TMNT: Behind the Music

In 1990 the turtles were the kings of TV, Movies, Toys and ROCK!

Novelty pop/rock albums featuring famous cartoon characters jamming to the styles of the day are nothing new. In the 60's we had Alvin & the Chipmunks on (who actually had hits before becoming a cartoon), in the 70's Disco Mickey Mouse featuring Mickey & Friends singing tunes like "Macho Duck" and the MTV styled cartoon frenzy of the 80's brought us Jem, along with Barbie and the Rockers. All passing trends of their day, but in the year 1990 something wonderful was about to happen. Something wonderful and frankly, a little weird.

The world was in the middle of a "Teenage Mutant Media Blitz"! The TMNT cartoon and action figures had already eclipsed the former glory of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Even in the realm of cinema the Turtles were the victors, as their rubber-suited live action counterparts put in performances infinitely more entertaining than anything Dolf Lundgren or Courtney Cox had to offer in their MOTU box-office fiasco.

After Splinter "made a funny", who didn't leave the movie theater that day shouting, "God, I love being a turtle!"?

Having conquered Hollywood, television and the toy industry there was only one place left to go: THE RECORDING STUDIO!

Through the power of Pizza Hut the turtles soon, in their own words, "Put down (their) weapons and picked up and instrument". The result was the surprisingly rockin' and sadly forgotten album of 1990 "TMNT: Out of Their Shells".

What could have been a poorly produced, sing-along kids record with the turtles talking about pizza and ninja stars (although that's in there) was instead a slick, diverse, rock and roll adventure that is fairly light on the self-mockery and heavy on the attitude. Sure you can catch clips of the live show on YouTube for a good laugh at the cheesy costumes and dancing, but the music was actually really good.

What follows is a review of the album track by track:

1. Coming Out Of Their Shells
Style: Accoustic ballad
Best Line: "We're comin' out up from under the street, now we're ready to rock, there will be no retreat, We're comin', out of our shells"
Comments: This is a great opener by Raphael that starts out soft and builds to a soulful chorus. The main point is to announce that the TMNT are coming up from the sewers to sing music. It's similar in style to "Patience" by Guns N' Roses.

2. Sing About It
Style: Power Pop
Best Line: "Draggin' your shell, all over town"
Comments: This song has a lot of distant sounding background chanting (oh, oh, oh yeah) with very 80's synth percussion. The vocals trade off between Raph and Mikey. The basic premise being that there is always a reason to sing. It's kind of a mix between Genesis and Tears for Fears.

3. Tubin'
Style: Surf Rock/Rap
Best Line: "Don't need the sun when your skin is green"
Comments: This song has funky bass line with Beach Boys style backing vocals and eventually has Mikey breaking into a fast paced rap about surfing in the sewers. I would have to say that it's like Beach Boys meet Ice T.

4. Skipping Stones
Style: Synthesizer Ballad
Best Line: "Standing in water, looks like glass"
Comments: I think Splinter sings this song as the vocals are very raspy. It's very slow with lots of dripping water sounds and echo effects. I don't really know what the song is about, but I think it has to do with "missing the music".

5. Pizza Power
Style: Pop Rock
Best Line: "Always better the next day-Pizza Power!"
Comments: Another lyrical exchange between Mike and Raph with funky guitars and more 80's synth magic about what else? Pizza! If you've ever played the Turtles In Time video game in the arcade this was the theme song.

6. Walk Straight
Style: Funkadelic
Best Line: "You may not be green and have a cool shell, but you-be-you and you'll do it so well!"
Comments: What the funk? Horns and Raph talk-singing/shouting about not "Mutating", which is either a metaphor for drugs or being a poser. Also has a pretty rockin' guitar solo. Like Rick James meets Parliament/Funkadelic.

7. No Treaties
Style: Hard Rock Ballad
Best Line: "We're four rockin' brothers and we're taking our stance"
Comments: Solid rock beat throughout with great heavy metal vocals by Raph. The song ends with some pretty awesome shredding on guitar. Basically about the plot of the album/show that Shredder has stolen music from the world and the Turtles are going to get it back.

8. Cowabunga
Style: Rap
Best Line: "Splinter, Splinter, this one's for you!"
Comments: Michelangelo raps about each of the four brothers describing their traits. It is here we learn that "He (Raph) wrote the music, I (Mike) wrote the words, we wrote everything that you've heard". It's more along the lines of a Fat Boys style rap.

9. April Ballad
Style: R& B Ballad
Best Line: "A Turtle's a friend, a friend to the end"
Comments: This is April's cry for help to the Turtles to save her. It's a cross between Tina Turner and Sheena Easton about how you need friends to help you.

10. Count On Us
Style: Rock Anthem
Best Line: "We gotta let the music be"
Comments: The Turtle's answer to April and the world that they will always be there to save the day. Another great line is "April you know we're with you and that you'll be OK". A lot of group chanting and sweet electric guitar riffs that ends up sounding like any chorus from a Poison song.

This album is like the movie "Galaxy Quest", way better than it needed to be. If you were remove all references to "Shells" "Green Skin" "Turtles" and "Pizza" this album could have been right along side New Kids on the Block in 1990.

These songs are so good, I often find myself singing them on the streets loudly and without shame-OK, that's a lie, but they are catchy.

You can usually find 2-3 copies on ebay at any given time, so take a chance and buy it already!

In the words of Michaelangelo, "What do you do when you can't think of a rhyme? Personally speaking, it's ending time"

Comments

Still have the "Coming out of our shells" cassette. Still works, still sounds good. (last time I checked anyway). My friends and I would put the tape in a boom box all the time and crank it up in the backyard while we attempted to build a tree house.
We listened to it so much that I still know all the words. The few times I've listened to the "album", I did so by going on You Tube just so I don't wear out the tape anymore than it already is. After all, it's gotta be at least 20, 21 years old by now.

never knew this existed

I'd never heard of this, but it sounds absolutley dreadful...but if you insist that it is seriously catchy and "way better than it needed to be", I'll have to take your word for it.

Yeah the songs are good. The turtles are the shiznit always have been and always will be.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS!! I had the tape from Pizza Hut as well...sang along to it every night before going to bed. This brought back a lot of memories man. This article is definitely what this site is all about. Thumbs up all the way!

I, like every other kid in the early 90s, was a big Turtles fanatic, but I missed out on this somehow. When I think of Turtles music, I always think of that "Turtle Power" rap song that plays on the end credits of the first movie. So this was a pretty interesting article to read. Thumbs way up.

Good stuff bro. I was checking this stuff out on youtube recently. Good Stuff.

I used to remember rap superstar M.C. Hammer sang their song during their first live action movie during the early 1990's. We even copied their theme song at Live Wire we have it in our I-Pod the one M.C.Hammer sang.

LOL other people know about this?? I actually went to this in New York. It was awesome. I do still have the VHS. The show was pretty damn cool seeing it live

I remember going to their concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, and to borrow a line from The Simpsons character Comic Book Guy "Greatest experience ever" (at the time.)

I used to have the cassette of it, which I got right after I saw the movie. I wouldn't mind getting a hold of it again.

And Galaxy Quest was way better than I had expected it to be.

Oh my god! I actually still have the cassette tape of that album!

I've always been a fan of TMNT but at the time of their singing career I think I was a little too old to appreciate it.

I still have the VHS of that show somewhere in my box o' movies.

Funny story. I went to their concert at Hampton Coliseum in Virginia at 3pm. Got flu like symptoms, left at four o' clock, and slept until noon the next day. My parents were stoked! I puked green turtle power! COWABUNGA!

Oops, a little slip on the comment at the end there. Just goes to show you how much this article affected me. To complete the thought: I'm feeling all woozy with nostalgia!

God, you know, I've read a zillion articles on this site and this is the first one that really takes me back. This is probably because in my brain there is a little shrine to the TMNT, and there always will be.

I loved "Comin' out of our Shells" "Tubin" They were great songs--aw heck, the whole album was good. I had the album on cassette thanks to a friend who picked it up for me at out local Pizza Hut. My family was the odering type, so we rarely ate in a pizza restaurant. I never saw the turtles live, but I saw them perform some of their show on Oprah. Come to think of it, I've seen alot of bands I wanted to see live, but never did on Oprah. But, I digress.

I completely agree with your comparison of the TMNT rock experience to Galaxy Quest. Both were unexpected gems.

Turtle Power Forever! This is a well written, if brief piece.

Thanks for the read, Hoju. I'm gonna go and try to find these songs now.

Thanks for the read, Hoju. Wow, I'm feeling

Just last month, I converted my copy of this cassette to CD so that I would never lose it. I even have it on my IPod so I can listen to it while I'm at work.

I'd be embarrassed to admit it's what I'm listening to (right alongside the original Pac-Man Fever album that I also have), but for those in the know, it's pretty freaking awesome.

I have both the cassette and VHS for the Rock Turtles, I've really enjoyed watching the concert, it's really good and that special late 80's sort of way and a must for any Turtles fan to see.

PS,

Great Article.

I still listen to 'Coming Out Of Their Shells'...seriously...Pizza Power is my joint!

I had this tape and I listened to it day and night. My favorite songs were "Sing About It", "Walk Straight", "Pizza Power", and "Cowabunga". I also had the TMNT II: The Secret of the Ooze Soundtrack. I know the movie soundtrack was on CD as well but was Coming Out Of Our Shells ever a CD release? If not, is there a place I can download the songs for a crazy nostalgic trip?~Andy

You totally can, Whiteranger...that's the power of ebay! They even have a VHS tape of the concert that's not hard to find.

I remember going to the concert when I was little it was so fun but I wish i could get the soundtrack

The live action Ninja Turtles movies also have good music, I think.

TMNT had music?

I remember watching this on Oprah with my mom. I had the album and gave it to my brother after listening to it once. It sounded like 80's crotch rock mixed with really bad 90's lyrics.

I played this cassette until it almost burst into flames. I love hearing about these random memories that even I almost forget about. Awesome!