Parents of young children or fans of cartoons in general may want to tune in to this afternoon’s installment of “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated” on the Cartoon Network: Today’s episode, “Dance of the Undead,” celebrates 2 Tone-era ska music and features two songs recorded just for the show by Dave Wakeling of The English Beat.
Tony Cervone, the series’ supervising producer, tells Slicing Up Eyeballs that the episode — which also features voice work by original MTV VJ Martha Quinn and Jane Weidlin of The Go-Go’s — is “a personal labor of love.” The episode finds Scooby and the gang needing “to stop Rude Boy’s zombie ska band from casting a non-stop dancing spell over the town of Crystal Cove.”
Back in January, Wakeling discussed the recording of the two songs with the SF Examiner:
“This was my first opportunity to do anything for television as a gun for hire, and I actually managed to record and mix two songs in 12 hours. It was like running at double speed with no brakes, but it was exciting, and Warner Bros. really loved them.”
The tunes, featured in a ghoulish battle-of-the-bands episode, tap into the two-tone, ska-punk vein that’s been the Brit’s specialty since forming the Beat (re-christened the English Beat in the U.S.) in 1978 in Birmingham. In the show, the contest pits a zombie ska band versus recurring combo the Hex Girls.
“So the zombies have a song called ‘You’re Dead Right, Mate,’ and the Hex Girls have one called ‘We’re the Good Bad Girls,’ which has a definite Ramones-Runaways vibe to it,” says Wakeling. “But frankly, I’m really happy I did it, because I’ve always loved ‘Scooby-Doo.’”
For more information on “Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated,” visit the Cartoon Network’s website.
Check your local listings to see what time the show airs in your area.
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
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- The English Beat to release ‘Live! at the US Festival’ CD/DVD in September
- The English Beat to release new best-of, box set in U.S., expanded reissues in Europe
Bet Casey Kasem was extra hyped about this ’80s love fest!!! “ZOINKS!!!!!”
I would have gotten away with it too if it weren’t for this pesky kids.
They did a great Velvet Underground and Nico-themed show a little while back, where ‘Lou Reed’ was the villain
Let’s see, there’s a 90s reggae artist Shaggy.
The Specials did “Ghost Town.”
I guess this makes sense. Stand Down, Velma.