Part 1 - 57:44
Henry Hall & His Orchestra - Teddy Bear's Picnic (1932)
Martin Swinger - Teddy Bear's Picnic (2000)
Greg Hudson Interview
Leroy Lamb - What It Feels Like for a Bear (2005)
Grecote, featuring Freddy Freeman - Closer (2007) *
John Topping - I Am a Bear (1994)
Paul Golio (of Woof) Interview *
Woof - Just a Bear (1997)
MusicBear - Teddy Bear (Woofy Mix) (2000)
Martin Swinger Interview
Martin Swinger - Teddy Bear's Lullaby (2000)
Martin Swinger - Huggin' and Chalkin' (2000)
Hoagy Carmichael - Huggin' and Chalkin' (1947) *

Part 2 - 59:49
Michael Feinstein - Teddy Bear's Picnic (1992)
Martin Swinger - Waltzing With Bears (2000) *
Martin Swinger - You Baby Two (2000) *
Martin Swinger - Military Ditty /
   Give Us Our Own (2004, live) *
Mark Weigle - Bears (2002)
The Brady Bears (2006) *
Queer Duck clip, with Bipolar Bear *
Freddy Freeman Interview
Freddy Freeman - Echo (2007)
Freddy Freeman - Break the Silence (2007) *
Freddy Freeman - Free Man (2007)
Freddy Freeman - Fat Bottom Bears (2003, live)

Right, the song "Teddy Bear's Picnic" was written in 1907 by Tin Pan Alley composer John Walter Bratton, as an instrumental, and words were added in 1932 by Irish/British lyricist Jimmy Kennedy. That same year in the UK Henry Hall & his Orchestra made it a hit.

Each of the 6 hour shows can be streamed or
downloaded by clicking the buttons below, and to go to each show page click on the Part number

Shows sound better with headphones...:)

The 58-minute "Radio Version" of Parts 1 & 2 can
be also be heard, with shorter interviews and the
songs omitted that are followed by asterisks

     

Greg Hudson (above left) took his musical background and has used it to start his own label, Woobie Bear Music, which has released a number of recordings, including the wonderful Bear Tracks series. It was the label for Freddy Freeman's latest CD, "Break the Silence," and Freddy (below left) contributed guest vocals to the track "Closer" by Grecote (Greg Hudson), which is on the CD "G CD Global 1." From Canada, LeRoy Lamb (below right) added his song "What It Feels Like for a Bear," only available on "Bear Tracks Two."

    

John Topping's 1994 CD, "Vision of a Bear," contained one of the earliest "lyrically bear" songs, called "I Am A Bear."

Above, the very rare two-song cassette by probably the first "bear band," aptly named Woof, featuring Paul Golio (right) and Scott Hamblen.

Woof's song "Just a Bear" also appeared on Volume Number 2 of the short-lived various artists series "Sibilance," in 1997. A noble project, this volume also included Dean Johnson (later of Velvet Mafia), David Mahr, and generally the avant garde and hard to describe.

 

Ray "MusicBear" Baker was no doubt one of the earliest self-identified bear artists, obviously seen by his stage name. Shown above are four of his releases: "Buddy" (2003), "MusicBear" (1998), "Homophobia/Teddy Bear" (CD single, 2000), and "Dance MusicBear" (2001).

  

Above, Martin Swinger and two of his albums, with two more behind them, and below, at the
Outmusic Awards in NYC in 2004, Brian Kaufman (who is Martin's Honeybear), Martin & JD

And the pic below is one of many taken by William Kumberger at the
Bearapalooza held last November at Sawmill Campgrounds, in Florida

Click here for many more photos of Martin, including his first cassette tape

I I took the above furry pic of Mark in NYC in 1999,
outside the Stonewall Bar, and below is Bipolar Bear, from the Queer Duck cartoon series...he talks with a Paul Lynde accent.

To the right is a pic from the wonderful video "The Brady Bears," easliy found on YouTube.com, and I highly recommend tracking it down

Mark Weigle did a wonder version of the song "Bears" on his 2002 CD "Out of the Loop. The song was written circa 1974 by straight (as far as I know) singer/songwriter Steven Fromholz, and appeared on his 1974 album "Rumor in My Own Time," the cover of which has him looking quite bearish.

  

Freddy Freeman is a wonderful artist and also founder of Bearapalooza. "Break the Silence" is his brand new CD.

  

Above, the "Echo" CD single, and Freddy's 2002 debut album, "Waiting for an Echo" and above that is a
pic at one of the Outmusic events last June, with Jay Freeman (Freddy's partner), JD and Freddy Freeman

Click for Part 3

Click here for many more photos of Freddy

And Click here for candid Bearapalooza Pics

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