The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay

Last updated
The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay
Ali Gang Tooth Decay.jpeg
Studio album by
Released1976
Recorded1976
Label St. John's Fruit And Vegetable Co. ALI–1 [1]
Producer Arther Bernard Morrison
Muhammad Ali chronology
I Am the Greatest
(1963)
The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay
(1976)
The Dope King's Last Stand
(1977)

The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay is a 1976 educational album by the American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali. The album was recorded to raise awareness of tooth decay among children. The album features several notable personalities including Howard Cosell, Frank Sinatra, and Ossie Davis. The album was recorded in the year of the United States Bicentennial, and makes several patriotic references to America's past including the Liberty Bell and Paul Revere. [2]

Contents

It was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children at the 19th Annual Grammy Awards in 1977.; [3] it lost to the Hermione Gingold and Karl Böhm album, "Prokofiev: Peter and the Wolf /Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals " .

Ali also made a short film on children's dental hygiene, in which Mr Tooth Decay was played by Chuck Wepner. Ali later boxed against Mr. Tooth Decay during Dental Hygiene for Children Day in Washington, D. C. in January 1980. [4] [5]

The album was officially approved by the American Dental Association. [2]

Reception

Frank La Rosa, writing on the website "Frank's Vinyl Museum" said of the album that "I'd heard about this record years ago, and it sounded pretty good. I finally picked up a copy the other day, and – sweet jesus – this thing is better than anything I could have hoped for. It could be the single best record I own...A sugar high is nothing compared to what I felt listening to this treasure. One track isn't enough. You want to listen to the whole thing straight through, like I did, and you want to do it twice to catch all the details. Then you want to play it in your car. Your walkman. Your bathroom – while brushing and flossing your teeth, of course. One thing is for sure, I'll never look at ice cream the same way again." [6]

Nate Petrin, writing in VICE magazine, was critical of the performance of the children on the album, feeling that "Fans of abysmal kid voice acting—including lots of opposite-of-spontaneous shouting things in unison as a substitute for actual emoting—will sink right into this record like a luxurious champagne bath". [7]

Jason Heller, writing in Rolling Stone magazine, said of the music on the album:

At one point, the score sounds like a marching band whose horns have been replaced with glitching analog synths. Elsewhere, some misplaced, Shaft-style blaxploitation funk underlines the narration. At one point, Mr. Tooth Decay's entrance is signaled by a dissonant track that sounds like "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" as interpreted by avant-garde composer Edgard Varèse. The most successful song on the album is Ali's own theme, a brassy, fist-pumping anthem that vaguely parallels the theme from Rocky, also released in 1976 [2]

Plot

The album opens with "Ali's Historical Theme Song", a musical number featuring Ali, before the story (narrated by Howard Cosell) begins. The plot of the story involves Ali training for an upcoming fight against "Mr. Tooth Decay", who is accompanied by sidekicks, Sugar Cuber and Willie Plaque. Ali then rescues a group of children from buying ice cream from a shopkeeper (played by Frank Sinatra), and takes the children to an organic farm where they learn the importance of drinking milk and eating fruit and vegetables from farmer Brother St. John (played by Ossie Davis). The album concludes with the fight between Ali and Mr. Tooth Decay.

Personnel

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nancy Sinatra</span> American singer (born 1940)

Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer. She is the elder daughter of Frank Sinatra and Nancy Sinatra and is known for her 1965 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'".

The 19th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 19, 1977, and were broadcast live on American television (CBS). It was the seventh and final year Andy Williams hosted the telecast. The ceremony recognized accomplishments by musicians from the year 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sammy Davis Jr.</span> American entertainer (1925–1990)

Samuel George Davis Jr. was an American singer, actor, comedian and dancer.

The 2nd Annual Grammy Awards were held on November 29, 1959, at Los Angeles and New York. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1959. Hosted by Meredith Willson, this marked the first televised Grammy Award ceremony, and it was aired in episodes as special Sunday Showcase. It was held in the same year as the first Grammy Awards in 1959, and no award ceremony was held in 1960. These awards recognized musical accomplishments by performers for that particular year. Frank Sinatra and Duke Ellington each won three awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Howard Cosell</span> American sportscaster (1918–1995)

Howard William Cosell was an American sports journalist, broadcaster and author. Cosell became prominent and influential during his tenure with ABC Sports from 1953 until 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tooth decay</span> Deformation of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria

Tooth decay, also known as cavities or caries, is the breakdown of teeth due to acids produced by bacteria. The cavities may be a number of different colors from yellow to black. Symptoms may include pain and difficulty with eating. Complications may include inflammation of the tissue around the tooth, tooth loss and infection or abscess formation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ossie Davis</span> American actor, director, writer, and activist (1917–2005)

Raiford Chatman "Ossie" Davis was an American actor, director, writer, and activist. He was married to Ruby Dee, with whom he frequently performed, until his death. He and his wife were named to the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame; were awarded the National Medal of Arts and were recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors. He was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1994.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starflyer 59</span> American rock band

Starflyer 59 is an American alternative rock band from Riverside, California that was founded in 1993 by Jason Martin, brother of Ronnie Martin of Joy Electric. While Jason Martin has written nearly all of Starflyer 59's songs, the band has included a number of different musicians over the years, including Jeff Cloud, Frank Lenz, and Richard Swift. The band's sound was initially identified as an outgrowth of the shoegaze movement of the early 1990s, but the band's music has gradually evolved to the point of little resemblance to that of its early days.

Pickwick Records was an American record label and British record distributor known for its budget album releases of sound-alike recordings, bargain bin reissues and repackagings under the brands Design, Bravo, Hurrah, Grand Prix, and children's records on the Cricket and Happy Time labels.

<i>A Man and His Music</i> 1965 studio album by Frank Sinatra

A Man and His Music is a 1965 double album by Frank Sinatra. It provides a brief retrospective of Sinatra's musical career. The album won the 1967 Grammy Award for Album of the Year.

<i>The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas</i> 1968 studio album by Frank Sinatra and prominently featuring his children

The Sinatra Family Wish You a Merry Christmas is a 1968 Christmas album by Frank Sinatra and featuring his children, Frank Sinatra Jr., Nancy Sinatra and Tina Sinatra.

"All the Way" is a song published in 1957 by Maraville Music Corporation. The music was written by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Sammy Cahn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ali in media and popular culture</span> Overview of the American boxer in media and popular culture

This article covers the boxer Muhammad Ali's appearances in media and popular culture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oral hygiene</span> Cleaning the mouth by brushing the teeth and cleaning in between the teeth

Oral hygiene is the practice of keeping one's oral cavity clean and free of disease and other problems by regular brushing of the teeth and adopting good hygiene habits. It is important that oral hygiene be carried out on a regular basis to enable prevention of dental disease and bad breath. The most common types of dental disease are tooth decay and gum diseases, including gingivitis, and periodontitis.

Celebrity Vinyl is a satirical coffee table book published in 2008 that chronicles the unsuccessful singing attempts of famous actors, actresses, and athletes. Published by Mark Batty Publisher, this book is based on the personal vinyl record collection of author and advertising creative director Tom Hamling.

Music of <i>Sesame Street</i> Music of the television show Sesame Street

Music has been a part of the children's television show Sesame Street since its debut on PBS in 1969. For the first time, music was used as a teaching tool on a TV program for children; the songs written and performed on the show fulfilled specific purposes and supported its curriculum. The music on Sesame Street consisted of many styles and genres, but was consistent and recognizable so that it could be reproduced. The producers recorded and released dozens of albums of music; many songs became "timeless classics". In order to attract the best composers and lyricists, CTW allowed songwriters to retain the rights to the songs they wrote, which allowed them to earn lucrative profits. Sesame Street Book & Record, recorded in 1970, went gold and won a Grammy. As of November 2019, Sesame Workshop has partnered with Warner Music Group's Arts Music division to reform Sesame Street Records to make the music of Sesame Street fully available.

<i>I Am the Greatest</i> (Cassius Clay album) 1963 studio album by Cassius Clay

I Am the Greatest is a comedy album by boxer Cassius Clay, released in August 1963 – six months before he won the world heavyweight championship, publicly announced his conversion to Islam, and changed his name to Muhammad Ali. It was released by CBS Columbia. The album helped establish Ali's reputation as an eloquently poetic "trash talker". The album has also been identified as an early example of rap music and a precursor to hip hop music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Doug Sax</span> Musical artist

Doug Sax was an American mastering engineer from Los Angeles, California. He mastered three of The Doors' albums, including their 1967 debut; six of Pink Floyd's albums, including The Wall; Ray Charles' multiple-Grammy winner Genius Loves Company in 2004, and Bob Dylan's 36th studio album Shadows in the Night in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bloodhound Gang</span> American rock group

The Bloodhound Gang is an American rock band from Pennsylvania. Formed in 1992 by rappers Jimmy Pop and Daddy Long Legs, the band is known for its crude lyrics which are full of sexual innuendos. The band has sold more than 6 million albums since its formation and is best known for their singles "Fire Water Burn", "The Bad Touch", "Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo", "Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss Uhn Tiss", "The Ballad of Chasey Lain", and a hard rock version of The Association's 1966 pop song "Along Comes Mary".

Boxing on ABC refers to a series of boxing events that have been televised on the American Broadcasting Company. Many of these events aired under the Wide World of Sports banner which began on April 11, 1964 when challenger Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated champion Sonny Liston in the seventh round. ABC's final boxing card occurred on June 17, 2000.

References

  1. "Muhammed Ali and the Gang - The Adventures of Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay". discogs.com. 1976. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Jason Heller (6 June 2016). "Remembering Muhammad Ali's Trippy, Anti-Cavity Kids' Record". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  3. "Grammy Awards 1977". Awards & Shows.
  4. Thomas Hauser (14 February 2012). Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times (Enhanced ed.). Open Road Media. pp. 446–. ISBN   978-1-4532-5063-1.
  5. Johnson Publishing Company (17 January 1980). Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. pp. 36–. ISSN   0021-5996.
  6. "Frank's Vinyl Museum presents Ali and His Gang vs. Mr. Tooth Decay". Frank's Vinyl Museum. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  7. Nate Patrin (2 October 2015). "Champion Sound: When Muhammad Ali (And A Bunch Of Kids) Knocked Out Tooth Decay, Drug Dealers". VICE . Retrieved 24 July 2016.