The 25th anniversary version of National Lampoon's Animal House comes out on DVD tomorrow. I talked about the film here - the soundtrack recording is also very noteworthy. Yes, I have spent way too much time over the years thinking about this.
The Animal House Soundtrack features material from seven different categorical sources - I believe this to be a record.
1. The first category consists of original rock 'n' roll standards taken from the period depicted in the movie (the early '60s). These songs include "Twistin the Night Away" by Sam Cooke, "Tossin and Turnin'" by Bobby Lewis, "Hey Paula" by Paul and Paula, "Let's Dance" by Chris Montez, and "What a Wonderful World" by Sam Cooke.
2. The second category: "period" remakes recorded for the film with John Belushi on lead vocals: "Louie Louie" and "Money (That's What I Want)."
3. "Shout" remake, produced by Mark Davis as performed in the film by "Otis Day and the Knights" with Lloyd Williams on lead vocals.
4. Original period piece written and produced by Davis, as performed in the film by "Otis Day and the Knights," with lead vocals by Lloyd Williams, "Shama Lama
Ding Dong."
5. Original period pieces written and performed by Stephen Bishop, "Dream Girl"
and the title track, "Animal House."
6. Original orchestral music written and conducted by Elmer Bernstein, "Faber College Theme."
7. Dialogue snippets from the movie.
Let us explore these derivations further:
1. The oldies on the soundtrack are well-chosen, but none were particularly
revived in real life as a result of their placement within the movie or on the soundtrack.
2. Things get very interesting in a confusing way with the "Louie, Louie" and "Money" remakes recorded for the film with John Belushi on lead vocals. Not only are they crucial to the movie, ("Money" follows "Louie, Louie" in the introductory party scene which identifies Animal House with the origination of rock 'n' roll itself), but Belushi's version rejuvenated the popularity of both of these songs, especially "Louie, Louie." Many people under the age of 35 recognize and prefer the Belushi version over the Kingsmen original.
As the character Bluto, portrayed by Belushi, interacts with the song "Louie, Louie," as recorded by lead singer John Belushi, some complex questions of ontology come to the fore. Ontology is the philosophical study of the layers of reality, i.e., what it is that makes something, or someone, real.
John Belushi recorded these two songs in a recording studio, presumably before the movie was shot. But in the movie, Belushi-the-actor, interacts with Belushi-the-recording-artist, as though he were singing along with the original recording. In the film, he sings along with "Louie, Louie" as the Deltas do a kind of line dance, involving nudging and head-butting, at the pledge initiation party.
![Otis!, My Man! [VHS]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HG9Z4BRGL._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - brad
Hello Eric,
There was a movie in the late 70's or early 80's where a piano player was singing "The Gang Bang Song."
ex "Knock, Knock. Who's there? Tijuana. Tijuana who? Tijuana bring your mother to the gang bang." It was hilarious, and he had so many knock knock jokes. Any idea what movie that was, or who sang the song?
Thanks,
Brad
2 - Doug
Hey Brad,
The movie with "The Gang Bang Song" is "Busting Loose". It was like a "Porky's" type movie with Tom Cruise in it.Pretty funny movie.
Later,
Doug
3 - Eric Olsen
Sorry I missed that Brad. Thanks for helping out Doug!
4 - Doug
I got the wrong movie earlier. It's not "Busting Loose", it's "Losin' It".
Sorry,
Doug
5 - Eric Olsen
now all is right with the world
6 - Eric Olsen
by the way, I think this is a conceptually brilliant post that has been appallingly ignored, only to be resurrected by an inquiry into gang bangs.
7 - Kirby Junge
Hey, back in the eighties Jesse appeared at out college (Central Oklahoma) but he was backed by what was called the Animal House Band. Anyways, he was made an Honorary Initiate of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.
8 - Panama Jack
I just saw Animal House on a T V network replay and realized that their is a "bridge" to the Otis Day and the Knights Shama Lama Ding Dong. It appears once with vocals and later in the song as an instrumental. It is the classical 4th chord to 4th chord minor, etc.
I have performed this tune numerous times without the "bridge" but would like to include it.
Can you locate a version of the song with the bridge including the words, etc? Thanks
9 - Eric Olsen
does the soundtrack version have the bridge?
10 - Giuseppe
what is the name of the song that replaced wonderfull world of sam cooke in the new dvd version?
11 - Eric Olsen
I hadn't noticed it was replaced - what part of the movie is it?
12 - Eric Dungan
Correction on #7, it's not "The Dexter Lake Club", it's the "Depth of the Lake Club". Check out the sign as the Deltas drive into and walk into the club.
13 - Eric Schelkopf
Maybe DeWayne could sing at one time, but he can't now. I just attended his show in St. Charles, and I had to leave because his "singing" was literally hurting my ears.
14 - Eric Olsen
well, the soundtrack WAS recorded 27 years ago - I haven't heard him live since the mid-'80s, when he sounded pretty good and put on a ripping show
15 - john Holley
Eric, I'm trying to find out what the obscure piece of music is that Otter uses to seduce Mrs. Wermer in his pad during Toga Party. He turns it on from the wall as he is adjusting the lights. It's totally bossa-nova feeling and wondered if you had any idea! I must own it! Thanks for you help and your blog! Best, John
16 - Bill
Wow. Amazing "analysis" of the impact this movie has had on the American college scene in the past 25 years. Now, as an ancient 45 year old ;-) there's no movie more fond to me than Animal House. Searching the internet for the soundtrack, I found your article. Many thanks! I thought your ideas on why "Shout" is so powerful were right on the money. There's no other feeling of connection with friends and celebration of life than in the times in my life when I've been down on the floor gatoring with my friends. Thank you Eric. Awesome artticle!!
17 - js
no, it is indeed the Dexter Lake Club there is a big neon sign on the roof.
I saw Otis Day and the Knights twice, once in the middle of campus at USC, and again at SC he joined the Trojan Marching band to sing Shout at a football game backed by the 100+ member marching band and for an audience of about 90,000 at the LA Memorial Coleseum.
18 - q
What is that song/soundtrack played when they were making their getaway from the black bar and smashing most (if not all) of the cars in the parking lot with theirs? ("Lay it down"?) I can't find it listed anywhere.