The RiffTones? What of 'em? [The singing group, not the phone ringtones.]

[LucasM]

Since Mike, Kevin and Bill have created such great music over the years, I was astonished to not find a thread specifically about the RiffTones - their latest musical endeavor - in the Music area here.

I just got the CD Tuesday when I got Casablanca.  The RiffTones Music For Riffing CD [EDIT:]is still not linked to on the website, tho they're working on it...  here's a link if anyone doesn't have it and is interested (it was linked in the May 6 e-mail for the live show): The RiffTones 'Music For Riffing'.

Back when the Jaws RiffTrax came out, after hearing Love Theme from 'Jaws' (When a Man Loves a Shark) at the end, I really wanted an MP3 of it.  I was thinking of making one by editing the film off of a duplicated copy of the whole Jaws RiffTrax, but luckily (given the bitrate for those) RiffTrax released that - and far more - as either a downloadable 'regular' CD, or as MP3s.

Currently, because I have a female friend who got so into Twilight that she bought (and read) the books (and because the riffing for the film is one of their funniest RiffTrax) Sparkly Vampires is a big favorite of mine.  But there are so many great tunes on the 'album' that the whole thing gets a lot of play here.   [The female friend's birthday is coming up, so I gave her a copy of the tune and the RiffTrax to go with the film.  When she heard the tune she was laughing as hard as I was and if I hadn't given it to her, she said she would've downloaded it herself, so she's not 'protective' of the story as some who get into things are.]

I really like Mike's Let's Dance-era Bowie impression (spot on!) in Eat Me, and - even though I dislike the Stooges - really like Kevin's Fine.  But there really aren't any on the album I don't like.  Kevin's mandolin-rendition of the opening of House of the Rising Sun is not to be missed (in (Party at the) House on Haunted Hill).

Anyone else have thoughts, comments on The RiffTones album?

I remember reading that other RiffTones tunes were available, but the link in another thread led to a dead webpage.  These are so good I'd like to find the others if possible.


And hopefully others will do this here as well: take a favorite RiffTones tune and type out the lyrics.  I did this largely for the friend I'm getting involved in RiffTrax so she could sing along with it.  Here are the lyrics for Sparkly Vampires.

EDIT:  I just thought that possibly people might want the 'newness' of the lyrics to be a surprise when they first hear the tunes, so I just put the lyrics for Sparkly Vampires (below) in spoiler-protection.  If anyone else adds lyrics, please do the same for the courtesy of others.   

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Sparkly Vampires

[Insert Coin(s) to Continue]

Music for Riffing is kind of hit and miss. It seems like they were having fun with it, though, and that's what matters. Their Masters of Song-Fu releases were more consistent in quality, but the MfR CD was fun. The best songs were Love Theme from Jaws (a carry over from Song-Fu) and Missile to Your Heart, although I also liked Plans One Thru Nine, Sparkly Vampires, (Party at the) House on Haunted Hill, Fine, and Diver Damned.

Why so many songs based on the public domain films, though? That left the album feeling more like an advertisement. There are plenty of great RiffTrax'd movies that would make for some good songs like 300, Star Trek Generations, and The Wicker Man.

[Piobman]

I thought they were all great. Not a bad tune int he bunch. I hope they do more!

[lunchbot1]

I'm glad for the RiffTones stuff, because the whole song-parodies-based-on-the-movie bit is one of the things I've missed most from the MST3K days.

I remember reading that other RiffTones tunes were available, but the link in another thread led to a dead webpage.  These are so good I'd like to find the others if possible.

The RiffTones' Masters of Song-Fu songs are downloadable here: http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2008/10/28/masters-of-song-fu-2-the-winner-revealed/ (look for the RiffTones section about half-way down the page--also, the main Song-Fu pages listing is here: http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/category/masters-of-song-fu/, and is worth spending some time going thru to listen to some of the other masters' and challengers' songs)

There's also the "Bruce Willis Needs a Nap" song from the CBS Radio pilot thingy that Mike, Kevin, and Bill did: http://rifftrax.cbsradio.com/

I'm assuming that the deal with all the public domain films in this batch of songs is that they were also recording them for use on the recent DVD releases.

[LucasM]

Why so many songs based on the public domain films, though? That left the album feeling more like an advertisement. There are plenty of great RiffTrax'd movies that would make for some good songs like 300, Star Trek Generations, and The Wicker Man.

Rather than advertising, I believe that a bunch of these were written to be 'extras' on the official RiffTrax versions of the DVDs (e.g. for House On Haunted Hill, Night of the Living Dead, Plan 9, Little Shop of Horrors, etc.).  I think they just realized... "why should those who already have those RiffTrax have to buy the DVD (again) to enjoy the songs?"

I do agree that there's plenty that'd make great songs.  I'd also like one for 300, and love them for Island of Dr Moreau, Next, Dark Knight (and most any of the 'series' they've tackled: Matrix, LotR, Spider-Man, FF).

[LucasM]

I'm glad for the RiffTones stuff, because the whole song-parodies-based-on-the-movie bit is one of the things I've missed most from the MST3K days.

I remember reading that other RiffTones tunes were available, but the link in another thread led to a dead webpage.  These are so good I'd like to find the others if possible.

The RiffTones' Masters of Song-Fu songs are downloadable here: http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/2008/10/28/masters-of-song-fu-2-the-winner-revealed/ (look for the RiffTones section about half-way down the page--also, the main Song-Fu pages listing is here: http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/category/masters-of-song-fu/, and is worth spending some time going thru to listen to some of the other masters' and challengers' songs)

There's also the "Bruce Willis Needs a Nap" song from the CBS Radio pilot thingy that Mike, Kevin, and Bill did: http://rifftrax.cbsradio.com/

I'm assuming that the deal with all the public domain films in this batch of songs is that they were also recording them for use on the recent DVD releases.

Oop... responded to Insert Coins to Continue's comment before reading your comment (on the DVD release for some).  Sounds like we came to the same conclusion on why the 'local' films were over-represented.

Thanks for the Song-Fu links!  I've got the three entries (besides Jaws) downloading now.  And I'll read the rest of the Song-Fu pages and listen to other entries when I have more time (possibly after I sleep tonight).

I agree, I really missed the 'MST' songs (as a retired Neuropsychologist, I especially loved "When I Held Your Brain In My Arms").  As a long-time fan of satirical song (Tom Lehrer, etc.) it is great to hear well-done stuff like these are, particularly with the overlap with the films I enjoy being riffed, as these do.

[Invisible NanoGhost]

The guys recently created a twitter account for rifftones:   http://twitter.com/rifftones

so I'm confident we'll see some more songs coming in the future!   

[LucasM]

The guys recently created a twitter account for rifftones:   http://twitter.com/rifftones

so I'm confident we'll see some more songs coming in the future!   

EXcellent!   

[Mr. Dave]

I just heard 'Sparkly Vampires'
So awesome!

[Piobman]

Any chance we can buy the new Planet of Dinosaurs rifftone?

[MrTorso]

Any chance we can buy the new Planet of Dinosaurs rifftone?

I would like that too. Was there one on Voodoo Man as well??

[spaceforarent]

Any chance we can buy the new Planet of Dinosaurs rifftone?

I would like that too. Was there one on Voodoo Man as well??

Short answer: yes