Record #66 - Wild, Wild Winter - Soundtrack

If you really know me (which you don't, but that's okay), then you most certainly know that I LOVE Beach Party movies. All the ones with Frankie and Annette, It's a Bikini World, The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini, and even the non-Beach Party, but Beach Party-esque films, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine, Dr. Goldfoot and the Girl Bombs, Sergeant Deadhead, and Village of the Giants.

Interestingly enough, those folks in the mid 60s decided for some reason they needed to move away from the hustle and bustle and sunshine of the beach, and move into the cold, snowy winter. It started with Ski Party, with Frankie Avalon (with only a cameo from Annette! Blasphemy! Although, there is Yvonne Craig... Hmmm... I forgive them, I guess.). Apparently that went well, so Universal decided to rip off American International Pictures (as is the custom in Hollywood), and film the masterpiece Wild, Wild Winter, the second of the three Beach Party-esque (and only) films directed by Lennie Weinrib, the original voice of Scrappy-Doo and H.R. Pufnstuf. Um... yeah.

It's not filmdom's finest hour and a half, but it gets the job done. The premise of the movie is as follows (if you can follow along at all, you win a gold cookie) - Two frat brothers go to the mountains, bringing their surfer friend, Ronnie Duke (a surfer name if I've ever heard one (and I have)) along to seduce the head of a sorority, who also happens to be the dean's secretary. Apparently the head of the sorority, Susan, has brainwashed the other female students to avoid dating all the boys in school for some reason. Of course, Ronnie finds a way to become the captain of the ski team and wins over Susan from her evil fiancee, John Harris (such an evil name). Hilarity ensues.

Oh, and did I mention he joined the ski team to help save the school from its financial troubles? I didn't? Oh well.

As with all Beach Party movies, this one has a soundtrack (that's not available on CD, mind you) featuring a few 60s pop groups, and this is the part of the blog where I tell you about it. This soundtrack is chock (well, actually half) full of some great pop songs by some of the "exciting hit groups" of their day. They are - Jay and the Americans, The Astronauts, The Beau Brummels (who are also featured in Village of the Giants), Dick and Dee Dee, and last, but not least, Jackie and Gayle. Jackie and Gayle also perform "Our Love's Gonna Snowball" (GET IT?!? BECAUSE OF WINTER!! HAHAHA), the unofficial theme song to the movie.

In case you were wondering what you're getting into here, here's Jay and the Americans performing their song "Two of a Kind" in the film!

The flip side of this disc includes some of the score/incidental music from the film, which is actually pretty cool. You don't usually get that kind of stuff from these 60s B-movie type thingamajigs. The main title song is by Chester Pipkin, and the rest are by Jerry Long, whose score is, as the back cover states, "the tastiest treat you've had in a long, long time". Wonderful.

This was another super groovy record store find, and while I may be two dollars poorer, I am forever rich with the ultimate happiness bestowed upon me by this record.

Wild, Wild Winter (1966)

1. Jay and the Americans - Two of a Kind

2. The Astronauts - A Change of Heart

3. The Beau Brummels - Just Wait and See

4. Dick and Dee Dee - Heartbeats

5. Jackie and Gayle - Our Love's Gonna Snowball

6. Chester Pipkin - Main Title

7. Jerry Long - Latin Source

8. Jerry Long - Wild Watuse

9. Jerry Long - Hawaii to Military

10. Jerry Long - The Chase

11. Jerry Long - End Title

Download it HERE.

Enjoy!