Mark Beall's Geek Beat: Bring Back The Mayhem

"Golden teeth and golden tones, welcome to my presence."

I miss Dr. Teeth. Granted, there is quite a bit I miss from the glory days of the Muppets, when Jim Henson and Richard Hunt were still alive and Frank Oz was not chasing other projects -- but I don't intend to turn this into a complaint piece about where the Muppets are today. In fact, I still love them, even if they aren't quite what they used to be; even if a rather soul-less Disney hasn't quite figured out how to deal with a property which primarily exists on the strength of heart and soul. But that's not the point. The point is, I sincerely miss the Electric Mayhem, particularly their charismatic and verbose leader, Dr. Teeth.

I was only eight years old when Jim Henson died, and although I was a bit young to fully connect the dots on what this would mean for the Muppets, I was old enough to understand it meant something terrible for Kermit the Frog. The thought of Kermit sitting on Jim's coffin at the funeral holding a little sign which read "I lost my voice" is a sad, sad thought indeed. Then, incredibly, Steve Whitmire stepped into the void and brought Kermit back to life. As a kid, this mostly meant the Muppets were going to continue, and Kermit remained more or less as I'd remembered him. As an adult, I can certainly notice small differences in Jim's Kermit opposed to Steve's Kermit, but Kermit continued, and continued in good hands. Whitmire had been with the Muppets for so long, he fully understood the style and magic that is the Muppets. Was he a replacement for Jim? Of course not, nobody could possibly fill the shoes of such a man, and Steve Whitmire would be the first to admit it. But he did a better job than anyone else could, and therefore allowed the Muppets to continue.In addition to Kermit, Whitmire picked up other Jim Henson characters, such as Ernie of Sesame Street, allowing for little to no drop in production for the companies which relied on Jim Henson as a major character. It did not take very long for the Muppets to put together a few films under the direction of son Brian Henson, and although Muppet Christmas Carol and Muppet Treasure Island may not fully measure up to the bar set by the golden age, they were thoroughly enjoyable flicks and continued the proud Muppet tradition. Since then, they have had their ups and downs -- with only one further theatrical release, a short-lived revival of The Muppet Show as Muppets Tonight, and a few made-for-TV specials. There have been moments of truly Muppet-y greatness within these, and moments of absolute failure (the value of Muppet productions is a debate for another time, which I could easily spend thousands of words on). What there has NOT been, is Dr. Teeth or Rowlf the Dog.

Steve Whitmire, while a talented performer, was unable to assume every role originated by the master. In the wake of Jim Henson's death, Bill Barretta -- a friend of Brian Henson -- joined the Muppet performers. Barretta quickly adapted to the performing style of the Muppets, and is responsible for many of the new characters who have appeared in recent years, such as Pepe the King Prawn, Johnny Fiama, and Bobo the Bear. Barretta has since become the primary performer for both Rowlf and Dr. Teeth, although the word "primary" connotes a regular existence of said characters, and that is far from the truth.

Rowlf has practically ceased to exist in the post-Jim Henson world. He has appeared in background scenes on occasion, but is practically invisible; a terrible fate for a Muppet who was so intricately tied to the Muppets for so many years. Likewise Dr. Teeth, and in truth nearly the entire Electric Mayhem. Animal persists, and Janice has had a speaking line or two, but as a band they are relegated to instrumental background appearances. Without the powerful presence of their rotund front man, the Electric Mayhem have been anything but electric. The near disappearance of both of these long-time Muppet staples, while understandable, is quite a loss for us fans.

Welcome to Christmas Season 2006, which will feature the first (as far as my memory recalls, anyway) all-new Muppet album to be released since Kermit Unpigged back in 1995, and the track listing indicates the folks at Disney are actually planning something big. While the album will only feature twelve songs, it includes performances from many of the most popular Muppet characters, including Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, Rizzo, Pepe, the Swedish Chef, Rowlf, and The Electric Mayhem. Yes, friends, we will soon be treated to a long-desired return of the musical styles of both Rowlf the Dog and The Electric Mayhem. I have no idea who will be voicing the characters -- Barretta and Victor Yerrid (Statler and Waldorf: From The Balcony) are the only performers to have done anything with either of the characters in recent years -- but I can certainly hope for a groovy return. Granted, this doesn't mean we will see either of the characters in further Muppet performances, but hey, at least it's something. New music from Rowlf and the Mayhem? I'll take that over silence any day!