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 PART TWO - by Billy Ingram THE ALBUM You can forgive yourself if at times you think you're listening to a New Wave album from a decade later. This LP lovingly trips over the pop conceits of the sixties, breaking songs down to a simple, happy energy in the same way groups like The Knack and The Go-Gos would in the early-eighties.
THE PRODUCER TELLS ALL!
My music career began at UCLA where I directed and composed songs for student musicals. I was lucky enough to work with Barbara McNair and especially with the very talented Carol Burnett! We all did a number of USO shows for the troops and I acted as music director, playing the bass, which I faked it a lot when I didn't know the music. Later I wrote songs with Bert Convy after the original Cheers broke up (Black Denim Trousers). We got great reviews but few sales. Then I worked for Carson Roberts Ad agency as Broadcast Creative Director, writing commercials and also scoring many of them (Mattel, Max Factor, Gallo Wine). Later I moved to Grey Ad Inc. as V/P Creative Director, doing campaigns and much of the music. One day I met with Allan Sandler who owned a large TV production studio. I had done the score to a feature film he produced called Frazier, the Sensuous Lion. Not at big hit.
For the songs, I brought in Steve Hoffman who I had used on several Honda TV spots. He was a gem of a find. His talent was perfect for Lance Link, both singing and writing. Steve was an unknown vocalist, from a group that TV producer Clancy Grass used. He was/is an untrained musician who played guitar left handed. Steve composed most of the songs on the album, I did several as well (Rollin' In the Clover was one I co-wrote with Steve). I produced the LP exactly as if I was doing a TV commercial or background music for a film.
The videos were shot later to match the completed songs. They even played the tunes for the chimps - who were all over the place until they heard the music and began to play in sync to the beat. After Lance Link, I did the score to Another Nice Mess for Tommy Smothers and Bob Einstein (Super Dave Osborne) and again used Steve Hoffman to sing the featured songs. I didn't do any other kid shows except for some sequences for the Electric Company/Sesame Street. I did collaborate further with Allan Sander and co-owned a film studio (Pico Bronson) where we co-produced 10 original Sci-Fi features for television, along with a handful of specials including UFO's Past, Present and Future which was nominated for a Golden Globe award. I wrote the script and the music (didn't have enough money to hire a composer). I retired to Fayetteville, Arkansas after my wife hounded me to get out of LA after the riots, earthquakes, traffic, graffiti, etc. Here I got involved with the Access Station board. I'm a supporter of the Symphony and wrote a piece for the North Arkansas Symphony which was performed during their regular season. A fine orchestra, the conductor is from New York. Last I heard (years ago) vocalist Steve Hoffman was doing music in Vegas. - Bob Emenegger
THE
GRASS ROOTS / The Grass Roots were responsible for a number of the biggest hits of the late-sixties / early-seventies, tunes like Midnight Confessions, Sooner Or Later and Temptation Eyes. We asked Glenn, the Webmaster of the Grass Roots Fan Page what these groups had in common.
The Lancelot Link album was released on Dunhill/ABC, the same label the Grass Roots were on. And Steve Barri, the Grass Roots' producer, was A&R Director of that label and had direct say over everything that was released. It was Barri who gave the song "Sha-La Love You" to the Lancelot Link crew when they were looking for a potential hit single. That song was originally a demo for the Grass Roots written by Harvey 'Michael' Price and Dan Walsh, who wrote "Temptation Eyes" and many other hits for the Roots. The Grass Roots turned the song down, and Barri ended up producing the final version for Lancelot Link, with Steve Hoffman doing the vocals. And most of the studio musicians on the track were the same ones that played on the Grass Roots sessions - so it was practically a Grass Roots record except for the vocals. Pretty much the rest of the album was co-written by Steve Hoffman, with one more Price/Walsh song appearing on it. Hit makers on ABC/DUNHILL at the time: Three Dog Night, The James Gang, Steppenwolf, Jim Croce, Rufus, The Four Tops, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Dusty Springfield, Steely Dan, Jimmy Buffett and many more. Lancelot Link Secret Chimp
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Bob
Emenegger was the producer of the Lancelot Link and the The Evolution
Revolution LP and he also scored the incidental music for the series.
He tells us: 
He
was producing Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp for television with Carol
Burnett Show writers Burns and Marmer. Allan asked me to score Lance
Link - which was a blast! 
It
was not written to be bubble gum music - I penned the songs to fit the
show. As I recall, Steve did all the vocals and overdubbing and we recorded
in a studio that ABC/Dunhill set up. The band was made up of studio players
- about 7 musicians, 2 brass with a percussionist on chimes also. It's
possible the score may have called for more instruments at times. 
The
Evolution Revolution connection with The Grass Roots is very close. 
