The Simpsons Sing the Blues
Encyclopedia
The Simpsons Sing the Blues is the first album released as an offshoot of The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...

. The album contains originally recorded music not featured in the series save for the first verse of the track "Moaning Lisa Blues" which was first featured in the episode "Moaning Lisa
Moaning Lisa
"Moaning Lisa" is the sixth episode of The Simpsons first season, and originally aired February 11, 1990. The episode was written by Al Jean and Mike Reiss, and was directed by Wes Archer. Ron Taylor guest stars in the episode as Bleeding Gums Murphy. The episode deals with Lisa's depression and...

", aired February 11, 1990. The album was released on December 4, 1990 and peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

.

An early musical number, "Do the Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...

", leads the album as the first track and the first single released. It was an international success, including being the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 number one single on February 16, 1991, staying there for a further two weeks being certified Gold after selling over 400,000 copies. The second single released, "Deep, Deep Trouble
Deep, Deep Trouble
"Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff...

" also did well in the UK, reaching number 7. Both "Do The Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...

" and "Deep, Deep Trouble
Deep, Deep Trouble
"Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff...

" were released as music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...

s in 1991.

Different cast members lent their voices to the album with both new material and cover songs. There were a number of notable musicians who appeared on the album, including B. B. King
B. B. King
Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...

, DJ Jazzy Jeff
DJ Jazzy Jeff
Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...

, Dr. John
Dr. John
Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...

 and Marcy Levy
Marcella Detroit
Marcella Detroit is a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. She was a member of the band Shakespears Sister, along with Siobhan Fahey of Bananarama. Detroit's soprano voice provided lead vocals on their biggest hit, "Stay," which was No...

.

Background

David Geffen
David Geffen
David Geffen is an American record executive, film producer, theatrical producer and philanthropist. Geffen is noted for creating Asylum Records in 1970, Geffen Records in 1980, and DGC Records in 1990...

, founder of Geffen Records
Geffen Records
Geffen Records is an American record label, owned by Universal Music Group, and operated as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-Beginnings:...

, had the idea to record an album based on The Simpsons, to be released in time for Christmas 1990. The writers wrote humorous lyrics for the actors to perform over blues and hip hop. The voice actors for the series recorded the album in September 1990. The album was difficult to produce in between production for The Simpsons second season, which was due to premiere just two weeks later. The album's title was penned by producer, James L. Brooks
James L. Brooks
James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...

. "We plundered a number of different styles for the record," admitted creator Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....

 in a 1990 interview. The disc contains an eclectic mix of old blues tunes such as Billie Holliday's "God Bless the Child" and original songs such as "Deep, Deep Trouble", which was produced by rapper D.J. Jazzy Jeff and written by Groening.

Release

The album faced great publicity before its release, with several details leaking out. Fox attempted to keep the record under wraps until negotiations with performers such as Jackson were nailed down. One particular element that was highly publicized was Michael Jackson's involvement, which was denied around the time of the album's release. "Oh, it's so frustrating," lamented Groening in a 1990 interview. "I said to a reporter a while ago that I would like to have this happen and it was printed as if it was true." Early published reports attributed Jackson as the composer of "Do the Bartman", which led to James L. Brooks issuing a press release apologizing for any misunderstanding about who actually wrote the song, instead revealing that Bryan Loren wrote the song. Fox also organized a media event around the album, pulling in nearly a half-dozen camera crews to interview and tape the would-be recording stars in action.

The album The Simpsons Sing the Blues was released on December 4, 1990 and was a success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...

, making it the highest charting Simpsons album. The album was also a success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at #6 on the albums chart and was eventually certified Gold. The lead single from the album, "Do the Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...

", was released on November 20, 1990, followed by the unveiling of animated music video after the Simpsons episode "Bart the Daredevil
Bart the Daredevil
"Bart the Daredevil" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons second season and aired on December 6, 1990. It was written by Jay Kogen and Wallace Wolodarsky and directed by Wes Archer. In the episode, the Simpsons go to a Monster truck rally that features famous daredevil Lance Murdock. Bart...

" on December 6. After the Fox network premiere, the video was exclusive to MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....

. The song wasn't actually released as a physical single, which perhaps helped sales of the album. The music video for "Deep, Deep Trouble
Deep, Deep Trouble
"Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff...

" debuted after "Bart's Dog Gets an F
Bart's Dog Gets an F
"Bart's Dog Gets an F" is the sixteenth episode of The Simpsons second season. It originally aired on the Fox network in the United States on March 7, 1991. In this episode, the Simpson family's dog, Santa's Little Helper, manages to infuriate the entire family by destroying Homer's new shoes,...

" on March 7, 1991.

On December 14, 1990, the album was certified platinum, having sold over 1 million copies in its first week of release. Within a matter of weeks, the record was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America, on February 13, 1991, for sales of over 3 million copies.

Legacy

The Simpsons Sing the Blues is today regarded as a novelty from The Simpsons early popularity. Shortly after the record's release and success, record companies rushed to fashion music stars out of animated characters. In January 1991, Mattel
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. is the world's largest toy company based on revenue. The products it produces include Fisher Price, Barbie dolls, Hot Wheels and Matchbox toys, Masters of the Universe, American Girl dolls, board games, and, in the early 1980s, video game consoles. The company's name is derived from...

 announced plans to record a Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....

 rock album titled The Look. At the same time, MCA Records
MCA Records
MCA Records was an American-based record company owned by MCA Inc., which later gave way to the larger MCA Music Entertainment Group , of which MCA Records was still part. MCA Records was absorbed by Geffen Records in 2003...

 was finishing work on an album
Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin'
Nintendo: White Knuckle Scorin' is a compilation album released by Nintendo in 1991. In spite of the appearance of Mario on the cover, only the first song on the album has anything to do with the Super Mario franchise...

 based on the Mario Bros.
Mario Bros.
is an arcade game published and developed by Nintendo in 1983. It was developed by Shigeru Miyamoto. It has been commonly featured as a minigame in the Super Mario Advance series and other games...

 characters. SBK
SBK Records
SBK Records was a record label of the EMI Group that was founded in 1988.Stephen Swid, Martin Bandier, and Charles Koppelman formed the production company SBK in 1989 after they purchased the music publishing division of CBS Records in 1986....

 and Geffen also enjoyed huge success with albums based on the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (film)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a 1990 American live-action film adaptation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise directed by Steve Barron. The film was followed by three sequels: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze in 1991, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III in 1993, and...

 and The Simpsons Sing the Blues. The record soon became the fastest-selling album to emerge from a television show since the Miami Vice soundtrack in 1985. Disney also issued an album
Sebastian: Party Gras!
Sebastian: Party Gras! is the second of three original albums inspired by Disney's The Little Mermaid film. Many of the songs are cover versions of classic calypso or reggae songs, or other songs recorded in a calypso or reggae style. All of the songs are performed by Samuel E...

 of rock songs sung by The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid (1989 film)
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and based on the Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale of the same name. Distributed by Walt Disney Pictures, the film was originally released to theaters on November 14, 1989 and is the twenty-eighth film in...

Sebastian. "Do the Bartman" inspired a dance, "The Bartman", that was popular in early 1991.

Track listing

  1. "Do the Bartman
    Do the Bartman
    "Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...

    " (written by Michael Jackson
    Michael Jackson
    Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

     and Bryan Loren) Performed by Bart Simpson
    Bart Simpson
    Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

  2. "School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)
    School Days (song)
    "School Days" is a song written and recorded by rock and roll icon Chuck Berry, released by the Chess record label as a single in March 1957, and released on the LP After School Session two months later . It is one of his best known songs and is often considered a rock and roll anthem...

    " (Originally written and performed by Chuck Berry
    Chuck Berry
    Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. With songs such as "Maybellene" , "Roll Over Beethoven" , "Rock and Roll Music" and "Johnny B...

    ) Performed by Bart Simpson
    Bart Simpson
    Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

     and Buster Poindexter
  3. "Born Under a Bad Sign" (originally performed by Albert King
    Albert King
    Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...

    ; written by Booker T. Jones
    Booker T. Jones
    Booker T. Jones is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer and arranger, best known as the frontman of the band Booker T. and the MGs. He has also worked in the studios with many well-known artists of the 20th and 21st centuries, earning him a Grammy Award for lifetime...

     and William Bell
    William Bell
    -Musicians:* William Bell * William Bell * William Henry Bell , composer -Politicians:* Dr. William Bell , founder of Manitou Springs, Colorado...

    ) Performed by Homer Simpson
    Homer Simpson
    Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

    , featuring B. B. King
    B. B. King
    Riley B. King , known by the stage name B.B. King, is an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter.Rolling Stone magazine ranked him at No.3 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. According to Edward M...

     (guitar) and the horn section from Tower of Power
    Tower of Power
    Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...

  4. "Moanin' Lisa Blues" Performed by Lisa Simpson (Featuring Joe Walsh
    Joe Walsh
    Joseph Fidler "Joe" Walsh is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He has been a member of three commercially successful bands, the James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles, and has experienced notable success as a solo artist and prolific session musician, especially with B.B...

     (slide guitar), John Sebastian
    John Sebastian
    John Benson Sebastian Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and autoharpist. He is best known as a founder of The Lovin' Spoonful, a band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000...

     (harmonica), and the horn section from Tower of Power
    Tower of Power
    Tower of Power is an American R&B-based horn section and band, originating in Oakland, California, that has been performing for over 43 years. They are best known for their funky soul sound highlighted by a powerful horn section...

     (horns))
  5. "Deep, Deep Trouble
    Deep, Deep Trouble
    "Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff...

    " (Matt Groening
    Matt Groening
    Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....

    , DJ Jazzy Jeff
    DJ Jazzy Jeff
    Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...

     and The Fresh Prince) Performed by Bart Simpson
    Bart Simpson
    Bartholomew JoJo "Bart" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the Simpson family. He is voiced by actress Nancy Cartwright and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

     and Homer Simpson
    Homer Simpson
    Homer Jay Simpson is a fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons and the patriarch of the eponymous family. He is voiced by Dan Castellaneta and first appeared on television, along with the rest of his family, in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

     (featuring DJ Jazzy Jeff
    DJ Jazzy Jeff
    Jeffrey Allen Townes , also known as DJ Jazzy Jeff or simply Jazz, is an American hip hop, R&B record producer, turntablist and actor. He is best known for his early career with Will Smith as DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...

     (scratches) & The Fresh Prince (background vocals: 'Nothing But Trouble')
  6. "God Bless the Child
    God Bless the Child (Billie Holiday song)
    "God Bless the Child" is a song written by Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog, Jr. in 1939, first recorded on May 9, 1941 under the Okeh label.Holiday's version of the song was honored with the Grammy Hall of Fame Award in...

    " (originally performed by Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...

    ; written by Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday
    Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...

     and Arthur Herzog, Jr.) Performed by Lisa Simpson
    Lisa Simpson
    Lisa Marie Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons. She is the middle child of the Simpson family. Voiced by Yeardley Smith, Lisa first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987. Cartoonist Matt Groening...

     and featuring "Bleeding Gums" Murphy
  7. "I Love to See You Smile" (originally by Randy Newman
    Randy Newman
    Randall Stuart "Randy" Newman is an American singer-songwriter, arranger, composer, and pianist who is known for his mordant pop songs and for film scores....

    )
    • Homer Simpson
    • Marge Simpson
      Marge Simpson
      Marjorie "Marge" Simpson is a fictional main character in the animated television series The Simpsons and part of the eponymous family. She is voiced by actress Julie Kavner and first appeared on television in The Tracey Ullman Show short "Good Night" on April 19, 1987...

    • Featuring Dr. John
      Dr. John
      Malcolm John "Mac" Rebennack, Jr. , better known by the stage name Dr. John , is an American singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist, whose music combines blues, pop, jazz as well as Zydeco, boogie woogie and rock and roll.Active as a session musician since the late 1950s, he came to wider...

       (piano solo)
  8. "Springfield Soul Stew" (based on "Memphis Soul Stew" by King Curtis
    King Curtis
    Curtis Ousley , who performed under the stage name King Curtis, was an American saxophone virtuoso known for rhythm and blues, rock and roll, soul, funk and soul jazz. Variously a bandleader, band member, and session musician, he was also a musical director and record producer...

    )
    • Marge Simpson
  9. "Look at All Those Idiots" (Jeff Martin
    Jeff Martin (writer)
    Jeff Martin is an American television producer and writer. He was a writer for The Simpsons during the first four seasons. He attended Harvard University, where he wrote for The Harvard Lampoon, as have many other Simpsons writers...

    , Sam Simon
    Sam Simon
    Samuel "Sam" Simon is an American director, producer, writer, boxing manager and philanthropist. While at Stanford University, Simon worked as a newspaper cartoonist and after graduating became a storyboard artist at Filmation Studios. He submitted a spec script for the sitcom Taxi, which was...

    , Jai Winding)
    • Montgomery Burns
      Montgomery Burns
      Charles Montgomery "Monty" Burns, usually referred to as Mr. Burns, is a recurring fictional character in the animated television series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer and previously Christopher Collins. Burns is the evil owner of the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant and is Homer...

       (Listed as J. Montgomery Burns on this album)
    • Smithers
      Waylon Smithers
      Waylon Smithers, Jr., usually referred to as Smithers, is a recurring fictional character in the animated series The Simpsons, who is voiced by Harry Shearer. Smithers first appeared in the episode "Homer's Odyssey", although he could be heard in the series premiere "Simpsons Roasting on an Open...

  10. "Sibling Rivalry" (John Boylan, James L. Brooks
    James L. Brooks
    James Lawrence Brooks is an American director, producer and screenwriter. Growing up in North Bergen, New Jersey, Brooks endured a fractured family life and passed the time by reading and writing. After dropping out of New York University, he got a job as an usher at CBS, going on to write for the...

    , Jai Winding)
    • Bart Simpson
    • Lisa Simpson

Singles

Information
"Deep, Deep Trouble
Deep, Deep Trouble
"Deep, Deep Trouble" is a rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It is sung by the fictional character Bart Simpson and is about his trouble-making antics. The song was written by Matt Groening and DJ Jazzy Jeff...

"
  • Released:
  • Written by Matt Groening, DJ Jazzy Jeff, the Fresh Prince
  • Produced by
  • Chart positions: #7 (UK)
"Do the Bartman
Do the Bartman
"Do the Bartman" is a pop rap song from the 1990 Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues. It was performed by The Simpsons cast member Nancy Cartwright and was released as a promotional single from the album on November 20, 1990. The song was written and produced by American recording artist...

"
  • Released: November 20, 1990
  • Written by Michael Jackson* and Bryan Loren
  • Produced by Michael Jackson
  • Chart positions: #1 (UK)
  • "God Bless the Child"
  • Released
  • Written by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog Jr.
  • Produced by
  • Chart positions:

  • Discography

    Country Label Format Catalog
    USA Geffen Cassette M5G 24308
    USA Geffen Vinyl GHS 24308
    USA Geffen CD 9 24308-2
    USA Geffen Goldline Cassette M5G 24308
    USA Geffen Goldline CD 24308
    Canada Geffen Cassette GEBBC-24308
    Canada Geffen CD GEBBD-24308
    Canada Geffen Vinyl
    Germany Geffen Cassette
    Germany Geffen Vinyl
    Germany Geffen CD 7599-24308-2
    Germany Geffen CD GED 24 308/GEFD 24 308
    UK Geffen Cassette
    UK Geffen Vinyl
    UK Geffen CD GFLD 19201
    USA Geffen CD Promo 9 24308-2

    * - No credit given, as he was under contract to another label.
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