(1888PressRelease)
March 03, 2007 - San Francisco, CA, March 01, 2007 --(PR.COM)-- Celebrate Gumby with this new music video release from Gumby's 50th Birthday. The project was developed by Missing Link Media Ventures' Joe Bretz and Richard Verdoni along with Premavision. Bretz and Verdoni met with Joe Clokey and other business associates one morning in Hollywood in mid 2005. The production was given a "green" light and off they went with eight weeks to prepare for Gumby's 50th Birthday Celebration. Everything came together for Gumby - Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby - his family, friends, Hollywood executives, generations of artists and animators that worked on Gumby cartoons, fans, performers, and the production crew.
13 year old Olivia Olson was hand picked to sing “Message to the Stars” by the song’s writer and Gumby Creative Director, Robert "Fred" Thompson.
Prior to singing at Gumby’s 50th Birthday Party, Olivia Olson sang “All I Want for Christmas is You” in the movie, “Love Actually:” for many, her version is one of the most loved of this time honored song. Olivia’s amazing voice and professional manner enabled the song to be filmed in only 3 takes - quite amazing considering that she was lowered onto the stage on a hoop, from which she sang, before being raised again at the end of the song! Filmed in San Francisco, Olivia kept her sense of humor, no doubt a gift from her father, legendary comedy writer Martin Olson. The Sound Engineer, Gary Cambra, worked his magic to result in this heavenly “Gumby-worthy” sound and Verdoni and Clokey worked to integrate the right mix of never before released digitized version of Gumby cartoons.
In addition to her performance of one of the first new Gumby songs in decades, Ms. Olson has an impressive number of television and stage credits including: Comedy Central Stage, HBO’s The Fake Gallery, The Tracey Morgan Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show (singing with Jack Black), and she is a cast member (and songwriter) on Disney’s Phineas and Ferb (Summer 2007).
The original song, Message to the Stars, is part of the soon to be released Gumby’s 50th Birthday Party DVD. During the two day birthday fiesta, hosted by comedian Kevin Meaney, all of Gumby’s friends came together for the party. Kevin Meaney performed the other new Gumby Song, "I Love You Gumby" and The Gumby All Star Band (including members from The Allman Brothers, Spinal Tap and The Tubes) performed the Original Gumby Theme Song. Additionally, Smash Mouth played an entire concert set. Gary Cambra, (The Tubes) kept it lively as the Audio Director, working with Robert F. Thompson, creative director/song writer of "Message to the Stars" and "I Love You, Gumby".
The party included a birthday cake in Gumby’s honor presented to 84-year old Gumby creator Art Clokey and a serenade of “For He’s a Jolly Green Fellow” from Gumby friends, family and those who worked with Gumby over the past 50 years. Even Wink Martindale is in on the show as he introduces Gumby on the DVD.
