Buckner & Garcia was a musical duo consisting of Jerry Buckner and Gary Garcia from Akron, Ohio. Their first recording was made in the 1960s, when they performed a novelty song called "Gotta Hear the Beat", which they recorded as Animal Jack.
However, the duo is best known for the song "Pac-Man Fever", which became a large novelty hit in 1982. Later the same year, after the song became a hit, the duo signed a record deal with Columbia/CBS Records. According to interviews, the duo never wanted to become a novelty act known for songs based on video games, but when it signed with the label, the company insisted on a full album of video-game songs, although the duo had intended to write a more varied collection of pop music. They complied despite their misgivings and released “Pac-Man Fever”, a full album consisting entirely of songs about arcade games. Hard to believe since irony has come along and eclipsed dumb fun, but in 1982 more people were actually laughing with Buckner & Garcia than laughing at them. Their ode to the classic video game Pac-Man broke into the Top Ten and everyone had “Pac-Man Fever” for a while, although most didn’t stick around to “Do the Donkey Kong” as their second single suggested. Here, both singles appear alongside songs dedicated to six other arcade classics including Asteroids, Defender, and Centipede. Video game hints and instructions are almost always added to the lyrics, like the sage advice for beating “Evil Otto” found in “Goin' Berzerk” (“I’m sure he’s crazy he’s too as he’s bouncin’ cross the floor/There’s no way to destroy him, let him bounce right out the door”). The music is generally bouncy, squeaky-clean pop that’s dated as they come, but “Froggy’s Lament” is a true curve ball as it tells the tale of Frogger with a narrative style somewhere between “Convoy” and Red Sovine. This is the nerd zenith when it comes to early-'80s camp, and whether or not you find it awesome or awful entirely depends on how many quarters you fed to these machines back in the day.
However, the duo is best known for the song "Pac-Man Fever", which became a large novelty hit in 1982. Later the same year, after the song became a hit, the duo signed a record deal with Columbia/CBS Records. According to interviews, the duo never wanted to become a novelty act known for songs based on video games, but when it signed with the label, the company insisted on a full album of video-game songs, although the duo had intended to write a more varied collection of pop music. They complied despite their misgivings and released “Pac-Man Fever”, a full album consisting entirely of songs about arcade games. Hard to believe since irony has come along and eclipsed dumb fun, but in 1982 more people were actually laughing with Buckner & Garcia than laughing at them. Their ode to the classic video game Pac-Man broke into the Top Ten and everyone had “Pac-Man Fever” for a while, although most didn’t stick around to “Do the Donkey Kong” as their second single suggested. Here, both singles appear alongside songs dedicated to six other arcade classics including Asteroids, Defender, and Centipede. Video game hints and instructions are almost always added to the lyrics, like the sage advice for beating “Evil Otto” found in “Goin' Berzerk” (“I’m sure he’s crazy he’s too as he’s bouncin’ cross the floor/There’s no way to destroy him, let him bounce right out the door”). The music is generally bouncy, squeaky-clean pop that’s dated as they come, but “Froggy’s Lament” is a true curve ball as it tells the tale of Frogger with a narrative style somewhere between “Convoy” and Red Sovine. This is the nerd zenith when it comes to early-'80s camp, and whether or not you find it awesome or awful entirely depends on how many quarters you fed to these machines back in the day.
Track listing
01. "Pac-Man Fever" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 3:48
02. "Froggy's Lament" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 3:18
03. "Ode to a Centipede" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 5:37
04. "Do the Donkey Kong" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:24
05. "Hyperspace" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:07
06. "The Defender" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:02
07. "Mousetrap" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:00
08. "Goin' Berzerk" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:17
09. "E.T. (I Love You)" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 4:21
10. "Hostage" (Jerry Buckner, Gary Garcia) - 3:50
Credits
Jerry Buckner - vocals, keyboards
Gary Garcia - lead vocals, guitar
Chris Bowman - guitar
Larry McDonald - bass guitar
Ginny Whitaker - drums
David "Cozy" Cole - syndrum
Rick Hinkle - guitar
Steve Carlisle - background vocals
Sharon Scott - background vocals
Mike Stewart - Moog synthesizer
Co-producer – Danny Jones (2), Mike Stewart (5)
Producer – Gary Garcia, Jerry Buckner
Notes
Recorded at: Studio 1, Doraville, Georgia
Genre: Comedy, Electronic Rock
Length: 41:44
Label: Columbia Records
© 1981
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