E.T., I love you
Encyclopedia
E.T., I Love You and Other Extra-Terrestrial Songs for Children is an album by the group the Starlight Children's Chorus, released in 1983 under Kid Stuff Records
. It featured a song "E.T., I Love You" by Buckner & Garcia
, which was originally written to accompany the major motion picture E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
.
and was recorded and released under Columbia Records
in 1982. Appearing on a 7" vinyl as a single, their version of the song was written as a ballad. It was by permission and the liking of Steven Spielberg
, intended to be released as a tribute song for the film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial". But during virtually the same time period, Neil Diamond
, another artist under CBS at the time, had recorded his own tribute song which caused a potential conflict for the record label to release and promote two songs on the same subject. Buckner & Garcia's song was held for release until later that year by the label in favor of "Heartlight
", although their song remains to be seen as part of the movies' subsequent merchandising craze. It was performed by them on September 25, 1982 at the Georgia Music Festival, prior to receiving an award for Songwriters of the Year by the Atlanta Songwriters Association.
Released under Kid Stuff
, a record label devoted entirely to producing music catered for children, "E.T., I Love You" appeared on E.T., I Love You and Other Extra-Terrestrial Songs for Children. It also features six other alien related songs and an overture
at the beginning, where a childlike voice with high levels of reverb asks questions like "Where did you come from? Another world?". Overall, the album has been called "freaky";. "So Near and Yet So Far" has been described as up-tempo, comparable to Debbie Gibson, and features the sound effects of robots and a toilet flushing, and "Please Phone Ring-a-Ling" is in the realm of doo-wop
style of music. Although being recorded under the group title of "Children's Starlight Chorus", it is not actually sung by any children, but rather an alto
female singer attempting to mimic the voice of a young boy. None of the music or any sound clips from the movie appear on the album.
E.T., I Love You and Other Extra-Terrestrial Songs for Children has been described as sounding odd, and off-putting. The album has been noted as being obscure among purveyors of rare music.
, Buckner & Garcia included their original version.
Kid Stuff Records
Kid Stuff Records was a record label of the 1980s devoted to children's music. The label's albums were mostly tie-ins for franchises such as Care Bears, The Pink Panther Show, Strawberry Shortcake, Fat Albert, Garfield, E.T...
. It featured a song "E.T., I Love You" by Buckner & Garcia
Buckner & Garcia
Buckner & Garcia was a duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio. Their first collaboration was in 1980, when they wrote a novelty Christmas song, "Merry Christmas in the NFL", imagining Howard Cosell as Santa Claus...
, which was originally written to accompany the major motion picture E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is a 1982 American science fiction film co-produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, written by Melissa Mathison and starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Robert MacNaughton, Drew Barrymore, and Peter Coyote...
.
Background
The song "E.T., I Love You" was originally written by Buckner & GarciaBuckner & Garcia
Buckner & Garcia was a duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio. Their first collaboration was in 1980, when they wrote a novelty Christmas song, "Merry Christmas in the NFL", imagining Howard Cosell as Santa Claus...
and was recorded and released under Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1982. Appearing on a 7" vinyl as a single, their version of the song was written as a ballad. It was by permission and the liking of Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
, intended to be released as a tribute song for the film "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial". But during virtually the same time period, Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
, another artist under CBS at the time, had recorded his own tribute song which caused a potential conflict for the record label to release and promote two songs on the same subject. Buckner & Garcia's song was held for release until later that year by the label in favor of "Heartlight
Heartlight (song)
"Heartlight" is a song written by Neil Diamond, Carole Bayer Sager and her then-husband Burt Bacharach, and recorded by Diamond in 1982. The song is the first track on Diamond's 1982 album, also titled Heartlight, and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming his eighth top 5 hit on...
", although their song remains to be seen as part of the movies' subsequent merchandising craze. It was performed by them on September 25, 1982 at the Georgia Music Festival, prior to receiving an award for Songwriters of the Year by the Atlanta Songwriters Association.
Released under Kid Stuff
Kid Stuff Records
Kid Stuff Records was a record label of the 1980s devoted to children's music. The label's albums were mostly tie-ins for franchises such as Care Bears, The Pink Panther Show, Strawberry Shortcake, Fat Albert, Garfield, E.T...
, a record label devoted entirely to producing music catered for children, "E.T., I Love You" appeared on E.T., I Love You and Other Extra-Terrestrial Songs for Children. It also features six other alien related songs and an overture
Overture
Overture in music is the term originally applied to the instrumental introduction to an opera...
at the beginning, where a childlike voice with high levels of reverb asks questions like "Where did you come from? Another world?". Overall, the album has been called "freaky";. "So Near and Yet So Far" has been described as up-tempo, comparable to Debbie Gibson, and features the sound effects of robots and a toilet flushing, and "Please Phone Ring-a-Ling" is in the realm of doo-wop
Doo-wop
The name Doo-wop is given to a style of vocal-based rhythm and blues music that developed in African American communities in the 1940s and achieved mainstream popularity in the 1950s and early 1960s. It emerged from New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Baltimore, Newark, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and...
style of music. Although being recorded under the group title of "Children's Starlight Chorus", it is not actually sung by any children, but rather an alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
female singer attempting to mimic the voice of a young boy. None of the music or any sound clips from the movie appear on the album.
E.T., I Love You and Other Extra-Terrestrial Songs for Children has been described as sounding odd, and off-putting. The album has been noted as being obscure among purveyors of rare music.
Unauthorized use of "E.T., I Love You"
Nearly two decades later, Mr. Garcia was contacted regarding the version of their song "E.T., I Love You" appearing on the album by the Starlight Children's Chorus. He claimed to have no knowledge of that version. However in both a 1999 5-song release called Now & Then, and in a 2002 re-release of their chart-topping album, Pac-Man FeverPac-Man Fever (album)
Pac-Man Fever is a 1982 concept album recorded by Buckner & Garcia. It is also the name of the first song on that album. Each song on the album is about a different classic arcade game, and uses sound effects from that game. The album was released as an LP, a cassette, an 8-track tape, and later...
, Buckner & Garcia included their original version.
Track listing
- Information for tracklisting.