in a love embrace fire all of your guns at once and explode
into space
Like a true nature's child we were born, born
to be wild we can climb so high never gonna die
Born to
be wild Born to be wild
Get your motor runnin' head out
on the highway lookin' for adventure and whatever comes my
way
Yeah, darlin', gonna make it happen take the world in
a love embrace fire all of your guns at once and explode into
space
Like a true nature's child we were born, born to be
wild we can climb so high never gonna die
Born to be
wild Born to be wild
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"A Mouse and His
Motorcycle" Music by Will Anderson Lyrics by Will
Anderson and Mark Patton
(chorus) (Just) a mouse and
his motorcycle mouse and a man got a plan for the city (a)
mouse and his motorcycle you understand they're ridin' thru
the city
Take the highway to the top of the forest take
the highway to the sea have a root beer, take some time, sing a
chorus we will meet eventually
(repeat chorus)
When
you're walkin' on the streets of Chicago when you're cruisin' the
south side you can reach out, take his hand for a moment for a
magic carpet ride, yeah
(repeat chorus)
Only one thing
inthe world, heavy metal Chrome exhaust pipes thunder by light
'em up, blow it out, feel the power Keep on Blastin' all your
life.
(repeat chorus)
Hit the backroads, pound the
ground with your Harley Don't let the
big man get you down Gas your hog up, get in gear, get some
tractions Don't look back, don't turn around
1. we're
cruisin' 2. don't be afraid now 3. uh huhh 4. yeah,
yeah 5. ride on, ride free 6. baby, baby, baby 7. shine on,
shine on
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"Tunnel
Rat" Music by Will Anderson Lyrics by Will
Anderson and Rick Ungar
Owooo the tunnel rat the
tunnel rat baby the tunnel rat you got to run and hide you
got to get away he's gonna take you to the other side the
tunnel rat--yeah the tunnel rat
baby--owoo!
(chorus) hold on we're in big
trouble hold on cuz he's coming your way hold on we're
in terrible trouble hold on it's a dig today
(repeat
chorus)
(repeat chorus)
yeah, yeah the tunnel rat
baby the tunnel rat the tunnel rat baby you got to run and
hide
you got to get away he's gonna take you to the other
side the tunnel rat-yeah the tunnel rat baby come
on
(repeat chorus)
Owoo the tunnel rat the
tunnel rat baby the tunnel rat you got to run and hide you
got to get away he's gonna take you to the other side the
tunnel rat--owoo! the tunnel rat baby
he's comeing to
getcha! look out owoo! here he comes
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"Rockin' Down the
Highway" Written by Tom Johnston
Got
those highway blues can't you hear the motor running Driving down
the road with my foot on the floor All the way in town they can
hear me coming Fours about the top she will do no more And I
smell my motor burning, Underneath the hood of smoke
Can't
stop, and I can't stop Gotta keep moving or I'll lose my
mind Oh, rockin' down the highway Oh, rockin' down the
highway Oh, rockin' down the highway Oh, rockin' down the
highway
The highway patrol's got his eyes on me Know what
he's thinking and it ain't good Moving so fast he can barely see
me Gonna lose that man I know I should I got to kick in the
pedal, Make the car move a little bit faster
Can't stop,
and I can't stop Gotta keep moving or I'll lose my mind Oh,
rockin' down the highway Oh, rockin' down the highway Oh,
rockin' down the highway Oh, rockin' down the
highway
(break)
Oh, rockin' down the highway Oh,
rockin' down the highway Oh, rockin' down the highway Oh,
rockin' down the highway
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"Ride Free
Citizens" Music by Will Anderson Lyrics by Will
Anderson, Rick Ungar, and Tom Tataranowicz
Roarin' down
the highway scorch the open road livin' in the city by the
biker code nothin gonna stop us no one better try raise our
heads together hear our freedom cry
(chorus) Ride
Free ci-ci-ci-citizens Ride Free!
racin' thru
Chicago leanin' every turn engines are wide open can you
feel the powder burn left our home behind us set a course
that's free to live a life worth livin' ride along with
me
(repeat chorus)
(repeat chorus)
We're
revin' to heaven we're choppin' clutch poppin' we're
jumpin' engines pumpin' no more trashin' down this windy
town tonight we fight we're gonna shut em down!
Time to
start the action time to start the race gotta cruise the
highway find a better place came to Chi not knowing what we
know we hadda learn slammin' jammin' havin' fun let the metal
music burn
(repeat chorus)
(repeat
chorus)
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Boy, you must be bored if you're
reading this. These are the credits, taken directly from the CD liner
notes.
Produced and arranged by Will Anderson Executive
Producers: Rick Ungar and Barry Siegel
Performer Credits
| Will Anderson |
Keyboards, Guitar, Programming, and Background
Vocals |
| Burleigh Drummond |
Drums and Drum Programming |
| Basil Fung |
Lead and Rhythm Guitars |
| Lance Morrison |
Bass |
| Jeff Scott Soto |
Lead and Background Vocals |
| Michael S. Plodene Thompson |
Hammond B-3 and Piano |
| Terry Wilson |
Background
Vocals |
Recorded and Mixed
by Will Anderson and Terry Wilson Mastered by Chris Bellman at Bernie
Grundman Mastering Art Direction: Guy Manganiello Design: Wilson
Design Group (the cake guys?) Thanks to: Arnold Stiefel, Randy
Phillips, Lorne Saifer, AL Teller, Richard Palmese, Johnathan Coffino,
Vartan, Randy Miller, Guy Manganiello, Mindy Espy With special thanks
to: Bill Bevins, Cathy Cabrera, Gary Gannoway, Mark Goldman, Bill
Kerstetter, Wayne Lepoff, Jim McNamara, Gary Nies, Ronald Perelman, Robin
Shaw, Tom Tataranowicz, Haya Tawatao, Barry Wallach "We would also like
to thank all the people at MCA Records, New World Entertainment and our
family of "Biker Mice from Mars" licensees around the world." "Biker
Mice from Mars" created by Rick Ungar.
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