Saw this for sale in a bargain bin at an old bookstore in Echo Park, and the nostalgic cover art was calling my name. I didn't watch this until months later, after taking my VCR out of the closet for a viewing of some old family memories. That's when I remembered my copy of "Ring-Along, Sing-Along"...
Read more...
Saw this for sale in a bargain bin at an old bookstore in Echo Park, and the nostalgic cover art was calling my name. I didn't watch this until months later, after taking my VCR out of the closet for a viewing of some old family memories. That's when I remembered my copy of "Ring-Along, Sing-Along" was still beside my couch.
The video is Christmas themed and begins with a silly song about staying warm in the snow by starting a fire. Though they stress that adults should be supervising, a blatant ignorance towards fire safety is what makes this tune stand out. At one point towards the end of the song, several children impersonate flaming yule logs while a voice-over sings "we'll keep you warm 'till Santa comes down the chimney."
The tape progresses from the setting of a retro, oak-filled living room to that of a department store. Here, our well-sung hero Brett finds a group of kids who are strikingly similar to the ones who I just watched dressed as a set of flaming logs, all roaming a toy store. For no apparent reason, Brett decides to teach them not to be demon children and teaches them not to beg their parents for toys, but instead extort them using good behavior. This ends with a bratty little girl missing the point and falling into a mall fountain. They faintly allude to her death. Guess you should have listened to Brett, darlin'.
The scene cuts and Brett finds himself in a studio with a white backdrop and a prop microphone. With nothing but his youthful pep to deliver us viewers a good time, he explains to everyone that Christmas is all about family, and maybe Jesus if your parents fell for that load of bull. Things get awkward as other kids appear in the room and start singing about ... nothing really. This is the Seinfeld of musical skits. Mostly the kids just make noises while someone behind the camera rings a bell. Brett pauses, and almost as an afterthought, he reminds us that we should be playing the jingle bells that came with the video. I improvised with rhythmic sighs since my copy didn't come with jingle bells.
The rest of the video was mostly a blur, since at this point I was very high.
The final scene features Santa Clause handing out candy to the children and asking them if they want to hear a song. For some reason, Santa Clause sounds like a woman faking a deep voice. Santa has an oddness about him and keeps rubbing the kids shoulders while delivering his/her lines. The kids seem aware of this very present danger and are visibly uncomfortable around Santa. Not to mention, not one child ate their candy. Apparently, kids back then took the "stranger danger" mantra very seriously. Brett's talent cuts through this awkward tension as he reluctantly grabs Santa's hand and sings a diddly that pulls influence from the likes of Michael Jackson and the Cookie Monster on Sesame Street.
In the end I felt uplifted and impressed with Brett's acting and singing abilities. More than anything though, I felt hungry -- because I was very, very high.
Visual material : English
Finding libraries that hold this item...
