Linsk Minyk's Stairway To Heaven
Chris Odorjan
through it. I saw a couple of Happy Wanderers bits and since a few
people on the group have mentioned the lack of Stairway To Heaven on the
DVDs I decided to capture it on the computer. So now on my new videos
page (http://www.execulink.com/~bobnet/sctv/video.html) is Rick as Linsk
performing the Leutonian version of Stairway that was cut from the DVD
release!
Sorry, I don't seem to have Stairways To Heaven (which was on a
different syndicated episode); the Happy Wanderers shows were taped well
over 10 years ago on CityTV. I might have it on another tape (from 1999
or so on the Comedy Network run). I also apologize for the video quality
on this one (it seems to be a copy of another tape, since commercials
have been edited out)...
Coming soon: The Happy Wanderers' Salute To John Williams!
--
Chris Odorjan - codo...@gmail.com - http://www.execulink.com/~bobnet/
Justin Pate
"Chris Odorjan" <codo...@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:uur523-...@bobnet.odorjan.ca...
Thanks! I've always wanted to see that one (Linsk playing Stairway).
teem
when taping SCTV was a pleasure!.And I think I can get it off the tape
& onto those pain in the ass dvd +R's,alot of these dvds wont play on
someone's player,must be a snob thing.On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:04:28
three...@yahoo.ca
I have put together a letter to Mr. Jimmy Page and Mr. Robert Plant
here concerning the editing of "Stairway To Heaven" from the series.
Please check it out and please pass on the link:
http://www.runstop.de/bennysplace/stairway.html
Thanks,
threerandot
Justin Pate
<three...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1129392542....@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
Dude, the DVDs are already out. A little late for that, if you ask me.
Besides, I think even if they were to get the music rights cleared, to
attach the Happy Wanderers sketch with the restored Stairway music as extras
on one of the sets of the 30-minute shows only cheapens the sketch, as it
should be enjoyed in the context of the full 90-minute original episode.
Just my opinion.
three...@yahoo.ca
Don't you think it would be better to have it there on DVD than not at
all? Also, it's never too late. Just as one deal can be made, another
can be made in it's place. The trouble is that everyone thinks nothing
can be done about this. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I
for one refuse to take this lying down. SCTV has taken the shit-kicking
of a lifetime. Chop, Chop, Chop!! It's great that these DVDs are
finally here, but I do think fans could step up to the plate for a show
that has given us all so many years of laughter.
threerandot
Justin Pate
<three...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1129394248.1...@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
I understand your enthusiasm and I sympathize with it. I believed I signed
your petition just to do my SCTV duty. To be honest with you, I just really
don't care. I think Stairway To Heaven is quite the overrated song and I
can't believe so many were hooked on it back in the day. I heard it a
couple of times, then I realized, "This isn't anything special". You want a
real good Led Zeppelin song? Try "Communication Breakdown". There's a song
I'd rather hear.
three...@yahoo.ca
My concern is not so much the song as it is the sketch and the fact
that someone was allowed to cut it just like that. As the buying
public, we deserve to know before we buy a product whether it has been
altered. SCTV on DVD has never had a message on the package that states
that the shows have been musically altered or indeed had an entire
sketch cut. If anything, we are owed an explanation. We pay for these
DVDs and then we don't get what we were expecting. This is no way to do
business. If Speilberg released a movie like "Raiders Of The Lost Ark"
and a famous scene was cut, the public would go crazy.
threerandot
Moe Berg
a cover of a song and a performer playing the same song in a movie or
TV show? There's a band called Dread Zeppelin whose forte is covering
Led Zeppelin tunes in a reggae style (and their lead singer is an Elvis
impersonator). They definitely got clearance, and they've probably
covered about two dozen songs including "Stairway to Heaven."
BTW, if you're not familiar with Dread Zeppelin, they're outstanding
musicians and their whole Elvis/Zeppelin/reggae schtick is hilarious.
To anyone who finds that concept appealing, I recommend their
"Un-Led-Ed" release from 1990.
Chris Odorjan
> The trouble is that everyone thinks nothing
> can be done about this. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. I
> for one refuse to take this lying down.
Well I did my part (see the first post in this thread for details). SCTV
Bootleg Archive! :-D
Speaking of which, I didn't notice at first that the audio desyncs right
at the end. You have to look really closely at Linsk, he's a little less
than a second out of sync singing the Leutonian "Last Train To
Clarksville" (it's very blurry though, so it's hard to tell). (This
wasn't on the original; it's dropping video frames due to the poor
quality of my VHS signal.)
Syd Reschke
see Stairways To Heaven and my life will be fulfilled.
Justin Pate
<three...@yahoo.ca> wrote in message
news:1129397408.2...@g49g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> My concern is not so much the song as it is the sketch and the fact
> that someone was allowed to cut it just like that. As the buying
> public, we deserve to know before we buy a product whether it has been
> altered. SCTV on DVD has never had a message on the package that states
> that the shows have been musically altered or indeed had an entire
> sketch cut. If anything, we are owed an explanation. We pay for these
> DVDs and then we don't get what we were expecting. This is no way to do
> business. If Speilberg released a movie like "Raiders Of The Lost Ark"
> and a famous scene was cut, the public would go crazy.
>
> threerandot
>
I agree with that, but if you're going to argue about that, you shouldn't be
surprised if instead of restoring the sketch they just print out future DVD
sets showing a disclaimer saying "Some shows may be slightly edited or have
alternate music."
three...@yahoo.ca
Exactly. That's what they should have been doing all along. With that
on the box, they may have had fewers sales. Something they definitely
do not want. Then, they may have been in a position to try harder to
clear more music. Not that they would necessarily have been successful.
If they were comepletely upfront about the stinginess of some of these
copy-right holders who would get the blame? Why the copy-right holders
would. Then they would see that their reputation would be mud. Then
they might have thought twice about denying music.
Right now I am sure that many people are pretty pissed off about these
music clearance problems. I know I am. The truth is that we get what we
deserve. If we pay for the product and don't complain, then nothing
will change. We think that it's all out of our hands. Aren't we the
ones who buy say, "Led Zeppelin" CDs and so on? If we want better then
we need to demand more.
We need to either stop buying the DVDs, or boycott products by the
copyright holders. The DVD companies know that we are all too quick to
jump up and buy the latest thing. They know we are very comaplacent
about all of this. They have us right where they want us. In the pocket
book.
The truth is that we have the control all along. They are nothing
without our money. The copyright holders, the DVD studios, etc. The
trouble is that we aren't willing to say anything or do anything. We
don't wish to look foolish or stick our necks out.
I for one am tired of seeing the same thing happen again and again. One
more TV Series comes out and again it's edited. Look at Quantum Leap
and the Greatest American Hero. Both heavily musically edited. My wife
and I bought neither of them.
Shout Factory however, have indeed gone to bat for SCTV. They have
taken great care in securing the music for SCTV. Still, that doesn't
mean that we should stand for not having any indications on the
packaging. We are the consumers, dammit. They have an obligation to put
these notes into the DVD sets.
So, we have to decide where we stand. Do we simply continue to let them
beat the drums for us to dance to, or do we show some back-bone and
complain. I can only speak for myself. If I could change things I
certainly would. I do realise that people don't have the time I do to
comtemplate these matters. Remember, we are the consumers. We can
change things if we want to. I am only one person. I wish it was more
like the 60's now. People actually spoke out about things then.
Nowadays, people don't even have the time. Still, I am doing my small
bit. No matter how small.
threerandot
http://p101.ezboard.com/bdvdconsumergroup
Bill Tuthill
> I found an old tape with some SCTV bits on it earlier today and scanned
> through it. I saw a couple of Happy Wanderers bits and since a few people
> on the group have mentioned the lack of Stairway To Heaven on the DVDs
> I decided to capture it on the computer. So now on my new videos page
> cut from the DVD release!
>
Thanks very very very very very very very very very very very very much!
I do not remember seeing it; it may have been cut from syndication also.
Rick appears to be singing in Leutonian. I wonder if it's really Esperanto
with a Leutonian accent. "The Last Train to Clarksville" at the end, also
in Leutonian, is a nice touch.
On the DVD, it appears that the joke is: Linsk Minyk is the guest star
but they don't give him any time to perform anything. A Leutonian parody
of Stairway To Heaven is infinitely funnier.
Here's Goerge Starostin's review of Houses of the Holy, Led's 6th album:
"This album amply demonstrates all of the band's creative limitations."
http://newstar.rinet.ru/music/ledzep.htm
Stan and Yosh Shmenge are amazing in that they appeared, fully formed,
so late in the series. Guess it's mostly a parody of Lawrence Welk.
I like how the dancers are so old they can barely stand up.
Moe Berg
> Stan and Yosh Shmenge are amazing in that they appeared, fully formed,
> so late in the series. Guess it's mostly a parody of Lawrence Welk.
> I like how the dancers are so old they can barely stand up.
I always thought they were taking off on the local polka shows that
many Wisconsin TV stations showed on Sunday mornings in the sixties and
seventies, and which may still be airing today. There were many
similiarities between those shows and the Happy Wanderers. They were
hosted by popular area polka bands who announced birthdays and
anniversaries between songs, looked like they were filmed in community
centers or lodge halls, and the audiences were mostly composed of
senior citizens. I grew up watching those shows and the Happy
Wanderers bits were dead on target.
Lola
Moe. Not all make their way to television, and yes, The Happy
Wanderers were dead on target.
While I was in art school, I took a course that focused on folk art, a
lot of which is in Wisconsin. So we took a lot of field trips. On one
such trip, we wound up in a local polka dance thingy, at an Elks Club
-- open to the public every Saturday night. And there was dancing,
drinking, drinking, dancing, and yes, cabbage rolls and coffee.
Mmmm, good.
Lola
need him.
And why did they not do a Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Polka, or Cabbage
Rolls?
Ian Basham
based on a polka show that was based in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario.
Not to far (geographically) from Toronto, Hamilton, etc. The star of the
show had a first name of Walter, and I believe he won Grammy's for his
work.
Some other Canadian can verify this, no doubt.
Moe Berg
> This is just a guess, but I think it more likely that the parady was
> based on a polka show that was based in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario.
> Not to far (geographically) from Toronto, Hamilton, etc. The star of the
> show had a first name of Walter, and I believe he won Grammy's for his
> work.
>
> Some other Canadian can verify this, no doubt.
I wouldn't be surprised, although I bet that show is probably very
similar to the ones they have in Wisconsin. They probably also have
those polka shows in the Yooper Peninsula and Minnesota.
BTW, Ian, are you from Kitchener/Waterloo? If so, do you ever listen
to Psychedelic Pete on CKMS? He has a great show!
Chris Odorjan
> Thanks very very very very very very very very very very very very much!
No problem.
> I do not remember seeing it; it may have been cut from syndication also.
Maybe it depends on the syndication package, but this was taped from
syndicated episodes circa 1995. It's also why I don't have Stairways To
Heaven (odd that the one piece of music that has a nearly zero chance of
being cleared was used only twice [that I know of] and in the same
episode of SCTV).
> Rick appears to be singing in Leutonian. I wonder if it's really Esperanto
> with a Leutonian accent. "The Last Train to Clarksville" at the end, also
> in Leutonian, is a nice touch.
In one place it almost sounds like he's singing
Someday I'll go
To Ontario
But then I mishear lyrics all the time...
> On the DVD, it appears that the joke is: Linsk Minyk is the guest star
> but they don't give him any time to perform anything. A Leutonian parody
> of Stairway To Heaven is infinitely funnier.
No kidding. They also cut the light crashing to the stage that almost
killed the band. Some creative editing and redubbing of Rick's voice
probably could have worked here (heh, Linsk lip-synching).
Chris Odorjan
> This is just a guess, but I think it more likely that the parady was
> based on a polka show that was based in Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario.
> Not to far (geographically) from Toronto, Hamilton, etc. The star of the
> show had a first name of Walter, and I believe he won Grammy's for his
> work.
>
> Some other Canadian can verify this, no doubt.
That would be Walter Ostanek, who's been nominated for about a dozen
Grammys (dunno how many he's won since they don't televise the polka
category, but he's been nominated nearly every year recently).
I wonder if any of the cast were able to get Cleveland TV when growing
up; there were polka shows on Sunday afternoons when my parents were
growing up, they were on when I was growing up, and they're probably
still on now...
Dr. Mabuse
the Happy Wanderers. I loved the fact that everyone in the audience
was really old, but boy, they sure were spry and energetic dancers! I
figure they must have just contacted a Ukrainian old-folks home, and
put a call out for any people who wanted to be on TV and knew how to
dance the polka! The best part is that everyone leaps up, dances
briskly for about 6 bars, and then it's over.
Wanda
Dr. Mabuse
Bill Tuthill wrote:
> On the DVD, it appears that the joke is: Linsk Minyk is the guest star
> but they don't give him any time to perform anything. A Leutonian parody
> of Stairway To Heaven is infinitely funnier.
>
I read a little more into it - Linsk Minyk *got his start* on the Happy
Wanderers, then left them to seek his own fame and fortune. So I
always suspected there was a little jealousy and hard feelings left
behind, and there might have been a little malice in the way Yosh and
Stan undermined his appearance. Of course, the funny thing too is that
he's become such a "big star", yet he really just plays in local
restaurants (there's even a credit for one of the restaurants at the
end).
Wanda
Ian Basham
and now live in Montreal. I only pass through KW occasionally.