Songs in the Key of Springfield

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Songs in the Key of Springfield
Soundtrack by The Simpsons
Released	March 18, 1997
Recorded	June 1989 – August 1997
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	55:27
Label	Rhino Records
Producer	Danny Elfman, Steve Bartek, Alf Clausen, Anthony D’amico, Bill Inglot
Professional reviews
Allmusic link
The Simpsons chronology
The Simpsons Sing the Blues (1990) Songs in the Key of Springfield (1997) The Yellow Album (1998)

Songs in the Key of Springfield is a soundtrack/novelty album from The Simpsons compiling many of the musical numbers from the series. The album was released in the United States on March 18, 1997 and in the United Kingdom in June 1997. This was the second album released in associate with the Simpsons television series; however, the previous release, The Simpsons Sing the Blues, contained original recordings as opposed to songs featured in episodes of the series.

The album was followed by The Yellow Album — a second album of original songs — and subsequently by three additional soundtrack albums: Go Simpsonic with The Simpsons and Testify from the series, and The Simpsons Movie: The Music from the feature film.

Chart Performance

Compared to the previous album released in The Simpsons franchise, The Simpsons Sing the Blues, the album failed to match the success of their previous record. It managed to peak at #18 in the United Kingdom, where it would become the last charting album for the franchise in that country.

The album was less successful in the United States, where it peaked at #103 on the Billboard 200. However, it was successful on Billboard's Top Kid Audio chart, where it peaked at #1, becoming the first #1 on that chart for the franchise.

Music

The first track, which is the extended version of the main title theme, notes that it is from the episode "Cape Feare". However, the actual episode does use the extended opening and the same couch gag (the "chorus line" version), but Lisa's sax solo is different from the version heard on the album. Similarly, syndicated reruns of "Cape Feare" replace the whole opening altogether with the couch gag with the Simpsons finding exact doubles of themselves on the couch. However, the opening sequence that matches the one on the CD was used, complete with the same sax solo and couch gag, on the episodes "Monty Can't Buy Me Love", "Simpson Safari" and "The Bart Wants What It Wants", which aired well after the album's release.

Track listing

1. "The Simpsons Theme" (by Danny Elfman)
2. "We Do" (The Stonecutters' Song) - from the episode "Homer the Great"

   Marge & Homer introduction

   The Stonecutters

3. "Dancin' Homer" (Medley) - from the episode "Dancin' Homer"
   • Crosstown Bridge - The Simpsons – 0:10
   • Capitol City

   The Simpsons

   Tony Bennett

4. "Homer & Apu" (Medley) - from the episode "Homer and Apu"
   • Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart?

   Lisa introduction

   The Simpsons

   Apu

   • Who Needs the Kwik-E-Mart? (Reprise)

   Homer & Marge introduction

   Homer

   Apu

5. "Round Springfield" (Medley) - from the episode "'Round Springfield"
   • Bleeding Gums Blues

   Lisa & DJ introduction

   Bleeding Gums Murphy

   Lisa

   Alto saxophone solo by Dan Higgins

   • A Four-Headed King

   Bleeding Gums Murphy

   Lisa

   Cast

   • There She Sits, Brokenhearted

   Bleeding Gums Murphy

   Lisa

   • Jazzman (by Carole King and David Palmer)

   Bleeding Gums Murphy

   Lisa

   Alto saxophone solo by Dan Higgins

   Baritone saxophone solo by Terry Harrington

6. "Oh, Streetcar!" (The Musical) - from the episode "A Streetcar Named Marge"
   • White-Hot Grease Fires (Prologue)

   Director (Jon Lovitz)

   Cast

   • Long Before the Superdome

   Chief Wiggum

   • New Orleans

   Cast

   • I Thought My Life Would Be a Mardi Gras

   Marge & Cast introduction

   Marge

   Apu

   • I Am Just a Simple Paper Boy

   Apu

   • Stella

   Ned Flanders

   • She Flies

   (instrumental)

   • The Kindness of Strangers

   Marge

   Cast

7. "Jingle Bells" (by James Pierpont) - from the episode "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"

   Robert Goulet

   Bart

   Smithers

   Mr. Burns

   Nelson

8. "$pringfield" (Medley) - from the episode "$pringfield (Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Legalized Gambling)"
   • The Simpsons End Credits Theme ("Big Band Vegas" Version)
   • Gracie Films Logo (Vegas version with slot machine sound at the end)
9. "Itchy & Scratchy Main Title Theme" (by Robert Israel & Sam Simon) - from the episode "Itchy & Scratchy & Marge"
10. "Itchy & Scratchy End Credits Theme" - from The Episode "The Front"
11. "The Day the Violence Died" (Medley) - from the episode "The Day the Violence Died"
    • Not Jazz Chor, but Sad Chor"

    Krusty the Clown

    • The Amendment Song (by John Swartzwelder)

    Jack Sheldon with Kid

    Bart

    Lisa

    Cast

12. "Señor Burns" - from the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?"

    Tito Puente & His Latin Jazz Ensemble

13. "The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("Afro-Cuban" Version) - from the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (Part Two)

    Tito Puente & His Latin Jazz Ensemble – 0:47

14. "Your Wife Don't Understand You" - from the episode "Colonel Homer"

    Announcer & Cast introduction

    Lurleen (Beverly D'Angelo)

    Homer

15. "Kamp Krusty" (Medley) - from the episode "Kamp Krusty"
    • South of the Border" (by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr)

    Bart & Krusty introduction

    Gene Merlino

    • Gracie Films Logo (Mexican version with "Ole!" at the end)
16. "The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("Australian" Version) - from the episode "Bart vs. Australia"
17. "The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("Hill Street Blues" Version) - from the episode "The Springfield Connection"
18. "The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" Version) - from the episode "Homer the Vigilante"
19. "Treehouse of Horror V" (Medley) - from the episode "Treehouse of Horror V"
    • Controlling the Transmission (Prologue)

    Bart

    Homer

    • The Simpsons Halloween Special Main Title Theme
20. "Honey Roasted Peanuts" - from the episode "Boy-Scoutz 'n the Hood"

    Homer

    Marge

21. "Boy Scoutz N the Hood" (Medley) - from the episode "Boy-Scoutz N The Hood"
    • Saved by the Bell

    Apu

    Milhouse

    Bart

    • Jackpot

    Milhouse

    Bart

    • Springfield, Springfield (Parts 1 & 2)

    Bart

    Milhouse

    Cast

    • Remember This?

    Bart

    Lisa

    • Another Edwardian Morning

    Bart

    Marge

    Homer

22. "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds" (Medley) - from the episode "Two Dozen and One Greyhounds"
    • The Pick of the Litter

    Mr. Burns

    Lisa

    • See My Vest

    Smithers introduction

    Mr. Burns

    Maid

    Lisa

    Bart

23. "Eye on Springfield" Theme - from the episode "Flaming Moe's"

    Kent Brockman introduction

    Homer

24. "Flaming Moe's" - from the episode "Flaming Moe's"

    Kipp Lennon

    Cast

25. "Homer's Barbershop Quartet" (Medley) - from the episode "Homer's Barbershop Quartet"
    • One Last Call (by Les Applegate)

    Principal Skinner

    Apu

    • Baby on Board

    The Be Sharps

    Cast

26. "TV Sucks!" - a dialogue sequence from the episode "Itchy & Scratchy: The Movie"

    Homer

    Bart

27. "A Fish Called Selma" (Medley) - from the episode "A Fish Called Selma"
    • Troy Chic

    Agent MacArthur Parker (Jeff Goldblum)

    Troy McClure

    • Stop the Planet of the Apes I want to get off
    • Dr. Zaius

    Troy McClure

    Bart

    Homer

    Cast

    • Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z

    Troy McClure

    Cast

28. Send in the Clowns ( by Stephen Sondheim) - from the episode "Krusty Gets Kancelled"

    Announcer introduction

    Krusty the Clown

    Sideshow Mel

29. "The Monorail Song" - from the episode "Marge vs. the Monorail"

    Lyle Lanley

    Cast

30. "In Search of an Out of Body Vibe" - a dialogue sequence from the episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover"

    Grampa

    Mrs. Bouvier

31. "Cool" - from the episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover"

    Homer

    Grampa

32. "Bagged Me a Homer" (by Beverly D'Angelo) - from the episode "Colonel Homer"

    Lurleen (Beverly D'Angelo)

    Recording Studio Guy

    Homer

    Marge

    Baritone saxophone solo by Terry Harrington

    Harmonica solo by Tommy Morgan

33. "It Was a Very Good Beer" (by Ervin Drake) - from the episode "Duffless"

    Homer

34. "Bart Sells His Soul" (Medley) - from the episode "Bart Sells His Soul"
    • From God's Brain to Your Mouth

    Bart

    • "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" (by Doug Ingle)

    Reverend Lovejoy

    Bart

    Milhouse

    Homer

    Cast

35. "Happy Birthday, Lisa" (by Michael Jackson, credited to W. A. Mozart, due to contractual obligations) - from the episode "Stark Raving Dad"

    Lisa & Bart introduction

    Leon Kompowski (Kipp Lennon)

    Bart

    Lisa

36. "The Simpsons Halloween Special End Credits Theme" ("The Addams Family" Version) - from the episode "Treehouse of Horror IV"
37. "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (Part One) (Medley) - from the episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns?" (Part One)
    • Who Dunnit?
    • The Simpsons End Credits Theme ("JFK" Version)
38. "Lisa's Wedding" (Medley) - from the episode "Lisa's Wedding"
    • The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("Renaissance" Version)
    • Gracie Films Logo ("Renaissance" Version)
39. "The Simpsons End Credits Theme" ("Dragnet" Version) - from the episode "Marge on the Lam"

Cultural reference

The title is taken from the Stevie Wonder album Songs in the Key of Life. It is also a parody of Songs in the Key of X, the soundtrack album for another FOX TV show, The X-Files.

See also