Friends Forever (Sharon, Lois & Bram album)

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Friends Forever
SLBFriendsForever.jpg
Studio album by
Sharon, Lois & Bram
ReleasedApril 1998
RecordedInception Sound: Toronto, ON
Genre Children's music
Length54:00
Label Skinnamarink Entertainment
Producer Lynn Harvey, Richard Mortimer, & Sharon, Lois & Bram
Sharon, Lois & Bram chronology
Wild About Animals
(1997)		Friends Forever
(1998)		 Skinnamarink TV
(1998)

Friends Forever is the 19th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in April 1998. Hitting the shelves just in time for Easter, Friends Forever was the first of the trio's albums to be released under their new Skinnamarink Entertainment group featuring songs from a few select episodes from the first season of their hit-television series "Skinnamarink TV" which aired on CBC in Canada and The Learning Channel in the United States during the 'Ready, Set, Learn!' Block on weekday mornings.

Contents

The album featured a newer, unheard side of the children's trio and seemed to be aimed at a slightly younger audience than their previous albums. Yet, the album featured many classic songs such as "Getting to Know You" from The King & I, "Papa Loves Mambo", and "I'd Do Anything" from the musical Oliver!.

Releases

Friends Forever is available on cassette, CD and VHS. Officially only released in Canada, this album was available in the United States through the trio's online catalog and website at the time. Their previous U.S. Distributor, Drive Entertainment, came to a close and the trio's products hence became harder to find in the United States, this being the first album. The album in a nutshell is "about friendship, sharing and cooperation, featuring stories and songs that will warm your hear and tickle your funny bone" [1]

The cassette is much harder to find than the CD, which itself is rare to come across. The album was released, as stated before, under the trio's, then, new company, Skinnamarink Entertainment in partnership with the Canadian Kids Motion distributor, a "Coscient Group Company". [2]

Home video

To help promote the album, the trio released a 50-minute home video of the same name featuring two episodes from their television series, "Skinnamarink TV", which held most of the songs found on the album. The two episodes that are on the video are titled "Cooperation" and "Friendship", and are both found in Season One of the show.

"If music and laughter are what you're after, tune into Skinnamarink TV, the TV station just for kids starring your musical friends Sharon, Lois & Bram. Joined by Ella Acapella and C.C. Copycat, [the trio] sing, dance and laugh their way through a whole day's worth of television programs. And so will you! Everybody gets to watch their favorite show on Skinnamarink TV!". [3] Not all the songs that are on the album can be found on the video.

Accolades

Our Choice Award - Canadian Children's Book Center (1998)

Promotions

With the release of their new TV series at the time, Friends Forever did not receive as much publicity as previous Sharon, Lois & Bram albums had. However, on a previous video release titled "Op Op Opposites", there was a short video advertisement for the Friends Forever video. A copy of this advertisement can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgiPE1OztZQ.

Track listing

  1. "Skinnamarink TV Theme"*
  2. "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain"
  3. "Hokey Pokey"
  4. "Cooking Breakfast For the Ones I Love"
  5. "I Love Onions"
  6. "Isn't It Grand"
  7. "Pufferbellies"
  8. "You Made Me A Pallet On the Floor"*
  9. "The Rest of the Day's Your Own"
  10. "I'd Do Anything"*
  11. "Los Pollitos Dicen"
  12. "But I Like You"*
  13. "Five Green Apples"
  14. "Candy Man, Salty Dog"*
  15. "Getting to Know You"*
  16. "Little Red Hen"*
  17. "I Found A Little Rooster"
  18. "Papa Loves Mambo"
  19. "A Flea and a Fly In A Flue"*
  20. "Great Big Muscles"
  21. "Rags"*
  22. "Icky Lollipop"
  23. "Ha-Ha, This-A-Way"*
  24. "Skinnamarink"*

*These songs plus one addition song, "Bingo" are found on the Friends Forever VHS tape.

Related Research Articles

"Papa Loves Mambo" is a popular song written by Al Hoffman, Dick Manning, and Bix Reichner and published in 1954.

<i>Skinnamarink TV</i>

Skinnamarink TV is a Canadian-American children's television show created by Richard Mortimer. The series originally aired on The Learning Channel programming block on Ready Set Learn in the United States and CBC Television in Canada. It was created by Lynn Harvey and Richard Mortimer for Skinnamarink Entertainment in association with Craftsman & Scribes Creative Workshop, The Learning Channel, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Skidamarink or Skinnamarink is a popular preschool sing-along song from North America.. Originally titled "Skid-dy-mer-rink-adink-aboomp" or "Skiddy-Mer-Rink-A-Doo", the initial version of the song was written by Felix F. Feist (lyrics) and Al Piantadosi (music) for the 1910 Charles Dillingham Broadway production "The Echo." Since the title is gibberish, it has had various spellings over the years.

"I'd Do Anything" is a song performed by various characters in the 1960 British musical Oliver! and the 1968 film of the same name.

<i>One Elephant, Deux Éléphants</i> 1978 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

One Elephant, Deux Éléphants is the first album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1978. Throughout their career, the album has been re-released many times under various titles. The song "One Elephant, Deux Éléphants" became the opening theme to their popular children's television show, The Elephant Show, which ran for five seasons. This was also the first time that Sharon, Lois, and Bram covered Skinnamarink, which became the group's signature song and was performed at the end of every episode of The Elephant Show and Skinnamarink TV.

<i>Sharon, Lois & Brams Elephant Show Record</i> 1986 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show Record is the seventh album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1986. The album features songs from Seasons 1 and 2 what would become their hit TV series "Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show".

<i>Happy Birthday</i> (Sharon, Lois & Bram album) 1988 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Happy Birthday is the ninth album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1988. The album was released in honor of Sharon, Lois & Bram's 10th Anniversary, hence the "birthday" theme.

<i>Sing A to Z</i> 1990 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Sing A to Z is the tenth album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1990. This album, like many other Sharon, Lois & Bram albums has been re-released many times. It is rumored that the idea for this album came from Lois when she and Sharon were window shopping and came across an alphabet quilt on display.

<i>Great Big Hits</i> 1992 greatest hits album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Great Big Hits is the 11th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1992. The album features 31 favorite Sharon, Lois & Bram songs, most released on previous albums, although the trio did re-recorded several songs especially for this album to give them more of a "Sharon, Lois & Bram sound".

<i>Kidbits</i> 1992 compilation album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Kidbits is a mini-album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1992. The album was released to promote their other 1992 album, Great Big Hits. The album featured eleven of Sharon, Lois & Brams previously recorded songs. The first song, Skinnamarink Introduction features the 1986 version of Skinnamarink with a voice-over introduction by Sharon, Lois & Bram.

Kidbits was only released on cassette. The inside foldout contains information about Great Big Hits and their 1992 video titled Sharon, Lois & Bram: Sing A to Z. It also features a clip-out coupon.

<i>Candles, Snow & Mistletoe</i> 1993 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Candles, Snow & Mistletoe is the 13th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1993. This holiday album is one of Sharon, Lois & Bram's biggest productions and recordings they worked on during their career. The album is produced by Glen Roven, an Emmy-Award winning producer who has worked with Liza Minnelli. Lyrics were written by Mark Saltzman who also worked with Sesame Street. This album, unlike previous Sharon, Lois & Bram albums, has a Broadway sound to the album. It featured a complete orchestra and was recorded using the same microphones as The Manhattan Transfer.

<i>Candles Long Ago</i> 1993 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Candles Long Ago is the 14th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1993. It is the first, and only, Chanukah album produced by the trio. Unlike other Sharon, Lois & Bram albums, Candles Long Ago is a miniature album featuring only eleven songs, of which many appear on their previous album Candles, Snow & Mistletoe and one from their second album, Smorgasbord. O It was sold as part of the Sharon, Lois & Bram mini collection at a cheaper price than the trio's regular full-length albums.

<i>All the Fun You Can Sing!</i> 1993 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

All The Fun You Can Sing! is the 15th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1993. This album features some of Sharon, Lois & Bram's favorite songs, perfect for "on the way and when you get there". This is the second official compilation from the Sharon, Lois & Bram collection. To this day, this particular album of the trio's remains one of the hardest to find.

<i>Club-E Collection</i> 1994 compilation album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Club-E Collection is a mini-album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1994. The album features eight of Sharon, Lois & Bram's previously recorded songs. It was produced to promote their holiday concert tour, All the Holiday Fun You Can Sing! which began shortly after the trio's run on Broadway.

Club-E Collection was only released on cassette. The inside foldout contains information about Candles, Snow & Mistletoe and their 1995 CD-ROM game titled CyberBoogie! It also features tour dates for the concert tour, as well as a small clip-out mini poster promoting the tour.

In 1995, Club-E Collection was picked up by Gap Kids and sold in Gap Kids stores across North America. The album featured the same eight songs as the original release, but the songs were rearranged on the album. The inside foldout did not promote their holiday tour.

<i>Sing Around the Campfire</i> 1995 studio album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

Sing Around the Campfire is the 16th album by popular children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram, originally released in 1995. This album is a collection of songs for round the campfire. This is the third official compilation from the Sharon, Lois & Bram collection. Not only is Sing Around the Campfire an album, but it is also a 50-minute home video under the same name.

<i>Sharon, Lois & Bram Sampler</i> 1995 compilation album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

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<i>Kid Bits Vol. 1, 2 & 3</i> 1995 compilation album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

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<i>Car Tunes</i> 1989 compilation album by Sharon, Lois & Bram

The Sharon, Lois & Bram Car Tunes collection is a set of "mini-cassette" recordings released by the Canadian children's music trio Sharon, Lois & Bram in 1989 and 1990; some were re-released in 1995. It is the largest collection of music in the trio's repertoire. The collection consists of "mid-price[d] mini-tapes for children and their families." It contains a total of eight cassettes released under their own Elephant Records label. Each cassette contains between ten and twenty songs, all from previous Sharon, Lois & Bram albums. Each cassette has a central theme.

Sharon, Lois & Bram Canadian music group

Sharon, Lois & Bram are a Canadian children's music group founded in Toronto, Ontario, 1978. The group's original lineup consisted of Sharon Hampson, Lois Ada Lilienstein, and Bramwell "Bram" Morrison.

<i>The Elephant Show</i>

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References

  1. ↑ From back cover of Friends Forever video. 1998. Skinnamarink Entertainment Inc.
  2. ↑ Back of Friends Forever album. 1998. Skinnamarink Entertainment Inc.
  3. ↑ From back cover of Friends Forever video. 1998. Skinnamarink Entertainment Inc.
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