Free To Be You And Me

[xanthous]

Does anybody remember? (http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/10800000/10802352.jpg)

It was my favorite record album when I was a kid. When I found out I could get it on CD, I bought it just so I could hear it again. Those were the days!

In a land where the river runs free, In a land through the green country.... :D

[Maus Magill]

Does anybody remember? (http://images.barnesandnoble.com/images/10800000/10802352.jpg)

It was my favorite record album when I was a kid. When I found out I could get it on CD, I bought it just so I could hear it again. Those were the days!

In a land where the river runs free, In a land through the green country.... :D
I still think about Mel Brooks as the baby who wants to grow up to be a cocktail waitress.

[WhyNot]

Aw hell yeah! That was my (mom's) favorite album when I was a kid. I used to spend hours with the record and the book both. But "Girl Land" still freaks the hell outta me.

As a kid, of course, I had no idea who the people on the album were. Now I can really appreciate names like Mel Brooks, Diana Ross, Harry Belefonte, Carol Channing, Tom Smothers, Dick Cavett and Rosie Greir (!), not to mention, of course, Mr. Alan Alda.

I put it on my baby shower registry, and WhyBaby seems to like it as well. WhyKid (14), OTOH, thinks it's really weird. "Why are they singing about mommies driving trucks like it's a big deal?" he asked.

I guess that says good things about how our gender attitudes have changed.

[Scarlett67]

My dog is a plumber . . .

I even picked up the book with the sheet music. Good times!

". . . And if it's all the same to you, tiger tweetie, I wish you'd stop licking me! And untie me! This instant! My dress is getting mussed."

[Maus Magill]

"Ladies first. Ladies first."

[JKellyMap]

Everything WhyNot said, and more! I played this album a million times from age 4 to 7 (the mid-'70's).

I was surprised to see, just weeks ago, that a video version had also been made at the time. Now I really believe that Rosie Grier played professional football.

"Tender sweet young thing" is still a catch phrase in my family.

[woodstockbirdybird]

As with everyone else my age (born in '70), I loved the hell out of that album as a kid. I saw the video version, too, a few weeks back on TV Land or some similar stations. I could still sing along to most of the songs.

[Captain Amazing]

A doll! A doll! William wants a doll!

I had the record.

[SkipMagic]

I bought the DVD as a Christmas present for auntie em. And I must say, I never knew Marlo Thomas was so incredibly attractive.

[MovieMogul]

I missed this event (http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu:16080/pfa_programs/togetheragain/index.html) on the 17th, but it sounded like fun...

[Beadalin]

Oh, I LOVED this record! I, too, got the CD as soon as I found out it was available as one. "Ladies First" is my favorite piece on it.

As a kid I never picked up on all the gender stuff. Seriously. I listened to it again in my 20s and was amazed at how much didn't register with me. And ditto about all the cool people on it that I didn't recognize.

I was kinda dense, apparently.

[Beadalin]

Hey SkipMagic, there's a DVD? Really?

[WhyNot]

I was surprised to see, just weeks ago, that a video version had also been made at the time. Now I really believe that Rosie Grier played professional football.
THANK YOU!

I had this very very clear mental image of the baby sketch being performed with puppets, and I couldn't figure out where it came from - there no pictures of hand puppets in the books, or on the album. I finally decided that I myself must have acted it out along with the record.

Guess not. Guess my mom actually let me watch TV once as a kidlet and I forgot about it!

Gotta get the DVD and see if it matches what's lurking around the back corners of my brain...


Here it is, made the year I was born. (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005OKQT/bookstorenow50-20) Either they reran it in subsequent years, or I'm remembering something from my first two months! :eek:

[SkipMagic]

Hey SkipMagic, there's a DVD? Really?
Yeppers. Free shipping (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/dvd.cfm?itemID=HEN004079).

[LifeOnWry]

Hee! My very first-ever dance routine was done to the song Free To Be You And Me! I think I was maybe in fifth or sixth grade...

There's a "sequel" too, just came out a few years ago - Thanks & Giving All Year Long (http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Giving-Year-Long-Companion/dp/B000641Z54/sr=8-9/qid=1169684754/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9/002-3661440-9684818?ie=UTF8&s=music).

[Scarlett67]

Hee! My very first-ever dance routine was done to the song Free To Be You And Me! I think I was maybe in fifth or sixth grade...

There's a "sequel" too, just came out a few years ago - Thanks & Giving All Year Long (http://www.amazon.com/Thanks-Giving-Year-Long-Companion/dp/B000641Z54/sr=8-9/qid=1169684754/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9/002-3661440-9684818?ie=UTF8&s=music).
And an even older "sequel" -- "Free to Be . . . a Family." I can't be arsed to go look for my copy.

[Lsura]

I've been really close to buying Free to be You and Me from iTunes...because it holds such good memories to me.


And I kind of want to hear the one with the babies.

[kaylasdad99]

I've never seen it. I only know of it, as being some kind of landmark television special that I associate with the name Marlo Thomas (who I did know was exceptionally attractive).

There were other stars in that, too?

I did read an excerpt from the lyrics of the title song, just a couple of weeks ago, when Michaela brought The Bridge to Terebithia home from school.

[Beadalin]

Yippee! I've added the DVD to my Netflix queue and moved it right to the top. Can't wait!

[xanthous]

Ya know, I don't think I've ever seen the TV version. Or maybe I did eons ago and that's how we ended up with the album. I'd better get me to Amazon.com....

or Netflix, of course!!!

[Cat Fight]

Must get my hands on this. I used to listen to the record every night before bed (except for 'Girl Land.' That would have given me nightmares). No wonder I'm such a raging feminist.

[Lsura]

I've now purchased it from iTunes. I couldn't stand it after this thread!

Oh, such memories listening to this. I am so incredibly happy AND dorked out by this thread. :)

[BrainGlutton]

Yeah, I used to have that record. I remember the TV special, too.

[BrainGlutton]

Makes me wonder if anything of the kind could be done today. And, if so, how its content would have to be updated.

[ZipperJJ]

"It's all right to cry..."

I listened to it every day growing up...but I grew up in the 80's. Somehow my parents were trying to keep us a decade behind other kids.

It floored me the first time I saw Mel Brooks in a movie. I was like "omg it's the baby!"

Never saw it on TV or read any book, but I still have the LP. I might check it out on Netflix now :)

[Campion]

This has become one of my favorite gifts for a baby shower. The moms of my generation remember it from when they were kids.

I have the CD, and I do believe that Rosie Grier's rendtion of "It's Alright To Cry" is probably my favorite. (Although "Don't Dress Your Cat In An Apron" is darn good, too.)

[SkipMagic]

We used to watch it in elementary school; everyone (one class at a time) in the back room of the library, on the carpet, with our legs crossed. When the filmstrip was being rewound, it was especially funny to see the kids jump right back on to that damn carousel.

Besides enjoying the looks of Ms. Thomas, I also get a kick out of seeing Michael Jackson (with Roberta Flack) dancing around looking, well... normal. Poor lil' Michael. I fear for your future after the mid-'80s. Run, run!

[Maus Magill]

I have no memories of "Girl Land" what was so horrible about it?

[Lsura]

I have no memories of "Girl Land" what was so horrible about it?


It's kind of creepy - it sort has a scary clown sound to it. The lyrics are here (http://members.tripod.com/Tiny_dancer/girlland.html), but listening to the song, I don't think reading the lyrics does the creepiness justice.

[Maus Magill]

Oh god - Now I remember. That calliope gave me nightmares.

[What Exit?]

TV land (http://www.tvland.com/tvlhome.jhtml) was showing it for free in streaming video last month. It might still be there. It was broken up into 6 clips or something. We watched it with the kids, I had never seen it before, but my wife had remembered it fondly.

You might want to check the online video, but the video link goes straight to a flash and I cannot check it at work.

Jim

[WhyNot]

Oh god - Now I remember. That calliope gave me nightmares.
There's a clip of it here at the Amazon listing. (http://www.amazon.com/Free-1972-Television-Cast/dp/B000002VDL/sr=8-4/qid=1169739030/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4/102-3726372-0803316?ie=UTF8&s=music) Seriously, I don't know what they were thinking with that one. Jack Cassidy is terrifying!

[Hail Ants]

Wow, I had no idea anyone famous was in this. I was in a grade school stage production of it. Actually, one of the parts I was in wasn't even from it, but hijacked from that goofy 70s show Wonderama for some reason.

Just goes to show, even hardcore commie-liberal brainwashing like this didn't work on me! :D

[Honey]

Those were such good days. Innocent days. :)

[B. Serum]

I bought the DVD as a Christmas present for auntie em. And I must say, I never knew Marlo Thomas was so incredibly attractive.
I am SO borrowing this!!!

[SkipMagic]

I am SO borrowing this!!!
The DVD or Marlo Thomas? If Marlo, keep in mind she's gotten older.

[WhyNot]

The DVD or Marlo Thomas? If Marlo, keep in mind she's gotten older.
Yeah, but she's still not bad for a grannie: Marlo Thomas last year at 68! (http://us.imdb.com/gallery/granitz/4533/Events/4533/MarloThoma_Wargo_8065247_400.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Thomas,%20Marlo)

[B. Serum]

The DVD or Marlo Thomas? If Marlo, keep in mind she's gotten older.

Whatever you happen to have on hand.

[supervenusfreak]

TV land (http://www.tvland.com/tvlhome.jhtml) was showing it for free in streaming video last month. It might still be there. It was broken up into 6 clips or something. We watched it with the kids, I had never seen it before, but my wife had remembered it fondly.

You might want to check the online video, but the video link goes straight to a flash and I cannot check it at work.

Jim

I caught it on TVLand a few weeks ago when they were running a "That Girl" marathon. I watched it , and then found as many clips as I could on Youtube.

Boy did it bring back good memories. The first time I saw it was at our local library. They sponsored a free screening when I was very young. It left such an incredibly good impression on my young psyche. It was okay to feel different and be different.

[Shawn1767]

When I was in 5th grade in 1978 at Lusher Elementary here in New Orleans, I used to work in the library all the time. I was a library helper and I knew how to work the projector. At some point, the school got the film format version of “Free to Be You and Me” in order to show to the classes. We didn’t have VCRs then and we showed movies using projectors. During that week, while in their library period, the various classes were shown the movie. I was the one who ran the projector and who got to see “Free To Be You and Me” each time it was shown. I must have seen it about 12 times in one week. Which, fortunately, was okay with me because I loved it. By the end of the week, I could say the lines with the actors and sing along with the songs. A couple of years ago, I saw it on TV again, I think on TV Land or something and I taped it so my kids could benefit from viewing it. Unfortunately, it was one of the multitude of things we lost in the flood after Katrina.

[Harriet the Spry]

I was thrilled to buy the video about 15 years ago, and still have it. I probably watched that movie 20 times as a kid, growing up in Minneapolis in the '70s. It was liberal times, it was! I am actually amazed that so many folks are in this thread talking about how they remember it, and also amazed that I hardly run into anyone IRL who has heard of it. The "I am a tender sweet young thing" is a catchphrase for me, too, but most people have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Lucky 13]

I saw it in 5th or 6th grade (early 80s), and have never forgotten it (except for "Girl Land" - I don't remember that being in the movie). I was so thrilled when Mr. Lucky found a copy of the book at a library used-book sale a couple years back. Time to dust it off for the Princess...