Joe Scruggs In Concert

Mighty Joe Scruggs, King of the Children's Music Artists, returns for his second video (his first, appropriately titled Joe's First Video, was praised to the skies in our April 1990 issue). Filmed before a live audience of children and their parents, Joe Scruggs in Concert is a multimedia music video that uses great tunes, colorful puppets, huge props, and video special effects to deliver an hour of rousing entertainment for the whole family. Highlights include: "Deep in the Jungle," a tale of monkeys who taunt a crocodile that, in turn, gets a little snappish; "Bahamas Pajamas," in which a pair of mind-reading birds sing along with Scruggs and get the lyrics completely, and amusingly, wrong; "Put Your Thumb In the Air," an interactive song that's a lot like playing "Twister," body contortion-wise; and that traditional favorite "Swing Low, Saint Mountain," in which Scruggs and his two co-performers--Pete Markham and Jeanie Runyon--lead the audience in simultaneous versions of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "When the Saints Go Marching In," and "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain." And on "Old MacDonald," Pete Markham does an admirable job of playing not one, but two, Mattel "See 'N Says." This is especially interesting in light of the fact that Mr. Markham is CEO of Shadow Play Records & Video, and looks to be having a helluva lot more fun than most CEO's. Other songs include: "The Bicycle Song," "Busy Box Band," "Talking Toybox," and "Goo Goo Ga Ga." A consummate performer and gifted songwriter, Scruggs and his excellent helpers put on, as Ed might have said, "a really good shoe." Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (Available from: Shadow Play Records & Video, P.O. Box 180476, Austin, TX 78718; (800) 274-8804.)